'Owned' songs

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jan 18 - 12:50 AM

oh Joanne. I'm so sorry you haven't got folk clubs. I can't imagine what its like - not having folk clubs.

i suppose really, how ever pissed off we get with each other. most of us work hard at tolerating our very different views as to what constitutes folk music and tradition.

so many Americans come across our contributions on mudcat - and are repelled by the bile of brit folk music fans for each other. what they forget is that most nights we sit in rooms fully aware that the bloke (woman) sitting next to you reckons you're abit of a twat with no idea about folk music.

the only thing we agree on is that - the idea of folk clubs and folk music is vitally important. and when we see a message like yours - we see how fantastically lucky we are, to have reached this sort of rapprochement.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: Acorn4
Date: 26 Jan 18 - 04:30 AM

"The problem of someone singing a song that another person was planning to sing would be solved if, instead of taking turns at a singaround, everyone sings their songs at the same time."

At Whitby last year there was one of those "jump in when you like" singarounds. Sometimes you get a situation where two people will start a song simultaneously.. Usually will give way and take the next turn but not on this occasion - both singers carried on apparently unaware of the other to the end of the songs that they'd started.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: GUEST,Airy
Date: 26 Jan 18 - 09:49 AM

Oh big al whittle, life on a island must be grand especially when the little island was so grand.

Now America the beautiful may lack pubs and clubs but it still has the mudcat cafe
were Americans are digitally hung drawn and quartered despite the mandate of no cruel or unusually punishment

You should really see the grand canyon, very inspiring.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Jan 18 - 11:07 AM

Since I have for the last 40 years been a member of a very large & diverse folk society, I have always realized that at any gathering there was likely to be several singers who knew 'almost' any songs that I did, and probably did them better.
   Thus, I just sang what I could.. as best I could... and gradually figured out what to avoid in certain situations. Eventually, *I* came up with several that no one else in the group seemed to do, and discovered that some of those were 'learned' by others, but not done when I was present.
   So... I do see why the practice of deference to certain folks about certain songs grew up. I never treated it as a 'must be obeyed' law, but I can't help being aware of the way it works.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 04 Feb 18 - 12:59 PM

I did "When a man's in love" the other week. As I was sitting back afterwards, feeling gratified that the gods of song had gifted me with a decent performance, a friend said "I was in a session once, twenty-odd years ago, and I was going to do that song..."

Twenty-odd years! Well, I guess I always knew they were old songs, I thought to myself, but there goes any chance I had of making a mark with it...

But then he went on: "I was going to do that song, and as we were going round the guy about two or three before me did it instead. I didn't know him - I just thought, you bastard... Anyway, I found out afterwards it was John Tunney."

Somebody has always got to that song before you - whatever that song is and whoever you are. It goes with the territory.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: GUEST,Some bloke
Date: 05 Feb 18 - 03:13 AM

My local clubs, I slip them in when the other singer isn"t there. Mind you, it was funny when someone visited a local club and asked me to sing a particular trad song, flattering me by saying it was my calling card song.

A bit of a bugger then as I had been going there almost every month for many years and hadn't ever sung it as a guy there played it all the time so I never did.

Far more common when you sing mainly trad is to have an idea what you will be singing then hear them all before your turn... A wry smile at a singaround but a bit of a bugger to fiddle your set when you are the guest. Although at a concert recently when opening for a well known singer, she said in the interval that she only had three trad songs in her set for that tour and I sang two of them... Whoops

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Feb 18 - 07:46 AM

A local situation. Singer has cultivated a voice like a radial arm saw going through bone, guitar style like a misaligned Victorian steam hammer and a repertoire of about three songs, delivered with such shattering ugliness it would put any average listener off hearing those songs, or any traditional music, ever again. The Bleacher Lassie of Kelvin Haugh sounds like the victim of a Dickensian industrial accident. This isn't so much owning songs as asset-stripping them - I don't expect anyone local will try to sing those again in my lifetime.

This guy actually *teaches* guitar accompaniment.

Subject: RE: 'Owned' songs
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 06 Feb 18 - 10:17 AM

I `ad one of those blokes in my cab the other day `who `ad just come from the sing-around at "The Gander`s Inn" in Sarf London. `e looked well miffed, just like `is G string `ad snapped and caught `im in a most precious spot. I could `ear `im on `is mobile phone crying to somebody, "`e was singing my song, bloody liberty!"
I said, "Pardon me, Ewan, but nobody owns songs. Surely, you just gets up and sings what you like, no offence taken"
`e said, "They all know there that I sing that song, Why didn`t anybody tell `im?"
I said, "If you`d `ave got there earlier and put your name down on their regimented list you`d `ave got your crack of the whip."
`e said, "That`s not the point. The point is `e was singing it just like I do and they were all pissing themselves!!"

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