String band album help needed

Subject: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 03:05 PM

Help
Am in the process of reuniting taped albums with their notes in order to digitise them and have hit a snag
I have a file which begins with 'My Horses Ain't Hungry, and includes Katie Mine, Goodbye Little Bonnie, Little Darlin' and Lonesome Dove, Sweetheart Pal of Mine (these are the titles I know them by- and more.
I suspect it is an album from the County label (all 1930s rcordings)- might be wrong.
Any help in identifying the album would be very much appreciated
Thanks in anticipation
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: 12-stringer
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 06:26 PM

Does it include a harmonica? The only bands I can think of which did "Little Bonnie" are the Carolina Tar Heels (as a trio) and Cranford & Thompson (the Red Fox Chasers w/o fiddle or banjo). Both featured harmonica. Well, the Carters also did it, but you'd know them by the third note!

Cranford & Thompson did "Little Sweetheart Pal of Mine," a redo of the Carters' "Little Darling Pal of Mine," with different lyrics, and they also did "Katy Cline." All of these were on the County vinyl of Red Fox Chasers, which I bought in the early 70s -- it was about half bonafide RFC, the rest Cranford & Thompson. Great band either way. I don't have the LP at hand for titles, but I believe it also has "Mississippi Sawyer," "The Blind Man and His Child," "Honeysuckle Time," "Devilish Mary," "Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe," maybe "Lula Walls," maybe "Murder of the Lawson Family," and the Carson Robison version of "Naomi Wise." (The one that ends "In Randolph County now her body lies," which I collected a couple of times in WV from people who thought it was a local song.)

I don't see, or scan-hear, a version of "My Horses Ain't Hungry" in their repertoire, however.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 08:20 PM

Hi
Thanks for that - looks like you've put me in the right direction with ''The Red Fox Chasers' - I've already digitised their County album, some of which coincides - Katy Kline - Goodbye Little Bonnie - Blind Man and His Child - Randolph County Naomi Wise.... all there.
The opening track on their album is listed as 'Pretty Polly', but the air is one I associate with 'Horses' - maybe an error on my part (unlike most of the songfiles, the unlisted file is not great quality) - will check in the morning.
I don't know why I still get knocked out by the collective knowledge and generosity of this forum - but it happens every time - many, many thanks. I've been landed with several hundred recordings of U.S vocal and instrumental traditional music some of which is totally new to me - feel free to ask for anything you might be interested in - happy to return the favour
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: 12-stringer
Date: 15 Sep 15 - 10:22 PM

Cranford & Thompson's "Pretty Polly" is indeed "My Horses Ain't Hungry." I didn't open that file (because of the title) when I looked at the directory previously, but I'm pretty sure it was on the County vinyl as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: Stewie
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 01:56 AM

The complete recordings of the Red Fox Chasers have been reissued on a 2-CD set by Tompkins Square - 42 sides - TSQ 2219. In the accompanying booklet, Kinney Rorrer's note to 'Pretty Polly' is: 'Virginian Kelly Harrell and Kentuckian Buell Kazee recorded this song as "My Horses Ain't Hungry" and "Wagoner's Lad" respectively. Cranford and Thompson recorded this at their final session in 1931'.

--Stewie

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: String band album help needed
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:28 AM

Thanks both - it turns out to be a more inferior 'Red Fox Chasers' album than I'd already digitised.
Have to say that, while I was always aware of the 1930s bands, it wasn't until I started to work on these recordings that I began to appreciate them fully - the @county' lanel output really is something else, and there are a couple of superb Riverside albums
I appreciate your help - I'll almost certainly be back
Jim Carroll