Wanted - Canal tunes and songs

Subject: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 May 12 - 10:55 AM

Principally canal tunes but songs are OK. And I am looking to record music at festivals, sessions & local clubs etc.

This is to put behind a video (the slide show parts). It is a record of the Stroudwater & Thames & Severn restoration ongoing currently here in Stroud. All low key and definitely not for sale, but I will be giving away a shed load of DVDs to various contributing parties.
Obviously I don't want to tread on any toes (copyrighted that is).

I have Jon Raven's permission to use his tune for "Tommy Note" and other recordings that I have already are:
"Legging Boats" (trad) from Trim Rig & A Doxy.
one from Jim Mageean called Captain Something. (the camera is my memory)
"Canal in October" from a session at Upton FF variously reported as a Breton tune, and composed by Fredrick Parry. Any info on him might be useful.
One from a Shanty singer in Stroud (memory again)
But am looking for other tunes that people might suggest like "Push Boys Push"

The local Folk Club is in on the search. Two people have composed tunes for me. They may contribute "Stroud" tunes.

So if I button hole you at a festival with a camera in my hand - there could be a DVD in it for you ........

The local museum will get one as a matter of course.

whaddayareckon?

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:09 AM

I found Fréderic Paris
and his album is on sale here and it suggests the tune is Bourbonnais. Which as a dancer at French & Breton dances that is far more fitting to my reasoning.
It is one of the best Schottisches going - IMNSHO. I may use it several times. Now to find M.Paris himself...........

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:18 AM

I think it was Gary and Vera Aspey who had a song about a Bollinder Engine in a canal boat. There's also Ewan McColl's, It's a Hard Life on the Cut.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:19 AM

Forgot, there's one about the Union Canal in Scotland too.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: mg
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:21 AM

There is some big folklore project going on about the erie canal in usa..google folklore and erie and 2012. a seminar and call for papers for new york in november. several folklorists are workiing on this and there have been somemodest grants awarded. mg

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: mayomick
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:31 AM

There's a nice tune called The Canal Boat which sounds like it would have had lyrics to it at some time . It's in PW Joyce's book , Ancient Irish Music and Ballads. I don't know how to put the notation up here . If you're still stuck for tunes I'll whistle it for you if you ring me. email me on mickbur@gmail
mick

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:41 AM

I found M. Paris - he is a regular at the Chester Arms Oxford 2nd Tues French session, I have listed in on cresby.com for a long time!. Tonight - if I was that organised.
see here

mayomick - thanks, but I am a Bodhranista (I tune cuase I care) - and telephone is not quite the quality I need. But I may be in touch.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 May 12 - 11:50 AM

Check with John Roberts re:
"If it doesn't lift your spirits it will leave you numb
Best cure for the river is a bottle of rum"

Sorry - can't remember the title.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: open mike
Date: 08 May 12 - 12:06 PM

speaking of canals...

there is a U.S. song about the Erie canal....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5RJYisIYlk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcNJ2RMOd3U

The popular song "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal" was written in 1905 by Thomas S. Allen after Erie Canal barge traffic was converted from mule power to engine power, raising the speed of traffic above fifteen miles per day. The tune is sadly nostalgic. ...The song memorializes the years from 1825 to 1880 when the mule barges made boomtowns out of Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, and transformed New York into the Empire State.
...Erie is one of the Great Lakes.

one of those You Tube songs is done by George Ward http://www.mulesong.com/

and one of the most famous palindromes is
a man a plan a canal panama
(reads the same backwards and forwards)

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Amos
Date: 08 May 12 - 12:07 PM

The two popular Erie Canal songs are representative from this side of the pond: "The ER-I-E" and "The Erie Canal" (they start, respectively, "Oh, the E_RI_E was a rising high, forget it I never shall....", and "I've got a mule and her name is Sal...." both of which obviously rhyme with "canal". :D

There's a poignant canal-related tune in Burl Ive's repertory called "The Locktender's Lament". from the same neighborhood (upper New York State).

These may not be much use to your project if you are focusing mostly on UK canal life which is a bit different.


A

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Dave Illingworth
Date: 08 May 12 - 12:27 PM

I am afraid I cannot help you with tunes, but our band DPN+1 has plenty of mainly orginal canal songs. Our first canal CD "The Unknown Boatman" is out of print, but our new canal CD (as yet untitled) should be available at Historic Narrowboat Festival at Braunston (last weekend in June) where we will be playing again.
Dusty Miller (who has written most of the songs) is producing a canal songbook containing all the relevant songs, which should be also available at the same time. Most of Dusty's songs are on Ian H. Bruce's excellent website "Songs of the Waterways":-

www.waterwaysongs.co.uk.

If using any of the songs, please email either:-

Dusty Miller      [e-mail]

Ian H. Bruce      [e-mail]    or

Dave Illingworth      [e-mail]


Good luck,

Dave   Illingworth (DPN+1)

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 08 May 12 - 02:36 PM

I have a song in a little songbook..Walton's 152 best irish songs and ballads that a Mudcatter kindly sent me.

It has no title but it starts out

I'm a Dublin bargee and I travel y see
Wid a cargo of turf on me boat


last verse

tho i go far afloat on me oul canal boat
an I meet with fair colleens galore
yet I always return to me own magser Byrne
Who waits for me near Inchicore

I'll type it up later if anyone wants it. mg

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Derek
Date: 08 May 12 - 07:34 PM

"It's the Crinan Canal for Me"

YouTube

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: mayomick
Date: 08 May 12 - 08:24 PM

MG It would be great .

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Splott Man
Date: 09 May 12 - 05:48 AM

There are some tunes named after places that are on a canal:
Treforest Waltz - The Glamorganshire
Llanover Reel - The Brecon & Abergavenny

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: JohnDun
Date: 09 May 12 - 07:23 AM

Here's a good one that's sung a lot over our way.   It's in another thread with the story, lyrics and tune...

Finest of them all

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 May 12 - 08:10 AM

There you go, lots to choose from

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 May 12 - 08:24 AM

Instrumental

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: sciencegeek
Date: 09 May 12 - 12:26 PM

perhaps Tom Lewis has a few tunes/songs - since he has lead a number of canal boat tours in the midlands over the years.

C Fox Smith wrote a poem "The Jolly Bargeman" concerning World War I and the government placing the canals "under government"... Charley Noble & Mike Kennedy each have a song version... Charley will have his out on CD in the near future.

George WArd, Dick Swain & Lee Murdoch are three good resources for American canal songs... imho

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 09 May 12 - 12:49 PM

To aid you in your creation of yet another canal-cased musical tradition from modern times there are some free downloads here:

The BBC 'Narrow Boats' LP can be found here:
http://www.oysterbroadcast.co.uk/click.html

The Folkweave Canals Trilogy can be found here:
http://www.oysterbroadcast.co.uk/click.html

Cry from the Cut - Birmingham Ballad is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?8yi2pivbm13n1

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 09 May 12 - 01:15 PM

Irish Canal tune..unnamed

I'm a dublin bargee and i travel y see
wid a cargo of turf on me boat
an when folks ax in jest, what's the plast i like best
i tell them to listen an note

every satterday night sure i feel gay an bright
as e apls an i joke an we talk
we meet girls that we know at the fine gpo
and mosy down bachelor's walk

i may take aa few jars wid me butties in bars
twud be dry fun widout eer a wet
for the horses and dogs i've oft panwed me togs
like some chaps will do for a bet

now on dollymount strad i've spent days so grand
when we swam out from off the bull wall
and we'd argue for gas wud it eer come to pass
we'd see the lagoon built at all

in the the town of athlone lives a widdah alone
and she has a agreat failthe for me
while sweet eileen asthore from outside tulla more
said to wed me she'd surely agree

then in carlow ther's kate wid a form trim an nate
all her folks want to fix up the day
an in far killaloe there's a dark colleen who
believes o'er me heart she holds sway

tho i go far afloat on me oul canal boat
an i meet with fair colleens galore
yet i alwas return to me own magser byrne
who waits for me near inchicore

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 09 May 12 - 05:35 PM

To quote from John MacKenzie above :

"There's also Ewan McColl's, It's a Hard Life on the Cut."

Unless someone knows otherwise, I believe this song was written by Ian Campbell.

More details at : http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/hard_life.htm

Additional information (and corrections of what's already there) for the Songs of the Inland Waterways website is always welcome.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 May 12 - 07:47 PM

Sorry, my mistake. Ian Campbell it is.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,woodchuck
Date: 09 May 12 - 11:41 PM

George Ward (www.mulesong.com) would be the "go to guy" for canal lore and songs on this side of the pond. The only one that comes to mind from your side is a funny ballad called the "Cruise of the Calabar" (all sorts of hits come up if you Google it). Good Luck!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE E-RI-E
From: Flash Company
Date: 10 May 12 - 09:59 AM

We were forty miles from Albany, forget it I never shall,
What a terrible storm we had one night on the E-ri-e canal!

CH
Oh the E-ri-e was a-rising,
And the gin was a-getting low,
And I hardly think we'll get a drink till we get to Buffalo-o-o
Till we get to Buffalo.

The Captain he stood up on deck with his spy glass in his hand,
And the fog it was so 'tarnal thick that he couldn't spy the land!

CH

The cook she was a grand old gal, she wore a ragged dress,
We hoisted her up on a pole as a signal of distress

CH

Well the captain he got married, and the cook she went to jail,
And I'm the only son of a gun who lived to tell the tale!

CH

Search Burl Ives and you will probably find the tune, I used to sing it in an earlier life!

FC

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 May 12 - 09:31 AM

Many thanks for these posts.
I am avoiding anything that could be a copyright problem for the moment. If I can ask, I will, but commercial recordings are a bit of a nightmare without access to the composers.
I have got a few original tracks named after local places from the Folk Club. And I may just turn up at Braunston. End of June is a Folk Festival free time.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Dave Illingworth
Date: 12 May 12 - 02:15 PM

Mr. Red.

Ref DPN+1/Dusty Miller canal songs, our CDs are part of a cottage industry (as is Dusty's forthcoming songbook). We are happy for anybody to sing them if they wish to, just as long as we get an acknowledgement out of courtsey.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 10:45 AM

Thanx

I e-mailed Frédéric PARIS (le Canal en Octobre) and he said "pas de probleme" - I was told it would not be a problem - he is happy for anything that promotes his cherished Bourbonaise culture.

I have asked upwards of 25 musos to compose a tune inspired by canals and if only 10% work I will have 3 more original tunes. 3 or 4 songs were collected at Chippenham. Simon Care offered to write one if I was stuck - much as I would like a tune he composed he is a busy jobbing musician. So I will only call on that if I run out of music.

But if any Mudcatter wants to have a go - please do - no particular style - the more varied the better.

contactme

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Charles Macfarlane
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 12:38 PM

> From: John MacKenzie
>
> There you go, lots to choose from

If the OP follows that link, and clicks S, he'll find the words, but sadly not the music, of Martin Graebe's fine song "Shropshire Union".

In my early days as a singer, someone who was kind enough to think well of my singing lent me a tape of potential material, which I copied, so I have tape of a tape of him singing it at Sidmouth in 1974.

> I think it was Gary and Vera Aspey who had a song about a Bollinder Engine in a canal boat.

Yes, it was on Gary and Vera's "Nightshift Army", another LP I digitised last year. The song was called "The Rosemary", and is credited to P Dodds.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 01:52 PM

The tune for 'Shropshire Union' can be found here :

http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/shropshire_union_tune.htm

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: pavane
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 01:56 PM

Was that the one on Songs of a changing world ?
First track.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: pavane
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 01:57 PM

The Rosemary, that was

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Paul Reade
Date: 11 Jun 12 - 02:18 PM

How about singing when on the canal? A couple of friends pointed out that singing is a good way to pass the time in a tunnel, and the acoustics are great. We tried it in Foulridge tunnel, Leeds and Liverpool canal, famous for the swimming cow.

Took about 20 minutes to get through so we got through several songs. At the other end, my wife asked the people in the boat following us if they'd enjoyed the singing - the reply was "... we thought you had your head stuck"!

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: banjoman
Date: 12 Jun 12 - 05:01 AM

How about "The Mary Ann McHugh" one of the (Only) funny canal boat songs

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: squeezeboxhp
Date: 12 Jun 12 - 07:47 AM

The good Ship Calabar of Lagan canal fame (Dubliners/Clancys)

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 07:20 AM

Singing in a tunnel - hmmmm, I have an idea.................

When the Somers TFC had bus trips (20 year ago) we went to the Dudley Museum and sag in the echo gallery, - didn't record anything and we only stayed an hour because it was too cold to stay longer.

Still pestering people to compose Stroud Canal tunes - they are coming but slowly.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Jul 12 - 11:51 AM

Just a thought - anyone know any bridge building songs?

My first video of canal restoration is the construction of a swing bridge.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 09 Jul 12 - 12:14 PM

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,DTM
Date: 09 Jul 12 - 12:20 PM

Oops! (for previous post)

Great version of Erie Canal on Springsteen's "Seeger Sessions" album.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST,Charles Macfarlane
Date: 10 Jul 12 - 10:46 AM

> From: Mr Red
>
> Just a thought - anyone know any bridge building songs?

Not traditional, as The Somers would doubtless wish, but there was a good Australian pop/country single being featured on CMT around 96/97 by Rick Price called Bridge Building Man. It was credited to Price/Field.

Come to think of it, I can just imagine how Swan Arcade would have covered it ...

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Arkie
Date: 10 Jul 12 - 11:28 AM

Since most canal songs, except for one, are pretty obscure I would imagine few people would recognize a tune as a tune about a canal. How about playing tunes people might recognize and insert "canal" somewhere in the title such as "On Top of Old Smoky Canal" or "Down by the Old Mill Canal", etc.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 10 Jul 12 - 12:15 PM

Try the Alan Lomas archive:

http://www.culturalequity.org/

Search for 'canal' - there's some great stuff there.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jul 12 - 09:36 AM

A fine body of work from Alan Lomax but we do have copyright issues and the only canal song I could detect (in a vague sense) is from his Italian collection - so it might not be appropriate even if I could find the right CD. But an ex-girlfriend had Sicilian parents so I might get her that one.
result!

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 11 Jul 12 - 01:02 PM

(The?) Lock-keeper

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 12 - 04:02 PM

Life & Times are at White horse this year, performing canal song etc. for 1 1/2 hours,, includes new found songs.
see   www.whitehorsefolkfestival.co.uk
Skipy
www.whitehorsefolkfestival.co.uk

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 24 Jul 12 - 04:52 PM

The previous link didn't work for me so try this one : http://www.whitehorsefolkfestival.co.uk/

I'd be very interested if some 'new found' canal songs had come to light.

Cheers,
Ian

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 05:28 AM

Not sure about a Lock Keeper
I have a recording & permission for the Lock Keeper's Daughter - Bill Caddick

Looks like I missed the White Horse Festival - too tired from Sidmouth & Towesey loomed.

However I have asked a lot of Folkies and one Radio Station colleague is writing "The Day Elvis died" because he first saw the news on another's newspaper headline as he sat reading, sailing past on a boat, he was on a narrowboat on the BCN at the time. He was a professional Rock Musician for 15 years, supporting some of the biggest names in the business. But I have requested any genre.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 08:24 AM

I forgot to say I have recorded Rees Wesson the melodeon whizz & purveyor thereof, playing "the Boatman" and a morris lady reported that they dance to "the Bargee's Jig"
anyone know the tune & where I can get notation thereto.

PS the Stroudwater & Thames & Severn up to Brimscombe (the limit of canal restoration for now) is 14 ft minimum because it was designed to take Severn Trows as far as the mills. Boats are up to 7 ft beam - above that they are correctly called barges.

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 12:33 PM

Hi Mr. Red-
Folktrax has a CD (FTX-418 - LOWER YOUR FUNNEL(Available from CAMSCO Music)

Music of the Canals & Waterways

Songs and tunes of the Inland Canals & Coastal Waterways - produced especially for the opening of the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks on 1st April 1988

THE CRUISE OF THE CALABAR (Terry/ arr Cyril Tawney) - MA BONNY LAD (Isla Cameron)- THE KEEL ROW (Jack Armstrong: N-pipes) - DIRTY OLD TOWN (c McColl/ Steve Benbow Four) - THE SHROPSHIRE UNION (Martin Graebe) - THE IRISH ROVER (Inn Folk) - THE MAN AT THE NORE (c Kennedy/ Cyril Tawney) - MARY ANNE McHUGH (c Percy French/ Seamus Ennis) - CANDLELIGHT FISHERMAN (c Phil Hamond/ Fred Dallas & Original Riversiders) - ROW BOATMAN ROW (Cadgwith Fishermen's Choir) - THE WATER IS WIDE (coll Sharp/ Sylvia Moore with flute & harpsichord) - THE LONDON WATERMAN (Bob Roberts) - YUS I LUVS 'IM (Kennedy/ Betty Redshaw) - OLD JOE THE BOAT IS GOING OVER (Billy Bennington - hammered dulcimer - with step-dancer) - STORMY WEATHER BOYS (c Kennedy/ Mike Shail & the Eezum Squeezum Band) - FINE GIRL YOU ARE (Seamus Ennis & The Shanty Crew)

Subject: RE: Wanted - Canal tunes
From: mayomick
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 01:39 PM

Mr Red. There is a Bargy Reel , which is named after the Bargy area of Wexford and has nothing to do with barges . Bargy is noted for its musicaI tradition . Maybe the Bargee's Jig your friends danced to was Bargy Jig ?