Yodeling...Where is it?

Subject: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: GaryD
Date: 03 Mar 98 - 11:40 PM

As I am one of the rare people around here who yodel & like surprising others with it...where can I find sources of this style of music? I only remember a few tunes from 3 childhood records of Elton Britt, Grandpa Jones (who just died, sad to say), & Slim Whitman. I lost those recording years ago. I am also just as fond of the Swiss style ("L" sounds), besides the American style ("D" sounds). Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From:
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 02:03 AM

Did you know there is an Austrian style of yodeling. It is done by groups and has a complex polyphonic 16th century polyphonic style--sort of "classical yodeling". I recently heard some samples from a group visiting Australia (whose name I can't remember), but it was beautiful.

BTW that is not a misprint. I meant Austria in the first line and Australia in the fifth. They are so similar.

Do you mean pure yodeling Gary--as opposed to songs with yodeling in them (a la Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter family, and some Nashville folk)?

Murray

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: dwditty
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 06:26 AM

Several years ago I used to listen to a group called Riders in the Sky - western trio with lots of yodeling. I particularly remember a great rendition of Back in the Saddle Again.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: GaryD
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 09:29 AM

Yes Murray, I like it all..In fact, that's why I am so fond of Mudcat..I think we all appreciate many types of music.. Being monolithic is so sad.. people who limit themselves to only one style of any kind music are cutting themselves off to a lot of great enjoyment. As for the the Austrians, of course, they are the best! I'd love to find someone here who can also yodel with me in harmony. It'd not be as great as a chorus, but it would be fun. Certainly the Carter type of yodeling is fair game too. In fact, I suspect that may be the easier of the songs to try for me. Also, DW,...forgot about them. They are great with that US Western Style..sort of like a clone of the "Sons of the Pioneers"..In fact, I recently got a "78" recording of Gene Autry in his earliest years. Was stunned to find out he yodeled way back then, too!

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Ireland O'Reilly
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 12:41 PM

If it's yodellin' you're lookin' for.... listen to "The Roundup" on CBC Radio in the afternoons. Bill Richardson usually has some (too much for my likin') yodelling on his show & he always names his sources. The Roundup is on after Maritime noon, which, if I'm not mistaken, gets over around 1:30 or 2:00 pm AST. If you want to hear yodelling on the roundup, you can request it, too, by callling Bill's SAD GOAT request line, or e-maiing him. I'm not sure of the exact e-mail or the tel. number, but I'll let you know. Are you in Canada by the way?

In the meantime.... Wilf Carter. Sure, he was a Nova Scotian, like meself. Wilf Carter, also known as "Montana Slim".... although I'm not sure why. Maybe it was a marketin' thing for the US.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 01:07 PM

I seem to remember that Bill Staines was once the American champion yodler, and I heard him do some incredible yodeling at the Philadelphia Folk Festival many years ago. There is a little yodeling on some of his many recorded songs.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Corinna of California
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 04:27 PM

Yodel Stroll through History - tracing yodeling from Europe to the Americas with outshoots into country and jazz specifically. Hard to find the straight stuff but I like the additional, occasional spontaneous burst of vocal trilling. I think it's a given that just about all the old country artists did a least a song or two with yodeling. You might want to check with Nashville Grand Ole Opry archives. Sorry I don't have an address. You might also want to check out a group out of Arizona called Igor's Jazz Cowboys. Think late 1800's U.S Calvary dressed types playing western swing/jazz. They have a couple of yodeling type of songs and Igor (lead) would be a good resource of names/groups that yodel/yodeled (read since deceased). They have a fan club but I'm not sure if they have a website...yet.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From:
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 09:51 PM

In that case, Gary, Rounder records puts out the complete Victor recordings of the Carter Family. The early ones don't have yodeling in them. They start to yodel from about 1928, when the Victor agent for country music urged them to do it because of the success of Jimmie Rodgers.

The same company also puts out some disks/cassettes by Jimmie Rodgers. They say he is the one who introduced yodeling into western music.

Rounder has a website at:

http://www.rounder.com/contents.htm

I walked in while someone was playing an early Gene Autry piece once and thought it was Jimmie Rodgers until I heard more and heard the accompanyment. I think he started out with Rodgers as a model.

Give a listen to Jean Shephard's recording of "Second Fiddle". She yodels an entire stanza--and sounds good too! The recording is from the Nashville school in the 60s (or maybe early 70s).

Murray

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From:
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 10:18 PM

Gary; Check out Shirley Field, a BC "Cowboy" yodeler who is the NA champion. She has several CDs and tapes out and instructional books and tapes. She lives in Armstrong, B.C. She performs at many of the Cowboy Poetry gatherings. You might find her through the BC Cowboy Heritage society in Kamloops B>C. Of course there is lots of Austrian music recording around with yodeling. There is a yearly contest. Not sure how to check it out.

Richard

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Ireland O'Reilly
Date: 05 Mar 98 - 07:37 AM

All right, now... Here's the information about Richardson's Roundup on CBC radio One. It comes on the air at 2:00 pm AST (just after the 2 o'clock news, actually) the request line is 1-888-SAD-GOAT (long story...but worth listenin' to.) and the e-mail is [e-mail]

The CBC's got it's own homepage at www.cbc.ca

good luck to ya!

Ireland

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: GaryD
Date: 06 Mar 98 - 11:44 PM

Great suggestions..not sure I can get those CBC Stations here in Central MN..only if AM at night, or shortwave. FM doesn't carry far at those high frequencies. The low bands aren't active until then.. Will be going to Winnipeg during the folk festival this summer, perhaps we can tune in up there....However, recordings like you all suggested will work..I'm certainly going to check in on those sites.

Corinna, Igor's sounds fascinating...would like to hear some of that, & Ireland..forgot about Carter..he was the other source of my early recordings. Sort of wonder why there's not more yodeling today..seems like everybody who hears it loves it! Probably the novelty...

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 08 Mar 98 - 03:02 AM

If you ever listen to choral music from the Republic of Georgia (that's the one in the Caucasus Mountains, not the Southeastern U.S.), and listen in particular to songs from the region of Guria, you'll hear "krimanchuli," which is a controlled yodel supplied by the tenor on top of two other vocal parts. The most easily accessible album is possibly the Rustavi Ensemble's _Georgian Voices_ on Nonesuch, but there are many other recordings on other labels. In particular, listen to a song called "hassanbegura" which is actually a traditional ballad sung in traditional Georgian style--which involves a trio and a chorus, and the top voice of the trio yodels his way above narrative text provided by a middle voice, while a bass voice offers a ground that's a sort of bass yodel.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Alice
Date: 08 Mar 98 - 11:18 AM

Gary, if you are in central Minnesota, then you MUST be able to get National Public Radio. Riders in the Sky have a great radio music/comedy program (Riders Radio Theatre), which is on NPR. Their lead singer, Ranger Doug, ("the idol of American youth") does alot of yodeling in their performances. The program is hilarious, and wonderful music, too.
alice, montana

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Old Timer
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 04:29 PM

Yo Duh Leedle Laydee, Duh Leedle Laydee, Yo Duh Leedle Laydee Hoo!

Kind of like:

Your'e the Little Lady, The Little Lady, Your'e the Little Lady Who!

I heard this explanation of one western (cowboy) yodeling "lick" (?) on some tv show. Heck, even I can do that!

OT

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Dale Rose
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 05:05 PM

Naw, I heard it like this~~a long time ago.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Little Old Lady.

Little Old Lady, Who?

Gee, I didn't know you could yodel like Eddy Arnold!

Actually, Esther and Abi Ofarim did the "You're the Little Lady, The Little Lady, You're the Little Lady Who!" line (or something similar) on their song, Cinderella, Rockefella.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Alice
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 05:23 PM

Back in the 50's, my grandmother told us the way to learn how to yodel was to say, "little old lady-hoo, little old lady-hoo". I wonder how old that line is.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From:
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 05:57 PM

One trouble with saying "you're the little lady" is that you put too much stress on the first word. I think Jimmie Rodgers learned to yodel that way and when he really gets wound up he sings (says)

YO du leedle lay hee

Which sounds funny--but maybe he wanted it to.

Murray

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Jon W.
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 07:20 PM

No one has mentioned Don Edwards. I'm no expert on cowboy singers but I like his voice and yodeling style.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 11:45 PM

There's a song in the obscure Off-Broadway musical _Tuscaloosa's Calling Me (But I'm Not Going)_ about a man who dates women and pays attention to their astrological signs. Finally he meets:

A Leo Lady A Little Leo Lady That Little Old Leo Lady Who's Gonna Be My Wife...

at which point you've been set up for a yodeling song.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: Ireland O'Reilly
Date: 12 Mar 98 - 12:30 PM

That "you're a little lady" line sounds like something Stompin' Tom Connors does in his tribute song to Wilf Carter. Stompin' Tom is no professional yodeller, but he's no slouch, either.

Subject: RE: Yodeling...Where is it?
From: GaryD
Date: 23 Mar 98 - 10:05 PM

Good to get back to mudcat after a longer than wanted departure.. Charlie, I'd love to hear the Georgian music.. besides the kind you described, I am very fond of that Russian Contra Bass... Also there's a favorite MPR selection called "Lake Baikal, Holy Sea!"..which is a chorus with an incredible Tenor...Don't have the foggiest idea what they are saying, but as you know...words aren't everything.. & Alice, sure I listen to MPR all the time, but the local station here doesn't play programs such as you describe. The format is from 6 AM to 9 AM, an eclectic mixture of everything from Bluegrass to Ragtime to 1927 recording of Bing Crosby, Singing whales, etc. after that the station kicks into all classical the rest of the day. I listen to mixture on the way to work, classical on the way home, & Old Rock the rest of the time. The folk music program on the other campus station is only a couple hours once a week...