Boys of Bedlam: music query

Subject: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 04:35 PM

The Steeleye Span album 'Please to see the King' mentions that the tune to 'Boys of Bedlam' was written by Nick Jones [sic] Was this THE Nic Jones?

Subject: RE: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: curmudgeon
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 02:30 PM

Yes

Subject: RE: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: curmudgeon
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 02:35 PM

Sorry about the premature submission. For many more verses and history, see Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, Dover Books

Subject: RE: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 03:00 PM

See the thread Tom of Bedlam for a copy of the song, (and note where an ABC of the old tune can be found) and reference to Simpson's book, which pretty much makes Chappell's PMOT obsolete.

Subject: RE: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 04:48 PM

Curmudgeon,

Did Nic ever record a version? I know very little about his early career.

Bruce,

Claude M. Simpson's 'The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music'is a book I've not come across. Can you give me any more details? I presume that it's out of print?

Ed

Subject: RE: Boys of Bedlam: music query
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 99 - 05:28 PM

ED, that's the sine qua non for ballad tunes and their history prior to 1700 (and some later), for the most part making Chappell's PMOT obsolete (except for non-ballad and later tunes). All 540 tunes (earliest known copies) in it are given as ABC's on my website. It's been out of print for some time, but you can sometime find used copies for $50-60 on the used booksellers websites. It was cheaply bound, and my copy is now in pieces. No texts, all history (very concisely written) and the tunes. Excellent index. After about 30 years of searching I've found a very few that he doesn't have, but it wasn't easy. www.erols.com/olsonw for the ABCs. Most of the broadside ballad using the tunes are in the broadside ballad index there.