NPR’s Don Gonyea speaks with Tamara Saviano, who produced a brand new album by people and nation singer Man Clark based mostly 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 through the years. The primary was someday within the mid-’80s, and by then, he was already Man Clark, residing 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CLARK: (Singing) The outdated nation blues is all I see rolling into Austin, in search of thee.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 may file the set, and Man mentioned sure.
TAMARA SAVIANO: John handed this cassette recorder round to his pals, and I heard from just a few of those pals 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, pal, producer and professional 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 technique to Saviano and her studio, and it will likely be launched on February 28. I requested Saviano which monitor stood out to her.
SAVIANO: “Step Inside My Home.” That is the primary music Man wrote. And in order that one at all times – I am sort of listening in a different 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 will sing for you a music. And I will inform you ’bout the place I have been. It should not take too lengthy.
SAVIANO: Man I at all times 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 certain is sweet from proper over right here when the sunshine’s somewhat dim.
SAVIANO: He by no means recorded it in a studio setting, however he would play it reside 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 technique to Lyle Lovett, who later recorded it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STEP INSIDE THIS HOUSE”)
LYLE LOVETT: (Singing) Step inside this home, lady. I will sing for you a music.
GONYEA: He does 18 songs on this file. 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 will threat one other today. Today.
GONYEA: He certain makes it a Man Clark music right here, though 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 already know, the place did he discover “These Days”?
GONYEA: I discovered a 1967 model of that music recorded by Nico on that Velvet Underground banana file.
SAVIANO: Oh. Effectively, that is smart, OK. I could not determine how he bought the music.
GONYEA: Music apart, what do you hear in right here?
SAVIANO: The primary monitor known as “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 fascinating relationship from the very begin, how they met by Susanna’s demise. After which additionally “Headed Again To California,” which can be speaking about that, you understand, 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 developing on a decade since Man handed away. He was 74 years outdated. You’ve got spent a variety of time working his legacy and desirous about his legacy within the years since. How does this contribute?
SAVIANO: Effectively, I feel, you understand, there are a variety of us who know who Man Clark is, and we love Man Clark, and we respect him because the artist that he was. However Man is just not a family identify. And so something that we are able to add to that legacy to usher in new folks, to have the ability to say, here is one thing new for the people who already love Man, and here is one thing you may wish to hear when you’ve by no means heard of Man.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
CLARK: (Singing) Selecting up traces that somebody misplaced upon my avenue, singing them again. Do the tapping of my toes.
GONYEA: Tamara Saviano is the inventive 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 pleased 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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