Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chantey

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 06:17 AM

I would recommend "Blood Red Roses" but then I would.
May I caution that unless they are forebitters they were not intended as pretty songs. Dare I suggest if you have a group you can demonstrate one chanty as a visual thingy, they rarely had many men - hence the need for chantying? It will change the way you sing and bring variety. Good Luck

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 08:28 AM

Too many choices! Be nice if there was a local shanty group nearby that could demonstrate some of these shanties for your group; you can listen to some of our MP-3 files at our website: rollandgoseasongs.com

Please give us a progress report!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 03:55 AM

Don Meixner had a good list- add "Sally Brown".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 03:38 AM

There's an amazing resource here ....just take your pick of the sound files

wooden ships music

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 12:48 AM

Leave Her, Johnny was the traditional end of voyage chantey, used at the ship's pumps. It's a beautiful melody. Stan Hugill's massive study, Shanties From The Seven Seas is the "bible" of the genre. A good recording for other chanteys that would fit your needs is Mystic Seaport's CD "American Sea Chanteys."

chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: KAS
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 12:40 AM

Sugar in the Hold is a cargo-loading chantey from the U.S. Gulf Coast. It mentions Mobile Bay and New Orleans. I don't immediately picture it in a chorale medley myself, but if one is looking for inspiration to experiment, William Pint and Felicia Dale recorded interesting arrangements of both Sugar in the Hold and Johnny Come Down to Hilo (mentioned by Snuffy above) with voice, acoustic/electric guitar, keyboards, and percussion on their album Round the Corner.

Cheers,

Ken

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From:
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 10:47 PM

stowing sugar in the hold below..not sure where it is from though.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Amos
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 10:17 PM

Hullabalo, Belay

Bound for South Australia

Away to Rio

Haul Away, Joe

The Banks of Newfoundland

All good songs that fit the bill...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: KAS
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 09:31 PM

Hi Michael,

These seem to fit all your criteria very well:


Farewell and Adieu (Spanish Ladies)

Pull Down Below

South Australia

Jamboree

Old Moke Pickin' on a Banjo

Ranzo Ray

Roll the Woodpile Down

Let the Bullgine Run

They all have many great and easily findable versions to choose from (basic versions of each can be found right here in the DT/Forum), they're all available on various CDs, several have nifty region-specific versions (Woodpile's got Florida right there for you), basic historical background on each is relatively easy to find, and they're medley-friendly - easy to sculpt, instrumentalize, and adapt.

Bonnie Hieland Laddie and Bonny Ship the Diamond are also fantastic, and fit your other criteria, but they are about whaling. If you end up considering whaling songs, either of those might end a medley right well.

If you check out the Midi-file tunes here on Mudcat for any you might not have heard, I think it would help to keep in mind that the demo tunes posted are often fairly slow and would probably make more sense sung faster, and that the tune selected as an example is usually derived from only one version of the song. There are zillions of other ways the things could sound.


Best of luck,

Ken Schatz

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 08:38 PM

Roll Alabama Roll

All For Me Grog (Cleaned up a mite)

A Capitol Ship

Maggie May (Cleaned up)

Botany Bay

The Mermaid

Sailor's Hymn (Title may be off, Rod Mac Donald tune)

Clear Away, The Morning (Take Me Back on the Bay Boys)

Too many to choose from

Don

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 08:38 PM

The site Shanties and Sailor Songs / Shantys und Seemannslieder could be your resources.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Dead Horse
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 08:30 PM

Alabama John Cherokee, Blackball Line, Haul Away Joe or Haul Away For Rosie-o,Liverpool Judies, Heave Away Me Johnnies (two versions - Atlantic & Tapscott),John Kanaka, could keep on, but there are no good shanties, only bloody good ones;-)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 08:24 PM

Johnny Come Down to Hilo is a wonderful tune and chorus. The words would appear to be American, but definitely not PC - you may have to adapt them somewhat. "Railroad navvy with his work boots on" is one possible amendment.

WassaiL! V

Subject: Looking for a good sea chanty
From: GUEST,Medieval Man
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 08:14 PM

To All Who Know Their Sea Songs:

I sing with and direct a professional chorale in So. Miami. I arrange and orchestrate many medleys of songs for the singers on a host of Ameican styles: folk, bluegrass, old time church songs, Early American hymntunes, country gospel, etc. The medley I'm working on now is one of sea songs. I need one more good tune to close the medley. Here are the parameters that I (lossely) have in place:

The sea song or chanty should be:

1. A good acoustic guitar song, like the lead off song of the medley: "Santiano."

2. One with a verse and chorus relationship, as opposed to only a repeating verse with no different chorus tune.

3. Up tempo song conducive as an ender of a 12-14 minute medley.

4. Major or minor key, however the two songs preceding are major. A exciting minor tune would go well here.

5. One with a colorful story or narative.

6. A New England sea chanty would be fine; I want the tune to be American, but it can (and probably will of necessity) have Newfoundland, Irish, or English roots.

7. I will eschew, for this medley, whaling songs.

Any recommendations will be much appreciated.

Michael Roy (Medieval Man)