Buffy Sainte-Marie - 'Running For The Drum'

Buffy came a-calling this morning in the shape of a USPS envelope with a record inside. Not just any record, it was 'Running For The Drum', Buffy's first all-new record since 1992's 'Coincidence & Likely Stories'. I've heard some of the tracks before - some via net radio from Hawai'i last year, some when I saw Buffy play in New York in March and one song, 'Cho Cho Fire' on the Oxfam charity CD released this spring. But I now have the full album all the way from Canadaford to l'il ole Londontown and all for me. Yum!

It's a great record and I love it. It's a melange of styles to fit all tastes, from euphoric rave beats to rock'n'roll, from night-club jazz to acoustic, liberally sprinkled with powwow vocals and drums, all underpinned by Buffy's beautiful words and voice. Try pidgeon-holing this as "folk" and you'll fail.

The packaging is excellent as well, a tri-fold eco-friendly cardboard cover containing a CD and a DVD with a booklet including lyrics, a sentence about each song and lots of photos. The CD is the new album and it comes with a documentary DVD about Buffy, 'A Multimedia Life'. The interior artwork is based around Buffy's digital painting, 'Elder Brothers', and a new portrait of Buffy.

No No Keshagesh

The album opens with 'No No Keshagesh' and the sounds of a crowd gathering as drums start and get louder and we're off and running. 'Keshagesh' was called 'AIM Elijah' when Buffy played it in New York but I like the Keshagesh title - he's a greedy puppy devouring the world's resources without a care. A fast song with wild powwow singing at the chorus and it sounds great live.

Cho Cho Fire

An invitation to join the powwow and step into a larger world, wild powwow rock sending us running for the drum and all it symbolises - 'Ooo you better wake up, man it's like you're dead and gone...'. Guitar riffs and powwow vocals, an excellent live song I heard Buffy play in New York with Ulali providing backing powwow vocals.

Working For The Government

Euphoric dance-beats and a looped tape of a drum and powwow sample, Buffy's words about all the mysterious people who work for a shadowy, three-initial parts of governments the world over, Mr Invisible. Multi-tracked powwow vocals and drum beats make up the backing track, and I'm not sure if there are any other instruments there at all. Buffy was experimenting like this back in the late '60s so it's nice to hear her still pushing the boundaries. This track should be picked up by remixers and clubs.


Little Wheel Spin And Spin

Buffy's song from 1966 updated into a hypnotic and moody song, just guitar and some subtle percussion and ambient sounds. I think I prefer this version to the original. The feel is very different and more intense knowing that Buffy wrote and sang this 40 years ago and it's still relevant.

Too Much Is Never Enough

A mid-tempo song that reminds me of 'Up Where We Belong' for some reason, with the refrain of, 'too much is never enough when it comes to loving you'. There's a nice guitar solo from Chris Birkett (who plays on most of the songs as well as co-produced the record).

To The Ends Of The World

Another mid-tempo song but this time with an early-60s rock feel to it with a big string sound in the background which is really keyboards. A song in praise of love and how someone, somewhere must have found true love, the thing that's worth looking for to the ends of the world.

When I Had You

A song about how things were so much better when I had you. It sounds like Buffy is in a dark, smokey night club playing piano with slow, moody guitar riffs, a drink on top of the piano while she sings of the old days before splitting up with her lover. Very atmospheric.


I Bet My Heart On You

A total change in tempo as Buffy rocks out as a 50s rock'n'roll queen, strutting her stuff with early rock piano riffs as if she's in a dance hall with the audience dancing and jiving around her. She duets on piano with Taj Mahal and sounds like she's having great fun.

Blue Sunday

In a similar rock'n'roll vein but with a double-bass throbbing away, 'Blue Sunday' is a rockabilly song celebrating the sound of early Elvis and opening with the line, 'Since my baby left me', fast paced with dramatic breaks. I defy your foot not to tap along to this one. I first heard this song three year ago when I saw Buffy play in Belleville, Ontario. 'Saturday night ain't nothing to me, just a memory of blue'.

Easy Like The Snow Falls Down

Another change of pace to mid-tempo again. A song about being there for someone you love who's having a hard time and dedicated to hospice caregivers. Buffy invites us to go to her when the heart's too big and the world's too small - she's our angel. Reach out for help, it's easy, just do it. A simple song but emotionally laden.

America The Beautiful

Buffy's version of the American anthem with added verses. Her notes say she first sang this at the NASA launch of the first Native American Astonaut, Commander John Herrington. Buffy strumming her guitar with gentle powwow drums and percussion in the background.

Still This Love Goes On

I already love this song, a simple song with Buffy on guitar spinning her tale of love, love of the land and love of the people. It conjours up images of sitting by a camp fire in a valley at dawn, with snow lying around and ice crackling over a lake. It's lovely. I want to go to that valley.


Buffy's in great voice throughout the record, supplying all lead and backing vocals. She and Chris Birkett play the majority of the instruments on the album, occasionally adding someone else, and it's a partnership that works well.

I don't know when this album will be generally available - or why it isn't generally available already - but I got it from ShopEmi in Canada, so click on over and buy a copy now. You won't regret it. I'm off to find that drum now - heya ha!