Murray McLauchlan is one of those names that has been around so long you can’t imagine Canadian music without him. In fact, his name and his songs (two in particular – “Farmer’s song” and “Down By the Henry Moore”) have been picked a number of times by a number of previous My Playlist guest hosts.
That’s got to be the ultimate compliment: having other singer-songwriters like your work, cite it as an influence on their own.
Not surprising really. After all, even before McLauchlan’s debut recording, Songs from the Street, in 1971, his songs were being played and recorded by music legends Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Tom Rush. (Okay, Tom Rush wasn’t a major star back then, but after forty years, he says McLauchlan’s “Child’s Song,” about a young man leaving home, remains one of his favourites.)
McLauchlan’s own influences are musically diverse and his My Playlist show reflects that; he includes some great songs (with accompanying great stories) from Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Lucille Starr, Frank Sinatra, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Ray Charles.
McLauchlan’s latest recording, Human Writes, was released in 2011.
http://music.cbc.ca/play/Inside-the-Music/My-Playlist-with-Murray-McLauchlan
Listen to Inside the Music on Radio 2 on Sunday 3 p.m. (3:30 NT) and Radio One on Sunday 9 p.m. (9:30 NT)
Below, you'll find the track listing with links to iTunes
"Key to the Highway" Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
"The Circle Game" Joni Mitchell
"The French Song" Lucille Starr
"I've Got you Under My Skin" Frank Sinatra
"Killing the Blues" Robert Plant and Alison Krause
"It Makes No Difference" The Band
"Going to the Country" Bruce Cockburn
Related Links:
Tom Rush talks about "Child's Song"