who were the' fortune bay sons'?

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 09:44 PM

Cheers!

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Alan Ross
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 04:50 PM

No problem Meself.. but it was just to clarify the origins of those words. The Gaels themselves would think that my father's original English lyrics are derogatory to their culture. Calum Kennedy's Gaelic version using other lyrics is regarded as sacred in Scotland! It is nice as a tune, (separate to my father's lyrics) - which is why accordion and fiddle players were using it in medleys when my father's words were set to it.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 03:54 PM

Alan: Thanks for the backstory on the song.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 03:53 PM

#: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Alan Ross."

The tune - assuming it's the one I'm thinking of - is fairly well-known among Scottish(style) fiddlers on the East Coast (of Canada), under both the Gaelic and English title. I've never heard English/Scots lyrics sung to it, so I don't think it caught on as a song in a significant way on the East Coast. And I think it would be a safe conjecture that the Sons of Fortune Bay did not make a fortune from their recording.

(Tunes, btw, unlike legalities, do not respect international borders. A copyright claim is one thing, but to state that a tune does not 'belong to' a certain region or has 'nothing to do with' a nation in which it is played is meaningless.)

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Alan Ross
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 03:49 PM

In 1975, my own mother's adopted mother was dying, and my father Stewart Ross (1929-1993), a Scottish singer of Inverness, Scotland, was landed on a death watch taking his turn. To give himself something to do in this task, he setlyrics to the Gaelic tune, which was being played by Scottish Dance bands on the circuit in accordion medleys. He hadn't heard Calum Kennedy's Gaelic song version and didn't know there were other words to it. So he set wholly new words to it.   Anyway, sentimental stuff about mothers was on his mind, so he wrote his cheesy but lovely words. They are still more cheerful than the Gaelic words or their translations.   He frequently wrote songs about being far from home, even though he'd never been further than England. That was his style, though he later turned to Country Music. In a couple of cases he set lyrics to tunes, but mostly he wrote whole words and music songs.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Alan Ross
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 03:26 PM

Those are my father's Stewart Ross 1975 lyrics. It is a work called 'My Mother' and was a registered copyright. Some moron took the title down wrong in Canada. The tune is based on a 1940's period Gaelic tune, called Mo Mhathair. It does not belong to Newfoundland and is relatively modern.   The tune was played on the Scottish music circuit and has nothing to do with Canada, nor the idiotic title.   If you go to Calum Kennedy you will find separate lyrics.

I re-iterate it is not Mike's Mom, it is 'My Mother', and it is in copyright. The FBS also got the words wrong, due to mishearing a recording.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 01:36 PM

meself:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/34/mom.htm

That's a GEST post. Indeed the FBS's version was taken down because of a copyright claim.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,#
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 01:21 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JW-VWDzf88

See if that's the song.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 01:03 PM

'Mike's Mom' seems to have disappeared from youtube - don't know if it had anything to do with copyright ... ?

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 21 - 11:59 AM

What are the chords for this song: "mikes Mom" or "My Mother."
Beautiful song and melody.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Marcia Palmater
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 07:57 PM

The reason for the distinction between the Maritimes and the Atlantic Provinces is due to Newfoundland being a separate Crown Colony until it joined Canada in 1949, after a plebiscite which is still a sore point for many Newfoundlanders.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 06:25 PM

Btw, It: the terms Maritimes and Maritimers refer, respectively, to the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island, and to their inhabitants - as distinct from Newfoundland & Labrador and their inhabitants. Collectively, they - the Maritimes plus Newfoundland and Labrador - are called 'the Atlantic Provinces'. A little confusing, and a bit of a pain, but ... it wasn't my idea! And a lot of Canadians outside the Atlantic Provinces are not too clear on the whole thing.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: meself
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 06:15 PM

GEST's note to the recording suggests that they may have received the song via the Alexander Brothers - they were well-known in Scottish circles in Canada, and their recordings were playing on Scottish-themed radio programs. GEST's note:

The original Stewart Ross version of this song was first recorded by the Alexander Brothers and broadcast on Canadian television. Ross's other most popular works are My Bonnie Maureen recorded by Daniel O' Donnell; Here's to Scottish Whisky by the Tartan Lads; Highland Road by Denis Clancy; Home To Inverness by various; Christmas Dream by Tartan Lads; and Dark Island by Calum and Fiona Kennedy (lyrics only). With only a couple of exceptions Ross wrote both words and music.

This variant arranged and recorded as a single by Fortune Bay Sons at Sim's Studio, Belleoram, NL, but, as far as GEST can determine, was not included on either of their albums nor released for commercial distribution.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 06:06 PM

Thanks Guest for the information. They were just a small club act, and active 1974-1994. I don't know how my father's 1975 lyrics, found their way onto a Newfoundland recording, and I don't know why the person here has put the wrong title on the song. Anyway, they are probably all long gone now.

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,It
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 10:50 AM

THE FORTUNE BAY SONS: Mayflowers (The Fortune Bay Sons)
The Fortune Bay Sons, 1981, QUAY CS-8057.
Personnel: James Vallis, Cyril Brown, Gerald Stoodley, Winston Keeping, Neil Bishop, Mel Aucoin, Tommy Doyle.
Prod: Fortune Bay Sons; Eng: Neil Bishop & Claude Caines.
Rec: Clode Sound, Stephenville

That is from http://www.vobb.org/newfound-records-page/

What do you want to do from here?

Subject: RE: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,It
Date: 06 Sep 17 - 10:38 AM

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/afortune.htm    That link will lead to the GEST site, a very well-respected source of Maritime songs and songs done by Maritimers. I shall dig further, but that's a start.

Subject: who were the' fortune bay sons'?
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 03 Sep 17 - 11:45 AM

A while ago I found that some Newfoundland folk group called 'Fortune Bay Sons' recorded lyrics written by Stewart Ross of Inverness Scotland to a Scottish tune called 'My mother. His lyrics came out in 1975.   Now on the 'You Tube' video it was weirdly called 'Mike's Mom' (sic). I later had the video creator change the title to its correct one of 'My mother'.   There is no obvious reason for the weird title, and it bears no relationship to the song. My father never received a penny for this particular recording, and knew nothing of its existence - though they seemed to have name checked him, I am left curious to know who these guys were? There dates of existence and are any of them still in the land of the living? Also what year they recorded my father's lyrics? If anybody can help set my curiosity to rest I'd be very grateful.