Origins: Madame Something-or-Other

Subject: Origins: Madame Something-or-Other
From: Artful Codger
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 04:28 PM

Name that tune:

On the Mistwold album (LP!) by the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra (side 2, track 2), there's a jaunty little tune which Dudley Laufman called "Madame Something-or-other". In the liner notes he says, "That's myself doing the harmonica and foot clogging thing on Madame somethingorother, a French-Canadian chanson, title I know not."

Perhaps someone can supply the proper name of the tune or song (and, presumably, the lady)?

Here's an approximate ABC of the tune:
X:1
T: Madame Something-or-other
S: _Mistwold_ album by the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra
L:1/4
M:1/2=100
K:C
G c/c/ e c|B c d2|B d/d/ f f|e d c2|
e>g f e|B c e2|e>g f e|B c e2|
c c/d/ e c|B c d2|B d/d/ f f|e d c2-|
c g g e|d g g e|d2 d2|G c c/B/ c|
d d g>e|f f e/d/ c/e/|d B c2|c4|]

Bonus points for identifying track 6 on the same side, which he called "Madame Something" with no mention in the liner notes.

Subject: RE: Origins: Madame Something-or-Other
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 11:17 PM

Anything French-Canadian that's titled "Madame" at once brings to mind Madame Bolduc, the great stage singer (liberally recorded on the Starr label) of the 1920s-30s. Philo issued an album of her songs years back, but there's much more that's never been reissued. I'm thinking that's who the CCDO must have been thinking of.

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Madame Something-or-Other
From: Artful Codger
Date: 09 Jul 07 - 04:21 PM

I'm dubious this Madame Bolduc was the Madame of the title, or in Laufman's mind. Rather, I infer that Laufman remembered—or misremembered— that the chanson's title at least began with "Madame". It doesn't seem plausible that he'd cover a memory lapse by retitling after a singer whose name he also couldn't remember. It's the kind of thing only someoneorother with a warped sense of humor might do (he says with a mischievous grin). Nevertheless, I appreciate the reference to Madame Bolduc.

Granted, ABC transcriptions require effort to reconstitute. But surely there must be some indulgent French-Canadian around here who can identify this tune and the original chanson. Hey, give it a go—even if you don't recognize it, you may like the tune.

Subject: RE: Origins: Madame Something-or-Other
From: Artful Codger
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 06:39 AM

Bob Coltman turns out to be right! When browsing about on YouTube, I came across recordings of "La Bolduc", and she indeed sang a song with the tune in question: Les Colons Canadiens (with lyrics in the commentary section). Thanks, Bob.

Subject: RE: Origins: Madame Something-or-Other
From: IanC
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 07:02 AM

Madame Bonaparte?

;-)