Most music fans know Barbara Keith from her work as the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Greenfield-based rock band The Stone Coyotes. But they might not know that long before she became “the first lady of rock,” Keith was a folk singer and released a self-titled album on Warner Brothers Records in 1972 that has become a cult classic. The album is being reissued on vinyl at the end of the month and is already generating some buzz. Two of the songs — a cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and “Detroit or Buffalo” (later appearing on The Stone Coyotes’ album “Born to Howl”) — each have more than two million streams on Spotify. In addition, two leading British music magazines, Uncut and Mojo, recently gave the album glowing reviews, the latter calling it a “small country-rock masterpiece.”
Keith, who grew up in Deerfield, got her start on the New York folk scene, performing regularly at the legendary Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. She did some recording with a band called Kangaroo, then released her first solo album, “Barbara Keith,” produced by Peter Asher in 1969.
When that album failed to take off, Keith headed to Los Angeles to try to make it there. She was personally signed by label executive Mo Austin, who saw in Keith the potential to be the next Joni Mitchell. (Austin died earlier this week at the age of 95.) Keith also signed with co-manager Larry Marks, through whom she met Doug Tibbles, a new drummer who had just left his job as a screenwriter of some of the most successful television sitcoms of the ’60s — shows such as “The Munsters” and “Bewitched.”
Marks set Keith up with some of the finest studio musicians in the business such as Jim Keltner, Spooner Oldham, Lowell George and Jim Gordon. (Tibbles would also be involved in all the sessions, helping out on rehearsals.)
“The years in New York, playing three nights in folk clubs, prepared me for those sessions,” Keith wrote in a recent email about the experience of making the album. Some of the tracks were cut live; there were some live vocals as well.
By the time the album was completed, Keith and Tibbles were a couple (they married in 1973), and Keith did some serious soul-searching, deciding she wasn’t happy dealing with the music business and all that comes with it. She returned the advance she had received and simply walked away.
With Keith gone from the label, Warner Brothers released the self-titled album in 1972 with no promotion — yet it managed to find an audience that responded to Keith’s accomplished songwriting and the recording’s solid production.
The 10 tracks on the album combine elements of country, rock and folk to make what is now called Americana, many years before that term was even coined. Keith even covered Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” displaying a kind of musical ferocity that would come out full force in her work with The Stone Coyotes. Other songs, such as “Rolling Water,” highlighted her talent in writing poetic lyrics and her knack for crafting a memorable melody.
It’s no surprise that other musicians, including Barbra Streisand and Delaney & Bonnie, picked up on the disc, both covering “Free the People.” Mary MccCaslin covered “The Bramble and the Rose.” Over the years, numerous artists such as Amanda Shires and Olivia Newton John have recorded songs from this album.
Keith and Tibbles eventually moved to western Massachusetts and started The Stone Coyotes with Doug’s son, John, on bass. (In recent years, Doug Tibbles Jr. has joined the band on guitar.) They released their first album, “Church of the Falling Rain,” in 1998 and to date, have released 16 albums and three EPs. While Keith’s country folk roots are evident in their repertoire, members of The Stone Coyotes are known for their loud and straight-ahead approach to rock music — complete with fuzz-laden guitar work and a propulsive rhythm section. They have been a major presence on the local scene and have an extensive fan base across the country, especially in Texas.
They caught the attention of novelist Elmore Leonard in 1999 and he used Keith as the inspiration for one of the characters in his novel, “Be Cool.” He also used some of the band’s lyrics in the book, which proved to draw attention to this independent band from western Massachusetts.
Keith and Tibbles never had any interest in returning to a major label, recording in their home studio and on their own label, Red Cat Records. They do not work with outside producers or guest musicians, and Doug Tibbles even produces the album artwork. This do-it-yourself approach may be how many bands produce and promote their own music these days, but it was a unique way of doing things when The Stone Coyotes started out. They no longer tour but are still active, just recently releasing an EP of new music, “Rough and Tumble,” earlier this year. They are also considering producing a disc of some of their songs remixed.
Through the years, as Keith prolifically composed and recorded with the Coyotes, her old Warner/Reprise album from 1972 continued to find a cult audience. As for the songwriter, she has no idea why it is now being reissued. The advent of streaming services, where a spark of interest can ignite a wildfire, likely factors into this new release.
“There have been several reissues over the years, but all on CD,” Keith wrote. “This is a vinyl release on Mapache Records in Spain. I wonder if the success of the Rayko edit of ‘Watchtower’ (over 600,000 plays on Soundcloud) had an effect. … I’m not sure.”
With renewed interest comes a big misconception that Keith hated the album. This was incorrectly reported in the Mojo review and an earlier review on AllMusic.com.
“It was the pressures of a major label contract and all the duties required,” Keith said. “Meeting Doug and starting a new life together — all of it combined to all make me walk away from the business. The album itself was fun to do, and I am proud of it.
“I don’t know where the notion I disliked it came from, maybe some remark of mine early on about still looking for my true musical direction,” Keith continued. “But if so, it was meant to be an expanding of musical style through The Stone Coyotes, not a criticism of the fine playing on the Warner album. Doug and I listened to it recently again, and were moved and impressed.”
She is pleased that the album is getting some overdue recognition.
“It’s nice that it gets discovered after all these years. Maybe falling in love and walking away from the business turns out to have been a brilliant long-range strategy (ha-ha),” Keith wrote. “Again, I like that album and am proud of it. And then to have the great good fortune to play and sing and write with The Stone Coyotes — I am a lucky gal.”
You can pre-order “Barbara Keith” on Amazon.com. For more information, visit stonecoyotes.com.
It’s been kind of rough going for the Coop Concerts this summer. The weekly concerts held at Energy Park in Greenfield every Thursday night at 6 p.m. have dealt with cancellations due to weather and, of course, the shooting on July 14 that led to performances being called off that night.
The series goes on; this Thursday night will feature folk artist/guitarist Jennie McAvoy and Irish flute and whistle player Ellen Redman performing marches, reels, jigs, slips jigs and waltzes from Ireland and Scotland. They will throw in a few songs, too. Also on the lineup will be 33 Steele, the duo of Sheryl Stanton and Bobby D. They will play a mix of Americana, country, folk and a bit of the blues. Rounding out the night will be folk and Americana music, courtesy of John Stacey.
The show is free but donations are welcome. Don’t forget to bring your chair or blanket.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com.