Warm It Up from 1996

featuring John Hammond and the Persuasions

Listen to the November 23, 1996, show

This week, we revisit a classic from The Town Hall in New York City, with John Hammond, Marie McLaughlin, Susanne Mentzer, and The Persuasions. Listen to the show.

One of the a cappella groups that originated the New York City street sound, The Persuasions were a quartet made up of Jerry Lawson, Joe Russell, Jayotis Washington, and Jimmy Hayes. The group first formed in Brooklyn, New York, and, in 1968, performed a cappella on their first recording, done on Frank Zappa's Straight label. Zappa had heard the group over his telephone — the Persuasions were singing in the garage of a friend, who called Zappa and held up the phone to see what he thought. Two weeks later, they were in California signing with Zappa's record label. The Persuasions' name has Biblical roots — it comes from Christ's constant struggle to persuade people to follow religion. As a nod to their gospel ties and, said Lawson, "to keep their mothers happy," the group included a gospel cut on every album,

The son of the legendary Columbia A&R man, the younger John Hammond has become a legend in his own right. To hear him sing and play his piercing harmonica and slide guitar is to know that his distinct style follows the early blues roots players but has evolved into a style all his own. Hammond began playing guitar at age 16 after hearing the music of traditional country blues artist Robert Johnson and recorded his first album four years later in 1962. He has collaborated with John Lee Hooker, Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones, The Band's Robbie Robertson, Dr. John, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Clapton, and many others — when guitarist Jimi Hendrix was "discovered" by Chas Chandler, he was playing in a band Hammond had put together at the club Café Au Go Go. Hammond has had a lifelong devotion to Delta blues and was chosen as an on-screen guide for a British documentary called The Search for Robert Johnson.

Here are the lyrics to “No Thanksgiving for Me”:

Put on the soup and tea
No big dinner for me
I did Thanksgiving last year, I can’t do it again
Mama, leave me alone,
I disconnected the phone,
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

Thanksgiving Day is a mess
We always have too many guests
And my sister-in-law has a voice like a knife on a stone
I’m down on my knees
A couple Valium please
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

The nephews and nieces are fun,
Psychopaths every one,
They’ll all need criminal lawyers long before they are grown
And then there’s Uncle Ralph
Who sits and talks to himself
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

We’ve got some genetic defect
Therapy had no affect
I could tell you stories as strange as The Twilight Zone
There's a glow in Mom’s eyes
What did she bake in those pies?
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

Last year Elvis dropped by
And a spaceship came down from the sky
Bright lights flashed and three creatures stepped out of the cone
With heads like eggplants,
It was three of my aunts.
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

Put on the soup and tea
No big dinner for me
I did Thanksgiving last year, I can’t do it again
Mama, leave me alone,
I disconnected the phone,
I made my mind up, I’m going to stay home.

New Lyrics ©1996 by Garrison Keillor

We've been flooded with requests for GK’s peanut butter fudge recipe, so here it is:

1 lb. box powdered sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (18 oz.) jar smooth peanut butter
2 sticks margarine
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick margarine

In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs , and whole jar of peanut butter. Melt 2 sticks margarine and pour over dry mixture. Mix well. Spread in 9" x 13" pan. Pat evenly and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Melt 1 stick margarine and bag of chocolate chips. Mix well. Pour over peanut butter base.

Refrigerate for another 1/2 hour before cutting bars. Store in fridge.

Get Garrison’s story in his own words. Get the book here.

Get his story in his OWN VOICE. Get the CDs here.

Duets 2 from A Prairie Home Companion

Duets 2 features performances from some of the greatest talents in the music world: Garrison Keillor with singing partners Suzy Bogguss, Heather Masse, and Aoife O’Donovan; Gillian Welch and David Rawlings; Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller; Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele; Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins; Robin and Linda Williams; duet vocal groups MaMuse and Storyhill; preeminent instrumentalists Sam Bush and Stuart Duncan; Jerry Douglas and Luke Bulla; and many more! Get the CD.

Lake Wobegon Life Tote

Grab a towel, some water, suntan lotion, along with your tote bag and head to the beach! The lake life is so relaxing. This tote is roomy and spacious. Yes, we are what we are is our motto (Sumos Quod Sumos) and this bag is fitting. Get the tote.