Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Nov 01 - 07:13 PM

Jean, the copyright issue has been discussed a lot around here and I'm glad to read your perspective. Thank you.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 08 Nov 01 - 06:27 PM

Joe, Going back up to your comments on the CELEBRATION OF LIFE songs- that they're mostly credited to me, but are likely my versions of old songs. This is true for many of them, and this is why. In the late '50s and '60s, the folk revival groups were recording old songs and their record companies were copyrighting everything (e.g. the Ritchie version of, "Shady Grove," from my father, was credited as having been written by Guard/Reynolds/Shane, and I think, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" authorship and composition was credited to the Weavers!). A bit later, Bob Dylan recorded, "Masters of War," using the Ritchie tune of, "Fair Nottamun Town." After I got these matters settled, fairly amicably, I asked the Library of Congress folks if our family variants of old songs could/should be copyrighted as a protective move- to keep sources clear, for scholars and researchers and all who might be interested. The contract office advised me that any song that had been added to, or changed enough, from its older form, could be copyrighted. Now, we Ritchies, if separated for a month or so, would all sing the same song a bit differently- we made changes when we forgot words, some changed melodies to suit our varying ranges, etc. So we figured our songs qualified.

I probably would not do this today, but in those times, everyone was scrambling for material, and ethics were going out the window, so, for the next thirty or so years, I had "protective copyrights" on most of our family repertoire. Over the years, I have never asked for royalties from folks who couldn't afford to pay, or who just felt they shouldn't pay; I required only that the copyright notice, telling the source of the song, would be honored. I have my own company, Geordie Music Publishing Co., who are instructed to offer lower than statutory rates (whether or not they are requested) to small labels or to people producing their own recordings.

This has worked out very well, and I hope people understand that it's certainly not a matter of greed or possessiveness (very little money comes in from traditional material), but more a matter of keeping the song geneologies less tangled. Jean

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Jelly bean
Date: 07 Sep 01 - 12:25 PM

Thanks catspaw49. I have ordered the Kendra Ward-Bence video. I'll see how I get on with this - then may order the Larkin Bryant book and cassette - regards Ann

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 10:35 PM

Wonderful!!! Great find there Alice!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Alice
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 10:22 PM

Back again. Thanks, Jean. I did finally find something by doing a google search on the words "Jean Ritchie Galway"... a photo of you recording Seamus Ennis playing the pipes. What a great photo! I was delighted to see this, like striking gold.

Seamus Ennis and Jean Ritchie photo

Alice

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 05:12 PM

Alice, the Galway people keep saying they're getting this online, but I suppose it's the time element. Alice is referring to the Ritchie-Pickow Archive, housed in the Hardiman Library at University College Galway, in Ireland. It consists of George's and my work during my Fulbright Year, 1952-53. We recorded and photographed musicians in Ireland, England and Scotland, but this archive has only the Irish materials. It is set up as a traveling exhibit, available to any organization or school in Ireland. It's very appealing to me, because, as one walks around looking at photos of the singers or players, their music is playing in the background.

Norann, My little teaching tape from Homespun is strictly for beginners who want to learn to play the simple, old way. Homespun went onward & upward with a fine teaching series by Lorraine Lee Hammond, who is a great teacher of all the fancy stuff. Good luck! Jean

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Alice
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 03:53 PM

Great thread... add me to the list of fans. I was looking for a link of the archives in Ireland to add here, but can't find it.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 02:46 PM

Norann.........In addition to Jean's fine stuff, you might also check this videotape by another local friend and fine player, Kendra Ward-Bence. If you would like a really great book and audiocassette instead of video, also give some consideration to Larkin Bryant, one of the most tasteful players I can think of, plays just beautifully. Her book and tape are both available from Elderly Instruments.

Spaw

Subject: Jean Ritchie Dulcimer lessons tape
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 02:02 PM

Hi, Norann - I went to Homespun Tapes at http://www.homespuntapes.com/ and found this (click), a tape and instruction book on mountain Dulcimer - by Jean Ritchie.


The search engine at Homespun is very confusing. There's a music forum there - and you will find it very familiar. Homespun's instructional materials are quite good, but I think they need to make their Website easier to navigate.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Norann
Date: 06 Sep 01 - 07:08 AM

I'm 'trying' (operative word) to learn to play the dulcimer. I have a copy of Jean Ritchie's book - can't think of the title but it's of a 'teach yourself' type. I would like a 'teach yourself' video tape either of Jean's or any other - can anyone tell me where I could get one?

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 10:10 PM

Nice thread to start Joe. We have a selection of "Jean Ritchie Groupies" here like myself and I like getting a lot of info in one place.......easy reference. Moreover, it gives us a chance to also speak a few words about Jean. The song list up there made me think of a recent exchange between Sandy (Paton) and Jean on another thread. There is always something real special to me when one "hero" thanks another........Jean jokingly ribbed Sandy about where they got that "Golden Ring" name and Sandy responded:

From your song, Jean, of course! "Golden Ring Around My Susan Girl." Talking about people who have been an inspiration to us all, no one can match Jean Ritchie! Half of the songs we learned early on came from Jean's albums. The other half we dug out of Cecil Sharp's Appalachian collection, in which many of the songs were gathered from the Ritchie family. Then we got Jean's Singing Family of the Cumberlands (and if you haven't read it yet, do it now!). Recently, we got the "Field Trip" CD in which Jean matches songs with her informants in the British Isles. A great CD! Greenhaus at Camsco.com has it, of course.

I've told several stories about Jean's influence on me as have several others and we all are in her debt. Indeed, folk music as a whole owes her much. Her name has come up on many threads when we have discussed the most influential folkies and although we can't seem to decide on that one, it's obvious that Jean Ritchie is the most influential woman of folk.

Also needing to be here is the fine PBS program "Mountain Born" and the accompanying album. The PBS program is of course on Jean's site and also at the PBS site HERE. If you haven't seen it, you need to do so. The PBS video is available at many local libraries.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 09:08 PM

... so I need some help digging up current addresses for the living artists who appear in that NFF list up there.

*G*

And then I will need some help getting the word out about this, beyond Mudcat I think.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:52 PM

Joe- 'Than Hall is(was) a pseudonym I took during the time I was writing my mining songs, (L&N, Blue Diamond Mines, etc.) My mother was living then, and "protest" was a bad word- not for me in NY, but I didn't want anyone bothering Mom about it. I was with BMI at the time and they refused my use of my grandfather's name, John Hall, because that was the then BMI president's name, so I took the end of Johnathan, and became 'Than. Around home, that was a common way shortening that name. Jean

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:49 PM

I want... I want to help Mudcat. As much as I can. Heck, maybe it's important enough for a REALLY BIG angel-donation, to buy it to put in a museum.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:45 PM

Whizzy, you don't want it????? You must be a sick womon!! (If you put it in the auction, you could ask Jean if she would autograph it before you send it to the winner....)Which would make it out of my price range....

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:42 PM

WYSIWYG, I think....
I think I wish you had offered it to me privately, but I'm sure it would be a great thing for the Mudcat auction. Big Mick will probably beat me out again.
[grin]
-Joe Offer, who confesses to being a Jean Ritchie groupie-

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:32 PM

Joe, my copy of the Newport Folk Festival Book is not in great shape, but I am considering auctioning it for Mudcat. What do you think?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 07:19 PM

Joe, in the book, Singing Family of the Cumberlands, what was the quote, early in the book, by Jean, about the feeling that no one else in the world felt like she did about music? I think many of us here feel the same...just can't always put it into words.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 06:44 PM

And don't forget the performance:

"To celebrate the dulcimer's becoming Kentucky's state instrument, I'm presenting my old dulcimer(that came to New York with me in 1947) to the Kentucky Historical Society Museum at Frankfort. This will be done during the program on the Old Capitol Mall on the evening of Sept. 29th. Program begins at 5:00 PM and ends around 11. My set is at 7:00PM. Friends are bringing dulcimers, all tuned to the key of G, and will play and sing along with me on my last number (all chose Amazing Grace, as everyone knows it, and it's easy!)."

If you can't be there in person, be there in spirit!

Subject: Index: Singing Family of the Cumberlands
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 06:38 PM

My favorite Jean Ritchie book is Singing Family of the Cumberlands, published by Oak Publications in 1963. It was first published in 1955. It's currently in print and available at Jean's Website, but I don't know the name of the current publisher. This is not really a songbook - it's the fascinating story of Jean and her family, and it includes words and music for 42 songs. The illustrations are by Maurice Sendak, one of my favorite illustrators. The songs in the book are listed below.

Aunt Sal's Song
Barbry Ellen
Brightest and Best
Charlie
Children, Go Where I Send Thee
Churn, Churn, Make Some Butter
Come All Ye Fair
The Cuckoo She's a Pretty Bird
The Darby Ram
Drowsy Sleeper
Fair Ellen
Fair Ellender
Farewell, Dear Roseannie
Father Get Ready When He Calls You
Goin' to Boston
Goin' To See My Truelove
Hangman, Slack Up Your Rope
Horsey Song
I've Been a Foreign Lander
I Went Out A-Hunting Sir
John Henry
John Riley
Killy Kranky
Little Devils
The Little Family
Lyttle Musgrave
Maria
May Day Carol
My Good Old Man
Nottamun Town
Old King Cole
Old Tyler
Old Virginny
Pale Wildwood Flower
Shady Grove
Skin and Bones
Somebody
There Was an Old Woman and She Had a Little Pig
Turkish Lady
Twelve Days of Christmas
A Twelvemonth More Has Rolled Around
Twilight A-Stealing
Wassail Song
Wondrous Love

Subject: Index: Newport Folk Festival Songbook
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 06:09 PM

In another thread, WYSIWYG said she got a copy of this book at a bargain price. I'm jealous. The book is no longer in print. Here are WYSIWYG's message, and Jean's response.
-Joe Offer-

---

WYSIWYG:
This gem was sitting in a rack in a tiny music shop we found once on vacation, with the original price of $2.95 still good. In fact, they had a pile of stuff from the late mid and 60's, all with original prices. Not only did they honor the process without our even asking, they gave us a further discount because we bought them all! They just didn't know what they had.

Here is the Table of Contents. I can't find a copyright DATE, but the copy inside indicates mid-60's. And I dunno if these were the "most popular." But they WERE sung in that time, and the artists listed should give you a clue how to find more of the work of that period.

In all cases below, the item is listed acording to who performed it-- who is not necessarily the author.

~S~

===========================================

THE NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL SONGBOOK
Edited by Jean Ritchie, foreword by Pete Seeger (Alfred Music Co., Inc.)

Ain't Nothin' for a Poor Boy, Frank Proffitt
Almost Done, Alan Lomax
Anna Feher (Anathea), Judy Collins
Barb'ry Ellen, Jean Ritchie
Beryuzoviye Kalyechke, Theodore Bikel
Blackleg Miner, Bob Davenport
Cherry Ball Blues, Skip James
Chickens Grow Tall, Glenn Ohrlin
Deep River Blues, Doc Watson
Down the Road, Greenbriar Boys
Drums, Peter La Farge
Freight Train, Elizabeth Cotton
Genesis, Ron Eliran
God Bless the Grass, Malvina Reynolds
Grieve, Oh Grieve, Sam Hinton
I Am a Girl of Constant Sorrow, Sarah Gunning
I'm Bound to Ride, Stanley Brothers
Jack Hagerty, Bill Thatcher
Jimmie Brown, the Newsboy, Mac Wiseman
Johnny Cuckoo, Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers
Keep On Keepin' On, Len Chandler
Kerry Recruit, Luke Kelly
Lassie Wi' the Yellow Coatie, Jean Redpath
Last Mountain of Time, Phipps Family
Links on the Chain, Phil Ochs
Little Boy, Mike Settle
Mary Don't You Weep, Swan Silvertones
Merry Golden Tree, Almeda Riddle
Molly and TenBrooks, Bill Monroe
My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains, Clarence Ashley
My Ramblin' Boy, Tom Paxton
Oh, Death, Dock Boggs
Old Bald Eagle, Hindman Settlement School
Old Blue's Last Hunt, Paul Clayton
Old Crumley, Edna Ritchie
Pretty Little Miss, New Lost City Ramblers
Prodigal Son, Rev. Robert T. Wilkins
Rag Momma, Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band
Rocks and Gravel, Dave Van Ronk
Roll On, John, Ralph Rinzler
See God's Ark A-Movin!, Moving Star Hall Singers
Shhear Them Sheep Even, Joe Patterson
Snow White Shirt, Dewey Shepherd
Soldier, Soldier, Hobart Smith
Southbound Train, Koerner, Ray and Glover
Spike Driver Blues, Mississippi John Hurt
Statesboro Blues, John Hammond
Tennessee Flat Top Box, Johnny Cash
That's All Right, Guy Carawan
Two Soldiers, Mike Seeger
Universal Soldier, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Water is Wide, Clarence Cooper
Which Hat Shall I Wear?, Ronnie Gilbert
Why Adam Sinned, Paul Cadwell
Worried Man Blues, Pete Seeger
You Just Can't Make It by Yourself, Barbara Dane
Young Roddy M'Corley, Clancy Bros. and Tommy Makem

---

Response from Jean Ritchie: Information: I was a Newport Folk Festival trustee during most of its run, and in the early sixties, I was asked by Alfred Music Publishing to do this book for them. Other Newport trustees agreed. I asked each performer who'd been a festival participant up to that time, to choose a favorite song that he/she had sung at the Festival. Each of them provided a photograph and a bio, or wrote about his/her life in letters to me (I still have the originals). The book had a short life, as it took the publishers a long time to issue it, had meantime moved their offices to California and the people interested in the Newport Festival had gone. That's life! I'm sure there were very few sold; I have only two of them in my library. Jean Ritchie

Subject: Index: Celebration of Life (Ritchie)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:46 PM

Jean Ritchie's Celebration of Life: her songs...her poems was published by Geordie Music Publishing in 1971. It was distributed by Music Sales Corporation, which had some sort of connection with Oak Publications. It's still in print and available at Jean's Website. I don't know the name of the publisher of the current edition.
This book has many of the songs Jean wrote, along with a few songs written by Than Hall. Jean, who's Than? The book attributes most of the songs to Jean Ritchie, but I'm sure many of them are her versions of traditional songs.

Bird In A Cage
Black Waters
Blue Diamond Mines
Bonnie Jimmy Mitchell
Boston Beans
Cold Mountains
Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies
Come Fare Away With Me (Marnie)
Come You Home Again
The Courtin' Song
The Cruel Sea
Dead And Gone
Deep Shady Grove
Down Came An Angel
Early Fields
Fair Nottumun Town
Farewell To Hardburly
Farewell to the Mountains
The Flowers of Joy
God Bless the Moon
Going To That City
Golden Ring Around The Susan Girl
Here On The Old Pine Mountain
The High Hill And Mountains
Hiram Hubbard
The Holly Tree Carol
Home To My Dearie
The Hunting Tale
In The Valley
I Saw Three Ships
Jemmy Taylor-O
Jenny Put The Kettle On
Johnny Collins
Killy Kranky Is My Song
The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore
Last Old Train's A-Leavin'
Last Song Of John Hardy
Let Go Of Me Summer
Let The Sun Shine Down On Me
Love Somebody, Yes I Do
The Man For Me
March Down To Old Tennessee
Morning Come, Maria's Gone
Mountain Born And Country Gentle
Movin' On Down The River
Now Is The Cool Of The Day
Now Johnny's On The Water
October And The Frost Is Early
Old Daddy Grumble
Old Tyler Was A Good Old Dog
Old Virginny
One I Love
One More Mile
Over The River To Feed My Sheep
The Peace Round
Pretty Nancy
The Reckless And Rambling Boy
Ring The Christ Church Bells
See That Rainbow Shine
See The Waters A Glidin'
Shady Grove
Shoemaker's Song
The Soldier
Songs Of Life
Sorrow In The Wind
Still I Love Him
Sugar On The Floor
Sweet Reason
That Long Canal
Thousand Mile Blues
Too Many Shadows
West Virginia Mine Disaster
What'll I Do With The Baby-O?
Wild Horses
With Kitty I'll Go
Words Of Love
Young Man Who Couldn't Raise Corn
Young McAfee on the Gallows

Subject: Index: Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:19 PM

Jean Ritchie's Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians was published by Oak Publications in 1965. It was reissued by The University Press of Kentucky in 1997, and is for sale at Jean's Website. It's in the familiar Oak Publications songbook format.
I'll post the Table of Contents below, and maybe I'll change the songs names into clickable links later.
Jean, any comments on the book? Any background information/comments on the Oak Publications songbook format?

Swapping Song
False Sir John
Killy Kranky
Nottamun Town
Edward
London Bridge
Sister Phoebe
Dear Companion also (click)
Jubilee
Sweet William and Lady Margaret
The Cuckoo
Old Betty Larkin
Lord Lovel
Fair And Tender Ladies
Goin' To Boston
Skin and Bones
The Old Woman and the Pig
The Turkish Lady
Oh, Love Is Teasin'
The Little Devils
What'll I Do With The Baby-O?
The Hangman Song
There Was A Pig Went Out To Dig
Golden Ring Around Susan Girl
The Lyttle Musgrave
Down Came An Angel
Among the Little White Daisies
Bachelor's Hall
Carol of the Cherry Tree
Shady Grove
God Bless the Moonshiners
Little Cory
See the Waters A-Gliding
The Holly Bears the Berry
I Saw Three Ships
Father Get Ready
Amazing Grace
The Day Is Past and Gone
I've Got A Mother Gone to Glory
Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah
Twilight A-Stealing
Lord Randall
Two Dukes A-Roving
The May Day Carol
Darby Ram
Little Bitty Baby (Children Go Where I Send Thee)
Brightest and Best
Keep Your Garden Clean
Bow Your Bend to Me
The Unquiet Grave
The Flower Carol
Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender
The Old Soap-Gourd
Joe Bowers
Love Somebody, Yes I Do
Old Virginny
The Death of Cock Robin
Bandyrowe
Pretty Saro
The Miracle of Usher's Well
Gentle Fair Jenny
I Wonder When I Shall be Married
Over the River Charlie
Barbry Ellen
Lonesome Sea
Cedar Swamp
Hiram Hubbard also click for info
Fair Annie of the Lochroyan
The Gypsy Laddie
Old King Cole
Somebody
Dance to Your Daddy
My Little Carpenter
Bangum Rid by the Riverside
Cambridgeshire May Song
Mama Told Me
Black Is the Color
Lovin' Henry
Reckless and Rambling Boy
Her Mantle So Green
Loving Hannah

Subject: Jean Ritchie Books & Recordings
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Sep 01 - 05:10 PM

It's a real pleasure to have people like Jean Ritchie among us. She goes by the Mudcat name of "Kytrad," and you can click here to see most of her Mudcat contributions. You can learn more about her and order her books and recordings by visiting her Website, http://www.jeanritchie.com. I'd like to make this thread into a Jean Ritchie Bibliography/discography, and I'd like to invite Jean to post her comments. Jean, it's wonderful to have you here. -Joe Offer-