Help: What are 'broadsides'?

Subject: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: GUEST,IB
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 02:38 PM

Did some research on british folk ballads and came across the expression "broadsides". What exactly does it mean?

Cheers IB

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 02:46 PM

It's when a ship pulls along side you and fires all the guns they have facing you... usually it means yer day is gonna get really sucky and damp...

;-)

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: MMario
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 02:51 PM

or it's the long side of the barn.

seriously - "broadsides" were printed sheets - single pages - usually with the words but not the music of the latest and greatest "hits" of the day.

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 02:53 PM

It started as a printing term for a sheet of paper printed on one side. The old printers would make a few extra pennies by printing new songs and selling them. The term came to be applied to the songs themselves, while the printing term evolved into broadsheet (as in full-sized newspapers, as opposed to tabloids).

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 02:58 PM

Have a look at the  Bodleian Library Broadside Collection  -a brief explanation, and a huge, fascinating archive.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 03:02 PM

.......or its Cletus, Paw and the Reg boys, lined up after s good dose of pinto beans.

Seriously, you have all the definitions here already, not much to add.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Bernard
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 03:04 PM

Another name for them is 'broadsheets'...

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 26 Jan 01 - 03:08 PM

Technically, anything printed on one side only of a moderately to large sized unfolded sheet of paper. 'broadside ballads' were songs printed thus. Actually 'ballad' was often used then for what would now be called poems). You can see examples in the Wood's and Douce collections (and a few smaller ones) on the Bodley Ballads website (in Mudcats Links). A catalog of all known 16th century ones and almost all known 17th century sheets is given in the broadside ballad index on my website (Mudcat's Links). Steve Roud's broadside ballad index (available on a CD) catalogs some 17th and many 18th and 19 century ones, but slip songs (smaller pieces of paper), chapbooks and songsters and songbooks are also included in his index.

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Deckman
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 01:41 AM

I was given a "Broadside" from a dear friend. He got it in Dublin some years ago. My bride framed it for us, and it's hanging on the wall. When I can get to it, I'll describe it in detail and tell you the song. It's truly a treasure. CHEERS, Bob Nelson

Subject: RE: Help: What are 'broadsides'?
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 02:10 AM

And they pasted them up all over town, sort of like modern day (?) Circus posters, only they were songs.

Subject: What are 'broads'?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Jan 01 - 08:00 AM

I like my kind better...

:-)