I’ve ridden the horse about as far as it can go, but I think ol’ Stewball has one more post in him, and that’s just what I need on this Saturday morning when the cold and sinus ailment that’s been hiding in the corner all week has decided it’s time to take center stage.
I noted yesterday that I’ve heard the modern folk version of “Stewball” – the version first recorded by the Greenbriar Boys in 1961 – numerous times, including the cover by the county rock group Mason Proffit on its 1969 album Wanted.
But I honestly must note that I have paid the Mason Proffit track little attention, as it closes Side One of the vinyl of Wanted, and the track for which the record is most notable, “Two Hangmen,” kicks off Side Two. I do have the CD issue of the album, where the two are adjacent, and if my having given less than full attention to Mason Proffit’s “Stewball” tells me anything, it’s that I need – in these days of mostly hearing single tracks from anywhere played randomly – to reacquaint myself with the entire Wanted album.
That can start with turning my attention to “Stewball,” as recorded by John and Terry Talbot and the rest of Mason Proffit. It’s interesting to note that the songwriting credit on both the vinyl I have and the 2006 CD call the song traditional, still ignoring the contributions of the Greenbriar Boys’ Bob Yellin. Maybe there’s a reason for that, but whatever it might be, we’ll pass it by today and simply note that Mason Proffit’s 1969 cover of “Stewball” is today’s Saturday Single.