More Pretty Girls Than One

14. More Pretty Girls Than One
(traditional, arr. Guthrie-Houston/Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc., BMI-copyright control)

Track 14 – More Pretty Girls than One (MASTER MA 2)
Woody’s advice to the lovelorn was the second master recorded in his first session with Moe Asch on April 16, 1944. Those with a keen ear may spot that the melody here is actually a set of “Danville Girl” (see Track 11 on this disc). Here Guthrie plays mandolin and sings lead; Houston on guitar adds harmony.

Just where Guthrie or Houston learned this is not clear.Meade, Spottswood, and Meade, p. 534, cite eight recorded versions of the song between 1927 and 1938. Any one or another might have lodged in Guthrie’s head or stuck in his craw; this 3/4 time tune is hardly the most challenging Guthrie ever confronted.Whatever: they do the best they can with shoddy material.