Dylan, Guthrie, and Roosevelt – the story of a song
Adrian Smith, Rob Joy AND Mike Hammond (The Dodge Brothers)

12 x 20 minutes episodes tell the story of Bob Dylan and The Band’s performances at the two Woody Guthrie tribute concerts staged in Carnegie Hall on 20 January 1968, AND of a controversial song as unknown today as then: Guthrie’s last complete composition, ‘Dear Mrs Roosevelt’.  Dylan has never reprised the song, and for the first time since 1948 Mike Hammond performs the full, uncensored version.  Why Woody Guthrie wrote ‘Dear Mrs Roosevelt’, and how Bob Dylan rescued it from obscurity twenty years later, reflects the close relationship between ‘people’s music’ and progressive politics in America from the 1930s to the 1960s.  No president has been celebrated in song as much as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and no First Lady has loved folk music like Eleanor Roosevelt – this is as much their story as that of Guthrie, Dylan, and his sidemen.

To listen, click on one of the following links:
PodBean: https://dylanguthrieandroosevelt.podbean.com
Apple/iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dylan-guthrie-and-roosevelt-the-story-of-a-song/id1473733233
Android/Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iangwibvf7jtkqj4hsbs4l5d654

Adrian Smith, Slouching Towards Big Pink Essays on Bob Dylan and The Band, Woody Guthrie, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Takahe, 2020)
The story of ‘Dear Mrs Roosevelt can also be found in Slouching Towards Big Pink, a stylish blend of memoir, travelogue, and scholarship.  From the West Midlands to West Saugerties, the Isle of Wight to the New York island, these essays see Adrian Smith fly the flag for folk in ’sixties Coventry, criss-cross America in the footsteps of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, ride a fifty-year rollercoaster of Dylan performances, trace the sad story of Bob Dylan and Rick Nelson, and look to The Band for a soundscape of his son’s final illness.
Slouching Towards Big Pink can be ordered via Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1908837144?pf_rd_r=9GZVWAH0NJE8FVQ8A7AG&pf_rd_p=e632fea2-678f-4848-9a97-bcecda59cb4e

The Dodge Brothers ‘Middle of Nowhere’ from the album DRIVE TRAIN. The U.K. Americana vets hit the road with a surprise in the boot in their latest clip.

Americana rebels The Dodge Brothers are on a mysterious mission to the Middle of Nowhere in their new video.

Filmed in glorious black-and-white Dodge Vision, the road-trip clip for their latest slice of old-school roots-rock finds members of the long-running U.K. quartet cruising the backroads — in a vintage Dodge, of course — with a surprise package in the boot.

Middle of Nowhere — an ode to “wild, wild wanderers out in the wilderness looking for fame, fortune and forgiveness” — comes from their 2018 full-length Drive Train, the combo’s fourth exuberant platter of country blues, rockabilly, jugband and skiffle.

Firmly rooted in these traditions, The Dodge Brothers bring to them a freshness that has feet stomping and hands clapping from California to Cropredy, from the Mississippi to the New Forest. Their songs feature vocal virtuosity and heartfelt harmonies underpinned by joyous guitars, thumping double bass and rattlin’ snare and washboard.

The band features Mike Hammond (lead guitar, lead vocals, banjo), Mark Kermode (bass, harmonica, vocals), Aly Hirji (rhythm guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Alex Hammond (washboard, snare drum, percussion). Their music has an authentically American tang – frontman Mike Hammond was raised in Alabama and his youthful musical travels took him all over the southern and western U.S. – but with a strong British perspective from Culture Show presenter and film critic Mark Kermode.

These guys play with dust in their Levis and the road in their hearts. Check out Middle of Nowhere above, and keep up with The Dodge Brothers via their website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Filmed by devillefilm

The Dodge Brothers talk to Sally Taylor on BBC South Today about their new music video ‘Middle of Nowhere’ shot and produced by devillefilm in The New Forest.

Mark Kermode (Film Critic & Double Bass, vocals in The Dodge Brothers) speaks about the cinematic sounds of the new album DRIVE TRAIN.

devillefilm spoke to the mighty Mike Hammond – strummer, songwriter and official American for The Dodge Brothers. HEAR! him tell tales of transport and homicide, SEE! him tell you about his favourite guitars, and WONDER IN AMAZEMENT! how he never takes his Raybans off even when he’s watching Bake-Off

As Part of the Drive Train Sessions, We speak to Alex Hammond – percussionist, lover of the washboard and Dodge Brother, as we chat Drive Train – The Dodge Brothers brand new album.

 

As part of the Drive Train Sessions, Aly Hirji (Guitarist and Producer of The Dodge Brothers) spoke about the new album and gives an insight into the band’s formation, the production process and what the trickiest track on the album proved to be…

A Christmas Gift For You from The Dodge Brothers – ‘Christmas in Heaven’, live at the legendary Shelley Theatre. Happy Xmas Everybody!

The Dodge Brothers brand new 15 track album is released today.

Our new album #DriveTrain is out on 24 Sept 2018.

Anyone who pre-orders it on iTunes from 1st Sept will get 3 tracks immediately.

Links will be posted here when live.

Who would like to know the track listing for our new album ‘Drive Train’?

Every day over the next few weeks we’ll give you a track and a picture clue to every new Dodge Brothers song…

#TrackByTrack

The @DodgeBrothers New Album ‘Drive Train’

Album Release Date: 24 Sept 2018

Pre-orders start 16 Aug 2018 from our website and these will be sent out 2 weeks early.

Our new album is called DRIVE TRAIN and it’ll look like this (by Jules Balme):

Here’s an exclusive preview of our new logo

Welcome to The Dodge Brothers new website.

Keep watching this space for all updates on the new album.

And check out our gig page as all album tour dates are now on sale.