The Leadbelly Songbook

Subject: The Leadbelly Songbook
From:
Date: 01 May 98 - 12:58 AM

There is a book called "The Leadbelly Songbook" published by Beekman Publishers listed in some electronic bookshops on the Internet. I can't find a description of it, and I can't find it in any molecular bookshops here in Sydney. Can anyone give me a description of it (and an opinion of its value.)

There is another book with the same name put out by Harry Lewman http://www.hlmusic.com/LeadbellyPage.htm which is well described there. I don't think it is the same thing though.

Murray

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Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 01 May 98 - 01:30 PM

My version (soft cover) is as follows:

The Leadbelly Songbook Edited by Moses Asch and Alan Lomax Copyright 1962 Oak Publications, New York

It sold for a whoppin' $1.95.........Tiger

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Roger Himler
Date: 01 May 98 - 05:51 PM

The book is paperback, about 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches high. It has a few short articles about Lead Belly by Sonny Terry, Moses Asch, Pete Seeger, Frederic Ramsey, Jr., Charles Smith, Alan Lomax, and Woody Guthrie.

The songs are simply melody lines, guitar chords, and the words to the tunes. No tablature or descriptions of how to play them. Most songs are accompanied by a description from Lead Belly concerning the particular song. It includes about 72 songs. There is a discography and song index that lets you know from what album the song was transcribed.

Oh, yes. I bought mine in the last year. Only $12.95. Must be inflation.

Roger from Baltimore

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From:
Date: 01 May 98 - 08:46 PM

Thanks Ralph and Roger. I was wondering if it was the Leadbelly songbook edited by Ash and Lomax. I'm still not sure, but it sounds like an interesting book anyway.

BTW amazon.com sells it for $11.95 :)

Murray

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Will
Date: 01 May 98 - 08:47 PM

There is also "The 12-string guitar as played by Leadbelly", by Julius Lester and Pete Seegar, published by Oak during the 1960s. It has about 30 songs with words, melody lines, and tabs, plus a bit of descriptive information about the songs and about playing the 12-string. Nice versions of Bourgeois Blues, Bottle up and go, Fannin Street, and others.

The appendix mentions the "Leadbelly Song Book" as a more extensive collection of words and music.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 May 98 - 09:22 PM

NOBODY plays Leadbelly 12-2tring like Michael Cooney!!! His "Fannin Street" is almost as good as Leadbelly's own!

Art

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From:
Date: 02 May 98 - 01:03 AM

That sounds like a great book Will. I checked at amazon.com and they say it is out of print--sigh.

Well, I am going to be in the USA later in the year. I will do a search of second-hand bookshops.

My other goal there will be to find a small guitar--but I think I will start another thread about that.

Murray

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Roger Himler
Date: 02 May 98 - 08:26 AM

Murray. Don't despair. I went to a music store that specialized in sheet music and music books. It was just 6 months ago and they ordered the Lester and Seeger book for me. They charged me $12.95 for it.

The full title is The Folksinger's Guide to the 12-String Guitar as Played by Leadbelly. It is subtitled An Instruction Manual by Julius Lester and Pete Seeger.

Published by Oak Publications, Order No. OK 61440 ISBN 0.8256.0023.5. Exclusive Distributors: Music Sales Corporation, 225 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003

or Music Sales Limited, 8/9 Frith Street, London, W1V 5TZ England

or Music Sales Pty. Limited, 120 Rothschild Street, Rosebery, Sydney, NSW 2018, Australia. Good luck!

The book does use guitar tablature to help you get a feel for Lead Belly's technique. I have found it helpful.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Will
Date: 02 May 98 - 03:34 PM

Murray, if you're going to be in the midwest, give me a call and we'll see if we can find a copy at Kinkos.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From:
Date: 03 May 98 - 02:54 AM

I will be in Iowa City for about a week, Will. I don't know where/what Kinkos is. If they are a used music book shop I want to try for the Ash-Lomax Leadbelly songbook too.

Thanks for the information about the book Roger. Since I might wind up buying it sight unseen, it is good to know as much as possible. I was hoping it had tablature. Does it have musical notation too?

Murray

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Will
Date: 03 May 98 - 09:17 AM

Sorry, Murray. It was a poor attempt at obscure humour. Kinko's is a U.S. chain of stores that do copying. (I think its national. We've got them in Michigan (Ann Arbor) and I've used them on both the east and west coasts.)

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 04 Apr 00 - 09:53 AM

G'day Murray,

I had a look on my shelves, having a faint impression that I had the Leadbelly songbook up there with all the other Oak publications ... proved wrong (must have been a combination of old memories of The Ragtime (or some other) Songbook and The 12-String Giutar as played by LeadbellY, which I do have. You can have a look at it if we cross paths.

BTW: You mustn't get away from the groves of academia enough: we actually have at least one Kinkos in Sydney - down the Chinatown end of Broadway. They are probably a franchise of the American operation.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From:
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 07:43 AM

On the contrary, Bob. I have moved out to Blackheath so I am far from the grooves of academia at present. In fact I retired which amounts to the fact that I don't teach anymore but I still keep (cybernetic) contact with my old research interests and colleagues. I come into Sydney once a week for a guitar lesson either in Padington for an acoustic lesson or Randwick for a classical lesson, so I haven't been along Broadway in a long time.

Since this thread was last active, I got hold of the Lewton book and that is a gold mine. It has info on the string gauges and tunings that Leadbelly used as well as tablature and lyrics for a good number of songs. I found the other Leadbelly songbook in a library here and the Lewman book is much better for the guitarist. You can get it from the site I mention in the original posting. The other one, of course, has a lot of historic interest.

By the way, Bob, I feel guilty. I got you to send me all that info about the harmonica and then I got so involved in moving that I never followed it up. I have it somewhere; but as I recall, the guy who wrote "Band in a Waiscoat Pocket" lives in the Blue Mountains doesn't he?

Murray

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 09:10 AM

G'day again Murray,

Ray Grieve moved to Leura from inner suburban Lilyfield ... and then back down a ways to 46 Powell Street, Blaxland, or PO Box 145, Glenbrook 2773, ('phone [phone]). We haven't quite coaxed him into cyberspace yet so it's snail mail or (Alexander Graham) Bell's Line.

Ray is still quietly moving a few of the books and his accompanying 4-tape set (which includes field recorded tracks of the old contest champions that are not on the Larrikin 2-CD set). He just sent me a review copy of new CD Reedy River Flute, a short (10 tracks, ~27 min., studio compilation duped out by a local electronics/music buff, on his own Bushlark label.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: digger
Date: 02 Jun 00 - 09:13 AM

Stupid question: what does "bottle up and go!" mean? I know Happy Traum sings it without the "these high powered women sure gotta ...." part which is how Leadbelly sang it. But I have been singing the song for 20 years and my 12-year-old daughter was playing it the other day on the guitar and asked: "what does bottle up and go mean?" Maybe, as someone wrote in this thread a while ago (Roger in Baltimore, perhaps?) it's just one of many variations. I like it better than Step it up and Go but I don't know why. Thanks for any info. David Shea in Spain

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Snuffy
Date: 02 Jun 00 - 09:52 AM

In the UK Bottling Up is what bartenders have to do after closing time - fill up all the spaces on the shelves to replace the bottles they've sold, so they're ready to roll next morning. So when you've bottled up you can go (home).

I don't know the song, but I wouldn't think it refers to this practice, but you never know.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 03 Jun 00 - 03:42 AM

Just back from 3 weeks away from my PC....

Murray, I have wondered for years how Leadbelly got that great bass sound. When I leave the octave strings on the bottom E, A and D strings, they overpower the bass strings. Consequently I usually take them off.

Have you learnt whether he used a normal setup? I gather that he did not use fingerpicks - did he use a plectrum?

Regards
Chris

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jun 00 - 04:07 AM

If there's anyone reading this thread that's take a look at this thread and have any ideas, I'd be grateful..

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: pastorpest
Date: 03 Jun 00 - 06:33 PM

When this thread started just over a month ago I went to bookfinder.com and found a used copy of the book for $11. The book arrived not long after I ordered it( crossing the border from the USA to Canada)in near new condition. I have had excellent success purchasing other music books in this manner.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 06:04 PM

I used to play some Leadbelly. I learned by tuning my guitar to his and playing along. I found his guitar was usually tuned down about two full steps, so that a fingered "E" chord was actually a "C" chord in pitch. Regular strings weren't heavy enough to carry the lower tuning. I found LaBella "Heavy Gauge" strings worked well, though they required building up your finger strength some. I no longer have a 12-string and have no idea whether LaBella Heavy Gauge strings are still available. Fannin Street was in (fingered) E, John Henry was in D, Silver City Bound was in D, and son forth. He had a very active thumb; most of the power of his playing was thumb strokes. I think he did use picks, at least I'm pretty sure I recall a picture that showed picks. I sure had to use them to reproduce what he did. Didn't know Cooney played Leadbelly. I saw him in concert in the late 60s. He played six string and banjo.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 07:44 PM

Andrew, Leadbelly used a bone thumbpick (similar to today's "Golden Gate" thumbpick) and 2 steel fingerpicks. Even though he often tuned 2 and a HALF(!) steps low, he didn't use heavy strings. His Stella Guitar had a tailpiece and the neck had a much steeper angle than anything made today (other than an arch top)

Pete Seeger remembers him playing "Silver City Bound" in "D" position (which is how I learned it). I heard another recording of it where it appears Huddie is playing it in "C". A little simpler that way.

Rick

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 16 Feb 05 - 05:44 PM

A Leadbelly Songbook is for sale on ebay now, and yes its me selling it, no bids as yet. Hope this don't break any Mudcat rules but I think it will interest most Mudcaters.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: samirich
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 07:43 PM

I would highly recommend the Leadbelly book by TRO Folkways Music copyright 1976. 43 Hudie Ledbetter Songs from the Paramount Picture of the same name. Nice arrangements, Guitar Chords, Lyrics, Melody line and piano arrangements.    This is a really good one to pick up.

Enjoy.

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Feb 06 - 09:18 PM

It's also got some great graphics, if it is the one put out by Oak Publications..

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: samirich
Date: 15 Feb 06 - 01:00 AM

Charlie this one is not the one put out by Oak Publications, but it does have some really good photographs of the movie put out by Paramount. The Back cover is a really good picture of 'Hudie and his ole 12 string' in a double breasted suit, bow tie and lookin' about as dapper as he probably ever looked. He must have been playin' for Gov'nor Pat Neff.

Two different versions of Black Girl are included in this anthology. One was collected by (Behan-Sharpe), and the other is credited to Ledbetter. They are both fine. ****

Subject: Leadbelly Songbooks
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Nov 09 - 06:29 PM

As far as I know, there have been two books of Leadbelly songs published, both by Oak Publications. You will find the indexes of those books in this thread. I have the Leadbelly Songbook and I'm glad to furnish words and music for any of the songs in the book. 12-stringer posted the index to the Leadbelly guitar book, and may be able to help with the songs in that book.
But "25-cent dude" isn't in either of those books. Does anyone know of a really good source of lyrics for Lead Belly songs?

-Joe-

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Thread #103890   Message #2124069
Posted By: 12-stringer
12-Aug-07 - 12:45 AM
Thread Name: Songbook Indexing: Oak Publications
Subject: Index: The Leadbelly Songbook (Oak)

The Leadbelly Songbook
edited by Moses Asch and Alan Lomax
(c) 1962, Oak Publications
illustrated; lead sheets and chords, no tablature

Ain't It a Shame (To Go Fishing on a Sunday), 27
Ain't You Glad, 82
Alabama Bound, 75
Army Life, 66
Backwater Blues, 22
Black Betty, 84
Black Girl, 37
Boll Weevil, 23
Borrow Love and Go, 42
Bourgeois Blues, 24
Bring Me a Little Water, Sylvie, 60
Can't You Line 'Em, 86
Christmas is a-Coming, 61
Come Along All You Cowboys, 43
Corn Bread Rough, 29
Cotton Song (Cotton Fields), 39
Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Yea, 47
DeKalb Blues, 34
Didn't Old John, 25
Don't Sleep Too Long, 85
Duncan and Brady, 74
Easy Rider, 89
Fannin Street, 32
Gallis Pole, 52
Go Down, Old Hannah, 50
Good Morning Blues, 64
Green Corn, 58
Grey Goose, 88
Ha Ha This-A-Way, 29
Ham and Eggs, 55
Happy Birthday, 30
Haul Away Joe, 77
Hitler Song, 68
House of the Rising Sun, 57 (nb, this is not "In New Orleans," Leadbelly's better-known version of "Rising Sun")
In the Evening, 94
Irene, 93
Jailhouse Blues, 63
Jean Harlow, 87
Jim Crow Blues, 91
John Henry, 31
Julie Ann Johnson, 67
Keep Your Hands Off Her, 48
Leavin' Blues, 20
Little Children's Blues, 83
Little Sally Walker, 92
Look Away in the Heaven, 35
Looky Looky Yonder, 19
Meeting at the Building, 44
Midnight Special, 71
More Yet, 65
National Defense Blues, 73
Old Man, Will Your Dog Catch a Rabbit?, 49
Old Riley, 38
On a Monday, 79
Pick a Bale of Cotton, 56
Pigmeat, 78
Poor Howard, 21
Pretty Flower, 36
Red Bird, 90
Rock Island Line, 80
Salty Dog, 41
Shorty George, 69
Skip to My Lou, 53
Stewball, 72
T B Blues, 62
Take This Hammer, 45
There's a Man Goin' Round Takin' Names, 28
They Hung Him on a Cross, 40
Titanic, 26
We Shall Be Free, 76
We Shall Walk Through the Valley, 59
Whoa, Buck (expurgated version), 46
Yellow Gal, 54
You Can't Lose-a Me, Cholly, 51

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Thread #103890   Message #2124073
Posted By: 12-stringer
12-Aug-07 - 01:04 AM
Thread Name: Songbook Indexing: Oak Publications
Subject: Index: Folksinger's Guide to the 12-String Guitar

A Folksinger's Guide to the 12-String Guitar as Played by Leadbelly
by Julius Lester and Pete Seeger (internal evidence suggests that the book was written by Lester)
no copyright date or notice
Tablature only (no music), with lyrics; songs marked * are not from the Leadbelly repertoire but are presented as "Other Approaches" to the 12-string

Alabama Bound, 17
*Bells of Rhymney, 73
Black Girl [In the Pines], 21
Bottle Up and Go, 57
Cotton Song [Cotton Fields], 12
Duncan and Brady, 37
Easy Rider, 39
Fannin Street, 58
*Freight Train, 77
Gallis Pole, 61
Grey Goose, 18
Hitler Song, 31
In New Orleans (House of the Rising Sun), 49 [a frequently requested piece of tab on the 'Cat, and here it is, but NB that Lester tabs just the first half of the guitar break, without mentioning that fact!]
John Hardy, 43
John Henry, 53
Julie Ann Johnson, 15
Midnight Special, 33
National Defense Blues, 29
Poor Howard, 67
Red Bird, 14
Relax Your Mind, 41
Roberta [in G], 45
Roberta [in F, guitar tab only], 48
Salty Dog, 35
Skip to My Lou, 9
So Easy When You Know How, 68
T B Blues, 65
There's a Man Goin' Round Takin' Names, 11
They Hung Him on a Cross, 25
*The Water is Wide, 74
We Shall Be Free, 13

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 01:11 PM

In 1936, John and Alan Lomax published a book called Negro Folk Songs as Sung By Lead Belly. Any chance this is available online? Alternately, does anybody have a copy, and can you post the index?
Used copies cost well over a hundred bucks.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 07:10 PM

Still looking for somebody to post the index to Negro Folk Songs as Sung By Lead Belly.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Mark Ross
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 07:40 PM

I have a copy of the Lomax book(cost over a hundred bucks!)with the DJ.
Joe, do you want the whole index?


Mark Ross

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Mark Ross
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 07:47 PM

Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 08:22 PM

Hi, Mark -
Yes, that's the one. And yes, I'm looking for somebody to post the whole index. Most of us who do this regularly, scan the index and OCR the contents, and then post it and proofread it online.
If you can't do that, hold off for a while because there's bound to be somebody here with both the book and the OCR ability.
I'm surprised this book hasn't been posted online. Some of the other Lomax books from that period are online, but not on US Websites. I've checked the Plymouth Library and UTK song indexes, and the book is not indexed at either site.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Mark Ross
Date: 11 Jun 17 - 01:53 PM

Joe,

Here's the table of contents;




Contents

Chronology of Lead Belly
2
Hollers
3
Finding Lead Belly
29
New York City and Wilton
47
The Musical Notation Used in This Volume
67
Po Howard
73
You Cain't Lose Me Cholly
80
Bring Me Little Water Silvy
89
Shorty George
142
FoDay Worry Blues
149
Roberta
155
Blind Lemon
163
Red Cross Sto
172
De Titanic
181
Ella Speed
187
Mary Doncha Weep
205

Elnora
95
Billy in de Lowlands
103
Hoday Hoday Hoday
114
In Dem Long Hot Summer Days
120
Fort Worth and Dallas Blues
136
Becky Dean
214
De Midnight Special
221
The Shreveport Jail
228
Irene
235
Copyright

Subject: RE: The Leadbelly Songbook
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jun 17 - 05:44 PM

Hi, Mark - Thanks for posting that. That's all the songs they have in a 235-page book? What's in between the songs?
Oh....Billy Bragg (Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World) says that the Lead Belly book contains 48 "numbers," plus explanatory texts and 64 pages of biography - so what Mark posted must be just the chapter headings. I hope some day that somebody will be able to post a complete song index for this book.
-Joe-