Anthology of American Folk Music
Volume 1: Ballads, Track 17

JOHN HARDY WAS A DESPERATE LITTLE MAN
The Carter Family

Recorded Camden, NJ: May 10, 1928
Sara Carter, vocal and autoharp; Maybelle Carter, guitar
Originally released on Victor 40190A

The Carter Family band from Maces Spring, Virginia consisted of A.P.(Alvin Pleasant Delaney) Carter (1891-1960), Maybelle Carter (1909-1978), and Sara Carter (1898-1979). The Carter Family is considered to be one of the most important and influential music groups in the history of American music. The group, with various family members involved, has been active for over 70 years.

In early August 1927, Victor talent scout Ralph Peer advertised in a Bristol, Tennessee newspaper for musicians to come to an audition for his recording company. During this one legendary session, Peer discovered both the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, "The Singing Brakeman" --  two of the most important recording acts in the history of country music. A.P. Carter collected folk songs from the Appalachian region near their home and arranged them in the Carter Family's style. He was one of the first musicians to copyright these traditional arrangements in his own name and prepared song folios for sale at their shows. The Carter's music was a mixture of sacred and secular songs, and many of their songs have become country, old-time, and bluegrass standards. The Carter's songs and distintive style of singing and guitar accompanyment strongly influenced later musicians, especially Woody Guthrie, The New Lost City Ramblers, and Joan Baez. Most of the lead vocals were done by Sara; Maybelle played guitar and autoharp.

During their career the "Original Carter Family" recorded over three hundred songs. Some, such as "Wildwood Flower," "Jimmie Brown the Newsboy," and "Keep on the Sunnyside," are still performed frequently. Unlike many of the artists on the Anthology, the Carter's sales remained so strong that they continued to record throughout the Depression and thereafter.

In 1938, the group went to the Texas-Mexico border and started broadcasting on the radio stations XERA, XEG, and XENT. Because these "X stations" were located across the border in Mexico, they were able to get around FCC limitations on the strength of their signal. The X stations could be picked up all over the South, thereby disseminating the performer's music far and wide. These shows also marked the return of the "medicine show" to the airwaves, with a format that alternated music and comedy with sales pitches for patent medicines and dubious medical procedures. The original ensemble stopped performing as a group in the early 1940s.

Maybelle Carter played guitar in a distinct style, picking out the melody on the bass strings. It is a style that she learned from an African-American neighbor Leslie Riddle. Her style influenced many of the folk guitarists that followed and is a style strongly identified with the folk revival. Maybelle continued to be a popular country music artist until her death performing as "Mother Maybelle." She and Sara made appearances at various folk festivals during the 1960s, including the Newport Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife.

The next generation of the Carter Family was composed of Maybelle along with June, Helen, Anita, and Jeanette. The younger girls starting performing with A.P., Sara, and Maybelle during their border radio period. The later Carter Family was also a top selling recording group during the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the group reunites and tours occasionally with granddaughter Carlene as a member. The extended Carter Family group also included June's husband Johnny Cash and daughter Roseanne, both well-known recording artists in their own right.

John Hardy is a ballad of African-American origin that was popular around the turn of the 20th century. It has become one of the most frequently performed American folksongs both in black and white traditions.

FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS OF THE ORIGINAL CARTER FAMILY:
See the Rounder Records reissue series on CD of their Victor material. Also see the Carter Family on Border Radio releases on the Arhoolie and Old Homestead labels; and Hall of Fame Series (MCA 10088c). The later group made many recordings for Columbia as did Mother Maybelle. There are simply too many to list individually.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE CARTERS:
See The Carter Family (Old Time Music Booklet 1), London: Old Time Music, 1973; Bill Malone, Country Music U.S.A. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1968; and John Cohen's documentary film, Sara and Maybelle (available through University of California Media Extension Service, 510/642-0460).

OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS INCLUDE:
Traditional American Folk: as John Hardy: David Holt (JA 0038c); Buell Kazee (BR 144b, FW 3810c, YZ 2015c); Lead Belly (SFW CD 40045c); Hamper McBee (RND 0061a); Phoeba Parsons (Folk Promotions 41942 a); Frank Proffitt (SFW CD 2360c); The Russell Family (CTY 734a); Betsy Rutherford (BIO 6004a); Hobart Smith (FL 17a)).

Folksong revival: as John Hardy: Joan Baez (VG 125/7c); Saul Broudy (ADE 2011a); Paul Clayton (SFW CD 3571c); Logan English (RVR 12-643a); The Greenwoods (DEC 4496a); Frank Hamilton (SFW CD 2437c); Cisco Houston (SFW CD 2346c); Burl Ives (COL 6058a); Koerner, Ray and Glover (ELK 7305a); Ed McCurdy (Spin-O-Rama 122a); Walt Robertson (SFW CD 2330c); The Rocky Mountain Ramblers (Kapp 3475a); Sparky Rucker (GL 1032a); The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers (Crown 389a); Mike Seeger (SFW CD 2325c); Pete Seeger (SFW CD  2451c, FW 2319c, VG 73112c); Roger Sprung (SFW CD 31038c); The Tarriers (ATL 8042a); Eric Weissberg (ELK 217a); Glenn Yarbrough (TRD 1054a); as Desperate Man Blues:  John Fahey (TAK 1002a, TAK 8901c); as Johnny Hard: Woody Guthrie (SFW CD  40101c, ST 53a).

Country/String Band: as John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man: Anita Carter (MER 20847a, BF 15434c); as John Hardy: (Ray Alden (MMC 9009d); Clarence Ashley (CTY 525a); Dock Boggs (SFW CD 3903c); The Camp Creek Boys (MTN 312a); Maybelle Carter (Smash 27041a); Roy Clark (Dot 5150a); G.F. Collins and the Blue Ridge Entertainers (HRT 7a); Austin Harmon (RND 0237 c); Clint Howard (OH 80060a); The Iron Mountain String Band (SFW CD 2477c); Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham (CTY 2702c); Walt Koken (RND 0367c); Lily May Ledford (GR 712a); Leva and Williams (HRT 063a); The Lonesome Valley Singers (Diplomat 2627a); The Red Mules (MMC 9056d); Ola Belle Reed (RND 0021a); The Round Peak Band (MMC 9044d); Dick Stabler (RND 0040a); Ernest Stoneman (OK 7011b, CTY 533a); Fields Ward (SFW CD 3832c); Wade Ward (BIO 6002a).

Bluegrass: as John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man: Flatt and Scruggs and Doc Watson (COL 9443a); as John Hardy: Tom Adams (RND 0282c); Norman Blake (TAK 7052a); The Bluegrass Travelers (Webco a); Country Gazette (FF 446d); Raymond Fairchild (ATT 1655a); Flatt and Scruggs (COL 9443a); The Goins Brothers (REB 1543a); Esker Hutchins (CTY 757a); David Johnson (SFW CD 31094c); The Kentucky Colonels (RND 0199c); The Lilly Brothers (SFW CD 2433c); The Log Cabin Boys (RR 184a); The Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks (RR 152a); Joh n McEuen (VG 79468c, WB 25266c); Bill Monroe (DEC 4266a, BF 11529c); Alan Munde (RND 0311c); The New Tradition (Red Clay 105a); Bill and Betty Price (RR 239a); Don Reno (Kaleidoscope 34a); Tony Rice (REB 1582a, RND 0183c); Earl Scruggs (COL 32268a); Earl Taylor (RR 188a); The Virginia Mountain Boys (SFW CD 3833c).

Rock: as John Hardy: Blackhands (Sub Pop 162c); Lonnie Donegan (ATL 8038a); Manfred Mann (EMI 559c, CAP 37067c); George Thorogood (RND 3013c); Uncle Tupelo (Rockville 6050c).

American Popular: as John Hardy: Rod McKuen (LIB 3011a).

British: as John Hardy: Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (SFW CD 8731c).