NPR’s Don Gonyea speaks with Tamara Saviano, who produced a brand new album by people and nation singer Man Clark primarily based on long-lost recordings.
DON GONYEA, HOST:
I am fortunate sufficient to have seen Man Clark carry out, I do not know, perhaps a dozen instances, in all probability greater than, that over time. The primary was someday within the mid-’80s, and by then, he was already Man Clark, dwelling legend, songwriter’s songwriter.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “L.A. FREEWAY”)
GUY CLARK: (Singing) If I can simply get off of this L.A. freeway with out getting killed or caught.
GONYEA: However earlier than Man Clark was that Man Clark, he was a 28-year-old, nonetheless struggling to make it as a songwriter, standing in entrance of a small viewers in a espresso home on the College of Houston in 1970.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CLARK: (Singing) The previous nation blues is all I see rolling into Austin, in search of thee.
GONYEA: His opening act that evening was a highschool pupil named John Koontz. He requested Clark if he might report the set, and Man mentioned sure.
TAMARA SAVIANO: John handed this cassette recorder round to his associates, and I heard from a couple of of those associates that they performed the tape till it broke. And the reel-to-reel or no matter he first recorded on was misplaced.
GONYEA: That is Tamara Saviano, good friend, producer and skilled in all issues Man Clark. She says that everybody thought that recording was misplaced eternally. However then…
SAVIANO: In 2021, John was cleansing up his home and stumbled upon one copy of this cassette tape.
GONYEA: That recording ultimately made its method to Saviano and her studio, and it is going to be launched on February 28. I requested Saviano which observe stood out to her.
SAVIANO: “Step Inside My Home.” That is the primary music Man wrote. And in order that one all the time – I am sort of listening in another way to listen to how this music progressed as Man would play it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STEP INSIDE MY HOUSE”)
CLARK: (Singing) Step inside my home, Babe. I am going to sing for you a music. And I am going to let you know ’bout the place I have been. It should not take too lengthy.
SAVIANO: Man I all the time thought that that was an unfinished music. So I can hear the hesitance. Like, am I actually singing this music? Is that this music completed? Is that this music price singing in entrance of an viewers?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STEP INSIDE MY HOUSE”)
CLARK: (Singing) It positive is good from proper over right here when the sunshine’s a little bit dim.
SAVIANO: He by no means recorded it in a studio setting, however he would play it dwell in Houston, and it was handed round from songwriter to songwriter in Houston. So somebody would hear Man play it, after which they’d play it. And that is the way it made its method to Lyle Lovett, who later recorded it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STEP INSIDE THIS HOUSE”)
LYLE LOVETT: (Singing) Step inside this home, lady. I am going to sing for you a music.
GONYEA: He does 18 songs on this report. Six of them are covers, songs he did not write. He does a really well-known Jackson Browne music. He does “These Days.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THESE DAYS”)
JACKSON BROWNE: (Singing) And I had a lover.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THESE DAYS”)
CLARK: (Singing) I do not suppose I am going to danger one other lately. Lately.
GONYEA: He positive makes it a Man Clark music right here, despite the fact that I do know each phrase is a Jackson Browne music.
SAVIANO: He does, and I discovered myself questioning, how did he discover this music? You recognize, the place did he discover “These Days”?
GONYEA: I discovered a 1967 model of that music recorded by Nico on that Velvet Underground banana report.
SAVIANO: Oh. Properly, that is smart, OK. I could not work out how he obtained the music.
GONYEA: Music apart, what do you hear in right here?
SAVIANO: The primary observe is named “Susanna.” And any time that Man writes about Susanna or talks about his love for Susanna, that intrigues me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SUSANNA LET YOUR HAIR DOWN ON ME”)
CLARK: (Singing) Susanna, let your hair down on me. Cowl up the blues.
SAVIANO: They’d such an attention-grabbing relationship from the very begin, how they met by way of Susanna’s loss of life. After which additionally “Headed Again To California,” which can be speaking about that, you realize, relationship with Susanna.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HEADED BACK TO CALIFORNIA”)
CLARK: (Singing) All the best way from California I’ve come see you smile once more.
SAVIANO: That is the very early days of their relationship. So to listen to Man sing “Headed Again To California” about Susanna, about his dedication already to Susanna and his love for Susanna simply months into their relationship, that simply actually struck me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HEADED BACK TO CALIFORNIA”)
CLARK: (Singing) From the Greyhound stationed to your door, I circled 10 instances or extra.
GONYEA: We’re arising on a decade since Man handed away. He was 74 years previous. You have spent quite a lot of time working his legacy and fascinated with his legacy within the years since. How does this contribute?
SAVIANO: Properly, I believe, you realize, there are quite a lot of us who know who Man Clark is, and we love Man Clark, and we admire him because the artist that he was. However Man shouldn’t be a family identify. And so something that we are able to add to that legacy to herald new folks, to have the ability to say, here is one thing new for the those that already love Man, and here is one thing you may wish to hear should you’ve by no means heard of Man.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CLARK: (Singing) Choosing up strains that somebody misplaced upon my road, singing them again. Do the tapping of my toes.
GONYEA: Tamara Saviano is the artistic director and president of Man Clark, LLC, and the Man Clark Household Basis. Tamara, thanks for sharing these tales with us.
SAVIANO: Oh, I am so completely satisfied to be right here with you, Don. Thanks.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CLARK: (Singing) I am in search of the phrases and say you are actually…
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