Actually, wimoweh is not exactly a folk song, which is why I didn't mention it in the first post. I do think it's a great track though.

I'll explain: "Wimoweh" is an original composition called "Mbube" by a South African choral singer/arranger named Solomon Linda. Linda was working in a tradition similar to that of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. So while the tradition is one an ethnomusicologist would study, the song itself isn't exactly traditional.

The way it got to American audiences was through Alan Lomax and Pete Seeger. Lomax worked at the Library of Congress, and at some point got a load of ethnic recordings to play with, including this one. He introduced the song to Seeger, who made it into Wimoweh, a wordless chant that he performed with the Weavers. The word "Wimoweh" was simply Seeger's misheard version of "Mbube," but Seeger did not understand any of the other words, so just made it into a chant. Later, the English words were added for the Tokens' version.

So: the music was composed by Solomon Linda, the word "Wimoweh" was added by Pete Seeger, and the other words written by a third party--I'm not sure who.

I don't mean to split hairs, MG and PoppaGator, and I do like the song a lot. It's definitely in the same vein as many of these others. But I wouldn't call it the first folk-rock record!

Duncan, thanks. I'll check you guys out. I'm a Dirty Linen reader, but must have missed that review!

The Byrds is a great one, Steve-o. I'm surprised no one got to them before!

Jerry, I'll have to see if i can find the Rick Nelson and Gene Vincent songs! Your suggestion of Lloyd Price's Stack-O-Lee is an excellent one, too, because that version has been covered by everyone from Wilson Pickett to Ike and Tina Turner. Actually, I think it was itself a cover of a record sung by Archibald and produced by Dave Bartholomew.

I'm also going to look for the Kaleidoscope version of "Oh Death." By the way, Camper Van Beethoven did a pretty good "Oh, Death" as well.

Splott Man, all the Van Morrison versions I've heard have been with the Chieftains, so the arrangements don't sound like rock to me.

This is fun! Keep the suggestions coming!