Recently Tony Dean of No Fixed Abode was stopping with me on NFA's travels, and he was sitting on the sofa picking an attractive little tune in DADGAD.

I recognised it immediately as the music from the buffalo hunting scene in the Kevin Costner movie Wyatt Earp. i asked Tony what the tune was, and i was surprised when he said it was Copperhead Roaad.

When i was writing line dance music a few years ago, a publisher sent me a line dance compilation for inspiration, with Copperhead road, by a long shot the best track on the album, and with a big Phil Collins type drum sound. I'd heard Steve earle's solo version with the mandolin at Cambridge and not really been excited by it - to say the least.

However I remember thinking at the first time I heard the music on Wyatt Earp that James newton Howard had been influenced in this case by Copeland and his use of traditional melodies. So, I've been wondering - is the tune really well known in American trad sessions?

A bit like the Masons apron in England?