“No More Auction Block” (1964) – The Goldebriars

“No More Auction Block” (1964) – The Goldebriars * Traditional arrangement by the Goldebriars * LP: The Goldebriars  * Produced by Bob Morgan * Label: Epic

“No More Auction Block,” also known as “Many Years Gone,” is a slavery song that’s been traced back to the 1830s as a possible musical rephrasing of the Roman Catholic hymn “O Sanctissima.” The early sixties folk revivalists knew the song, with Bob Dylan even reshaping the melody into his own “Blowin’ in the Wind.” (You can hear him do a 1962 live version of “No More Auction Block” on the first volume of his Bootleg series.) In 1964, a version of the song appeared on the debut album by the Goldebriars, a short-lived quartet who were led by Curt Boettcher before he’d gain lasting sunshine-pop cult status through his work with The Millennium and Sagittarius. Critics of folk revivalists complain about the sparkling sheen they imposed on traditional song, but here’s an example where such polish, with voices that meshed uncannily, equaled beauty.