Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Feb 11 - 04:35 AM

... so now it's hung out to dry...?

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: GUEST,Paul Slade
Date: 13 Feb 11 - 03:59 AM

Dick Greenhaus said: "...nicely executed".

That's an appalling pun - and I wish I'd thought of it myself.

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 09:21 PM

THANK YOU....

I know YOU had fun doing this...

I share in your fun while reading it.

THANx,

Gargoyle

Job WELL DONE... and thanks again. Just the sort of stuff Mudcat and Digital Traditions was designed for.

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 05:56 PM

might add Child #95? also Child #173.
It's an interesting project, and nicely executed.

Any ideas about locating tunes?

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 05:24 PM

Paul-

Will do. There's half a dozen I'll send you in a few days from 19th century magazine illustrations. Some you've no doubt already harvested.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: GUEST,PAul Slade
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 11:03 AM

Thank you, Maryrrf, and thank you again, SC. Much appreciated.

Charley - the simplest thing to do would be to contact me via PlanetSlade itself. Just click on the "Contact Me" button at the top of all the site's pages, and then use the link next to the big stamp you'll find there. I'm intrigued to see the images you've got in mind.

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 10:38 AM

Paul, I'll bung a link on my blog and a post on my Facebook wall.

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Maryrrf
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 10:35 AM

Paul, I have just spent around a half hour enjoying your website, and I plan to revisit when I have more time. This is a wonderful project - so entertaining and informative - very well done indeed! I'm going to share it on Facebook!

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 09:58 AM

Paul-

I did check out your links above. It looks like a very interesting project and you certainly have a good start on it.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 09:52 AM

Paul-

If you become a member here, I might be able to help you with some vintage graphics appropriate to each ballad. I'm reluctant to post an e-mail address on an open forum but would do so via PM.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 09:30 AM

Glad you enjoyed it, Mr Cringe. If you get the chance, please do help me spread the words to any friends or websites you think might be interested. A recommendation from a genuine satisfied reader always carries more weight than the author's own self-interested plug.

Subject: RE: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 11 Feb 11 - 11:26 AM

What a great project this is... and what a great album these ballads could potentially make, especially if the music reflects the dark, gothic horror of the words and themes.

Subject: Gallows Ballads Project - now complete!
From: GUEST,Paul Slade
Date: 11 Feb 11 - 09:33 AM

This month sees the completion of PlanetSlade's gallows ballads project. All 16 of the ballads I set out to cover a year ago are there online now, each with its full lyrics, my own research on the real-life crime that inspired them and a scan of the original broadsheet itself.

The final batch of songs feature what I think are four of our most remarkable killers yet:

Jones and Harwood (1851)
Hiram Smith saves his own neck by turning state's evidence to ensure his innocent friend hangs instead.

The Sister and the Serpent (1850).
Mary Reeder kills to satisfy what is little more than a teenage crush on her brother-in-law.

Jealous Annie (1848).
Annette Meyers takes revenge when her sleazy soldier boyfriend suggests she pimp herself out for cash.

The Foreigner's Downfall (1857).
Dedea Redanies loves his two victims so much that he draws tearful pictures of himself killing them.

This has been a fascinating project to reseach and write for me - but it's not finished yet. What we need now are some eager musicians to set these vintage lyrics to fresh tunes and bring them back to life as fully-performed songs. Over to you, folks...