When did Gordon Smith write?

Subject: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: GUEST,Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 05 May 02 - 04:35 PM

I'm eating crow for lunch today... Having looked up a song I've been singing out lately, I've had the unfortunate revelation that I've been passing off a field recorded version of "Come by the hills" as a 'traditional' song... The digitrad explicitly states that the tune is traditional, BUT THE LYRICS WERE WRITTEN BY Gordon Smith!!! Oh,... The Humilliation!!! And I occasionally thought I was a careful folk scholar... Yikes!
The fellow said that his mom sang it to him when he was young, and this would have been in the 20's or 30's I presume...
Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 05 May 02 - 08:11 PM

With the right herbs and spices, moderate oven, good selection of seasonal vegies....crow can be a healthy diet.

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 May 02 - 08:20 PM

Susanne(skw) suggests in the 60s in this thread.

Jon

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 05 May 02 - 08:33 PM

I do think it was in the Fifties or Sixties, when the British folk revival got under way. Gordon Smith was a TV producer who gave several Scottish folkies their first TV break. Our Mudscots ought to be able to tell us more. Ewan, where are you?

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 05 May 02 - 08:35 PM

Sorry, Jon, should have checked the thread again after my provider cut me off! Thanks for the clickie.

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 May 02 - 08:43 PM

The lyric was apparantly written for a BBC television documentary (I haven't been able to discover title or date), so almost certainly belongs to the time-frame Susanne indicates. It isn't unusual for people to think that songs are much older that they really are.

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: Ballyholme
Date: 06 May 02 - 10:34 AM

Paddie Bell was the first person I heard singing the song and that would have been in the late 60s. She lived in Edinburgh at the time and - I think - was a friend of Gordon Smith, so I assume that he may have written the song around this period. Very shortly after her recording, the song really took off and everybody was singing it. The air is the traditional Irish tune Buachaill ón Éirne.

Subject: RE: When did Gordon Smith write?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 May 02 - 03:59 PM

Thank you all, I am much improved by the kind input, although the glaring inconsistancy was profoud indeed... I do like the song, and I'm afraid that if it wasn't for our increased acountability of attributation these days, this tune/word combo would have been "traditional" by now. It is really great. Thanks, and All the best! ttr