Suggest songs for a tape

Subject: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Mikal
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 03:16 PM

My uncle Joe, (turning 74 this week) is being pushed into recording a little family tape in a studio before he gets too old to play fiddle. He asked a few of us to sing and play backup on the tracks.

He also asked us to suggest the songs we would like to have on the tape. I told him there were a lot of people that might want to have a copy that weren't in the family.

Anybody have a favorite Scot/Irish/Early American folk tune you can suggest that I could list for him? My own list was only about six songs that I had off the top of my head.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. I am sure the old guy knows about all of them, and if he dosen't the rest of the family will!

Mikal

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 04:16 PM

Mikl, my dad is 82 and still plays fiddle, probably will until he is taken to his grave. One of my favs that he always played was Missouri Waltz, instrumental, no words.

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 04:18 PM

Boil That Cabbage Down

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Bugsy
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 06:11 PM

I would have thought that you would get the most memorable tape if your uncle Joe played the tunes/songs that were HIS favourites. I think we all perform our favourite songs the best.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Helen
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 06:28 PM

Hi Mikal,

I tend to agree with bugsy that people play their favourites really well, but since your Uncle asked for suggestions I'll put my 2 Aussie cents worth in.

The first tune which springs to my mind is Peat Fire Flame. (This Hebridean tune has also been under discussion on the harp e-mail list in the last week or so.) It's a deceptively simple tune but it has a lot of potential for interpretation and arrangements.

Then of course, there are all of the O'Carolan tunes - if you wanted to go in that direction with Irish tunes.

Then there are Irish airs like South Wind. I'm not so much into the dance tunes but I'm sure someone else here will have lots of suggestions for those.

The other tune which sprang immediately to mind is Tennessee Waltz, which I think would go well in a medley with the Irish tune The Rose of Tralee. And Har Times Come Again No More sounds lovely on the fiddle.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the Mudcatters, including me, will be interested in buying a copy of the tape. I have bought musicman's CD of Celtic Waltzes and Slow Airs - a tribute to his late wife - and I love it, not just because I was part of the conversations here at Mudcat about possible tune inclusions.

Helen

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Helen
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 06:30 PM

Oops - having a *hard* time avoiding typos - it should have been Hard Times Come Again etc

Helen

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Mikal
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 06:55 PM

Damn, I gotta get the kinks outa' this computer! Yup, Bile them cabbage was one of his faves, and is one of my suggestions.

Many duplicate and blank postings were deleted here. -JoeClone 23-Feb-01.

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Helen
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 06:55 PM

Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi..Mikal, is there an echo -echo- echo in here?

Helen

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Mikal
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 07:00 PM

Nah, I'm typing on a "Franken-computer" assembled by a whiz-kid friend of mine. I have a bad habit of punching the tab, and it sticks, so it will send out a group of blanks.

As I was gonna say, he wants vocals, as well as instrumentals. I am hoping to have in in the studio Nov. 19th. His desire is to be playing while those he loves sing and back him up.

As to buying a copy, I'll keep y'all posted.

My biggest worry is that we started this whole thing to get him to record before he gets really sick, and can't anymore. His small stroke got him motivated.

Now if I can just get him to give me his stout recipies....

Mikal

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 07:07 PM

Mikal! stop!...the Internet is slow! If your post doesn't go immediately, hitting the button over & over will NOT help!...all you can do is wait!.....as you can see, Mudcat GETS your post, it is just slow in returning the dats to YOU!

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Nov 99 - 08:40 PM

I think his machine had some of his uncle's stout and caught the hiccoughs, Bill.

Wild Mountain Thyme is a lovely one. Handful of Songs; Dark Island; Singer's Request; How Can I Keep From Singing, a lot of old favourites. Isle of Skye.

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Nov 99 - 10:31 AM

How about Bright morning stars arising. Heard it sung at a concert for Armistice Day (Passchendaele Suite, with Coope, Boyes and Simpson)and it totally blew me, never thought of it in that context before. It is a bloody good song too.

LTS

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Nov 99 - 11:01 AM

name all the songs you love to hear him sing. don't worry about whether or not anybody will want to hear them. And ask him to sing those song he loves the most.

It's like buying a gift for someone; what is the thing you would most like, or the thing you would most like them to have ... this approach is sure to help you capture on tape the real reason we sing in the first place!

Godd luck!

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From:
Date: 14 Nov 99 - 04:43 PM

Samuel Bayard's 'Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife', 1982, has 651 titles with many variant versions for some titles of what are traditional versions of Scots, English, Irish, and American tunes.

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Jon W.
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 01:03 PM

Miss/Mrs. McCloud's Reel (or however you spell it).

Subject: RE: Suggest songs for a tape
From: Amos
Date: 15 Nov 99 - 02:37 PM

If he's an Irish Fiddler he should have a gross of tunes in his heart to draw on.

A couple come to mind -- Bally James Bluff, the Auld Orange Flute, Johnny Maccabbee, and I can't begin to remember the jigs, reels and other fiddle tunes that have no words to them.

A.