RJM: Honest scholarship is of importance, but if nobody sing the songs, they become museum exhibits songs that have died, and the scholarship is then of only interest to a few academics.

Say as you do -- do as you say.

"No bad publicity" is not scholarship of any kind. It's pop culture. There is no living shanty tradition. The work song went with the work. It is a museum piece. Singing pop songs on TikTok or at the club does not breath authentic maritime work song back to life.

What you did in this thread is the typical process... you say living history and do pop A&R. That is not exactly an uncommon or new thing in academia or pop culture. Wellerman is properly archived & studied in a popular entertainment museum.