Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?

Subject: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Nov 09 - 09:49 AM

I am having difficulty finding dates for Amadie Breaux. This is to establish if the tune is out of copyright or not. I doubt I am using the correct tune but it is based on "Jolie Blonde" (pick a spelling) AKA "Ma Blonde est Partie". Well as near as a drummer can get.

Any ideas when Amadie Breaux or Cleoma lived until?

Subject: RE: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Nov 09 - 01:51 PM

The first commercial recordings were made between 1928 and 1932, including the first recording of "Jolie blonde," Amédé, Cléopha and Ophé Breaux.
Jolie blonde, regardez donc quoi t'as fait, ....

"Ma blonde est partie" ("Jolie blonde") is regarded as traditional, but the version by Amadie et al. would be under copyright.

Sorry that I don't have the details.
"Musiciens cadiens et créoles," "The Makers of Cajun Music," Barry Jean Ancelet, 1984, Univ. Texas Press. (Volume in both French and English).

Subject: RE: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Nov 09 - 02:01 PM

Amédé Breaux was born in 1900, but I don't have date of death. His heirs or assigns would have copyright.

Roy Acuff recorded his own version, copyright, ASCAP Title Code 100009965, title "Jole Blon."

There are several copyright covers. See BMI and ASCAP listings.

Subject: RE: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: GUEST,Suzy T.
Date: 09 Nov 09 - 02:59 PM

If you are wondering about whether you need to pay royalties to record Jolie Blonde, or a tune that is based on Jolie Blonde, the answer is, no. There are many copyrighted versions, but those are copyrighted arrangements, or copyrighted versions of the song. The song itself is traditional.

Most traditional Cajun songs do not have a fixed text, and Jolie Blonde is among them. There are nearly as many different sets of words as there are singers of the song. To complicate matters further, it's not uncommon for a singer to sing different words to a Cajun song. Often, the lyrics are drawn from a set of floating phrases or verses and just plugged into whatever song the singer happens to be singing.

This is not true for actual written songs (like "Porte En Arriere" for example) but it definitely is the case for the vast majority of older waltzes and twosteps. If you analyze Amede Ardoin's lyric content, there's only about a song and a half worth of lyrics, used in about 20 songs!

Subject: RE: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Nov 09 - 08:27 PM

Cleoma died in 1941 and Amedee in 1975.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Amadie (Amedee) Breaux dates?
From: Mr Red
Date: 10 Nov 09 - 09:14 AM

Thanx.

It is only the tune I am interested in, and I probably don't use any one person's version.
I doubt from the above there is any copyright issue. Especially if using less than 6 bars. As I am for a radio jingle.

BTW
Gloucester Cajun Festival 22-24 Jan 2010 is listed on my site I will be there at least for one dance. Early-bird tickets all sold. Even so the full price is cheapper than last year.
In the line-up are Sarah Savoy and the Francadians (daughter of Ann & Marc Savoy) and our very own Greg Stephens with his Boat Band.