SONGS OF THE YEAR: "Mr. Ford" by Jack McTamney

Our Top 21 Albums issue comes out Dec. 22, but that doesn't come close to telling you what 2011 sounded like. To help find the devil in the details, we've asked City Paper's critics, friends and family to name some of their favorite songs - be they secret gems on terrible albums, sleeper tracks you missed, huge pop songs that need defending, or just plain good songs everybody already knows and loves.

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SONGS OF THE YEAR: "Mr. Ford" by Jack McTamney

POSTED: Friday, December 9, 2011, 4:32 PM

Filed Under: Music Song

Our Top 21 Albums issue comes out Dec. 22, but that doesn’t come close to telling you what 2011 sounded like. To help find the devil in the details, we’ve asked City Paper’s critics, friends and family to name some of their favorite songs — be they secret gems on terrible albums, sleeper tracks you missed, huge pop songs that need defending, or just plain good songs everybody already knows and loves.

This one falls under the “sleeper” category. Rip Van Winkle sleep. The song has been recorded for better than a decade.

Back story: For 20+ years Gene Shay has honored me by asking for my service on a singer/songwriter critique at the annual International Folk Alliance Conference. People come from all over the world asking for seasoned ears to pick apart their songs. Some are amazing, others not so much. Back in Philly late one winter night I was tormenting Jay Ansill on Facebook. Up popped another commenter, Jack Mctamney, taking my side and being generally funny. Anybody who is a friend of Fats Waller (part of the discussion at the time) is a friend of mine I figured, so we friended. Over the months we exchanged youtubes, bons mots and made each other laugh, a lot.

Fast forward to Labor Day. Jack posted a video of a song he recorded 10 (!) years ago, part of a CD of originals, Halfway to NowHere, that never got much attention. I was knocked flat by “Mr. Ford.” While it was written about the other Great Depression it certainly is timely now. If it’s not you struggling to get enough hours at work you certainly have someone in your circle who had done everything right and is willing to continue to do so, if they can just catch a break.

Posted by Mary Armstrong @ 4:32 PM Permalink | 5 comments

Comments (5)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:38 PM, 12/10/2011

Great choice Mary. One of my favorites by Jack and one of the ones I listen to when I need motivating. It's the desperation in the story line, the desperation in the vocals and the unrelenting beat that get my adrenalin going. p.s. Background vocals are awesome too.

— F X McTamney

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:57 PM, 12/11/2011

I am truly humbled to be honored by such a cool publication... thanks, Mary and everyone!

— JackMcT

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:57 PM, 12/11/2011

I am truly humbled to be honored by such a cool publication... thanks, Mary and everyone!

— JackMcT

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:05 PM, 12/11/2011

Here a free download of my song "Christmas Comes To Everyone"
Have a great holiday season...

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftiny.cc%2Fnk1iu&h=vAQGAYBEE

— JackMcT

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:49 PM, 12/11/2011

Thank You so much for touching my soul. All America needs is to bring back the jobs for the blue collar people. I will salute you Jack for the inspiration

— johnnyhump

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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