Bluegrass 45 “50 years ago this week” Week 8

1971-8-5 Thursday—Day off

I got up late, had a breakfast and back to bed.  Liao, Toshio and Mr. Yamamoto went to Queens Town for grocery shopping.  In the evening we rehearsed “Take Me Home, Country Road” and “Long Black Veil.”  After that we had a discussion on a difference between our first album (Run Mountain that we released in Japan the previous year) and the new one coming out from Rebel.

1971-8-6 Friday —Weekend off in Broomes Island

I got up at 9 am and walked to Dick’s house.  We waxed our bus, fixed a speaker and painted the window panes.  At 3 pm we borrowed a van, went back to our apartment, had hot dogs, loaded our stuff and went back to Dick’s.  Mr. Yamamoto decided to stay home and go sightseeing.

We left Hyattsville in our bus at 4 pm, but in less than an hour Dick found a radiator leakage so we had to turn back.  We unloaded from the bus, loaded into a van and hit the road again, arriving in Broomes Island, Maryland at 8 pm.  We played some games & softball.  Dick and the boys had a long discussion on how bands should be.

1971-8-7 Saturday—Day off in Broomes Island

Dick, Grandpa, Josh, Sab and Akira went fishing on the Patuxent River, but first stopped a bait shop to get bait & hooks.  I caught the first one!  We got seven all together.  A police boat came by and made sure that we had enough life jackets but said not a word about fishing licenses.  We got back and had breakfast.  For the next round Dick, Ronnie, Tami, Josh and Liao went out on a boat and caught three.  Grandma was so thrilled when Josh and I played her organ even though we didn’t know how.  A pie they had made was so delicious!

1971-8-8 Sunday—Day off in Broomes Island

I had many bad dreams, Ginger (Dick’s dog) and morning sunshine woke me up many times.  It’s been a long time since I woke up as many times at night—I guess I have been busy and tired, and I would sleep thru anything till this weekend.  I got up at ten, had breakfast and went fishing again with Dick, Josh, Liao and Toshio.  Not much success with only four fish caught.  We went swimming and got some sun.  (Note: The following year we saw us in a movie Bluegrass Country Soul filmed at the end of 1971 summer, and I couldn’t believe how tanned all of us were.)

We played ping pong and had bicycle races—Dick fell down but he was OK.  We went back out to swim but the water is not clean and the bottom is muddy.  Another couple came by and at grandma’s request, Josh & I played the organ.  Then BG45 played a set but since we had no upright bass, Toshio played organ’s bass pedals.

We left Broomes Island at 11 pm and arrived in Hyattsville at 12 midnight.  Mr. Yamamoto went sightseeing in DC and Arlington, and visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  He and Toshio started making plans to attend Galax Fiddlers Convention.  This next weekend we are supposed to appear at Tex Ritter Show in Camp Springs, North Carolina on Saturday and then on Sunday Ashland, Kentucky, but the one in Ashland is not confirmed yet.

1971-8-9 Monday—Day Off

I got up at 11 am and went shopping with Sab, Liao, Toshio & Mr. Yamamoto.  (Note: we probably we walked to Prince George’s Plaza in Hyattsville.)  I had two hot dogs for lunch and then we rehearsed “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Long Black Veil” and “When Lord Shall Come Again.”   Sab fixed a nice beef cutlet for dinner and then all of us went to see Planet of the Apes.

1971-8-10 Tuesday—Day Off

I got up at 10 am.  I had breakfast by myself while everybody else was still asleep.  Dick and I took the bus to a shop in Annapolis.  We came home and had lunch (three hotdogs?)  I wrote many postcards and letters while everybody else went sightseeing in DC.  I also made notes on our recording data.

1971-8-11 Wednesday—Cliff Waldron at Red Fox Inn

After breakfast we rehearsed.  Dick took Mr. Yamamoto and Toshio to downtown DC to buy Trailways bus tickets to Galax, Virginia.  Around 8 PM we went to Red Fox Inn in Bethesda where Cliff Waldron and New Shades of Grass were performing.  Cliff Waldron: vocal and guitar, Bill Poffenberger: fiddle, Ben Eldridge: banjo, Mike Auldridge: Dobro & vocal, Dave Auldridge: mandolin & vocal and Ed Ferris: bass.

We (Bluegrass 45) performed two sets.  

First set:

1. Raise a Ruckus
2. That’s the Time
3. Along the Way
4. Fuji Mountain Breakdown
5. Place in the Sun
6. Bridge Over Troubled Water
7. Orange Blossom Special

Second set:

1. Raise a Ruckus
2. Y’all Come
3. Bluegrass Breakdown
4. Hamabe
5. Mocking Bird
6. Come Home, My Dear One
7. How Far to Get to Little Rock
8. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
9. Mocking Banjo

We had a surprisingly good performance and Dick was very happy.  Afterwards we went to Georgetown in DC  to drop off LPs at the Shamrock, drop Toshio & Mr. Yamamoto at the Trailways bus terminal and then we went back to our apartment.  Went to bed at 3 am!