It’s Local 518 Thursday at WEXT, July 22nd

It’s Local 518 Thursday! Links included for the artist/band and song featured on the show so Nippertown readers can find out more about them, and support by listening to & purchasing the songs. A version of the following is posted on the Local 518 Facebook page. Miss the show? Listen to it and previous ones at the WEXT Radio Local 518 Show webpage.

Tonight at 11:00pm the WEXT Radio Local 518 Show playlist features…
Belle-Skinner – “The Bargain Store“
Allyson Smith – “Vacancy“
Ryder Cooley & Dust Bowl Faeries – “Candy Store“
Griff – “Make Believers“
Dominic Orlando – “It Could Be True“
The Insolent Willies – “Poor Devil“

The Attic Classic:Tom Winslow was born 1940 in North Carolina, raised on his grandfather’s farm. At 13 Tom bought his first guitar, a Sears “Gene Autry” model. He immediately set to learning chords and reading music, playing songs and beginning to develop his own style. That was put aside for a bit when his interest turned to training horses. This led to working at Vassar College in their equestrian program. He settled down on a small piece of land he bought on the Hudson River.

During the 1960’s he sold Bible-related books, worked for the Otis Elevator Company and in construction on the Empire State Plaza. He toured the folk music festival circuit, sometimes as a solo act, as well as with his family act The Winslow’s, which included his young daughter Thomasina.

1968 found him devoting most of his time to his church in Albany and to his singing career. While conducting sing-alongs at a youth camp in Hyde Park, Tom paid a visit to Pete Seeger. Subsequently, the two made appearances together at colleges and towns along the Hudson.

During the winter of 1968, he helped Seeger raise funds for a project to build a replica of a sloop – a large, single-mast boat – named the “Clearwater” to sail the Hudson in an anti-pollution campaign, reminding people of how the river was before it became a waste dump.

Winslow’s enduring fame comes from writing the now-classic official sloop song “Hey Looka Yonder,” also known as “It’s the Clearwater.” Written in 1968 while the boat was being built, two additional verses were added when he realized that many differing levels of society were coming together to create this mission. The song was recorded in late 1969, included as the side one opener to his album ‘It’s The Clear Water.’ It’s the Attic Classic.

Tune in WEXT Radio at 97.7 and 106.1 FM, at 89.1’s HD2 station, via online website stream at www.wextradio.org, or by using the free app for iOS and Android devices.

For more info about the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater visit www.clearwater.org. On June 19th The Great Hudson River Revival was live streamed, from 11am to about 11pm, featuring about 75 performers! You can find each hour’s PLAYLIST HERE.