Lyr Req: The Gambling Suitor (Jean Ritchie)

Subject: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 09:10 AM

Hi all, I'm looking for the lyrics to "The Gambling Suitor", as sung by Jean Ritchie.

Thanks, and have a happy New Year!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Willa
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 09:17 AM

Try Jean's website www.jeanritchie.com the lyrics may be there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 03:22 PM

Mad Maudlin- Does it have another title? I don't recall ever recording or singing, "The Gambling Suitor." Are you sure you have the right singer? Jean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 04:11 PM

Now that's what you call information from the horses mouth!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 05:57 PM

Lomax says in the note to "The Gambling Suitor": "From singing of Jean Ritchie and Paul Clayton, as published in American Folk Tales and [Folk] Songs, compiled by Richard Chase..." (The Folk Songs of North America, p. 104). Chase, however, writes of the source as: "This song came from Miss Ella Shiflett, who lived on a mountain in Greene County, Virginia" (p. 146). This is in the DT as COURTING CASE (Sharp versions). Other titles are: "The Drunkard's Courtship," "Courting Cage," "Oh, Miss, I Have a Very Fine Farm," "Root, Poor Hogie," "The Wooing."

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 01:40 AM

I'm pretty sure, Jean - it's as Masato says, and the singer's voice sounds a lot like you..."The Gambling Suitor" is the title given on the CD, and I'm not aware of any other. If this is any help, I can post the parts of the lyrics I understand (as a foreigner, I sometimes have difficulties with that). A Happy New Year to all of you!

Nathali

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 01:42 AM

Should have looked at Masato's link before posting -- those lyrics are very similar to the ones I'm looking for...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 11:07 AM

I think I found the recording, Jean.

Jean Ritchie & Paul Clayton: The Gambling Suitor (trad)
American Folk Tales and Songs Tradition TLP 1011

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 11:21 AM

Sorcha, thanks. I thought American Folk Tales ... Lomax mentions was a book. Chase published a book titled American Folk Tales and Songs, which contains "Gambling Suitor." The quotation above is from the book.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 01:30 PM

Jean, Peter Sellers told a story of his early days as a drummer in a jazz band (immediately post second world war)

"This rather obnoxious customer came up to the band and asked -nay demanded- we play "That's What You Are". The bandleader hummed and hawed a bit, and finally said "look, we don't know the song, sorry" The customer became irate, "Of course you know it, how much do I have to pay you to play it?" The bandleader tried to calm him down a bit. "Look could you sing a bit of it, and maybe we'll try to fake it"?
The customer opened his mouth and sang "Unforgetablllllle...THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE....!!"

Fats Waller apparently used to go into the various Tin Pan Alley music Publishers' offices, jam a bit on the piano, and collect advance royalties for "New songs under construction". Once he recorded two improvised Blues (one fast and one slow). When asked what their titles were he thought quickly and said "Harlem Fuss" and "Mainstreet Shuffle"...and then quickly forgot them. When the songs were later requested in nite clubs, he didn't have a clue what they were! He usually said "You must be confusing me with James P Johnson"!

'Fraid I have that old Ritchie/Clayton album as well.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Gambling Suitor' (Jean Ritchie)
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 06:49 PM

Well, yeah- now that you mention it, I have one or two of them, too...the reason I hadn't remembered it was that it was Paul's choice of song, and I was just doing the "answers," so didn't remember it that well. Sorry!