Origins of Yodelling in Country Music

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Wolfgang
Date: 23 Aug 01 - 04:22 AM

Swiss Navy (and this time I am serious)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 11:35 PM

High register singing of phrases has been traditional in Hawai'i, at least dating back to the 19C and perhaps earlier. It could have been indigenous or imported. Not realized is the amount of contact Hawaiians had with the rest of the world. This happened after the breakdown of the old Kapu and societal patterns in the 1820s. Hawaiians were hired as voyageurs, lumbermen and carpenters by the Companies trading in western USA and Canada including Hudson's Bay (descendents still in British Columbia). Dana, in "Two Years Before the Mast" tells of working with Hawaiians who were preparing cattle hides for the Spaniards in California. Hawaiians served on whaling and transport ships all over the world. Some took part in the California gold rush. Other nationalities were brought to Hawai'i to work, among the first (1830s) Mexican Vaqueros to tame and harvest the cattle which had multiplied after Capt. Vancouver left a small herd on the Big Island. The name Espaniola is still found. Later came Canary Islanders and Portuguese, Puerto Ricans and Asians. An English sailor was a trusted advisor of the first king who conquered all the islands (and died with great honors as an old man in mid-19C, being buried in the Royal Cemetery). Whalers had permanent stations in Maui and sailors made a big impression in Honolulu. The school at Lahaina taught the sons of California ranchers and early interpreneurs. Briefly, Hawaiians were exposed to most traditions of music (but the Swiss?????).

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 10:49 PM

The SWISS NAVY, TED? I still don't believe they have an army....despite the knives!

Hank Snow was a fine Yodeller.

And of course you know who WOULD have been a hell of a yodeller? Roy Orbison.

Rick

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 10:28 PM

IT seems that several cultures have developed some form of communication singing, but I'm still confused as to how something that sounds like the trad Swiss yodel wound up in Country Music. Still haven't seen that answered here.........just curious.

And Steve.........I got that site, interestingly enough, from Wyowoman......a fine yodeler as Wizzy said. She had no idea what it was about and I don't either, but it cracked us both up and it seems to have the occasional application in the threads, so............

Spaw

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Armen Tanzerian
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 10:05 PM

Well, Jimmie Rodgers was one of the most prominent members of a long chain of singers who rose to stardom by "borrowing" African-American music wholesale and delivering it to a white middle-class public who would never accept the performance of actual black singers. This is an unbroken thread in American popular music going back at least as far as Stephen Foster, through Al Jolsen, Jimmie Rodgers, Bing Crosby (yep!), Elvis, and the Righteous Brothers (ugh). The point of this little digression is that perhaps Jimmie Rodgers "borrowed" the idea of the blue yodel from a black musician he had heard, since African-American music -- and a wonderful singing voice and style -- were what made him a sensation.

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 08:05 PM

Hawaiian performers had been touring the mainland since the turn of the century--their popularity really took off at the time of the San Franciso Exposition in 1915 or 1916, and Hawaiian music became a nationwide musical craze--the "yodeling" tended to be simple breaks, often on the last syllable of a phrase, rather than elaborate patterns. I had read that the technique may have been brought to the islands by sailors(The Swiss Navy?) in the early days--

This is a worthy subject for research, there must be somebody who has done it--

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 06:30 PM

Then of course there's our own Patsy Rue, Wyodelwoman. I mean WyoWoman. Oughtta get her take on this. Yodeling AND bubble wrap. Now there is a yodeler! I told her once she could chuck the 9 to 5 job and live on yodelbucks, but she might have been concerned about having to lay down the bubble wrap as a case for tips. So she is probably too busy on her dayjob to come give us hew yodellore.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: GUEST,John Leeder
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 06:24 PM

Wilf Carter (who also called himself "Montana Slim" in the U.S.) was one of the people who popularized the yodel in cowboy music, although he likely didn't invent it, unless it was an independent invention. He tells a story of having gone to see an entertainer called "The Yodelling Fool" when he was 10 years old in Nova Scotia, and was so taken by yodelling that he learned to yodel himself. Later on (around 1930) he travelled to Calgary, and found work as a leader of trailrides in the Rockies, and led singing around the campfire at night. Possibly the mountain environment lent itself to yodelling. He already had a singing career on local radio at this point; in the interview I got this information from (Canadian Folk Music Bulletin, June 1987) he doesn't go into how much of his repertoire consisted of cowboy songs before he took on the trail rides, and whether he yodelled as part of that repertoire. However, local contry music shows in Calgary in the '30s likely included a lot of cowboy repertoire.

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 05:08 PM

No idea who started the country or blues type of yodel, but Jimmie Rodgers was great. Hawaiians have a tradition of high register singing. At the time Rodgers was popular, a number of Hawaiian musicians were playing on the coast and in New York. That could have been the time yodeling hit Hawai"i. I don't know of a Hawaiian singer doing pure yodel now although the high register tradition is still strong.

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Gary T
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:35 PM

I saw a splendid play (whose title I can't recall) a few years ago that dealt with some of country music's roots. It was set in Appalachia and included dozens of songs. It mentioned yodeling as a means of communicating across great distances in the mountains--a shout wouldn't carry very far but a yodel would, and this could be a lifesaver in certain emergencies.

One character in the play, a traditionalist, took offense at another character's use of yodeling in entertaining. Apparently he found this insulting to the serious and necessary nature of yodeling in real life.

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: kendall
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:32 PM

Not to mention my old pal, Yodelling Slim Clark.

I guess it really doesn't matter, but, Vernon Dalhart was the first Country singer. He recorded the Prisoners song, the first record to sell one million copies.

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:24 PM

Let's not forget the yodeling queen, Patsy Montana! BTW--Mahi Beamer made the wonderful record of the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" that I copped from--

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:18 PM

This question about how yodeling, which seems to be an Alpine Swiss tradition, got connected with Country and Western Music, particularly the singing cowboys, has puzzle me for years, as well. Of course, other traditions use the voice break as well- Hawaiian singing uses it, and, there were a lot of Hawaiian singers touring on the variety circuits during the twenties, (and many recordings, as well) and the commercial singing cowboys (and brakemen) may have borrowed from them, and there were probably Alpine Yodelers touring as well--the Alpine Yodeling is fairly elaborate, but the cowboy stuff tends to be fairly simple, as does the Hawaiian--Of course, African/American and African/Carribean music has a tradition of using voice breaks, and this would be an obvious source, too.

As far as I know, it wasn't an element in real cowboy singing--they might have sung phrases like "Ti-yi-yippie-yippie-yay" but there were no voice breaks involved--Of course, popular Cowboy singers often were just pop singers with a horse--

I used to do a bit of yodeling when I was younger (it only works about one time out of ten nowdays), began by copying Jimmie Rodgers "He's In the Jailhouse Now" had a particularly interesting(but difficult) yodel to it. I learned a version of "There is a Tavern in the Town" that had a lot of yodeling in it, I also learned a version of the Hawaiian Wedding Song--but it has been a while since I could manage either of them--

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:11 PM

One of the really "pure yodellers" was Elton britt. Worth hearing if you get a chance. Also Canadian Wilf Carter, (Montana Slim) and one of the very best...Grampa Jones.

My all time faves, the Delmore Brithers did a lot of "twin Yodelling". Seemed VERY difficult.

And of course, the inimitable (and much laughed at) SLIM WHITMAN."......I am calling YOUooooOOOooo..."!

Rick

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 02:01 PM

There are many wrong stories about the origin of yodel, like e.g. in the song 'That's how the Yodel was born' and I shall therefore now tell you the real story how it was born:

Two Japanese tourists were walking through the Swiss Alps. They had a little Sony radio with them playing music. When they crossed a glacier the one of them carrying the radio let loose and the radio fell down in a deep crevasse, but could still be heard playing down below. The other guy turned to the culprit and cried as loud as he could:
Holdoodiladio.
That's how the yodel was born.

O.K. I admit it's only for the select few like Joe and Ferrara (Bill!) and perhaps Ebbie and Alex. And the others? Well, just think it is one of these Gaelic messages floating through the threads.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:47 PM

Wait! Back to Sourdough Slim! Dang, what a world!

"Welcome to Sourdough Slim's Double-S CyberRanch ... West. How it got to Jimmie Rodgers is the real question ... Sourdough's idol, Jimmy Rodgers, as we all know ... added this weird little yodeling blues refrain to them. ..."

SEE MORE ON THIS

I'm outta here!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:45 PM

Hey Steve, I gotta go, but here's one more find from my search-- maybe you can go over to YODEL CENTRAL, nose around, and larn us back here. Maybe their host can come give a talk in our thread.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:45 PM

'Spaw,

I don't know why I bother to post. I should just PM you, you know all. Where did you ever find that?

Steve

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: GUEST,Garydon
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:40 PM

My knowlege is very slim on yodeling as well. However Jimmie Rodgers did have his blue yodels which was later named country music. Which he was trying to cross over or bridge between what was blues and what was to become country music. At least thats what I understood from a Jimmie Rodgers CD sleave.

Really enjoyed that show as well but still haven't seen songcatcher

Gary

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:40 PM

No, no, Spaw, nice, but-- look at THIS< great website of southern music of ALL SORTS!

Singing Brakeman. Close anyway.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:39 PM

I think it came about either from some guy who had his balls clamped down tighter than a chicken that got caught in a tractor's nuts, or from prolonged exposure to the "WEEEEEEEEEEEEE" at this website.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:37 PM

That Jimmie's right purty too, it seems. (Referencing a photo in his bio in the link above.)

I wonder if the yodel was his approximation of the appoggiatura, portamento, and embellishment of pure melody on melody he'd heard from black singing co-workers-- spirituals, etc., coming out of the African vocalization style.

I kin 'bout hear it now. Jimmie says, "SWISS??? Man, I dunno SWISS, whatchoo tawkinnabout?"

I really don't know. I am sure someone who DOES know will wander in soon! Hope so anyway!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:32 PM

LOL-- kids!!!:

CLICK THIS

We can learn together.

See also current thread MORE ONLINE CONCERTS, my reference to Sourdough Slim there.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:29 PM

Sure, Jimmie Rodgers, the Yodeling Brakeman, and the father of country music.

According to some folks.

I dunno much about it.

~Susan

Subject: Origins of Yodelling in Country Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 22 Aug 01 - 01:11 PM

I watched "O Brother, Where Art Thou" the other night (enjoyed it) and was once again curious as to how yodelling, a Swiss means of communicating, was ever integrated into Country music. Is there some connection?