On his album "We'll Either Bend Or Break Her", Danny Spooner sings a very interesting version of "Shallow Brown". This is an old album but it may be available from Dick G. at CAMSCO. Danny's tune is somewhat unique, which I only realized when I put it in the midst of a whole bunch of other versions. I have never asked Danny about his version of this song and how it came together for him, so I don't know the history of this particular version. He will be in the DC area this week for a few concerts. If anybody sees him you might ask him. He's great.

Danny has a verse that goes:

   "Bound away to old Virginia,
       Shallow, Oh, Shallow Brown.
   Love you well, my Julianna,
       Oh, Shallow, Oh, Shallow Brown.

When I heard this verse, something clicked for me. I realized that the lead part of his tune is very close to "I Was Born In East Virginia". As I say, I don't know the history of Danny's version, but I found this intriguing. Of course, there are many ways to sing "East Virginia", from a very slow, old time mountain way in a minor key to a very fast bluegrass way in a major key, with everything in between. The Carter Family did a major re-working of it. Go to the Mp3 section of Amazon if you want to hear more than you probably want to hear of "East Virginia". All of the classics are there for this song. Unfortunately I can't find any links to Danny's song.

Danny's "Shallow Brown" is in a minor key. I don't know whether it's just Danny's version that seems related to "East Virginia" or whether the music folks can hear a relationship in other versions of "Shallow Brown". And I don't know the age of "East Virginia", but my sense is that the "mountain" version(s) have been around for a long time.