Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole

Subject: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: dpara
Date: 02 Nov 99 - 10:56 AM

So I have wondered for a number of years where did Leadbelly learn his version of "The Maid Freed from the Gallows." We do a folk residency in the Boonville, Mo. 4th grade every year, and while they're sanding their mouthbows I play them versions of the song, an Ozark version of which we had already sung with them. Included are a Kentucky version, Leadbelly's and the Led Zepplin version which I suspect came more from Leadbelly than an English source. Anybody know the answer? dave para

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Nov 99 - 11:18 AM

Dave, I read that Huddie Ledbetter learned a number of ballads from Richard Dyer Bennett (who was at tons of those "village" get-togethers. Leadbelly apparently made disparaging remarks about Richard's high voice and meticulous sartorial habits as well. He also was close to Hally Wood, who definitely would have sung it. I've tried to find any previously recorded version of "Maid/Gallus'" that bares even the slightest resemblance to Huddies' with no luck. That's why I consider him an amazingly original "songmaker" (to use Sandy's phrase)

Rick

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: Doctor John
Date: 02 Nov 99 - 05:10 PM

Rick, I haven't found one either in years of collecting. Dr John

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From:
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 03:58 AM

Leadbelly was part of the N.Y. folk scene in the 40s. He apparently used to show up at Pete Seegers hoots and he probably heard a lot of various folk music from sourcers with diverse background. However he heard it, he made it his own and I have to agree with Rick that Leadbelly was an amazingly original songmaker. I think he was also an amazing eclectic songmaker.

Murray

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 11:25 AM

Earlier this year, the wonderfully kind Joe Hickerson took me on a tour of the folk archives at the library of congress. He asked if there was anything I particularly would like to see or hear. I said" "I've heard for years how Leadbelly wrote "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine", and frankly found it hard to picture him coming up with that tune, considering his style". Joe scurried off and came back with a tape of Leadbelly. Sure enough..there it was! Amazing.

Rick

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: GUEST,BD2412
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 10:45 AM

Hi folks, we at Wikipedia are working to make "The Maid Freed from the Gallows" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maid_Freed_from_the_Gallows) the best article it can be - your contribution of knowledge would be welcome in this (or any) of our articles!
Cheers!
BD2412

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: GUEST,sorefinges
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 12:26 PM

Hmm tis a pity you didn't care as much about certain errr items such as I posted on yer site on its first year on the internet. If I was quoting somebody else then I can see why you wouldv'e deleted my entry. But it was all my own work and none of it could be regarded as usefull to anybody but a nerdy scientist interested in technology.

Wikipaedia is gaining a reputation as in insider subscription racket that publishes as reliable information utter rubbish that is more often the meanderings of some grammer nazi who hasn't a clue.

A more reliable source is

http://www.britannica.com/

and it DOES contain reference to my shit.

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: open mike
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 04:40 PM

ok then it is not the rating by the Gallup Poll that you refer to?

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 08:12 PM

"sorefinges", you would make more sense if you said who you are and explained what on earth your outrage was about. All I got from that last message is that you think somebody pissed in your cornflakes.

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: GUEST,Jay
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 01:44 AM

Does any one no where i can get the lyrics to this song?

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: Susan of DT
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 07:33 AM

There are three versions of The Maid Freed From Gallows (Child #95) in the Digital Tradition, but not Leadbelly's. If someone will post it, I will add it. What we have are:
   HANGMN1   Hangman or The Prickilie Bush
   HANGMAN2 The Golden Ball
   HANGMAN3 The Prickilie Bush

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 25 Apr 07 - 09:15 AM

If Leadbelly did get The Gallus Pole from Richard Dyer Bennett, it must have been very soon after the latter arrived in New York.

The earliest recording I have of Leadbelly singing that piece is dated November 1938. It's a Library of Congress record cut in New York under the auspices of Alan Lomax. RDB was also in NY in 1938, but had already spent a good bit of the year in San Francisco.

I'd think it more likely that Leadbelly picked it up somewhere along the way before he got to New York.


"Dave, I read that Huddie Ledbetter learned a number of ballads from Richard Dyer Bennett..........."

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST,phil
Date: 27 Jun 10 - 04:03 PM

does anyone know how to play it? I would love to learn the leadbelly version. I have just heard it for the first time after only knowing the zep one and it blue me away!

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 01:25 PM

Does somebody know the year of the recording of Galis Pole by Lead Belly that is in the Tradition Masters?

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST,999
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 03:57 PM

Lead Belly recorded a version of The Gallis Pole in 1939 (the Gallis is not a misspelling). It is available on Youtube.

Read somewhere that Gallis was the warden, but I can find no reference to Warden Gallis on the net, yet.

FYI

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: Roberto
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 05:46 PM

Gallis was the gallows...

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST,999
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 06:04 PM

Thanks, Roberto. I did know that, but then why did LB use the Gallis spelling on the 78 rpm record?

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST,T
Date: 18 May 12 - 04:31 AM

Does someone have the chords or tabs to Leadbelly's amazing rendition of this song? I really want to play this!

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST,Richie
Date: 08 Jul 12 - 09:59 PM

Hi,

Leadbelly apparently didn't know the song in 1936 when the Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly book came out, otherwise I'm sure it would be in there.

From 1936 to 1939 he was mostly in NYC so it seems likely he adapted this from someone in the folk scene or a recording.

When did Richard Dyer Bennett record the song?

Richie

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: Richie
Date: 09 Jul 12 - 08:01 PM

Hi,

After checking more carefully, Leadbelly did record the song under the title, Mama, Did You Bring Me Any Silver? in 1935.

Apparently his version comes from another Texas inmate that the Lomaxes recorded a year earlier, James "Iron Head" Baker.

I haven't heard Baker's recording. Anyone know where I can get a copy or download "Young Maid Saved fro mthe Gallows"? The title was surely given by John Lomax.

Richie

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 10 Jul 12 - 11:17 AM

"The Maid Freed From The Gallows" is Child's title: #95

~M~

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 18 - 06:16 PM

Young Maid Saved from the Gallows was recorded from James Baker Iron Head) in 1934

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Oct 18 - 07:44 PM

Not really on topic, but the song still has its fascination and 2 relatively-recent variant renditions are worth a listen:

Willie Watson

Ninebarrow

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Leadbelly and the Gallus Pole / Gallows Pole
From: Brian Peters
Date: 15 Oct 18 - 07:19 PM

Alphonso Smith, who collected ballads in Virginia during the 1910s, reported that "The Hangman's Tree "seems to have become peculiarly the property of negroes, at least in Virginia", and described a partly acted-out performance in an African-American community in which a separate individual played each part. None of Smith's published examples looks much like Leadbelly's, though.

Does anyone know whether Iron Head's version can be found anywhere?