The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #126784   Message #3998037
Posted By: Mick Pearce (MCP)
27-Jun-19 - 11:43 AM
Thread Name: Origins: My Singing Bird
Subject: RE: Origins: My Singing Bird
I've listened to some of the recording of the song from the 60s and certainly The Clancys (62), The Ludlow Trio (Abbey Theatre, 65) and Campbell(66) all include the I will climb.. third verse. The Clancy's is the earliest I could find apart from the McPeakes, so perhaps they were the ones to add the third verse.

The McPeakes (63) sing only the 2 verses as given above, with the addition of a first verse in Irish as noted by Matthew above.

The sole version I could find from the 60s with pretty much Edith Wheeler's original words was an RTE studio session of Sharon Collen (65). (She was an American I think but sang with Bobby Clancy, a refugee from the brothers). Though Alex Campbell's version has more-or-less the two Edith Wheeler verses with the added third. Most others follow the simplified 2nd verse of the McPeakes, omitting the sing itself to rest bit. And I think all except Sharon Collen, have replaced song with either notes or tune.

I couldn't find a recording of the Corrie Trio with their third verse that Richard gave above. I presume that was their addition.

You can hear all of thes others on youtube:

Clancys at Carnegie Hall, 62
Clancys - The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone, 62
The McPeakes - Wild Mountain Thyme 63
The Ludlow Trio - Abbey Tavern, Dublin 65 (lovely singer Margaret O'Brien)
Sharon Collen, RTE Session, 65
Alex Campbell - Been On The Road, 66


I have the transcriptions if anyone is really interested.

Mick