Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train (Rare Live Performance)

Music Video by Elizabeth Cotten performing her Freight Train classic in this historic footage from the University of Washington, courtesy of the Seattle Folklore Society.

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A classic folk music icon, Elizabeth Cotten self-taught herself how to play guitar and banjo. Being left-handed, she flipped a right-handed guitar upside down and as such played with the strings reversed. Elizabeth Cotten's style is unique and talent undeniable.

In an amateur attempt at a 4k remaster, this 1960's video footage has been re-run through Topaz 4k AI software. A 25% layer of that somewhat animated looking output was overlaid on top of the upscaled original, with video artifacts and noise largely kept intact.

The audio has also been run through through some very mild compression and noise reduction, again overlaid to a lesser degree over the original audio - and then all normalized.

The aim was to create a slightly cleaner and crisper output, without it looking too "rendery" or robotic. However as mentioned this was an amateur experiment so constructive criticism is certainly welcome!

Please comment what you think and let us know what we could do better next time around? Thanks for watching and listening!

#ElizabethCotten #FreightTrain #ClassicFolkMusic #VintageMusic

[edeledeledel]

She plays a right-handed guitar left-handed, so basically its upside down compared with the way most people play. She was entirely self taught. Marvellous.

[tombarclay]

I saw her at a free Peace Train concert in Hartford CT. She was in her 90's and her voice was almost gone, but her guitar picking was still as spot on as ever. RIP Ms Cotten... you made a difference.

[mikeohagan]

this alone is reason enough for having the internet. timeless classic.

[yippee]

Not sure why but....this brings me to tears. There's just something about this woman...her aura....the simplicity of the tune....the very basic lyrics...there's something so pure and innocent and almost child-like about this song and performance. I feel like I'm in Love.

[georgestevens]

This song has been a standard part of finger picking instruction for decades. So, not only did Ms. Cotton write a timelessly beautiful, deeply soulful song, she has helped innumerable guitar players learn how to finger pick and enjoy how sweet an instrument the guitar can be. Her spirit is infused in any guitar that is playing this song. In that sense, she is constantly present. A guardian angel of the guitar.

[ruggerobelloni]

When She played in San Diego She made everyone smile with a story about a kind neighbour Who gave children "something delicious like....an Apple or a pear".After the show She stood at the Door and shook hands with everybody (a strong grip at 87) and when I told her I once had played this Song with Peggy Seeger She replied in her sweet drawl "Well she plays It like I do 'cause I taught her!".

[jonflowers]

She should've been a rock legend a long time ago, a long lost forgotten voice in the rock n roll history.

[nancyletterneau]

My aunt became friends with her. On a visit she played this for us. I was very young and didn't appreciate it enough. I never forgot her story of being bilked into giving up her rights for this song.

[desirewhitefire]

I started playing the guitar at 12 years old and my dad told me it was ok to play left handed (I am a leftie). All the rock stars played right though, and I thought I HAD to play that way. But my dad told me all about this lady, so thanks to Elizabeth Cotten I’ve been playing for 25 years.

She really does play beautifully. I could sit and watch her all day.

[bumsharvest]

It's nice to hear a human being playing from the heart, not quantized or auto tuned.

[GildedEntertainmentGroup]

Oh wow, Elizabeth Cotten is one of the greats. Such an unsung hero, incredible guitar player (lefty too) and songwriter. Talent and grace!

[_Majunior]

Finger picking so incredibly all while the guitar is upside down. She's so incredible

[CrampedGrampy]

I'm now 84 and sincerely regret never having seen and heard this talented lady. A wonderful rendition of Freight Train, easily the best of any other rendition enjoyed in my past. One might suggest Elizabeth is an overlooked four-leaf clover. Thank you for the presentation.

[philjones]

This woman is a bloody genius. That was truly beautiful.

[Sjm]

That's an unexpected treasure that just popped up out of nowhere.
It reminds me of what my dear old Dad used to say .
We grew up by the tracks and he would say something like,
" When I die I want to be buried by the railroad track where the train will shake my old bones when it goes by. "

[barrypowell]

She doesn’t even glance at her strings as she plays. 😮 beautiful

[robertaxel]

My ex and I were privileged to see her perform in a converted firehouse in Rochester NY circa 1975..I still remember her sitting on a wooden chair on a small stage and everyone beaming as she played on her guitar.

[kosmokritikos]

Elizabeth did not only learn how to play left handed, but also upside down. That's amazing.

[TerrorFront.]

The tones and chords progression are so ahead of its time. I didn't knew this wonderful lady. What a great discovery.

[stereodreamer]

The way she bends that one one note is so stylish and elegant. What a talent. I'm glad someone captured her delightful playing and singing on a film all those years ago, so her talent can live on forever!