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single song compilation?
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single song compilation? |
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Subject: single song compilation? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 16 Jul 03 - 02:14 PM There exists a few albums devoted entirely to various versions of the same song or tune. For example, you can get a album that just contains different versions of the classic pop tune "Louie, Louie". I've, also, seen an album entirely devoted to different recordings of Pachebel's Canon. Now, wait for it! If you could choose to create a album devoted to one folkie song/tune what would it be? And whose versions of the tune would be on it? And would such an album work? Or drive you mad! |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: GUEST,Peter from Essex Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:40 PM Considering the "families" of tunes that exist within the tradition there is lots of scope. Personally I fancy all the variants of Not for Joe starting with Harry Green singing Oh Joe the Boat is Going Over |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: curmudgeon Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:42 PM "The Unfortunate Rake" has already been done. |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Don Firth Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:46 PM This may not be exactly what you had in mind, but you did ask:— Since it wouldn't really have all that much commercial value and would only be of interest to nuts like us (and probably only to a few of us at that), I would like to see a whole library of CDs, each one devoted to one Child ballad. That would make 305 CDs in all, perhaps more. Back in the mists of antiquity (late Fifties) while taking English 401, The Popular Ballad, at the University of Washington, Dr. David C. Fowler, professor of English Literature and the U. of W. English Department's resident ballad scholar, assigned the class a real hummer of a term paper. Research a ballad. We each picked a ballad from a list that Dr. Fowler had prepared. We were to go to the library and look up our ballad in the Child collection. Then we were to trace the ballad through every reference we could find. This should include the collections of Percy, Scott, Sharp, et al, plus other available collections (Lomax, Evelyn Kendrick Wells, etc., a long and growing list), not forgetting the journals and publications of regional folklore societies. Once we gathered all the ballad texts we could find, along with notes, comments, tunes (if we could) and other available material, we were to write a comprehensive paper surveying and analyzing what we had found: where the ballad came from, where it went on its travels, unusual variations and features, verses that "spun off" (lyrical folk songs, sometimes called "floaters," that used to be parts of ballads), anything that might be of interest. The paper should be thoroughly footnoted, include a complete bibliography, and a discography of what recordings we could find . . . all in all, quite a project! Chasing down a ballad isn't as easy as may seem at first. A ballad is not always identified by its most familiar title. For example, The Three Ravens (Child #26): The Two Ravens and The Twa Corbies are not too far off the mark and are two of the easier ones. But another version, a not very poetic one, but Child #26 nevertheless, goes under the title Billie McGee McGaw. Who'd've thunk it? I picked The Cruel Mother (Child #20). When I started digging, I found the same problem. Most of the compilers of reference books included the Child numbers, but many songbooks weren't that thorough. With titles like Down by the Greenwood Side-e-o or Fine Flowers in the Valley, if not identified as Child #20, you could miss them entirely. You could also spend a lot of time flipping through books just on the off chance, and come up empty. I noticed, though, that after I'd found and read several different versions of the ballad, I got a sort of feel for it. A seemingly unrelated title might just "smell" familiar. I undoubtedly missed some, but playing hunches usually paid off. I came up with several texts, some tunes, and over a hundred references that I wasn't able to track down, usually because the book or journal couldn't be found in any of the local libraries. But if I couldn't look at the texts and notes themselves, at least I could add the references to my bibliography. My efforts paled beside what Moose (and old friend and fellow folk song enthusiast) accomplished. His ballad was Lord Randal (Child #12). I'm not sure how many texts and tunes he came up with, but he found references to 1,013 versions of the ballad. English, Irish, and Scottish of course, and not surprisingly, many Scandinavian and continental European variants. But then, over into the Balkans, through the Middle East, and on around to North Africa. He found many American versions, most of which were serious variants of the traditional tragic ballad, but not all. He found a propaganda song, possibly put forth by the dairy industry, in which "Jimmy Randall" is poisoned because his sweetheart fed him oleomargarine instead of butter. And the one that really surprised everybody: "Oh, where have you been, Billie Boy, Billie Boy?Unbelievable! But a comparison of the verse structure and many other elements of the two songs turned out to be pretty persuasive. Both are a question and answer dialogue ("Where have you been?"), both involve food (eels and eel's-broth in one, cherry pie in the other), in both songs, every verse has a line that ends with the word "mother," and so on. With all the evidence on the table, it seems pretty obvious that Billie Boy, an American comic song well known in bygone days, is a parody of Child #20—Lord Randal. Well—in any case what I would like to see is a collection of all 305 ballads, one CD (or more) devoted to each ballad, with as many versions as possible. They should be recorded by source singers when possible, or by other good singers of folk songs who are willing to sing them pretty straight, without fancy, commercial arrangements: either unaccompanied or with very simple accompaniments. Each CD would come with a thick a booklet containing as much information about the ballad as possible: printed sources, references, printed lyrics of each version, a discography, and as much other relevant information as can be packed in. Somebody who is completely screwy but totally dedicated, and who would be willing to take it on as a life's work, might be able to get all kinds of grants. Ballad scholars would go nuts with something like this. And for performing singers of folk songs or for anybody who just wants to learn some ballads, you could browse and listen, pick ballads you are especially interested in, then pick the versions you like the best and learn them. It would be a humongous job, it would cost a bloody fortune, and I think humankind will probably set foot on the second planet of Alpha Centauri before anything like that ever happens (if even then), but what a helluva resource that would be! Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Noreen Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:01 PM Absolutely wonderful idea, Don!! |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Nigel Parsons Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:18 PM Great idea, Don: Any chance that that worthy professor (whether surviving or not) kept those term papers? Photocopies etc would not have been made, but it would be an amazing resource for anyone even contemplating the same move now! Nigel |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Burke Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:33 PM Masato was involved with one for Auld Lang Syne. Lots of the singing is in English, but all the notes are in Japanese. |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: RolyH Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:37 PM I sometimes put together sets of same song compilations, (I must get out more) Just finished 'The Trees They do Grow High/Long Time a Growing' with versions by Walter Pardon Isla Cameron Martin Certhy Robin and Barry Dransfield Joan Baez Steeleye Span Tony Rose Peter Bellamy Cara Dillon |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Don Firth Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:01 PM Nigel, unfortunately Dr. Fowler is no longer with us. Some of us in the class suspected that he had a book in mind and our term papers might well be used as material, but we never did find out for sure (somebody hauled off and asked him once, but he just smiled). I have no idea if the term papers still exist, but that's a good idea. I might just see what I can find out. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Nerd Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:02 PM Don, great idea, but there would not be 305 of these albums. Child included many items in the Child ballads that have never been recorded at all from oral tradition, others that were written down prior to the recording age but had no tunes notated, etc. So there is a lot of material in there that has never been recorded even once. Sure, you could pay a folksinger to record Judas or Robin Hood and Queen Catherin, but it wouldn't really reflect the folksinging traditions of the world. This is why Professor Fowler provided you with a list to choose from; he was very commited to pointing out the non-ballad/non-song nature of much that had passed Child's test, to judge from his excellent book. My guess is you'd end up with 150 albums or so--still a vast project, to be sure! My choice for such a project would be Stack O Lee/Stagolee. Or Tam Lin...that would be terrific too! |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Don Firth Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:22 PM Right you are, Nerd. I was aware that I was operating on the fantasy level. But apart from that, there are some ballads (suprisingly few, actually), such as The Trees They Do Grow High/Long Time a-Growing, (mentioned by RolyH) that meet Child's criteria for what constitutes a ballad, but that he missed. I would like to see those included in the CD colletion also. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Deckman Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:38 PM Get post Don. Do you know if Moose still has a copy of his paper? Bob |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Homeless Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:44 PM I've done this a few differnt times myself (the single song compilation, not the ballad research) when there's been a song I've liked and wanted to learn, or wanted to hear variations on. So far I've done Gallis/Gallow's Pole/Hangman Whiskey in the Jar Hey Joe St. James Infirmary (interesting variations on this one) Long Black Veil Matty Groves and a couple others I can't think of off hand. The reason I did this was wanting to learn lyrics, but not having the tolerance to hear the same exact recording over and over and over. Throw 20 different versions on a CD, and it makes for a very entertaining educational tool. Especially when you compare things like Cab Calloway and Spider John Koerner's versions of St James. |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Don Firth Date: 16 Jul 03 - 06:08 PM Dunno, Bob. He might just. I hope so! Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: Bert Date: 16 Jul 03 - 06:30 PM I think it would be very difficult to make a popular marketable product, But of course any such compilation woud be of great value to folk singers and researchers. Let's each pick a song and go for it. I'll start with Cathewsalem, which sounds to me that it maybe traceable back to some Moorish influence. |
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Subject: RE: single song compilation? From: GUEST,Dale Date: 16 Jul 03 - 06:47 PM I've put together an all Wildwood Flower CD, with enough left over for another one. There IS a lot of variety. LOC put out an LP of Barbara Allen years ago, AAFS L54 Versions and Variants of Barbara Allen. |
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