JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Research into a Mysterious ~1968 Folk Song.

Calling all SF/LA folk officionados of 1965-1972.

I'm trying to track down an anonymous West Coast folk-rock singer of that era from a YouTube upload of a 50 year old demo tape. Please have a quick listen. If you like it, and wish to participate in helping to solve this mystery, please read on! Ignore the comments below the video. There's lots of ignorant assumptions from young-uns, conjecture which has already been debunked.



The Lyrics

Verse
She was born on a magic island
There's a certain mythology
I was already on the outside
I wanted to be what I wanted to be
She took me to illumination night
To pass on a legacy.

Chorus
Crazy ladies in gingerbread houses
Light the lanterns for the shipwrecked sailors
Celebrate the homecoming
Celebrate the moment when
The will to live collides with love
Lights the lanterns, everyone
And pray that the rain won't come.

Bridge
She left me with Grace the next year
She went away, I don't know where
Grace got drunk in a Chinese restaurant
So all I saw were the lights extinguishing
I'm going back on Illumination Night
To see if I can light the lights

Chorus
Crazy ladies in gingerbread houses
Light the lanterns for the shipwrecked sailors
Celebrate the homecoming
Celebrate the moment when
The will to live collides with love
Lights the lanterns, everyone
And pray that the rain won't come

---------

Real folk music tells tales. It connects cultures and times. It reminds us of past heroes and villains. If indeed this song is autobiographical, imho it deserves preserving, and the singer-songwriter and performers deserve recognition. I am convinced it was written and sung and recorded contemporary to the events portrayed in the lyrics by a mid to late 60s hippy chick who was trying to write and perform a simple and catchy folk-rock song within that era of spiritual idealism. I believe the song was a product of San Francisco, 1965-1970, before Haight Ashbury turned sour, before the spirit of Woodstock died.

Background to Its Discovery
Since the song was first posted up on YouTube in 2020, many folks have been trying to nail the name of the female singer-songwriter, the backing players, the recording location and year for this song -- now dubbed "Light The Lanterns" by its internet sleuths. THE ONLY COPY, THE ONLY KNOWN RECORDING of the song was a cassette tape, found in a box, in a cupboard, in an empty LA office, in the mid 80s with "Demo -- Listen Today" scribbled on the label. No singer, no band, no recording date, not even the song name! It is, to me, (a troubadoring folk teen myself during that era) unarguably the SF sound of late 60s. Joel Selvin (75 yo music writer for the SF Chronicle 1970-2006), whom I wrote to, upon hearing it stated "pretty generic, 68-69". Who am I to argue? He was there! But he had no recollection of hearing the song or that voice.

Many have asked "Where exactly was it found". What address, what suburb? An old studio, radio station, agent's office, record company? We just don't know, and the finder can't remember, some 40 years later. He found a box of mixed cassette tapes about 1985, didn't open it for 15 years, digitised it around 2000 to HDD, threw out the cassette, and didn't upload it to YouTube till 2020 when it went viral as "The Third Most Mysterious Song on the Internet". So, 55 years later, it's still unidentified".

Investigating the Lyrics
I have done extensive historical research into the lyrics, as well as their poetic allusions. But first I have to debunk the obvious.

Many people immediately jump to the obvious conclusion that it is about the famous Martha's Vineyard Illumination Night. Yes, some phrases have commonality. But the MV Historical Society has replied to innumerable inquiries "the story has no connection to here".

Another suggestion was to Alice Hoffman's novel "Illumination Night". But she too has stated that the song's story has no connection to her 1987 novel.

Another suggestion was a connection to a NC band Hazelwood, and their 1988 song Legacy, by singer Grace Griffith. But they have also disavowed any connection to the song.

I then hunted around elsewhere and hit upon some real life links to the story lyrics, but on the opposite coast.

* A woman called Delpha Atkinson was a homebirth born in 1927 on South East Farallon Island (SEFI), 40 kms off the coast of SF, known throughout history for its 400 shipwrecks and mythological history. Known as The Devils Teeth, and The Islands of the Dead by the Native American and Russian Kodiak seafarers, there are still gingerbread houses (1900s Gothic style) on the island. Delpha's mother was Grace Atkinson. The family lived on SEFI whilst Delpha's father was the lighthouse keeper there 1927-1931. He was then posted around to other CA lighthouses till his death in 1950 whilst serving at Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. I suspect that the Illumination Night was a memorial event for those times which died out soon after the song was written.

* There was a US Navy ship wrecked on SEFI in 1944. The SS Henry Bergh was a troop transport ship bringing 1400 soldiers back from the Pacific Theatre to SF. The crew and passengers were reported as "boisterously celebrating their homecoming so loudly the captain did not hear the SEFI foghorn and ran aground on The Devils Teeth in the fog".

* Another thing which rang bells for me was the Chinese restaurant reference. After all, SF's Chinatown was a big hub for alternatives in those days.

* And the phrase "... I wanted to be what I wanted to be ...". How typically 60s hippy-dippy is that!

So, the lyrics and the West Coast history seemed to match. But any leads towards the singer through the story's characters and events have since led to dead ends. So now we must turn our detective work to the music itself.


The Music
I believe we are looking for a female solo singer/songwriter, not a band, who recorded her demo with session musos, to try to break into the music industry via radio play, an agent, or a recording company. I imagine she might have been playing the folk clubs in those years, maybe playing this song solo, just sitting on a stool, before trying for a recording break with an ensemble. She likely gave away demo cassettes to talent scouts, music agents, radio jocks in SF and LA (with a letter of introduction ... hence the annonymity of the tape with nothing but a hand-scribbled "Demo-Listen Today" on it).

But her recording efforts clearly came to nothing. Despite thousands of "... it sounds like ...", the voice has yet to be identified. Competition must have been fierce in those days. Everyone who sang and strummed back then dreamed of making it big. All the girls wanted to be a Joni Mitchell, a Joan Baez, a Grace Slick! But this singer might have left the scene, gone into motherhood, and/or since died. If she had later gone into a band, or developed a solo career, I doubt this song would have dissappeared, never to be reclaimed in 50 years, and someone would have recognised her voice by now.


How Can You Help?
My current line of investigation is to cast around for anyone alive in those times who might actually recognise this voice from its day, a live performance of it, or the sound of any of the players behind her, such as:

* Old folk aficionados, folk club patrons of 1965 -1975. Come on, you must remember something from the 60s! I've read up about the famous but defunct SF folk clubs of the times, but found no contact for any living descendents.
* Old West Coast recording engineers. Who could have recorded this? Where might the masters be? I've read up about the famous but now closed SF recording studios of the times, but found no contact for any living descendents.
* Old session players -- the bass, the slide guitar, both stand out as quite accomplished. Someone must remember them! I mean, how many people played slide guitar like that in SF in 1968?
* Was she maybe some else's backing singer trying to go solo?
* Old radio jocks, agents, music historians.

The other thing which could help is a forensic production breakdown of the recording. Any sound engineers willing to give it a go? Exactly what instruments might be identified; how many tracks do you reckon might be used; what treatments are there? I'm hearing a Gibson semi-acoustic for both rythym and slide (so much like The Byrds), therefore only one guitarist. Some bassists I've asked say yes/no to a fretless. There's only the same singer's voice on background underneath harmonies. Conclusion, she had no-one else to add vocal layering. The drummer sounds like a sleepy leftover from the 50s

So thanks for reading this far, and any leads you might be able to provide.

Swami B. Saraswati.

Swami,

I have listened to perhaps more music than any other human from more different artists, genres, countries and universes. My opinion is this is circa 1986-1996 done on either a 4 track cassette recorder or far more likely a live band practice into a two track cassette recorder. Having recorded over 2000 songs in that era using that equipment including , it sounds pretty much like what results people were getting. It was the first surge of DIY recording gear. I first thought live practice tape (which it could be) but there is an effects pedal sound in the background which might indicate a separate track recording, but truthfully it sounds live. It sounds like a simple rough live band recording and I am pretty confident it is NOT session players (if it was, she got robbed). To me this sounds like an amateur band, with a girlfriend singing ( I was in a LOT of those bands), or simply a pretty average singer fronting a rookie/hobbyist level band. I also think it could easily have been anywhere in the USA. Additionally, I think the person who uploaded is enjoying the attention and has no reason to ruin it by coming forward. The song itself would never garner interest without the mystery and hype attached. Most of those "mystery" songs have been uploaded by the very people who first say "who is this" to get web hits, clicks and views.

And if you think my initial claims are exaggerated, I would LOVE to meet the person who has even come close to what I have heard over the past 40 years!

Brian

The reason there's so much "tape hiss" is because I multi tracked the drums, bass, and rhythm guitar at home. Then, I bounced those trax down to make room for lead guitar and vox. I took my old Tascam 4trac over to my girlfriend's house to finish the recording in her mother's living room... plugged into the aux of her old Sansui stereo. Laura's Mom wrote the lyrics and always had high hopes for us lol...

Lemoore, CA 1982. I always wondered what happened to that tape

LOL Tony....you and the Tonettes did a great job

Tape hiss could be a clue of the dubbling process. One tape plays what was just recorded and you dub over that ...requires a double tape deck ...used to do that myself as a cheap multi track recorder..but oh that hiss.

...in which case Brian is likely right the ballpark with timing

Or it could be Tony in his dress wearing days

Yeah', well... at 16 I was drinkin' and smokin' too lol.
Laura probably still hates me!
My Dad got transferred to El Toro that year, where I met Amie... and I never called Laura back.

I thought this was pretty cool. does not sound live to me at all,but sounds like it's played to a metronome in liu of a drummer .

It's just a bad recording m

The rhythm guitar sounds locked into to a metronome.

It's clearly old, but these kind of songs are about you looking back doing it, it's not about it being great.

It's got a late 60:s early 70's pop folk feel to it.

I have shitloads of band rehearsal tapes that were before 4 track even either that or nobody had money to buy one.

We used to record into a boom box with radio Shak mics. The band was super good for kids 13 or 14, but the recordings would never bear that out.

I'm not gonna attack a bunch of kids dreaming a bit, that's what it's all about.

Besides, with SUNO/UDIO, kids don't even have to learn to play an instrument anymore. THAT'S PROGRESS, BABY!

...

Well that probably started with guitar hero. I've ran into kids saying they can play such and such song on guitar hero, I'm like whattty?

But suno, not sure how udio disappeared, but you still need to know how to write.

We're not hearing weak artists suddenly making masterpieces, it's still just a reflection of what talent you have. I'm not really impressed with most of the songs

Only difference is it sounds good and better than what most can do at home.

Hey acdc Angus Young once joked, that he's accused of making 8 albums that sound exactly alike, we actually have 9 that sound exactly the same.

But make no mistake none of those compare to back in black, shook me all night long,hells bells, highway to hell

That be the songs....

I disagree... Both my parents are musicians. I've been ping-ponging cassettes and 4-tracking "with Radio Shack mics"(lol) for as long as I can remember. A bad recording can't hide a good song idea... or a good vocal!

80s punk was never known for great recording quality

That's exactly what I said. I played in some good bands, good being relative to a bunch of kids.

But the recordings were so bad. Wed record every rehearsal. Original and covers, once played back it was like WTF that's us?

My basement had to be the worst, no carpet, sinks and hot water heaters, bikes..

We knew nothing about sound.

First time we ever went to a studio, we each coughed up 20 bucks and went and did three songs. We thought the engineer was God

You've actually been in a pro studio? YOU DA' MAN!

I still use Radio Shack mics, in my living room, with my old SONY stereo

Noooooo far from pro, just somebody who had some gear, not much of an ear but I guess yeah it was professional he charged a bit of money.

When I was 19 I went solo...lol. everybody jumped shipped like, well that was fun let's geta life.

But I did a recording with an extremely talented producer who is still alive today and doing gigs.that was my first foray into the real deal.

Got played on college radio for a few months then died a slow death.

That recording cost 1500 bucks in the early 90s

Well... I've never even spent money on "pro gear" lol...
The 4 track simply evolved into a computer.

I have no regrets and I'm still having fun at 60!
... Really don't ever see that changing

Unless the "WWW" manages to silence amateur songwriters...

Speaking of low fi, and this is the focal point of the movie coming out.. deliver me from nowhere..

This Inspired the whole low fi movement.

It was supposed to be a demo, he walked around for weeks with the cassette in his pocket.

He decided later to release as is, became a cult classic, inspiring the likes of punk rockers, Johnny cash, Randy Newman called it a near perfect album

But you gotta have songs to pull this off

Listen to that hiss

Well... I've never even spent money on "pro gear" lol...
The 4 track simply evolved into a computer.

I have no regrets and I'm still having fun at 60!
... Really don't ever see that changing

Unless the "WWW" manages to silence amateur songwriters...


If Springsteen was just getting started today...?

Yep without fun... Most bands should quit when they stop having fun. Their best music is almost always their first few albums

Brian, thanks for your well meaning response. But I have to take up arguments (just the once) against many of your points. To wit:

>>> I have listened to perhaps more music than any other human from more different artists, genres, countries and universes.<<<

Gosh, such omnipotence immediately bristles with chronic arogance. It is not a matter of breadth of listening history Brian, but specificity of period style, genre, place and recognition of this particular track/voice/players that I seek. I just can't believe anyone over 70 cannot recognise this as ~late 60s ~SF. Joel Selvin, 76yo, The SF Chronicle's music critic from 1970-2000 said it's "clearly generic 1968-1969 SF folk rock scene". And he should know. He was there. So who am I to argue.


>>>My opinion is this is circa 1986-1996 done on either a 4 track cassette recorder or far more likely a live band practice into a two track cassette recorder. Having recorded over 2000 songs in that era using that equipment including , it sounds pretty much like what results people were getting.

>>>It was the first surge of DIY recording gear. <<<

Not in 1986 it wasnt. Our schoolboy garage band collectively owned a Tascam 2340 (4 track, 4 chan x 7.5" reels) in 1972 (first out in 1968). We mixed and dubbed down to mono cassettes for demo distribution, exactly as I suspect for Light the Lanterns. Or a real studio was used for a 4 or maybe 8 track master which was then mixed down and copied for some demo cassettes.


>>> I first thought live practice tape (which it could be) but there is an effects pedal sound in the background which might indicate a separate track recording, but truthfully it sounds live. It sounds like a simple rough live band recording and I am pretty confident it is NOT session players (if it was, she got robbed). <<<

It is beyond comprehension that you imagine this was a live recording. Just too silly to discuss.

>>>To me this sounds like an amateur band, with a girlfriend singing ( I was in a LOT of those bands), or simply a pretty average singer fronting a rookie/hobbyist level band. <<<

That could indeed be true. But also, someone was the songwriter. Are you trying to tell me those poetic hippie lyrics were written in 1986-1996. Lol. And who in in their right mind would record such song demo in 86-96 hoping to break into commercial success. Don't make me laugh, Brian.

But, were it late 60s, as I maintain, session players need not have been virtuosos in that acoustic-to-electric folk crossover period. Take away their subsequent fame and growth -- Were the Beatles, the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Dylan, Baez, Peter Paul & Mary anything but rookies in their early years? When I suggested session players, I imagined "cheapies" for an unheard-of young vocalist to cut a 3 min demo to hawk around talent agents. Besides, pro-sessionists do not play their complicated best unless the song requires it. This is a simple song with simple backing and production ... for the girl, imo.

What makes me think it is not a unified band, is that the chick singer is mixed right up front, with the lovely sensitive slide guitarist NOT playing guitar hero for his ego. SHE and the story and the supportive instrumental harmonies (and slidey bass) is the star.

Besides, I don't know, (or care), why you are judgjng, this track outside of what it actually is. I didn't ask you to like it, or grade it for Top 10, or pan its simplicity. I just wanted some links into its possible cultural history. In short, you've been bloody useless. You could just have posted "I'll pass your post on to some others who might help".


>>> I also think it could easily have been anywhere in the USA. <<<

So you "think" that. What evidence -- by ear or local storyline -- do you have to back up such an assertion? As well, if you consider the singer's accent, it's hardly Tennessee, Florida, NY, Texas, Boston, Idaho, Montana! I was told by a linguist it is classic "General American", (soft rhotic style) "a nondescript, possibly West Coast, but definitely pre Valley Girl influence".


>>>Additionally, I think the person who uploaded is enjoying the attention and has no reason to ruin it by coming forward. <<<

Again, you "think" that. Well, your unfounded suspicions do not match at all with the honest and sincere nature of the original uploader -- with whom I and others have emailed over the years about the tape's provenance. He is/was a musician but of a totally different style and instrumention to this track. He pulled down his original site years ago.

Fyi, noone gains from the attention of this song. It's has a small cult following on YouTube by lovers of the song. Also, if some mediocre chick singer-songwriter once wrote and recorded this, why would she not these days be self-producing her songs as an indie muso, like so other many wannabes. Your "thinking" is nonsensical.


>>>The song itself would never garner interest without the mystery and hype attached. Most of those "mystery" songs have been uploaded by the very people who first say "who is this" to get web hits, clicks and views.<<<

This is, once again, a cynical and unfounded supposition. Many folks have made such accusations about the Lost Wave mysterious songs over the years, and some may well be PR fake. But that does not make this one fake. And what exactly is your research proving "most of them"? You've debunked 50% of their claims, have you? Fyi, "Like the Wind", took some 17 years to solve from a single demo play on a German Radio station in 1983. The original writers and band members were astounded by their eventual discovery just last year. "Light the Lanterns" may have a similar fate ... or this singer may be long time dead.


>>>And if you think my initial claims are exaggerated, I would LOVE to meet the person who has even come close to what I have heard over the past 40 years!<<<

Un-fkn-believable Brian. Such chutzpah causes me to block any more unhelpful posts from you. I have explained and argued my case for some 4 years now against many doubters, and only want practical input to further objective research in a clearly defined direction. You are welcome NOT to join that search. In which case, don't piss in my pocket. I clearly stated "How Can You Help?" But no, you just shat on someone's sincere hobby project. So maybe your forum is not the place to expect any serious and helpful input to my research ... judging by the other nutty replies of the last few days. You are welcome to delete my post and my membership. I'm out.

And PS. I couldn't believe how quickly "my" thread got hijacked by a bunch of ADHDs into completely off-topic raves. I'm certainly not a forum nazi (I've run a few myself, so I understand the nature of topic entropy). But if that's the quality of member self-awareness and engagement ... it's sayonara.

LoloLol...

Salami,
Did it ever occur to you that everyone here had you figured the moment you posted?


But, I'm not above admitting that hurts...

I WAS THERE, DUDE!

I think what happened was Brian thought it was somebody else and was muscling up some cynicism to match it. And was waiting for a rebuttal

Fir me, a musician who made many such recordings in that era, I could relate. In fact NOBODY made more recordings like that, and if you think you have, well bring it lollllllllll

But the funniest part was " it would never garner attention" nawwwwww really? It sounded like a smash hit to me

And I thought you gave advice about " do music cause you love to do it" and don't worry about money or accolades?

That said, the person who posted this kinda had it coming, posted in wrong place, and looking for attention .

But it was funny Reading ...

" Nobody loves this country more than me" I am the lizard king, I can do anything lolllll

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I will humor your diatribe this once, since you are new. I spent an hour helping you figure out on to get registered, and then was nice enough to respond to your post with solid experience and consideration. Your complete freak out got you nowhere as you did not really make an effort to "join" in with discussing anything, you just started asking for help and then sh*t all over the first attempt that was made.

My statement wasn't a brag, just a fact. I truly would LOVE to meet anyone living who had remotely heard as much or more music from as many different artists as I have or from more places. DJ's who listen to a playlist wouldn't come close as I often heard songs 1 time before the next artist played. We received music from 185 countries in 2009 alone, (or 42K albums and 560K songs). I had over 100K albums on every modern format just in my basement until recently. I started trying to GIVE THEM AWAY starting in the early 2000s. I tried and tried but no takers. So I had to pay to have them taken away. All that is left are the nominees from our awards and about 10-12K still on my porch. I have countless hard drives with digital files that nearly matched what CD Baby had for sale because we were partnered with them for many years and their members asked them to send them to us which they did, both physical copies as well as digital.

I have toured the Western World for the past 40 years hosting hundreds of musicians per night for showcases where as many as 75 artists have performed in a day, to workshops and events in 48 US States and 39 countries. I averaged hearing 40 artists (totaling over a hundred musicians on average, likely more (these are all LOW estimates), for over 200 nights a year. That 8K artists per year wasn't all individuals, many were full bands. They were not by any means unique, as we DID have repeats who played multiple shows and often would play multiple tours if I came through near to them, or somewhere they wanted to play. We sometimes had caravans of a dozen or more artists following me to multiple shows or even states or countries. We had photos of most performer starting in 1998-2010 and all were posted. We counted over 25K unique artists just in those years (when we first had a digital camera). We have never gotten an accurate count of ALL the shows as I was always on the road an didn't even have a camera until 1998 because film and developing was just too expensive for a FREE organization. I know I have 100s of boxes full of video tapes from showcase starting in the 80s using my VHS camera, then every type of updated tech through all digital. But I have no idea what is on what or who people are without listening to my introductions of those performers. I played a song, then Emceed and introduced every single artist. I figure it has to be a couple hundred thousand artists (and band members) that came through. We had 50 full bands in a single night in NYC in the mid 00s which was nuts because we had to be done and got everyone on stage at a rate of 10 per hour for 5 hours. They had to have at least 3 members to play that show but many had 5+. We were quite well known in the Western World, but had active members in every free country and live chapters in over 100 different cities that met monthly for over 20 years. (Last one closed just a couple years ago, though some still exist in name and occasion get togethers. I have mostly retired from touring. Too hard at 60.

I haven't even mentioned our Music Awards which were my main focus when I wasn't touring with shows. I spent 16 hours or more per day for months, sometimes YEARS! listening to songs. Usually a couple hundred by different artists PER DAY. If the songs sucked, I listened less, but the good ones all the way through. In 2009, I listened to at least 1 song from all 42k+ albums submitted, but mostly just listened to the first 5-6 songs long enough to put them in a genre to START their 5 round journey in our awards. They often moved later as things got sorted out, especially if they had multiple genres on the entire album. By doing so, we had a single consistent standard for each genre (over 100 by the end) and even if they needed to be changed, it made it possible to break the music down into smaller collections for the 10K+ plus judges that helped that year. You see, you have to invent ways to do stuff and I could pay someone to do that massive job, so I had to do it. No one else on the planet has ever done these things. No one else WOULD do these things. I dedicated every waking moment of 2008, 2009 up to the awards show working on that music from just one music awards. When it was all finished, I was rewarded with 3 near fatal strokes for the wear and tear I went through.

So yes, Mr. Swami, I have listened to more music from more artists than ANY other person, but if I am truly wrong, please bring that person forward so I can compare notes because it kind of sucks being in a club of 1 with that kind of experience. A guy named John Braheny, the Godfather of music songwriter education in the modern sense, dubbed me with that status as he had always been considered to hold that title but he said what he witnessed of my work first hand buried by an exponential factor what he had heard to be given that title so he handed it to me. So unless you can prove his assessment or all my history wrong, then your opinion happens to be wrong. And he sadly passed away years ago, and I have since finished another epic music awards in 2020 on top of that 2009 one.

I will address one more point you made before I stopped reading:

All of your claims of school boy bands have nothing to do with my points. In the 80s, those tools became AFFORDABLE to EVERYONE. Obviously, based on your rude response and obnoxious privileged attitude, you weren't a poor working musician in the early DIY era where ACTUAL poor kids could buy a 4 track. The Fostex 4 Track recorder was the start of a new era of affordable gear. I got mine in 1986.

But the REAL reason I discount OLDER creation dates was back then only rich kids and actual TALENT had that gear. Making Vinyl recordings was costly. Even in the early cassette industry, it was expensive and rare to have more than a low quality home made tape. Most poor kids used regular cassette decks. I also mentioned 4 track because the sonic quality of that recording is AWFUL. That does not remotely suggest pro players, singers or recording studios. It is a home recording, with live players (not accurate enough to be drum machines. I owned a LOT of them, at first I thought maybe it was a Roland Drum machine, but it is just better quality than that recording. It would stick out even in a terrible mix, which that is. It suggests bounced tracks on a 4 track or 2 cassette decks (did it A LOT) and no studio (not even owned by a rich kid) would sound so awful.

I didn't bother to read the rest of your diatribe and I do not expect many to read mine. I mostly posted this because it is good to remind folks who ARE curious, now and then, how much work I have put into this organization which turns 40 in 6 months.

My final thought is you are a lonely guy who has romanticized this urban legend (most likely a home demo from the 1985-1995 era) posted by whoever benefits from the traffic originally who LOVES to see folks like you burn away your life chasing a fantasy they created. I know of stories of people posting their old demos on these types of sites who later laughed at all the people who blindly bought into the hype. Even if I am wrong about the era (which I doubt) I offered an honest assessment to your question when no one else had responded.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

I think the vocal is okay, not great, but in tune. That was most of the battle back then. No "studio" or "pro" musician was involved in this. Most likely the person who posted it just anonymously wanted their song to go viral. Suckers LOVE to romanticize finding this magical band. It is likely a redit user just slapped it up and loves the attention. I know it has happened before. In one of the most famous cases someone from their life spilled the beans. I would search for the article but don't care enough to bother.

There are so many millions of recordings like this one that a needle would be easy pickens in any hay stack by comparison. If someone or a solution comes forward, it is almost proof alone it was an inside job all along. Real mysteries like this don't get discovered without a scam underlying it in the first place. That or a liar will insist it is theirs. I bet someone makes a NEW recording of the same song, using whatever tech they need to sound as grungy.

There is nothing particularly bad about it, nor anything particularly great. It is something that most young bands could and have done countless (millions) of times in countries around the world. Ping ponging two cassettes to add "tracks" was done so many different ways that there's no way the origin will be found without an "insider" admitting to it. This guy is WAY too over invested, it would not surprise me at all if it was HIS song to start with, but he doth protest a little too much for that.

More likely he is smitten with the idea of SOMEONE ELSE figuring it out then HE plans to get kudos for going back to the community with the answer, which is super lame really. If he wants to know, HE needs to figure it out right?

He isn't too serious with his made up name. A legit person looking for an answer for REAL would always include his name and multiple contact methods right?

Mr. Swami just doesn't seem like a serious or honest broker at this point.

I would TOTALLY believe it was you playing a trick. Or Dom. Bring in some activity, it's all good.

But Swami's "15 minutes of lame" has expired. Moving on...

Yeah', I should just bury that certified mail package of old tapes from the 80's in my back yard like a time capsule...

WITH NO NAME!

I'm offended that anyone thinks that might be me.

Everybody knows you're a "Salami"!

You know, something funny just occurred to me, if he REALLY wanted to reach someone about the fledgling or amateur music scene of the era and location he describes, John Braheny (my friend and JPF Mentor) would have been the very best possible resource because he spent his time there teaching EVERYONE in that era on the West Coast then nationwide. I think he would have agreed with me about he era where real people could afford a 4 track, but he went back to the 60s. He's gone, but many of his friends (of which I share many) are still around including his partner and also his wife. I likely could have gotten their thoughts on it. I would never waste their time now of course.

A real researcher would not kill the messenger of ANY tip, thus ending anyone else's effort to help. You never know the source in a search. Even though he didn't like my opinion, had he simply been a human instead of a raging ass, I likely would have thought to ask a few people from that actual era (certainly not MY era) of the 60s, since many are dead or aging from the adult population of those times so resources would be quite precious and rare. But I still think it is way more likely from the 80s or newer. That super narrow search focus isn't going to end well. He offered no facts to prove his search window. Audio still sounds too modern for the 60s or even the 70s. Of course the fact that he thinks that is 60s FOLK music is also hilarious. Maybe he saw Bob plug in at Newport and it left an impact. The "folkies" rejected electrified music.

Not the "recording" per se, the troll job would be brilliant. So kudos if it WAS one of you.

Okay, now I am having fun with this suddenly,

I invite you all to offer ways to solve the mystery, but I have the best, most absolutely fool proof way to do it:

We get Taylor Swift to record it, and release it.

Lawyers will do the rest of the "solving."

Thank you for your time.

Oh, good grief!

Laura was an auburn haired beauty... JUST LIKE HER MOM!

I only did it to get laid!

Brian wrote:

Well, I will humor your diatribe this once, since you are new. I spent an hour helping you figure out how to get registered, and then was nice enough to respond to your post with solid experience and consideration.

***THAT'S AN OUTRIGHT F**KING LIE, BRIAN.***
I emailed you personally back on Oct 5th, (copied below) politely asking if my research story was too long for your message board and was it the right place to catch good responses. I heard nothing back in 11 weeks, assuming a rejection. Fine. Then, out of the blue, obviously after you had read my whole thesis, on Dec 25th, you replied, INVITING me to join, (as copied below).

You wrote: "Our registration system is broken at the moment but I can help you manually".

So I sent you my details for registration, as requested; waited 8 days to be registered (dunno why it took you a fucking hour just to do that); greatly shortened my research thesis and added an introductory paragraph as requested; uploaded and then waited for something helpful (like some contact details for old folks around SF). I DID NOT ASK FOR contrarian disavowal of my post.

Instead, I got your raging self aggrandisement, panning my 4 years of investigative work plus and a lunatic off-topic pile-on from your forum acolytes who completely ignored my sincere and explicit request for research help. So don't be so disingenuous as to make me out as a stupid troll, conned by a mysterious scam, and yourself as some gracious saint. If you'd already read my thesis between Oct and Dec, and thought it s**t, why did you invite me to the forum only to be ridiculed by yourself and the clown gallery?

And, as I already told you, which you blatantly ignored, accusing me of having no evidence for my late 60s CA conjecture, Joel Selvin, 76yo, The SF Chronicle's music critic from 1970-2000 said it's "clearly generic 1968-1969 SF folk rock scene". And he should know. He was there. So who am I to argue. I am in Australia btw.

So your own assessment, as vast as it may be and steeped in massive ego attachment, is not, imo, as valid as his. I've also emailed:
* Roy and Gaynell Rogers (born 1950, Redding, CA blues rock slide guitarist and record producer);
* Alex Palao (one of the Bay Area's most notable collectors of 1960s rock and roll and soul music);
* Pete Sennof (Atlantic Records Executive, LA 1973);
-- all of whom, as CAL natives, also fingered Light the Lanterns as "that late 60s West Coast sound".

So if you want to HELP ME and MY MISSION, instead of making this whole thread about YOURSELF, send me some emails of 1960s West Coast musos, producers, sound engineers, folk club officionados ... as I requested in my opening paragraphs of this thread before the children got let loose. That's all you had to do to gain my respect.

Leave it up or pull it down. I truly don't give a f**k about you people.

-------

To: JP Folks <justplainnotes@gmail.com>
Sat, Oct 5, 2024, 12:45 AM.
From: Swami B. Saraswati

Hi Folks!

I want to ask if your forum would be an appropriate place to post the following item. I don't know your word limits or the user's likelihood to engage with my folk music research. If not suitable, could you please steer me to any other good places to post.

Thanks in advance.

Swami B. Saraswati.

‐-------------

From: JP Folks <justplainnotes@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2024 11:39:42 pm
To: Swami O. Saraswati

Swami,

That is quite a tale. I know a few people still living from that era on the west coast. Can you give me a current link to the song, and a paragraph or two of the most important facts that summarize the song and research? The above is a lot to ask people to read who were around back then.

If you would like to sign up and post this on our message board, give me your desired user name, preferred email and a password you want to use to initially log in on our message board.

There is no (rational) limit to text there, but having a summary at the top is the best way to get help. They can then decide to read further then offer their help.

Our registration system is broken at the moment but I can help you manually.

Brian
Brian Austin Whitney
Founder/CEO
Just Plain Folks Music Organization

-------

On Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:58 PM Swami B. Saraswati wrote:

Hey Brian. Thanks for your reply. Will reply soon.

I did post to SF Folk Club but got zero feedback. No 80, 70, 60 year oldies there!

Happy Christmas. Back soon.

Swami.


From: JP Folks <justplainnotes@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:40:41 pm
To: Swami O. Saraswati
Subject: Re: Mystery Song

Swami, 

Our site has been around since the dawn of the internet. We have mostly 50+ users at this point. You'd  be perfect. We are 100% free, just people having fun making music! 

Brian

Hmmmmn...
Damn, when you put it THAT way!

I feel like such an a-hole...

Am I missing something? What research is going on?

I thought somebody posted a song they did years ago.

Didn't Japov admit this was his song?

Weird

So you do have some self awareness after all.

Jeezuz Christ, Fdemetrio. Do try to keep up, will you. Japov was being sarcastic in his first post to this thread. Didn't you get that. [Eyeroll].

Now go back to my first post, read it right through in good faith as if I am an intelligent 70 year old on a serious musical research mission. Only then, if you have anything relevant and helpful to add, post again into "my" thread. As an OP, I seriously hate young cockheads who just blather their every thought bubble into the ether to spoil some else's day.

Lol. 1500 words ... all about YOU. Lol.

Swami...
I'm fairly certain we've all read your OP.
So, in the spirit of belated self awareness... I'd like to ask;

How many times have you tried this? At how many other sites?

Funny, you should ask that! Only a couple in fact, because .... social media is my least favourite medium of dealing with people and gaining information. Philosophically, I liken it to a farmer broadcasting seeds. He throws out 10,000. Only 100 fall on loose soil with the right moisture to germinate. It's basically luck as to his returns. As opposed to intentional, individual seed plantings one by one, in just the right spot, where you'll get a more productive return of 8 out of 10 growing well. Just one email at a time in the research business gets you an intelligent yes or no. From that you take another stepping stone towards your mapped out goal. You don't just stab wildly in the dark to total strangers.

Social media is more like a fkn swamp of alligators. On line forums are cesspits of Dunning-Kruger types; thought bubble ADHDs, malevolent trolls, time wasters, poor readers, poor thinkers, rabbid egotists. I previously posted on a Bass Forum, to ASK, do the players think Light the Lanterns was or was not a fretless bass. I thought it might help to narrow the years, the style of the song. First, exactly like here, I was baited as an attention-seeking troll. Next came DAYS of player arguments about the year in which Jaco Pastorius was reputed to have first pulled the frets off a 1965 Fender P Bass with pliers. I eventually got banned for TRYING to steer MY OWN THREAD back towards my OP question which was: Do you guys think it was or wasn't a fretless. Sum total of my online poll was about 50:50. Lol. So, a waste of effort.

Another episode on SF Folk Music Forum ... 2 off topic responses in 6 months. No fkn help at all.

Fyi, I've spent 4 years searching down this wormhole ... be it a true story song or a fake web scam. I paid for Ancestry.com. I talked with the fkn 72 yo daughter of Delpha Atkinson who was born on the magic island with gingerbread houses who admitted her grandmother Grace liked to overdrink. (Read the lyrics). I've emailed retired lighthouse keepers up and down the West Coast, seeking the origins of the Illumination Night ceremony mentioned in the song.

And why would I do this? Cos I love the song, its poetry and melody. I'd like to see the singer/songwriter acknowledged; maybe get it re-recorded for Spotify. If it's a true story, it is folk history no different to Woody Guthrie or early Bob Dylan. Why would Maestro Brian think it is a piece of sh*t? I just don't know.

So, all up, I DON'T APPRECIATE an arogant c**t like Brian pretending he knows better than I do about my own HARD research, or a bunch of childish d**ks spoofing me in a forum for their own amusement.

But maybe this time I'll learn -- f**k social media and its bedroom know-alls. All I wanted was to hear from some old SF hippies. If you're not, then f**k off out of my thread. Yeah, maybe I am naive/stupid to post here. I'll wear that.

Well, as a bunch of old songwriter/musicians, we may not be very helpful... but, we are very tolerant and typically have a great sense of humor.

Consider your audience, Swami.

And, don't go away mad

PS; MAD=Musicians Are Dicks!

1. I didn't come here for the humour, buddy.
2. I don't want a fkn audience.
3. You never demonstrated any "tolerance" about my presence here till 15 mins ago.
4. I used to be a mediocre singer guitarist, and roadie, so I do understand what perfect twats musicians can be.
5. Why should you care if I leave your precious little club? Will you suffer some kind of identity loss? Probably. You'll lose someone you compulsively talk back to. Are JPFolks the only friends you have? Probably.

Jeezuz Christ, Fdemetrio. Do try to keep up, will you. Japov was being sarcastic in his first post to this thread. Didn't you get that. [Eyeroll].

Now go back to my first post, read it right through in good faith as if I am an intelligent 70 year old on a serious musical research mission. Only then, if you have anything relevant and helpful to add, post again into "my" thread. As an OP, I seriously hate young cockheads who just blather their every thought bubble into the ether to spoil some else's day.[/quote

Why bore the bee Jesus out of everyone.

Hey Swami!

Addressing two assumptions…. 1. that the song was written in the 1960’s (Hippie Era). Some of my music I still compose in the 1940’s style or even earlier in the style of Bach, Beethoven, etc. So, it could have been written much later by a person that never outgrown the hippie days. I used the Tascam Porta One in the 1980’s with similar quality results. 2. Songwriter unknown… maybe only by us. This “mystery” song posting on YouTube could have been a smart promotional move considering how the popularity is growing. Or, since you’re an unknown here, it could possibly be your song. If it is I congratulate you on your promotional chops. Well, you know what they say about opinions… Anyway, please take what I say lightly, not as wisecracks. Good luck through your research.

Best, John

Thanks for your well meaning post, John.

1. My belief in it being late 60s is not merely a frivilous assumption. It is an abiding ***recognition*** of music in those days I used to sing and play. Imo, there are just too many tells in it (lyrically and musically) not to be original.

2. It would be stoopid for someone to invent such a song "out-of-era", upload it to some obscure YT channel, remove it from that very channel a few months later due to such accusations and hurt feelings, and think it would gain fame on YT ... and for no return. I and others have communucated with the guy who found it and first uploaded it. He is the nicest, most sincere person. Certainly not a musical scammer/troll. But then, people who only read part of my thesis wouldn't know that, would they? So where is the source of ignorance and presumption of trickery? With them, not me.

3. What is it with you people who hold such suspicions? When someone knocks on your door requesting assistance, do you automatically suspect them of malintent? Ha, you probably do in the paranoid US of A. It's an illness, imo.

4. And anyway, why am I even re-explaining, justifying my thesis, YET AGAIN, when my post was about hearing from 60s hippies? When you see an ad for someone seeking slippers, do you ring them up and tell them they should be buying boots? Yawn.

Good luck with your music, John.

Well you asked for it buddy by dropping into a thread you could add no value to. You sound about 16. Yeah, I used to think adult talk was boring at 16 too.

Hey... Ya'll wanna' see a magic trick?

Watch carefully now...

This guy reminds me of...

*MARTY*

“What is it with you people who hold such suspicions? When someone knocks on your door requesting assistance, do you automatically suspect them of malintent? Ha, you probably do in the paranoid US of A. It's an illness, imo” - Swami

Two weeks ago, I had two well-dressed men come to my door saying they were from PP& L (local power company). They had proper PPL emblems on their suit coats and a form on a clipboard with the PPL logo. They said I may qualify for a reduction in the cost of electricity and wanted to see my last bill. Which at that point, I sent them on their way. I then called PPL and was told they never send people out like that. It turns out they were another power company wanting to take the info from my bill/ statement and change my power company to their company.

A couple months ago, my phone was hacked into. They said my bank account was being hacked and wanted me to go to the bank and withdraw my money (converting it to bit coin at their designated location) before the pending, fraudulent withdraw would take place. They told me they suspect an employee at the bank, so don’t say anything to the people at the bank. Well, I did tell a bank official what happened, and they said this has been happening to other customers.

So yeah, it’s realistic to be suspicious of everything today. Not in a paranoid way, but in a common-sense way.

John

And what value is this [naughty word removed]?

If it was any good Id care, but it's terrible.

Go away. Take up crochet

Lol. Being "suspicious of everything today" is indeed the very definition of paranoia. Lol.

Fair enough about door to door scams and bank fraud. Be careful where personal loss might be involved. THAT'S commonsense.

But why be suspicious (and totally cynical like Brian was to me) of a song on the web and an authentic sounding guy researching it for 4 years? That's not commonsense. That's chronic cynicism and condescension. Use some discrimination in your emotional assessments. That's your illness -- the inability to judge wheat from chaff.

Ahhemn... That's not "YOUR" job...

The only thing good about his is the sound of the guitar.

I'm pretty sure this is Japov alter ego