Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)

Subject: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 02:30 AM

Back in the 1980's I remember hearing this song on the radio (in California) but it was not Silly Wizard singing it. It was another group - covering it with a female lead singer and male band singing harmonies. I never was able to find out who the group was but possibly an Irish band. The female singer - who sang thoughout the entire song had a lovely, lovely voice. I did try do a search on Google by typing in the title of the song and who may have covered it - but was not successful to find anyone with a lead female singer. Now of course I love this song by Silly Wizard but would really appreciate it if someone might know who this other group was that covered it - with female singer. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 03:50 AM

Hi, Lin -
A search for "And it's feared she's gone down with all hands" turns up identical lyrics for a song titled "The Woman and the Sea," tied to a performer named Jill Anderson - but I didn't buy the 1998 Jill Anderson recording of the song (click for sample).

The lyrics for the Silly Wizard song are in the Digital Tradition. I believe the song was written by Andy M. Stewart (half of Silly Wizard), but I have no definitive verification of that. The DT attributes it to Andy Stewart, who sings mostly sentimental Scottish songs.

Can anybody verify both the lyrics and the authorship of this song, and identify alternate recordings?

Anybody know of Jill Anderson?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 05:25 AM

I can verify that the song was written by Andy M. Stewart [ whom I was at school with ]. He recorded it on the "Silly Wizard" album "Wild & Beautiful", which by a total coincidence, I was listening again to just a few days ago. The song lyrics and sheet music are on pages 32 / 33 of "The Andy M.Stewart Song Book"and Andy M. is listed as author/composer.
I have no knowledge of any cover versions, I'm afraid, so can't help with that.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 05:28 AM

PS - Andy was at various times 1/4, 1/5th or 1/6th of "Silly Wizard", but never "half". :)

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 05:40 AM

Lyrics are accurate, and as in the book apart from the following minor corrections :

The second "verse" listed, which is repeated, is of course a chorus. Andy wrote "boat", not "ship", and also "it's feared IT'S gone down with all hands", not "she's".

Verse 2 starts "Oh and white were the wave-caps....", not "And it's white were the wave-caps"

In the interests of musical and historical accuracy, I know for an absolute fact that Andy would prefer that it be credited to "Andy M. Stewart" rather than "Andy Stewart" - that 1 initial makes a world of difference.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: maeve
Date: 17 Apr 13 - 06:10 AM

Guest kenny is correct that Andy M. Stewart is the writer of this classic song. I've heard him introduce and sing it. It's listed in Andy M. Stewart's elusive and wonderful songbook http://andymstewart.com/songbook.htm . Kenny, do you know of any movement toward re-publication of the songbook?

Listen here to verify lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC1ZY8SC4ew
In this recording (from the "Wild and Beautiful" album), kenny, Andy sang "And it's feared she's gone down...".

I can't verify with information from the LP since mine burned up, so it's good Guest kenny has both the LP and the songbook. Andy's website lists the title as "The Fishermen's Song". I understood it to be "The Fisherman's Song".

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,Guest -Lin
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 02:04 AM

Hi Joe Offer:

You are the only person who read my post and answered it regarding my search for trying to find a female singer/who has covered this song. Everyone else does not even address that question at all but mentions about Andy M. Stewart and other info. about the song.

Yes, of course I know Andy M. Stewart sang this song but I am not trying to find information about Andy or about the lyrics. I am trying to find out about a female singer who covered it with a group in the 1980's.

You mentioned a singer named Jill Anderson. I have never heard of Jill Anderson, but did listen to her clip of this song and she does have a very nice voice indeed!
However, this would not be the singer I am searching for as Jill Anderson released this in 1998 and I definitely heard it in the 1980's. But thank you for this information.

So once again, I am still trying to find who covered this song during the 1980's with a female lead singer and a male band singing backup harmonies and guitars.
Thank you.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 02:37 AM

Hi, Lin -

When somebody starts a thread about a song, we try to answer the original poster's question; but we also do our best to gather all the information we have on a song.

I raised the questions that the other people answered, but we haven't been able to find other recordings of the song. It appears that Jill Anderson called the song "The Woman and the Sea," so that's a possible clue.

Check back at this thread every few weeks or months. We may not have an answer now, but one may come up in the future.

All the best to you.

-Joe Offer, Mudcat Archivist-

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 02:48 AM

Hi Joe:

Just wanted to say thank you again. I will check back.

Regards,
Lin

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 03:02 AM

Actually, I did answer the original query - I said I hadn't heard of anyone who "covered" Andy's song. Not a lot of help, I know, but I didn't give up then. I wondered if your cover might have been by Geraldine McGowan of the Dublin band "Oisin", and checked the recordings I don't have at "thesession.org"'s "Recordings" list. It's not on any of those recordings either, so I won't take up any more of your time.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 03:32 AM

Hi Kenny:

Thank you for your information. I am looking online at some of the albums Geraldine McGowan recorded with Oisin and solo albums and so far have not been able to find which album that song was on yet but will try again tomorrow as I have to get to sleep soon being 12:19 AM here.:-)
Perhaps if I find it, there will be a place to hear a clip of that song. I appreciate your help Kenny.

Regards,
Lin
P.S. I love this song and still remember where I was when I heard it.
I was in San Pedro, California (don't live there) but had taken some buses there that day (about an hour & 1/2 or so from where I was living) durng the 1980's. Just wanted to visit that area for the day and have lunch at this one restaurant.

I was looking in some of the shops there and heard this song on the radio while in a clothing shop. I thought the female singer had a beautiful soprano folk voice! Listened after the song ended but they did not announce it and the radio station was not mentioned at the time I was listening.
Then I had to leave otherwise I would have missed my first bus to get home and had more buses after that.   
Isn't that funny how I would remember exactly where I was when I heard that song? Well...I don't remember now the name of the shop, didn't buy anything there but just remember being in this clothing shop when I heard this song.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,KP
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 05:01 AM

Lin,
It could that you heard Andy M Stewart's ex-wife Kathy singing the song?

Kathy Stewart now stays in the Scottish Borders and still writes and sings beautifully. Here she is recently in Galashiels;
A Little Candle

KP

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: maeve
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 05:22 AM

Lin- I am sorry you were unhappy with our replies to this thread. Despite your recent post, here is what I found for you while caring for my ailing mother: It's just a fragment, but perhaps it will help you confirm or discount the possibility that Jill Anderson is the singer you seek.http://mp3bear.com/the-woman-and-the-sea-jill-anderson-cool-of-the-day , This cd is available here:

Some of the following links will not interest you since they are not sung by a woman with male harmonies, but we work hard to answer such queries with an eye to the wider audience as well as the original query.

It was also covered by (among others):
http://www.rollandgoseasongs.com/rg_cd_2010/rg12fisherman.htm

The Bedlam Boys

Andrew Heinrich

Nancy Davis

Sheila Stratton

Good luck.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: maeve
Date: 18 Apr 13 - 05:52 AM

Lin- Disregard my Jill Anderson link. I'd been working on this since before your mentioned that you've already been able to discount her as a possibility.

Some clips from Geraldine MacGowan (note spelling) here. at least you can hear her voice to see if it rings a bell, and contact information seems to be available there. http://geraldine-macgowan.com/?page_id=28

That's all I have time for.

Subject: RE: Fishermen's Song - Silly Wizard (cover)
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 19 Apr 13 - 02:10 AM

To Maeve:

Thank you for taking the time to list different singers who have covered this great song. Even though they are not the singer I heard on the radio covering this song in the 1980's, I did like the sample version I heard by Sheila Stratton and Jill Anderson. Probably liked Sheila's version the most. I am not familiar with these artists or the other ones you listed but enjoyed hearing others cover this song, so thank you again for your help.

Lin