Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music

Subject: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music?
From: GUEST,Jennifer Burdoo
Date: 29 Apr 00 - 12:21 AM

Okay, I don't quite know where to start. Well, when I was little we had this series of tapes. They were stolen ^H^H^H ahem, copied, unfortunately, so I don't know what the originals looked like or who published them. They were marked Volumes I through III, and fit on six tapes. The songs were sung by a single man and woman, and the man also introduced each one with a short monologue. Each volume covered a different period of American History. The volumes, and some of the songs I can remember on each, are below in no particular order:

I: Revolutionary and Early America

When I First Came to This Land The Constitution and the Guerriere
Paper & Pins
Bennington Riflemen
Tobacco's but an Indian Weed
The World Turned Upside Down
Greenland Whale Fisheries (maybe)
Cumberland Gap (civilian version)
Barbry Allen

Didn't listen to that one much, I'm afraid.:)

II: Civil War

Wait for the Wagon
Dixie
Lay Ten Dollars Down
Hold the Fort (For I am Coming)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
John Brown's Body
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Treasury Rats
We Are Coming, Father Abram (With Three Hundred Thousand More)
Tenting Tonight
All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are Marching
Rally Round the Flag (three versions -- patriotic, battle, and Confederate)
Marching Through Georgia
Cumberland Gap
Wearing of the Gray
Bonnie Blue Flag

something about a draftee's mother, to the above tune, with the chorus, "They took him to the arms of Abraham"
Yellow Rose of Texas
I'm a Good Old Rebel
and a LOT of slave songs and hymns including:

Nicodemus
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Year of Jubilo

Can you tell this was my favorite? :)

III. Western

something about the Galveston cyclone
Buffalo Gals (Won't You Come Out Tonight?)
Plains of the Buffalo
Sweet Betsy From Pike
something about two soldiers dying at the Little Bighorn
Jesse James
Sam Bass


That's all I can remember. It may have come out in the early '60s, as I remember the man saying the Civil War occurred "over a hundred years ago," but we probably copied it in the late 70's or early 80's. These songs hold a lot of memories for me and I have been wondering who made the tape for a long time. I want to find it again. If the above list is familiar to you, please post.

Thank you,
Jennifer

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: raredance
Date: 29 Apr 00 - 12:45 AM

Keith and Rusty McNeil have done a series like that with volumes for different periods in American history. They have a web site, search for McNeil Music or try this URL. It used to work but I haven't tried it in a long time, so it may be out of date.

http://www.pe.net/~wem/index.html

Unfortunately this is probably not what you are looking for, because these recordings are more recent, 80's & 90's. I only have their Civil War group, it's two cassettes and a lot of good songs, but there is not a one to one match with the songs you listed. You might enjoy them anyhow. Burl Ives did a set of 6 LP's going through American history called Burl Ives Presents America's Musical Heritage. No woman on that one and again the song lists don't match. Oscar Brand also recorded an extended series of American history in song. I have not seen nor heard any of that series so I do not know if there were other singers or what the song list was. Perhaps someone else knows more about Brand's set to say if that could be it or not.

rich r

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 29 Apr 00 - 01:14 PM

Jen:

This definitely sounds like Kieth and Rusty McNeil. The song list contains lots of songs we have heard them sing. Also, the "style" you describe sounds exactly like their style. Kieth introduces almost every song and Rusty says very little.

For their current web site click here

The McNiels have been friends of ours for decades and they were the ones who convinced us we should be playing in schools which we have been doing for twenty years. They started playing in schools in the sixties and have since graduated to bigger and better things (see their website)

Bev and Jerry

Subject: Do the McNeils have an email or other address?
From:
Date: 30 Apr 00 - 09:38 PM

You're right, it does sound like them, but I didn't see any mention of what I was looking for on the website. Is there a way to contact them directly and ask if they have (or had) what I'm looking for? There isn't a contact section in the site.

Thanks, Jennifer

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 13 May 00 - 02:03 AM

Jen:

Sorry for the delay. We've been on tour for two weeks chasing the almighty dollar.

Their mailing address is: 16230 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA, 92504.

Tell them we sent you.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: thosp
Date: 13 May 00 - 02:17 AM

American History Through Folksong (15 CDs) Price: $124.95 Weight: 3.60 pound(s) Serial Number: WEMCD600 Six volume set: COLONIAL & REVOLUTION SONGS, MOVING WEST SONGS, CIVIL WAR SONGS, COWBOY SONGS, WESTERN RAILROAD SONGS and WORKING & UNION SONGS. The songs and narration bring history to life with narration and song. Two hundred and eighty songs on fifteen CD's, with Notes on the Songs. Playing time: sixteen hours, twenty-five minutes. i think this is it ---- go back to the mcneil website --- to cd's & cass. --- then go to shop

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 May 00 - 02:39 AM

Thanks for the info and the links. Looks like an impressive set of songs. I've just sent a link to my sister who teaches elementary music and esp. loves to use folkmusic in her classes.

Great stuff!

kat

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for ?American Heritage of Music
From: GreatGoo
Date: 14 May 00 - 01:24 AM

I asked my sister, a keeper of such knowlege, and she said if it is not the McNeils it might be Les Paul and Mary Ford. Same kinda thing but from the forties and fifties.
GreatGoo