900 MILES cover version DION

[Jean Pierre]

900 Miles is a traditional folk sound I knew from Bert Jansh, great version with just a banjo accompaniment played in Clawhammer.

This version is the one by Dion (Dion Dimucci)Dion
Francis DiMucci,  better known mononymously as Dion, is an American singer and songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, rock and R&B styles—and, most recently, straight blues. Initially as lead singer of Dion and the Belmonts and then in his solo career, he was one of the most popular American rock and roll performers before the pre-British Invasion era 

played with telecaster HB (4 tarcks) , precision Bass HB, takamine G series

     Am
I'm a-walking down the track, WILL tears in my eyes,

    tryin' to read a letter from my home;
                                  Dm
If this train runs made  right, I'll be home 'bout   tomorrow night,
                        E7            Am
'Lord I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
      Dm                E7               Am  (Bass walk E-G-A x2)
And NOW I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow,

[Verse 2]

    Am
ThIS train I ride on is a hundred coaches long.

You can hear her whistle blow a hundred miles;
                                  Dm
If that train runs right, I'll be home tomorrow night,
                        E7            Am
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
      Dm                E7               Am  (Bass walk E-G-A x2)
And NOW I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow,
 
   
[Verse 3]

  Am
WELL I  pawn IN  my watch, AND I  pawn IN my chain,

I LEAVE IN   pawn IN  my gold I A RAIN
                                  Dm
If THIS  train runs right, I'll be home tomorrow night,
                        E7            Am
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
      Dm                E7               Am  (Bass walk E-G-A x2)
And NOW  I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow,


[Verse 4]
      Am
If my woman tells me so then I'll railroad no more.

But I'll sidetrack my train and go home.
                                    Dm
If that wheeler runs right, I'll be home tomorrow night,
                        E7            Am
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
      Dm                E7               Am  (Bass walk E-G-A x2)
And I hate to hear that lonesome whistle blow,

 

[Hook]

Very nice brother. There is a special darkness to this one that connects to me.
Rock on!

[Greeny]

Oh yes. Some lovely (and impressive) playing again. Really like the big chord shimmer behind the acoustic. Fantastic vocal too.

I'm a big Dion fan. Not so much his early stuff - he completely reinvented himself in the 70's into a Jackson Browne style singer-songwriter. I recommend anyone who hasn't heard that material to check it out (if you like acoustic Americana).

[TPB]

Sounds good got that Friday playing with the boys on the porch sound
Tim

[Mike_S]

Fab JP... such a great folky blues style. This has a lot of power and feeling. Love the tune and that effect you have on the rhythm guitar is perfect (tremolo?). Love it.

Mike

[Jean Pierre]

thank you guys

before I accidentally heard that 900 Miles song on YT, I didn't know about DION DIMUCCI  !!

" I recommend anyone who hasn't heard that material to check it out (if you like acoustic Americana)."

)
Yes Greeny,..il a une discographie incroyable (cf wikipedia https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dion_DiMucci )

 Yes Mike it's the tremolo of a rig 5 guitar set, it's a 60-70's effect that I don't use often but I have to say that in some songs it works particularly well.

[danthecoat]

Very good playing style there and a great track (If you pardon the pun)

Another corker you have kep myears busy this weekend sir and for that i thank you 

[Groundy]

Brilliant JP, love it. Alex. P

[AndyR]

Cool track.

I didn't know this one, but it shares a LOT of lyrics with a song I've known for YEARS called 500 Miles (Not the Proclaimers one that my wife loves so much! ).

Did some digging and 500 Miles (Railroader's Lament) is copyrighted in 1961, credited to Hedy West.

I think I got to know the song from Peter, Paul, and Mary's version (1962) but apparently Bobby Bare had the biggest hit in 1965. Just listened to that, and yeah that sounds very familiar (my Dad was a big Country fan)...

The one I sing is a lot more like Peter, Paul, and Mary... or maybe the Joan Baez and The Seekers versions.

HOWEVER!! There is some indication that the one I know is related... you guessed it... to an older folk song... 900 Miles! 
(Which in itself has its roots in old American fiddle tunes Reuben's Train and Train 45)

I love how old songs like this have grown into several different versions (like I grew up with "I got stripes" by Johnny Cash... but years later I discovered LeadBelly's "On a Monday" via a band playing that version live and me getting very confused at the chorus!!)

Just listened to the Dion version of 900 Miles - WOAH!!! Gotta get me some of that... nope never heard it, but wow.
(Something like this happened to me a while back - I discovered Tony Joe White, and now I have nearly all his albums )


Anyways, yours is a mighty cool version.
And many thanks for the extra education!

[Jean Pierre]

Thank you Andy..very intesting comments.., and Hello Alex

Did some digging and 500 Miles (Railroader's Lament) is copyrighted in 1961, credited to Hedy West.

Yes,  500Miles was very popular in France in the '65s-'70s thanks to a French adaptation of Richard Antony (french "yéyé" singer)  "I hear the train whistle..."

There's a version I particularly like is the bluegrass version by Seldom Scene...