This is stuff that the general public has no interest in, but that might be fun for Kenn to revisit, or his family.
The Pumpkin Kenn learned this in elementary school and sang it for his kids. I tried to look up the author, but can’t find a name, just a mention of the song in 1935. I thought this included Scott and Paul singing along, (which is totally charming) but this take seems to be just Kenn
Were You There sung by Laura Amdahl (Kenn’s grandmother, Thormod’s wife). Kenn plays guitar, but he had not been playing for very long, did not know the song and just guessed (often badly) at the chords. To her credit, Laura stuck with the melody and ignored his errors.
back row: Kenn’s parents Barney Amdahl and Kathryn Amdahl; Barney’s brother Sylvan Amdahl. In front in wheel chair, Kathryn’s brother Vince Bachlund. They were all good friends. This was taken before Kenn was born.
Mood Indigo
Kenn’s parents and sister and his uncle Vince sometimes played “music” together. They had a piano that had never been tuned. They knew they weren’t good enough to have “jam” sessions, so they called them “jelly” sessions. Here, Kenn’s uncle Sylvan from California joins them. Kenn’s father Barney Amdahl whistles, Sylvan plays the piano, Kenn plays guitar. Probably Kenn’s mother Kathryn Amdahl on tamborine.
Sentimental Journey Same jelly session players as above
Summertime/St Louis Blues More from the Jelly Band
Kenn’s uncle Vince Bachlund lived with Kenn’s family the entire time Kenn was growing up. He had polio at age 18 and was confined to a wheelchair. He taught Kenn chess, and basic clock repair, and indoctrinated him to football. Sort of a second father. He also had a lovely bass voice. Here he sings Let My People Go while a very young Kenn tries to accompany him on guitar
This was a tape from 1963, Kenn was just learning to play guitar, his family had bought a reel to reel tape recorder. Here they attempt On Top of Old Smokey. Vince can be heard singing low notes, Barney can be heard from time to time on tenor, Kathryn threw in a couple notes of harmony, Kenn and Ruth sang melody.
Barney Amdahl (Kenn’s father) singing Children of the Heavenly Father when he was in his 80s.
Kenn’s High School stuff
L to R: Stan Swanson, Berta Keith, Dean Reiter, Nancy Ogle, Kenn Amdahl
We called ourselves “The New Lulazick Singers” after Berta’s grandmother whose name was, I assume, Lula Zick. Sometimes Leslie Sakata and Mike Davis and others joined us to become “The Front Porch Jug Band.” This name was so folks wouldn’t confuse us with “The Back Porch Majority.” I think we did their song Honey and Wine, and Kenn did Second Hand Man so some folks probably got confused anyway. Often Kenn and Stan sang as a duet and wrote many songs together.
All My Trials
Eskimo Women
Dean sings this song, not sure where he got it. The group got in a bit of trouble after we performed it at the school’s big “hootenanny.” We were under the impression that it had been approved by the adults, but that was apparently not the case.
Elijah Rock
Berta sings lead on this song. I think Mahalia Jackson wrote it
Quit Your Lowdown Ways Maybe a Peter Paul and Mary song
Folk Mass Kenn, Stan and Dean spent a weekend at a church camp in the mountains. Don’t remember why. During that time we decided to write our own folk mass.
Good Luck Card Kenn and Stan wrote and sang this.
Roads of Anger by Bob Lind, Perhaps the first time the Lulazicks played in front of strangers was an open stage at The Analyst coffeehouse in Denver which later became the Denver Folklore Center. That night also featured a guy a few years older than us, Bob Lind. This was just before he had a hit on Elusive Butterfly. That night was the first time we’d ever heard that song. Kenn and Stan sang several of his songs.
Nobody’ll Let You Down Any Better than a Friend, Stan wrote this one, possibly about Kenn after Kenn’s father grounded him and he had to miss a gig.
Trying to Win I think this was a Peter Paul and Mary song that Kenn and Stan did.
Down, Down, Down Kenn wrote this before high school when he was learning to play guitar. Inspired by all the folk songs about mining disasters, he decided he’d ammassed plenty enough experience in junior hgh to contribute to the genre. His voice was in the process of switching from the treble clef.
Hey Girl Another Kenn and Stan original
Alabama Bound
Bamboo
Tracks of the 248 I think Stan wrote this, but maybe Kenn helped.
Bleeker Street by Paul Simon. Kenn and Stan did this one.
Can’t Go Skanooky by Kenn and Stan
Suzanne Venino’s message Suzanne instigated (inspired?) Kenn’s book Revenge of the Pond Scum, about searching for the causes of ALS and Alzheimer’s after she came down with ALS. Years before that, she and Kenn got together for lunch every now and then. Going through old cassettes, Kenn found this brief message on a tape from his answering machine. Just Suzanne giving directions to a restaurant, but it was fun to hear her voice again long after she died. So he put it up here so he could find it again.
Amdahl family letter, April 1961 Kenn’s family recorded this when Kenn was 11 to send as a letter to relatives in California. Back then, long distance phone calls were quite expensive so people experimented with mailed tapes. On this tape, we hear the voices of Kenn’s father Bernhard, his mother Kathryn, his sister Ruth, his uncle Vince, and little Kenn ( Kenny back then). I don’t think we actually mailed it to California– there were many long pauses and loud silliness by the kids and I suspect Barney was embarrassed to send it as-is and he didn’t know how to edit out sections on the reel to reel tape. Kenn digitized this in 2020 during the pandemic and was able to digitally remove some of the glitches. Of absolutely no interest to anyone but Kenn and maybe his sons, (and maybe Ruth’s sons and grandkids) but here it is anyway.
Paul and Scott aged 4 and 5 singing Christmas songs
Clearwater Publishing Company Inc 