The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #121064   Message #2926326
Posted By: GUEST,Paul Hazell
12-Jun-10 - 02:48 PM
Thread Name: Who is your favourite yodeller?
Subject: RE: Who is your favourite yodeller?
it's great to see that somany people are still appreciating the yodellers. The BBC's Radio 2 is planning a 1 hour special on the subject in August.

Goebel Reeves (The Texas Drifter) has taken some hits in this thread. In my view he was an excellent yodeller - listen to his uptempo recording of "Happy Days" to hear his unique "gurgle" or "trill" yodel! If you then track down Tex Morton's incredible version of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" you will be able to hear the result of merging the Reeves trill into the yodels of Harry Torrani!!

Mention should also be made of Belgium's singing, whistling yodeller Bobbejaan Schoepen who - despite his reputation for novelty and comedy songs - had a beautiful singing voice and a sweet, powerful yodel. He passed away a couple of weeks ago - a great old gentleman and a multi-talented showman.

Australia has produced some superb yodellers. Several have been mentioned already but check out Buddy Williams, Shirley Thoms, Gordon Parsons, Reg Lindsay, Tim McNamara, Smoky Dawson, Tom & Ted LeGarde, Lily Conners, Johanna Hemara, The McKean Sisters (Joy & Heather) - and that's just for starters.

Ronnie Ronalde was a great yodeller - not one for the vocal gymnastics but his falsetto was incredibly pure and powerful.

Also the English Music hall singer G H Elliott could yodel well - his music is not heard much now because many of his songs were pseudo-black songs and use terms that are no longer socially acceptable. His music was never intended to offend - it was innocent and happy. His vocal range was amazing -listen to his 1950s recording of "In Carolina"

Harry Lester & His Hayseeds featured a superb yodeller who was billed as "Goofus" - anybody know who he was?

Finally, who is familiar with the old-time music hall yodeller George Van Dusen?

That will do from me for now!!

Keep yodellin'

PAUL