A Little Bit of Rain: Karen Dalton

More of an art film than a straight birth to death documentary, this dreamy, drenched, hallucinatory film tells Dalton's story through archival footage, stills, and quotes from Bob Dylan, Fred Neil, Lacy J. Dalton, and Lenny Kaye. Along with the Peter La Farge documentary also by Schulman, it gives a picture of Native American folkies in the 60s in Greenwich Village. Screened at film fests in Nashville, Joshua Tree, New York and Los Angeles. Produced by Sandra Hale Schulman, Slink Productions 2009.

[@guitartexsatx]

I was in the audience the evening that most of the live performances were shot at The Gaslight Cafe in 1969. There couldn't have been more than 50 people there and French TV filmed her performance. She became a good friend for a brief period until we both went in different directions and places. She was an amazing performer who should be remembered. Those of us who saw her certainly do remember her.

[@clevblue]

Guitar Tex Nice to hear from someone who was there. She was an artist, definitely.

[@puddles33328]

Nice comment....i feel like i met a goodess like her before at sweet briar college....she took me to her vw bus rolled a fatty and oulled out an old guitar and began singing far above what i expected...

[@jorgeluisrimbaud4945]

Beautiful! How much I would give to go back in time and see her perform with that blue voice and nostalgic guitar! This music is testimony, soul and body of the eternal course North America (from Mexico to Canada) hides on it's beautiful mountains and enchanted forests.

[@sharonbarry8878]

How wonderful

[@sandrahaleschulman]

Yes people ask why the French voice over and what he is saying. I tell them it just adds to the mystery.

[@ralex3697]

The sadness in the vocals, hard to listen to her without feeling disturbed, but she was extraordinary

[@za2206]

The Southern Accent is TRUE, not SAD. Sad is when you think you pronounce everything perfectly, yet appear uptight & stingy, like Yankee Accents

[@gabrielbingham605]

She’s a Legend. Robert Johnson status

[@ecamifna]

lovely film, thank you. her voice is haunting & full of some kind of ancient, end of the world sadness.

[@noelliebtsie]

"She was a canary in a coal mine. She loved the earth as a woman and Native American.. but she was desolate about what we were doing to it." ~ Lacy J. Dalton. No wonder I feel so spoken to by her💚

[@maryowen6094]

thankyou - this is beautiful

[@shorelineboy]

First time I've come across Karen . I'm so glad I have absolutely wonderful 😎

[@pentangle4444]

such a great and sad Fred Neil song... even the poor Sandy Denny did this piece in her 1967 home recordings and I even heard Tom Paxton do this piece at a Barnes concert and he forgot where he learnt this song from! Karen Daltom..at least there is video of her.. poor Fred Neil.. there is only one video in existence..showing him perform Dolphins

[@martinzitter4551]

I was there when Freddie performed this and Water is Wide. Yet I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday,

[@bobforbes3614]

i played 3 songs live with karen dalton on woodstock tv, have cassettes of me & her, rehearsing called recording studio to transfer tapes studio said it would cost me over 5 hundred $ to transfer tapes. i loved playing bass with karen she was great, peace bob forbes

[@sandrahaleschulman]

Hi thanks for the story. Do you think the tape quality would be any good if you transferred it? The record label - Light in the Attic - that has put out some of her music may be interested.

[@angelinagrimshaw6039]

Oh my goodness a truly blessed moment and to have recordings of you rehearsing.....I would LOVE to hear these. I listen to Karen Dalton nearly everyday. Her voice is an integral part of y life.

[@ParkvilleLuminary]

Hey, Bob...let me know if you’re interested in pursuing this. I’d be willing to help you. I am from Carmine and Bleecker where she is still revered by those in the community who were there in the ‘60s when she was apparently a pretty severe street urchin. Hard to not understand that listening to the pain in her voice. I love her music. Love her classic Greenwich Folk and Americana.

[@bobforbes3614]

@@ParkvilleLuminary i just found another cassette of me & karen would like to go into the recording studio & have them transferred to cd , when covid is over, i especially want to transfer the song i have on tape of karen singing reach down for ever lord take hold of me. peace

[@jmp_1_1]

@bob Bless you

[@multicaruana]

Wow. I had found her album almost 40 years ago in a thrift store, had no idea just how incredible she was, just amazing, what a guitarist, what a voice, what timing. There was not an iota of phony about her. The 12 string rings like beautiful but melancholy bells.

[@BlueParadoxical]

I just found one of her records at a thrift store myself, and though I had listened to her music previously, I had never paid her enough attention. I've been listening to her music for the past couple days and have certainly grown to appreciate it more!

[@multicaruana]

@@BlueParadoxical I definitely feel the same way!

[@user-iv9wc7bo7k]

Wow, Bearsville studios, Hurley, Freddy Neal. Beautiful country and voice, wow. I now know blues, awesome

[@martinzitter4551]

I was there when Fred sang this and Water is Wide.

[@jeand8943]

I love this woman, she moves my soul…❤️

[@shaundampier7177]

Just beautiful .

[@davidmott1969]

I have been playing "Just a Little Bit of Rain", but the Fred Neil version. I saw her picture in the video and wondered who she was and found this video. She takes a much more 'roots' version of the song and then takes it to another level.

[@empathic11]

That was true of every song she touched. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3jZmaF8g5mXf9U Karen Dalton - I love you more than words can say

[@frereanaktom99]

well, it's not one year ago; it's today and i still come back for your video and, of course, the haunting voice. so - thanks again for putting this on you tube.

[@timwebber8630]

Nice job on the video. Karen Dalton was a very special soul.

[@debrarenteria8167]

So interesting, my deaf daughter sent me a link about Karen Dalton. I had never heard of her. Being a guitar player & singer I love her music. She's singing all my favorite songs💗. RIP beautiful one.

[@jeand8943]

Your daughter had a wonderful intuition about Karen Dalton, probably after reading about her, I’m glad she stirred you to listen to her, I hope you both enjoy the beauty and the sadness that Karen sang about…

[@st.charlesborromeo9793]

Well I had never heard of her and have performed all my life (70+). My very bad. She has a haunting voice and it’s seems she was haunted so it came honestly. Amazing voice that at first I couldn’t believe came out of that willowy person. Thank you Sandra for this work of art.

[@sandrahaleschulman]

Thank you for your kind words! She was a real hidden gem.

[@peterrobin1881]

Sandy Denny bought me here

[@louisvanrenen947]

Great to watch, a fitting tribute to a great artist and singer,.. well done with a lovely sequence of images

[@bentsorensen8753]

Nice montage of some of Karen's songs. Good atmosphere!

[@robertolsan7162]

Very talented but unusual sounding voice from the soulful blues xo r.i.o ok ❤

[@SuzyQ-qc5zn]

Valerie June reminds me of her

[@JHarder1000]

The Hillbilly Holiday"-Peter Stampfel. "She was the only singer I ever heard who was as good as Billie Holiday;in fact, in some ways, she was better ."-Lacy J.Dalton.

[@pstampfel14]

I dint say "the", and I never called her that to her face. Antonia and I spent days taking speed and doing music with her in the 70s. she always had to shoot up, we kept saying, drink it in Coca Cola or something like we do, it's safer. an infected needle is how she got aids.

[@JHarder1000]

Thanks for the correction, mad genius. Now when, in the name of God, or Spirit, or The Cosmos, are you final going to tell the story of our life?

[@dianemcsween9422]

Joseph Harder Now that I’ve just discovered her, I’ll miss her forever!

[@katshotz6033]

Beautiful but what a loss to all and to music. So many songs left unsung.

[@fracam9274]

Beautiful Sandra. I had never heard (of) her before. I enjoyed that so much, thank you!

[@katshotz6033]

So agree you are making sure those of us who didn’t know of her? are Learning through you sharing her🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@angelinagrimshaw6039]

Thank you for this beautiful tribute

[@BigKmaniac]

Most excellent

[@williammckenna351]

That is very beautiful

[@globalmediacampaigntoendfg5017]

Lovely film

[@Lukeutube1]

Love it.

[@shirleyhenry2557]

Well cell phone babies, take a listen to what real music and soul is,todays music sucks a the performers are stage clowns.

[@mikedennis6979]

Really well done.

[@sandrahaleschulman]

Thank you, her voice is so unique, but her story is so sad.

[@peterslade2494]

😢 so beautiful.

[@demunckv]

some spirit spoke to us through karen, probably inhabiting someone else now but only one kd and that's karen dalton.

[@cathypaddick3403]

wow

[@frereanaktom99]

prefer to just see the live footage which i didn't know existed. hope i find it somewhere. vietnamese friends don't like this singing and i can't defend it. it haunts me and i can't leave it for long. can't explain things like that to people immersed in mtv.

[@wrybread]

It's amazing that this seems to be the only bit of live video footage of her on KZbin.... Strange.

[@twenteetoo]

The Billie Holiday of Folk

[@randalmcmurphy1893]

listen to the soul speak

[@deadskunk8733]

Shit. She had me hooked right from the start. What a pity. What a waste. Here's another one, from the needle and the damage done. I surely wish she could have gotten clean. I wish I could have held her and told her that it would be okay like someone held me and told me it would be okay.

[@freefrank9047]

I'm wondering that some people never heard of her before although they raised up in the 60s .

[@user-kh9ki3kq8m]

I wish I could find the full documentary somewhere. I’ve only seen this part and the one with her singing blues jumped the rabbit.

[@JHarder1000]

There is , apparently, a full documentary in the works. I just hope they got the full cooperation of the Mad Jester of Greenwich Village and The Hillbilly Girl With The Blues. If you are true Karen Dalton fans, you will know which two great talents I am referring to.

[@charlottahayes7310]

@@JHarder1000 Out of curiosity, who are "the Mad Jester of Greenwich Village" and "The Hillbilly Girl With The Blues"? I'm a true KD fan and have no idea who you're talking about, but would like to find out ;)

[@JHarder1000]

@@charlottahayes7310 Peter Stampfel, of Unholy Modal Rounders fame, and Country legend Lacy J. Dalton. Lacy is quoted in the documentary.

[@charlottahayes7310]

@@JHarder1000 Ah, I see. Thank you. I've spoken to both of them over the phone already (I'm working on a documentary about KD). Did you know Karen (don't know how old you are)?

[@tomcornett]

Treasure.

[@elainemccarthy2272]

Does anyone know if that's a "real" book or magazine article pages with photos and text? Would love to be able to find it!

[@sandrahaleschulman]

The images are mostly from the liner notes booklets that come with the Dalton records put out by Light in the Attic Records.

[@noelliebtsie]

I'm surprised no "Ribbon Bow" in this.

[@gleroyTullySAEHEYKID]

ah mo chroi!

[@ktomsen8528]

Her God Bless the Child is better than Billie Holliday's ~

[@CarolineMartin]

Karen wasn't really Cherokee. It was like, great grandmother, and Karen wasnt tribal enrolled and wasn't raised w any of the culture

[@sandraschulman185]

Thank you tribal police. Her mom was part Cherokee and she was born in Enid OK. The story is about her artistry, not her heritage.

[@ParkvilleLuminary]

@@sandraschulman185 Right on, Sandra. Some people just don’t get it. Case in point. We are here to indulge and celebrate her artistry, not debate her genetics CK. Sandra, I discovered her in the coolest way. I was at Carmine Street Records and they were playing Karen Dalton. As I’m thumbing through the records, she’s just blowing me away, to the point of near tears. I just got finished in the boxing gym, now I’m blubbering in a record store. The owner knew her. Painted a pretty bleak picture of her as a homeless street urchin of the neighborhood (mildly stated) whom everyone revered as a folk singer but ultimately had tried everyone’s patience to the point where they just threw their hands up in frustration and walked away. Still, for those that live in the Village from that era, she is still revered. I bought everything I could with her name on it and am an eternal fan. The Billie Holiday thing...I get. But if you really listen, it’s different...and I’m not preaching to you...this film was fantastic Sandra. I know you know this. I love Holiday, too. There are similarities but I’m a singer too and do I at times sound reminiscent of my singer idols? Of course. I’m a baritone, I have that “rat pack” vibe, but I’m different. Karen is the same. She does that vibrato thing that many may recognize from Stevie Nicks. She hangs onto the words that mean something to her to make a point or expose her feelings as openly as possible. She gives you so many hooks, you can’t possibly have enough coats to hang. Love this artist. Wish I could have met her, helped her...jammed with her. Thanks for this, Sandra. I never really saw her lips move. I only had recordings.

[@kennyharris2407]

Well said Sandra... "Thank you Tribal Police" made me Laugh for the first time today.... Thanks for putting her straight... Just heard Karen for the first time last night a little clip on Mayan M.C. tv program, been playing her all afternoon, haven't finished yet... She is one of those people with a Voice from another dimension...😇 God Bless You all from London 🥰🥰