Your unfavourite session tunes?

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:01 AM

OK, confession time. There may well be a tune called Saddle the Donkey, but it turns out that I did indeed mean Saddle the Pony - my memory's been too close to my loudspeaker magnets again. Which leads me to another confession: I often find it easier to remember a tune than its name. I would ask whether anyone has the same trouble, but I that would be for another thread.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: gillymor
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:49 AM

Some Godhead may strike me down for saying this but if I never hear Farther Along or Circle be Unbroken at our winter song circles again I won't get too upset (also our traditional closer Goodnight Irene). All great songs, just too damn familiar.
Also Whiskey 'fore Breakfast and Red Haired Boy are starting to lose their luster for me but as long as one person is getting off on them I say let it fly.
I still love Danny Boy in spite of all the terrible things that I've heard done to it in Irish-style pubs here in the states. It seems like everyone of these establishments with a band at some point during the evening has the owner up and/or some of the more prodigious quaffers to render (flagellate) it. Hearing a snippet of a woozy Shane McGowan sing it in a pub on a PBS special concerning the song kind of renewed my affection for it.

Frankie

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: sophocleese
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 08:55 AM

Oh dear, at a British Night two days ago somebody requested knew Danny Boy. I've heard it many's the time but I haven't actually sung it so we had to refuse. I'm planning on learning it properly once my throat has fully recovered from Strep.

Soddy, I agree Bile "em Cabbage Down is one of the most boring tunes imaginable.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Noreen
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 10:47 AM

I still love Danny Boy, despite the poor lad being regularly murdered. I've also thought of the song differently since hearing Richard Thompson doing his rock version- catch it if you can!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: death by whisky
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 08:58 PM

Brendy.(*BG*)..? Went to a session last night were most of the tunes mentioned were played,and yes,the grand finale was Dingle Regatta,including up.down diddle de da... It was BRILLIANT.Its back on my list.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: GUEST,Banjo Johnny
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 09:31 PM

At one of our local folk clubs a school teacher brought in a bunch of very young kids. The wanted to hear the Barney Song. We did the Barney Song. They loved it. Music is for the audience. == Johnny in Oklahoma City

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 09:37 PM

Death by Whisky, I'm glad your back to liking Dingle Regatta and yes, I do the up down bit - love it!

Jon

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 10:06 PM

I certainly became heartily sick of the Boys of Bluehill/ Harvest Home set after having to play it several times a week for about 7 years.  Now that I don't do sessions so regularly, I've started to like it again, provided I can play it with a dotted rhythm almost strong enough to turn the Hornpipes into Strathspeys, but if somebody (usually a person who has only ever heard recent Irish versions) starts it off as a fast reel... well, I could cheerfully do murder.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 24 Jul 00 - 12:57 AM

Anything Eagles, but especially desperado... Buffet, Particularly after the first one... Beatles, if it is the exact version we all knew... Pop in general turns me off.

I love a go at anything "traditional",... especially variety!...But when everyone is singing, little known languages can be tough, if not led properly.

ttr

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 24 Jul 00 - 04:05 AM

Being a fan of slapstick comedy, I have to say I will probably never tire of the Dingle Regatta stand up /sit down thing. Also, Harvest home is definitely not in the "Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah Nyahhh" category. It's in the "Neener, neener, neener, neener" category.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: gillymor
Date: 25 Jul 00 - 12:08 AM

Noreen, where is RT's version to be found?

Regards, Frankie

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: GUEST,Ely
Date: 25 Jul 00 - 01:51 AM

Come to think of it, "Whiskey Before Breakfast" is starting to wear on me, too. Same with "Soldier's Joy".

"Lorena" was all the rage among my acquaintances for awhile and I didn't like it much to begin with.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Jul 00 - 02:04 AM

All the same, though, Chris Newman does a cracking version of 'Soldiers Joy' on Fred Wedlock's 'Oldest Swinger in Town' album.

B.

Subject: RE: Your unfavourite session tunes?
From: Albatross
Date: 25 Jul 00 - 08:41 AM

Shepherd's Hey beats donkey riding, davy davy knick knack, winster gallop and rakes of marlow for boredom but...

The old swan band play a refreshing version of winster gallop which stirs a lot of life into it (first record called "no reels!")

and there is one of my favourite recordings done by richard attenborough in 1943 by the BBC! in cornwall of the Boscastle players (Topicrecords) called the boscastle breakdown which is a superb variation of the dorset four hand reel.

In the old days it seems they never played a simple tune the same twice, it makes it more interesting to play harmonies to jimmy allen,etc then its more fun!