Q asked me to post the text of these two pms that he sent me last night/this morning:


BACK OF THE BUS- legal title of "If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus," composed by Carver Neblett, copyright Sanga Music, Inc., BMI Work No. 76696.

Sung by Kim and Reggie Harris (with Peter Yarrow (of P, P, and M) and Bethany and Rufus; the cd "Let My People Go." [NOT the current 2005 release by Kim and Reggie Harris]

Current affiliation of Carver Neblett not known by BMI; probably deceased.

Expect invoice for my finder's fee.

Regards, Q

Also recorded by Harry Belafonte.

**

I got it [information about "If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus"] from about three or so websites and didn't keep a copy. Those BMI, ASCAP etc. websites take time to peruse and sort out the info, and I don't want to go through them again.

Added notes: Written in the 1950s but I couldn't find the date- one would have to write BMI, giving the work number 76696, to get that.
At one site the song was noted as traditional/Neblett, but it was not one of those with the recording data and list of licensed performers, and a lot of sites, like wackypedia, have as much fiction as fact.

I would guess that Neblett might have used a tune, or revised one, that he borrowed, but this is a song written in the folk revival heyday of the 1950s, and unless one knew Peter Yarrow or someone else who worked with Neblett, the facts may be hard to find.

The words are copyright, but one probably would have to have the old Belafonte recording to know what the original words were. I couldn't find sheet music. Peter (Yarrow), Paul and Mary also may have recorded as well as sung it, but I don't have any of their recordings.

Regards, Q

-snip-

Thanks Q!

I'll be on the look out for that invoice.

:o)