Austin City Limits Songwriters Special - Season 17 Episode 1

Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Indigo Girls, and Julie Gold. Recorded in late 1991. First aired on January 17, 1992.

[@jeffchastain6202]

After Nanci's passing, I pulled all her albums out of my collection so I could listen to it all. I quickly realized that her work took up the largest section of my album collection. I hadn't realized how important her music was to me until we lost her. Catch that blackbird's wing, Nanci..

[@johnmcleod9171]

I echo that sentiment exactly. She was/is at the top of my list of favorite singer songwriters, right there with John Prine.

[@davidfagan6930]

I feel the same.......I have written MANY TIMES in my personal journal-as Nanci sang in the background. May I ask where you live-I ask merely to mention it in my diary......it will NOT be put on Facebook etc...) I am in Newfoundland--the most easterly point of North America--a rock in the Atlantic ocean !

[@edwardleigh13]

She was amazing.

[@andymrice]

I was able to see her twice. I miss her.

[@lovesakitas]

Maybe in your album collection you have a song which must have been on her first cassette. The lyrics include “my need for solitude”. I wish I could locate this song.

[@SallySueEmber]

So sad to have lost Nanci Griffity so soon. She provided a great musical accompaniment to my life, for sure.

[@georgemcelroy3058]

Nanci Griffith was an angel on earth; I'm sure she's still an angel today. God bless you, Nanci; Requiescat in Pace.

[@mangosmadmom]

Nancy sure loved when all her friends on stage sang her song with her igniting her fire when she wrote it. Truely a conductor.

[@fishhuntadventure]

Dang. I forgot how Mary Chapin Carpenter was so precise and direct a singer like Nanci or John Denver. Natural voices of this quality are the best.

[@hsmith6785]

Agree! Nanci, Mary and John are/were also singular in concert, creating a transformative connection that I could never put into words.

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

Not to forget John Prine.

[@sharonvyse3686]

Nanci but a few years older than Mary Chapin knew talent when she encountered it. They both have had the gift of words with their songwriting. Honest reflections put to music with perfection....seems to sum up what both have done over their years. This show was excellent back in the day.

[@clemsontoby]

326 thumbs up and ZERO down. That tells you how special Nanci is and always will be.

[@edwardleigh13]

Nanci was simply special.

[@b1j]

Love Nanci’s harmonies on Mary’s song. She blends so well.

[@johnstuart4686]

The title for Late Night Grande Hotel happened one night when I met Nanci in a bar. I can't recall when or where it was since her fame was unknown to me. During casual conversation, I described The Grande Hotel at Point Clear, AL to her and suggested she stay there sometime. At 20:07 she dedicates the song to me. RIP dear, sweet Nanci. I'll never forget that night.

[@pawlzeeman715]

Great memory!

[@knifelyfe6565]

In Texas, we call that "Cooler than Hell" We have lost so many of our cherished Singer/ Songwriters lately. AINT IT FUN BEING FROM TEXAS.

[@bernhardlohr4662]

Oh my good !!! What a treasure is this amazing performance! Rip my dear Nancy Griffith! Your music will life forever in our hearts.. Also Mary Chapin Carpenter with her -brilliant!! Wet eyes-wowww!!!! B.L.,germany

[@rickyferguson2362]

I can listen to these ladies forever! So much talent!

[@leonzermmurphy7053]

So sorry to hear of Nancy's passing. A wonderful talent that inspired so many with her angelic voice. Late Night Grand Hotel always brought me to tears but now since we have lost Nancy I play it alot and yes, cry everytime. It's a masterpiece! RIP Nancy

[@frankstared]

"...no guns, no bombs, no diseases, no hungry mouths!" How so lost we have become today.

[@BryanUslick]

I still get chills when they sing From a Distance 30 years later.

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

Julie's signarure song, Bryan, as well it should be..

[@fretfix1]

I always have to 'take a knee.'

[@lonz46]

So sad to hear of Nanci’s passing 😞 What a treasure her music has been to me ❤️

[@sheilaewall4426]

I never heard of nanci Griffith till two weeks ago. I am sorry to learn of man is passing. I want to convey my condolences and express my heartfelt sympathy to her family, friends, relatives and her fans. May she rest in peace. She will be sorely missed.

[@fishhuntadventure]

You should have seen her live like I did in 1987?ish. Opened for Emmylou Harris at the Capitol Theatre in Concord, NH That was when I first heard her and wow! She started talking and her… attire and everything had me thinking “c’mon let’s get on with the show” but her… presence had already got my attention a bit and once she started singing. Well let’s just say that’s not only what the difference is between a merely a “singer” and an artist, but only superstars can shut an audience up and leave them in awe for the rest of the set after less than five measures. Oh, the Hot Band was good too but I had to find out who Nanci Griffith was after that. You have a ton of her legacy to catch up on.

[@tracynavarro4839]

Nanci Griffith, what a total class act. She deserves the star seating. She was such an excellent guitar player. She helped promote MCC and the Indigos and so many others. Even Pete Kennedy (on guitar) still talks about that night when she hired him for her European tour and launched his career. She reaps praise on others. She is the obvious star of this show, with her sparkling talent, her beautiful music. Julie Gold would never have experienced the success that NG helped her find. She was so rare with her genuine generous caring good heart for other songwriters and musicians. Especially rare in the dog eat dog world of pro music. Miss her presence in this world. I love this episode of ACL, it was a magical night.

[@WaltonBurns]

I love how when one of these amazing women is doing one of their tunes, the others are rocking out. Now idea how they made their voices blend so perfectly either...Never thought I wouldn't know Amy Ray's voice but damned if Mary and Nanci can't give her pipes a run for their money!

[@nickjohnson5376]

I knew and played w/her when we were young. I'm glad she pretty much got to do what she wanted. Sorry she had to check out so soon. Save us a seat up there, Nance. We'll do it, again, only better...

[@BryanUslick]

Still one of my top ten ASL shows of all time.

[@leafnlore2712]

To hear Julie Gold perform From A Distance is so powerful. So powerful.

[@fishhuntadventure]

Yes. I hate Midler’s version and one of very few Griffith songs I don’t enjoy. But this was good- more than nice- seeing Julie Gold command the piano.

[@stuhh]

Yes, it's interesting to hear a songwriter's personal delivery of a song they wrote (which has been covered by different people in different ways). It's like the 'pure' original version.

[@marybendall1101]

I agree i dont particularly like Nancis version either. Listening to Julies version is the first time I've liked it. Love most other nancis other songs tho.

[@Trenchant468]

I came here to comment. Julie Gold's passionate, intense, and intelligent delivery allows her song to translate through her in a manner that feels like we're witnessing the way it originally emerged from within her. She lacks the voice and image to become a star in her own right, but we learn what the song really means when she sings and plays it. I'm thrilled for her that she had such commercial success with it.

[@bobbyzhang703]

she sings from her soul

[@frankstared]

I first heard her at the Bob Dylan anniversary concert. I was blown away by her sustained and subdued voice control. This performance with these other artists is however amazing. What a treat! Thanks to the uploader for sharing this magic.

[@thomassicard3733]

God help us to become as beautiful a human race as Nanc'is music begs us to be. Still crying every time I listen to her music. What a bunch of superb musicians on this video. Yeah, I know they're around every corner... but,... HOW OFTEN does the magic come together and be recorded for posterity?????? Yeah. Thank you to all involved in the production of this great concert.

[@shanekeogh-wm9ot]

Wow what a concert wasn't Nancy great miss her to bits ❤

[@kindnessfirst9670]

I saw Nanci three times in the late 1980s- all in NYC. She opened solo for John Prine at Carnegie Hall and blew me away- I'd never heard of her before. Caught her again at The Bottom Line and at Town Hall. All great shows!

[@lars277]

When watching this, I again realized the tremendous talent and sublime charisma of Nanci Griffith. I sure miss her. The world was a better place when she was here with us, singing her songs.

[@laurencedauplay8166]

Congratulation Indigo gals that was wonderful!

[@jeffschroeder357]

How great to see the whole show again. I believe this was Pete Kennedy's last appearance with Mary and first appearance with Nanci.

[@shawnuel]

That is correct. Pat McInerny asked him to join Nanci's band at the end of this show, IIRC!

[@vdavis4785]

Pete says in his memoir that Nancy loaned him her guitar when his was acting up at sound check, and that is the one you see in the video. He was playing along with Nanci, even though he had never played her songs before. He's that good. Check out the weekly shows Pete has been doing with his wife Maura, a terrific singer, all archived. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ24nn1tnKuHqK8

[@hankharty6808]

@@vdavis4785 No wonder he sounds so good, he is playing Nanci's guitar. :-) It is a Taylor, which is what Nanci played. Pete certainly is a great guitar player.

[@stephenabelsr]

Julie Gold is that. Golden. And Nancy? Just perfect.

[@kevinjerrolds186]

This is my favorite episode of ACL ever. I recorded it off of my local PBS station in 1992 and watched the VHS tape a million times.

[@williamwhite2113]

I first discovered Nanci Griffith and her music in the early '90s and had quite a few of her CDs thru the years. She conveyed a lot about life and its ups and downs. Her passing touched a lot of our hearts because her music was so good. Nanci, you're not forgotten. Rest in Peace.

[@ericotoole4416]

What a fantastic Angel Nancy Griffiths was simply there will never be someone so softly spoken with the talent that beautiful Lady had RIP ANGEL

[@ritglenn2316]

Ken thank u for this wonderful gift!

[@IndigoJo]

Song list: 0:00 It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go (Nanci Griffith) 4:20 Never Had It So Good (Mary Chapin Carpenter) 9:15 Hammer and a Nail (Indigo Girls, Emily Saliers lead) 14:09 From a Distance (Julie Gold) 19:03 Band intro 20:16 Late Night Grande Hotel (NG) 23:27 I Am a Town intro 24:00 I Am a Town (MCC) 28:56 Fare Thee Well (Emily Saliers) 32:53 Heaven (JG) 37:11 Listen to the Radio intro 37:54 Listen to the Radio (NG) 41:41 I Feel Lucky (MCC) 45:11 Jonas and Ezekiel (IG, with Amy Ray singing lead) 49:33 Temporary worker (JG) 50:40 Take Me to the Station (Rolling Stones song, NG singing lead)

[@NM-js8ky]

Nanci used the Indigo Girls to open her shows when they had their self produced cassette tape out - I know since I bought one at such a concert at Center Stage in Atlanta around 1984. I don’t have any doubt she was instrumental in making sure the world knew of the duo (for the good, clearly).

[@jerryturner3997]

What a SWEET 🧁 VARIETY. Great mix...👌...thanks for posting...🕊️🌟..

[@marantz7783]

Thank you soo much for posting this incredible ACL show--- thank you and God Bless!!

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

52:22 "And our love is like our music, darlin', it's here, and then it's gone." 0 for 2 Nanci ;o)) Still lovin' you, AND your music. This was only 32 yrs ago. How long is "gone", babe?

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

I watch this vid at least every month or so, volume at 11. The 96,000th comment couldn't be less than, "Nanci Griffith lives on and and on and on with us: SO hot and blues. She's gone for now, but she'll be back when we are." The rest of the performers on this "Song Writer's Special": MCC - I hope makes Harry blush. Indigo Girls - POWER ladies, red hot and blue. Julie Gold - my knees still knock when she smiles. (or plays and sings, especially about "July 9th"). I saw her about a year ago: same same. Closing: Mick n Keef tune - As an electric axer myself, BLAST IT! That accoustic energy pins me to the nearest wall - EVERY TIME! You killed it! Take me to the sation. ladies! And this Kennedy guy (the solo), quite the picker ;o)

[@hsmith6785]

I am so grateful to you for sharing this episode, Ken.

[@daveyjoweaver6282]

So much Spirit on one stage! Heartfelt Thanks! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

[@oldisgood2587]

Probably my all time favorite song and I am old.

[@clemsontoby]

What an amazing artists.

[@mjw12345]

Beautiful lady | beautiful way she speaks - not easy to say where its from. Anyway beautiful - what a lovely lady.

[@artnouveau7633]

She grew up in Austin Texas. She's an Angel who has been called home we miss you sweet Texas girl much love

[@Kickstart500]

Lord she was such an angel!

[@jeverhart99]

that was great

[@shawnuel]

WOW! I love this arrangement of "Heaven."

[@mllemdp2010]

I first heard them live in 1989 on ACL. That night I kicked myself for not having recorded this in stéréo on my VHS. This is a great video. I only wish PBS would offer it for sale. I wrote them twice on this subject. Anyway, Nanci and Mary are unbelievable artist. I have all their recordings and sparse recorded official videos.

[@johnpurser2798]

Thank you so much for this! I had it recorded on VCR but either lost it or taped over it. I've been looking for a digital copy for DECADES!

[@lincolnmaceachern2410]

@@jeffrygagnon5506 I wish someone would put up the songwriters special with Willie, Lyle, and Rodney. I remember Rodney, in introducing "She's Crazy For Leaving" gently teasing Lyle for being in the news ( for his divorce ).

[@hillaryparness3123]

I've been looking for this for decades as well. I'm so happy to have found this!

[@mllemdp2010]

I wished PBS would publish a copy of this episode. Does anyone know of à higher definition copy of this show?

[@constancemiller3753]

Thanks to all those who post good stuff.

[@JohnWilliamMoll]

this was one of my favorite season 17 epsiodes seeing all these songwritters was amazing i think this one and the salute to the cowboy were my two favorite epsiodes of the show on austin city limits do you have the salute to the cowboy epsiode of the show when they did it i would like to see that one the whole way through i have seen songs from it but i have never the whole epsiode in a while.keep putting these up any other ones you can find.i love this show i used to watch every saturday and sunday when it was on.

[@cherlynstiles7934]

Way before their time.. true artist.

[@thomasdungl8493]

Great sessions and concert, thnx so much 4 sharing!

[@tacildaaquino4620]

Loved it. A great way to honor Nanci’s memory.

[@roberttaylor667]

Nice tribute to John Stewart for the title of Late Night Grande Hotel.

[@ulpana]

I thought it musta been road warrior John Stewart the rock hit-maker and unreconstructed folkie troubadour. But check the comment with back story above from @johnstuart4686 @johnstuart4686 1 year ago (edited) The title for Late Night Grande Hotel happened one night when I met Nanci in a bar. I can't recall when or where it was since her fame was unknown to me. During casual conversation, I described The Grande Hotel at Point Clear, AL to her and suggested she stay there sometime. At 20:07 she dedicates the song to me. RIP dear, sweet Nanci. I'll never forget that night. That this was neither the muse and bard John Stewart nor TV quipster (and song lover) Jon Stewart makes Nanci Griffith's sharing the origin story of the song title for Late Night Grande Hotel all the more extraordinary. Generosity and a song-lover's need to credit the human that conducted a song through antenna or whatever mysterious force clearly was a mark of Nanci Griffith, Z"L\Rest In Play. I fell for her first on her three albums made on vinyl for regional indie label out of Boston, MA area Philo\Rounder. They've since been bought up by or as I like to say of our Anti-Trust Era of Ne'er Criminally Prosecuted anti-competition corporate looters and outlaws with impunity, Philo\Rounder got UniLevered by Universal Global Musical plantation, which lost a lot of its precious master tape archives thusly: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Universal_Studios_fire Yet within a few years after falling for Nanci Griffith's first recordings I began to find her little girl voice on the next few albums off-putting. This Austin City Limits made me realize that little girl lost voice musta been some pressures for radio-ready hits by her Universal Music LLC production gate-keepers. On this broadcast with her own muses onstage Nanci sounds tremendous vocally, an inner strength I never coulda figured since I know so little of her back-story, just that she writes a heckuva compelling song when she wants to. I will now go back and listen to more and only wish I hadn't passed up the chances to see her back when I still had a lower muddle class job in the Bay Area and was also covering the arts and politics for an alternative weekly newspaper there and before I got priced out of both the East Bay, Contra Costa Delta County and followed a day job up to PoTown, Ore whose rents and Cost of Living now rival the Silicon Nightmare of Bay Area. I'm a day laborer shlepper for Kroger Anti-Trust Empire now and ever a 72 hour notice away from eviction. Best memory though of Nanci Griffith's stage magic even in those little girl lost vocal recording times of her life, was learning of her Austin friend and then a young song-slinger named Darden Smith. Now, Darden's voice was the anti-thesis of what Nashville was looking for or any UniLevered global musical monopoly. Hope he is still plugging away. I kinda lost interest a few albums into his hair mousse transition to show biz in our over-screened society. Don't mind me, I'll be back in Podcast Heaven with the non-commercial Public Interest and experimental radio arts off in Finland where there is a single Public Interest national broadcaster left net-casting from the Arctic Circle. Check out U.S. ex-pat creative diva of the Soul Investigators named Nicole Willis whose Finnish band rocks and jazzes her sharp material (in English language) with the liveliest and warmest sounding! Apparently, Nicole Willis found the creative and humane life in Finland more appealing than slogging away in show-biz Empire Cities of the Declining West. Check out this Nicole Willis and Soul Investigators track from just a few years before Pandemic In Perpetuity that was way ahead of the curve on recognizing the loss of social capital we experience with every year of so many STUDENT DEBTORS CRUSHED BY DEBT LOADS THAT WILL FOLLOW OUR STURDIEST AND BRIGHTEST YOUTH TO AN EARLY & IMPOVERISHED GRAVE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYfUmIKYeLykY9E Nicole Willis & UMO Jazz Orchestra - Still Got a Way to Fall [Audio] Persephone Records 319 subscribers 62,099 views Sep 28, 2017 Download & Stream: kud.li/perse002 Subscribe: sb.kud.li/UCwuGLU2O3FTL08jbL7... Official stream from Persephone Records. Distributed by Kudos Records. More music playlists: pl.kud.li/UCwuGLU2O3FTL08jbL7... #PersephoneRecords #SoulRampB #Soul Album: My Name Is Nicole Willis [ALBUM] Track: 11 of 11 Title: Still Got a Way to Fall Artist: Nicole Willis & UMO Jazz Orchestra Label: Persephone Records Cat#: PERSE002 Formats: CD Album/Digital/Vinyl LP Digital Release: 29th September 2017 Physical Release: 29th September 2017 Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers Lay-Low Studios, Ore-WA (Refuge of Atonement Seekers) Media Disc-US-sion List\Looksee

[@kathleenwarnock5612]

Oh, the mullet on Pete Kennedy. :-) What a sweetie.

[@Nikkithedog-t6b]

MCC singing I am a Town is stunning.

[@iamdooley66]

Beautiful. Needed.

[@codym8897]

I’ve really been enjoying the Austin City Limits Songwriters Specials that you’ve been posting. Do you have any more episodes? I’m really interested in seeing more of these. There’s so much talent on display and the songwriters seem really relaxed and happy to be playing together.👍

[@frescopotatoemd4757]

WOW! I haven’t seen this whole show in a minute! It’s as if the show was edited or something, but no, it’s all so good that time flies 💕Thanks for getting this posted. Here’s to hoping that Austin City Limits will do a tribute to this 2nd to none talent sometime in the future 🤞 . I came late to the news of sweet Nanci’s passing and find all her shows cathartic. Will always regret not getting to see her live but am so grateful to getting a chance to enjoy her beautiful talents 😢 She will be sorely missed

[@develx6819]

She was respectfully elegant on stage,last time I saw her,you could tell she was fighting something,and she kinda whispered it to the folks up front.i remember her accent so thick it was hard to understand her when she talked!

[@marantz7783]

Love the indigo girls,,, Nanci G.___please marry me---Lord ,we miss you soo much--will see you in Heaven- sweetheart-, absolutely

[@gordonlarson1099]

Good times always there

[@arthurkyriazis]

This is a remarkable recording.

[@mllemdp2010]

If only ACL offered it for sale!

[@bobbyzhang703]

Julie Gold sings the worst yet the best.

[@georgepollastri601]

LOVE NANCY - SO VERY SAD.

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

"And there's barbed wire at all these exits" (0:40) is the greatest line ever written in a 20th century song, or is it "Wore his gun outside his pants, for all the honest world to feel" (Pancho and Lefty [Townes VanZant])? Tough call.

[@Hulehan]

miss her so

[@SB-du9if]

Takes you back to when the world was a nicer place and time What happened ?

[@frankstared]

God, the Creator, Nature, or whatever you call the sublime power of nature, is surely watching us. Will we reach out to lift the low, curb the strong, create sustainable societies and deconstruct our buildings so nature can heal herself?

[@bobbyzhang703]

you words are so poetic

[@frankstared]

@@bobbyzhang703 Thank you and take care.

[@fretfix1]

💪✊🤟

[@stevewilson3793]

Geez, yeah Naci is was and Iz great. But dern, Mary Chapin just steals the show. The girls, do rock this whole show. You go, girls.

[@VictoriaN72]

♥️👏🏻♥️👏🏻♥️👏🏻

[@bobbyzhang703]

Rip Nancy

[@denisespires4792]

I just just dang i just don't know what to say still

[@georgiahogue8588]

That was way too short!

[@pawlzeeman715]

I was in the back of the audience that night. I said then and still now Nanci was on something. It clearer up close.

[@bobbyzhang703]

wow you are so lucky

[@Hulehan]

ditto

[@sheilaewall4426]

I meant man is passing.

[@sheilaewall4426]

I meant nancis passing.

[@billdyke9745]

From a distance has never been more poignant. Putin should shut his mouth, stop the guns and listen to some songs. One of the greatest songs ever written. (Nobody in America will understand this song and Nanci Griffith's voice makes people's ears hurt. So said a woman promoted beyond her competence. A honcho in Nanci's record company. And this when this song was huge in the UK and Europe in general. Apparently women can be idiots too)...

[@eddienolan7996]

Nancy was an unsung hero. Shame.

[@mr.djcooncoon8196]

Why is Griffith such a MESS here?

[@pawlzeeman715]

I was there. She was on something!

[@bobbyzhang703]

from where did you see her being a mess