Before founding the Byrds with Gene Clark and David Crosby, Roger McGuinn was a folk nut. He returned to his first love in music with Roger McGuinn’s Folk Den, where he posts new recordings of old songs monthly. McGuinn celebrated the 27th anniversary of his Folk Den here this month. He did the honors with “Shady Grove.” No one told me arithmetic would be required, but I believe that means he has posted some 324 songs at the Folk Den.
If you grew up in the American folk tradition, you undoubtedly know “Dink’s Song.” It’s the genuine article. In the video below, McGuinn plays it on his acoustic 12-string with Josh White Jr. singing on harmony. McGuinn posted this recording here at his Folk Den in March 2000 along with a related excerpt of John Lomax’s account of the first recording of the song from “his remarkable book Adventures Of A Ballad Hunter, published by MacMillan in 1947[.]” Lomax’s “remarkable book” was restored to print in 2017 by the University of Texas Press.
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