Circle Game

House At Pooh Corner

Up In The Sky

Rattlin' Bog

Rawhide

Titanic

Wicker Arm Chairs

Taps

Now The Day Is Over

Transition (wah Oo)

“Buffalo” Bob Smith worked as the Program Director and Assistant Camp Director at the Cheshire YMCA’s Camp Takodah in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Along with Directors JEF Craig and Bill Allen, Buff stewarded some exceptionally creative and close staff teams. He was known for his warmth, great humor, his wild collection of hats, and of course his music. A wonderful writer and guitarist, Buff’s renditions of “Flea-Fly” in the Camp Dining Hall, “Rocky Raccoon” at Opening Campfires, and Dave Maillet’s “I Know This Place” were beloved moments in the camp program. In his later years, Buff wrote “Wicker Arm Chairs,” about the Takodah experience. It has become something of a Camp Takodah anthem, sung at Candlelight Ceremonies at the end of each session through this day.

Bob struck up many musical friendships in the area. For some time, the fledgling Froggy Bottom Guitar shop ran out of Richmond. Buff also was a part of the Truly Needy Band with John Boccalini, and Brian and Val Gill, which played throughout the region, and provided a musical backdrop to many a Takodah staff party.

The material for Mountain Songs was originally assembled by Eric Goodenough, drawn from materials provided by Bob’s parents, Eugene (Smitty) and Catherine Smith. Much of the material came from roughly made recordings, some of them going back to the late 1970’s. It was originally made available in 1987 on audio tapes for Bob’s friends and Takodah family through the efforts of Michael McCord, Suzanne Whittemore, and the Cheshire County YMCA.

In 2012, Sue Friborg and former Takodah /Cheshire YMCA Director JEF Craig discussed the idea of re-releasing the 1987 material for Buff’s friends. Coincidentally, Bill Allen had recently been given Bob’s collection of tapes by Catherine. After contacting me asking after Buff’s “old crowd” I was able to direct him to John Boccalini, still in Richmond.

The tapes Bill delivered to John provided better quality to some of the Mountain Songs material - stereo sound, less hiss, and more Buff. We also found some unused recordings which seemed to augment the “old” stuff nicely. I spent a few days working to clean them up with Billy Shaw at Soundesign Studio in Putney working his engineering magic. Hope you enjoy hearing Buff’s voice again!

-- William Therrien, Camp Takodah 2013.

Monkey And The Engineer

Act Naturally

“Buffalo” Bob Smith – Mountain Songs

1.	Rock This Town (Brian Setzer)
2.	Wildwood Flower (Traditional)
3.	Swimming Song (Loudon Waiwright III)
4.	You Missed A Really Good Time Last Night
5.	I’m Not Ready to Go
6.	Catchin’ a Bad Case of You
7.	Fools Gold
8.	This Single Flame
9.	Ain’t Going Nowhere (Easy Chair) (Bob Dylan)
10.	Paradise (Muhlenberg County) (John Prine)
11.	Truck Driving Man (Terry Fell)
12.	Been One of Those Days
13.	Eyes Like the Fire
14.	Deeper Than a Knife
15.	Wicker Arm Chairs
16.	Mr. Snow
17.	No Axe to Grind
18.	When I Hold You
19.	Salvage My Heart
20.	Willard Pond

“New” Mountain Songs not on 1987 Compilation:

21.	Power Play
22.	Dark Hollow (traditional/Grateful Dead)
23.	Deep River Blues (traditional/Doc Watson)
24.	I Know You Rider (traditional/Grateful Dead)

Notes:
“Buffalo” Bob Smith worked as the Program Director and Assistant Camp Director at the Cheshire YMCA’s Camp Takodah in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Along with Directors JEF Craig and Bill Allen, Buff stewarded some exceptionally creative and close staff teams. He was known for his warmth, great humor, his wild collection of hats, and of course his music. A wonderful writer and guitarist, Buff’s renditions of “Flea-Fly” in the Camp Dining Hall, “Rocky Raccoon” at Opening Campfires, and Dave Maillet’s “I Know This Place” were beloved moments in the camp program. In his later years, Buff wrote “Wicker Arm Chairs,” about the Takodah experience. It has become something of a Camp Takodah anthem, sung at Candlelight Ceremonies at the end of each session through this day.

Bob struck up many musical friendships in the area. For some time, the fledgling Froggy Bottom Guitar shop ran out of Richmond. Buff also was a part of the Truly Needy Band with John Boccalini, and Brian and Val Gill, which played throughout the region, and provided a musical backdrop to many a Takodah staff party.

The material for Mountain Songs was originally assembled by Eric Goodenough, drawn from materials provided by Bob’s parents, Eugene (Smitty) and Catherine Smith. Much of the material came from roughly made recordings, some of them going back to the late 1970’s. It was originally made available in 1987 on audio tapes for Bob’s friends and Takodah family through the efforts of Michael McCord, Suzanne Whittemore, and the Cheshire County YMCA.

In 2012, Sue Friborg and former Takodah /Cheshire YMCA Director JEF Craig discussed the idea of re-releasing the 1987 material for Buff’s friends. Coincidentally, Bill Allen had recently been given Bob’s collection of tapes by Catherine. After contacting me asking after Buff’s “old crowd” I was able to direct him to John Boccalini, still in Richmond.

The tapes Bill delivered to John provided better quality to some of the Mountain Songs material - stereo sound, less hiss, and more Buff. We also found some unused recordings which seemed to augment the “old” stuff nicely. I spent a few days working to clean them up with Billy Shaw at Soundesign Studio in Putney working his engineering magic. Hope you enjoy hearing Buff’s voice again!

-- William Therrien, Camp Takodah 2013.

I Know You Rider (Traditional) (Grateful Dead) - extra song

Paradise (Muhlenberg County) (John Prine)

Ain’t Going Nowhere (Easy Chair) (Bob Dylan)

“Buffalo” Bob Smith – Mountain Songs

1.	Rock This Town (Brian Setzer)
2.	Wildwood Flower (traditional)
3.	Swimming Song (Loudon Waiwright III)
4.	You Missed A Really Good Time Last Night
5.	I’m Not Ready to Go
6.	Catchin’ a Bad Case of You
7.	Fools Gold
8.	This Single Flame
9.	Ain’t Going Nowhere (Easy Chair) (Bob Dylan)
10.	Paradise (Muhlenberg County) (John Prine)
11.	Truck Driving Man (Terry Fell)
12.	Been One of Those Days
13.	Eyes Like the Fire
14.	Deeper Than a Knife
15.	Wicker Arm Chairs
16.	Mr. Snow
17.	No Axe to Grind
18.	When I Hold You
19.	Salvage My Heart
20.	Willard Pond

“New” Mountain Songs not on 1987 Compilation:

21.	Power Play
22.	Dark Hollow (traditional/Grateful Dead)
23.	Deep River Blues (traditional/Doc Watson)
24.	I Know You Rider (traditional/Grateful Dead)

Notes:

“Buffalo” Bob Smith worked as the Program Director and Assistant Camp Director at the Cheshire YMCA’s Camp Takodah in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Along with Directors JEF Craig and Bill Allen, Buff stewarded some exceptionally creative and close staff teams. He was known for his warmth, great humor, his wild collection of hats, and of course his music. A wonderful writer and guitarist, Buff’s renditions of “Flea-Fly” in the Camp Dining Hall, “Rocky Raccoon” at Opening Campfires, and Dave Maillet’s “I Know This Place” were beloved moments in the camp program. In his later years, Buff wrote “Wicker Arm Chairs,” about the Takodah experience. It has become something of a Camp Takodah anthem, sung at Candlelight Ceremonies at the end of each session through this day.

Bob struck up many musical friendships in the area. For some time, the fledgling Froggy Bottom Guitar shop ran out of Richmond. Buff also was a part of the Truly Needy Band with John Boccalini, and Brian and Val Gill, which played throughout the region, and provided a musical backdrop to many a Takodah staff party.

The material for Mountain Songs was originally assembled by Eric Goodenough, drawn from materials provided by Bob’s parents, Eugene (Smitty) and Catherine Smith. Much of the material came from roughly made recordings, some of them going back to the late 1970’s. It was originally made available in 1987 on audio tapes for Bob’s friends and Takodah family through the efforts of Michael McCord, Suzanne Whittemore, and the Cheshire County YMCA.

In 2012, Sue Friborg and former Takodah /Cheshire YMCA Director JEF Craig discussed the idea of re-releasing the 1987 material for Buff’s friends. Coincidentally, Bill Allen had recently been given Bob’s collection of tapes by Catherine. After contacting me asking after Buff’s “old crowd” I was able to direct him to John Boccalini, still in Richmond.

The tapes Bill delivered to John provided better quality to some of the Mountain Songs material - stereo sound, less hiss, and more Buff. We also found some unused recordings which seemed to augment the “old” stuff nicely. I spent a few days working to clean them up with Billy Shaw at Soundesign Studio in Putney working his engineering magic. Hope you enjoy hearing Buff’s voice again!

-- William Therrien, Camp Takodah 2013

This Single Flame

Fool's Gold

Catchin’ a Bad Case of You

I’m Not Ready to Go

You Missed A Really Good Time Last Night

Swimming Song (Loudon Waiwright III)

Wildwood Flower (Traditional)

Rock This Town (Brian Setzer)

We recognize the 80th anniversary of the Great New England Hurricane's impact on Camp Takodah. This massive storm did more than cause widespread damage to the area, it led to a total transformation of our property that continues to be reflected in the look and layout of our land to this very day. 

You can also click here to read the story, originally released in 2017, on our website: https://www.camptakodah.org/2017/09/21/hurricane/

Camp Takodah And The Hurricane Of 38

Voted Best Overnight Camp in New Hampshire, only 90 minutes from Boston, Camp Takodah specializes in single gender programs for boys and girls ages 7-15.

YMCA Camp Takodah

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