Stranger Songs
Tuesday October 28th, 2025 with Mike Regenstreif
CKCU Funding Drive Week 1: Remembering Bob Franke (1947-2025) and Danny Thompson (1939-2025)
The theme on this CKCU Funding Drive Edition of Stranger Songs is Remembering Bob Franke and Danny Thompson.
Pictured: Bob Franke
Click on LISTEN NOW to hear this show. Click on LISTEN to hear the current CKCU broadcast.
| This is the first of two editions of Stranger Songs during CKCU’s annual funding drive for 2025, a funding drive falling just before CKCU celebrates 50 years of broadcasting on air – an incredible milestone for independent, listener-supported media in a day and age when independent, community-oriented media with programming curated, produced and hosted by a dedicated corps of volunteers, often experts in our fields, is harder and harder to come by. It's only at a station like CKCU that someone like me, with the support of listeners like you, can curate and host a show like Stranger Songs. Your support is much needed and much appreciated.
Please click on "DONATE" to support Stranger Songs and CKCU. I will be thanking supporters over the air on the next couple of shows but I'll start by thanking those who have already made a donation to the 2025 CKCU funding drive in support of Stranger Songs. So, thanks so much to Mike Palumbo, Lia Kiessling, Penny from Montreal, Robert Moon, Michael Regenstreif (hey, that's me), Sylvie Barzilay, Barbara Shapiro, Paul & Bev Mills, Arne Langsetmo, Thom Fountain, John Coleman, Bruce White, Neil McLeod, Joanne Hurley, Dennis Brown and all those still to be added to the list. Your support is much needed and much appreciated. |
| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy 
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| Bob Franke was a great singer-songwriter who I knew as a friend for well over 50 years. When I took over running The Golem, a folk club in Montreal, in 1974, Bob was the third performer to play there and the first American. A few months ago, Bob and his wife, Joan Sherman, decided to leave Donald Trump’s America to make a new home for themselves in Guatemala. On October 13, Bob was crossing the street in Antigua, Guatemala when he was hit by a speeding motorcycle and suffered a broken pelvis. Bob had successful surgery to repair his pelvis but suffered two heart attacks while recovering in the ICU and died on October 16 at age 78. |
| For Real Bob Franke - The Other Evening in Chicago - Waterbug |
| Hard Love Claudia Schmidt - Reimagining - Claudia Schmidt |
| Love Can't Be Bitter All the Time Stan Rogers - Songs of a Lifetime: Discoveries – Rare Live Recordings - Fogarty's Cove/Borealis
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| Love Bravely, Elizabeth Bob Franke - The Other Evening in Chicago - Waterbug |
| A Healing in This Night Susie Burke & David Surette - Sometimes In the Evening - Madrina Music |
| fragment of The Stranger Song Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Columbia/Legacy
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| Walkin’ in the Wilderness Kim & Reggie Harris - Rock of Ages - Appleseed |
| Straw Against the Chill Short Sisters - A Planet Dancing Slow - Black Socks Press |
| Turn Back, O Man Bob Franke & Noel Paul Stookey - The Heart of the Flower - Daring |
| Hallelujah! The Great Storm is Over Garnet Rogers - Speaking Softly in the Dark - Snow Goose Songs
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| Thanksgiving Eve Bill Garrett - Seems to Me - Borealis
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| The Roads are Long in Canada Bob Franke - Long Roads, Short Visits - Daring |
| Danny Thompson – who died on September 23 at age 86 – was probably the definitive bass player of the British folk revival, first as a member of the group Pentangle, and then as bassist for countless concert and recording artists. The songs we’ll hear for the rest of the show feature Danny’s superb musicianship. |
| Let No Man Steal Your Thyme Pentangle - Finale: An Evening with Pentangle - Topic |
| Sally Free and Easy Marianne Faithfull - North Country Maid - Decca |
| The Grey Funnel Line Maddy Prior & June Tabor - Silly Sisters - Shanachie |
| Sweetheart on the Barricade Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson - Industry - Hannibal |
| Broom of Cowdenknowes Savourna Stevenson, June Tabor & Danny Thompson - Singing the Storm - Cooking Vinyl/True North |
| Tell Ol' Bill Eric Bibb & North Country Fair with Danny Thom[son - The Happiest Man in the World - Stony Plain |
| Urge for Going Darrell Scott - Modern Hymns - Appleseed
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| Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Pentangle - Finale: An Evening with Pentangle - Topic |
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THANKS for a regular soundtrack to an afternoon Mike! Just to let you know (and incite action in other listeners ;^) a solid scatter-gun donate to CKCU is underway, this show being one of the main targets. You will see it shortly. COMMUNITY RADIO IS IMPORTANT Click and donate NOW, fellow music lovers!
3:42 PM, October 28th, 2025