On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, spilling more than 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in what would become one of the biggest environmental disasters in American history.
Not long after, Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt wrote a song in response, referencing the disaster: “God’s Counting on Me… God’s Counting on You.”
As serendipity would have it, just as they’d completed writing the song, Seeger received a call from rocker Richard Barone, asking him if he’d consider participating in a benefit concert in New York City. Seeger agreed, performing his new song for Barone on the spot over the phone.
After the concert, Barone produced a recording of “God’s Counting on Me… God’s Counting on You” performed while sailing on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, with both Seeger and Wyatt on vocals.
(There’s a fascinating Tape Op interview with Barone in which he describes in much detail the recording process and experience–I highly recommend reading it if you’re interested.)
Seeger and Barone decided to release the track as a single through Appleseed records, but there was enough traffic on the label’s release runway to delay the song’s release until 2012. In the meantime, Appleseed had Bruce Springsteen contribute vocals to the track in January 2012, and he can be heard prominently singing lead on two verses of the final track below.
The track was finally released in September 2012 on a new album by Seeger and Wyatt called A More Perfect Union, and as a single on Election Day 2012.
“God’s Counting on Me… God’s Counting on You” became Seeger’s final single of his long and storied career, and his last collaboration with Bruce Springsteen.
God’s Counting on Me… God’s Counting on You
Recorded: January 2012
Released: A More Perfect Union (2012)
Never performed
“Pete, we can do anything,” I (Richard Barone) blurted: Fantastic MATR. Loved the 25 minute Scott Pelley interview with Mike Williams (survivor of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster) and Dr. Bee. Also loved the fantastic video shoot aboard the sloop Clearwater–“When we work with younger folks, we can never give up hope!” Interesting that Bruce’s involvement with Appleseed interrupted the process that Pete and Richard Barone hoped for. (Wonder how Bruce felt about this?) I must say, I prefer the sloop Clearwater version of “God’s Counting On Me..” I had no idea about the disaster or the indie artist Richard Barone until this MATR. Thanks for the deep research, inspiration and recommended reading. “What we do now, you and me, will affect eternity.” (You hit it out of the ball park, Ken.)