Origins: Greenland Whale Fisheries

Subject: Does anyone have any info?
From: GUEST,andi at work
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 05:48 AM

Does any have any info on the story behind the song "Greenland Whale Fisheries"? or would you know where I could find it? I have tried searching on Google for information but came up with zilch? thanks andi

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info?
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 05:56 AM

There's some info in this thread: please click here.

If you put "greenland whale fisheries" in the supersearch box, without the quotation marks, there are several other threads which come up with it as the subject.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 05:59 AM

Just a friendly hint for the future, more people with the relevant info are likely to read the thread if you mention what it's about in the title. It also saves a lot of other people with no info the bother of clicking on the thread to find out if they know anything that can help.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 06:01 AM

You just beat me to it, kat. What are do doing up so late? Or is it up so early?

btw andi, when you ask for info it is always better to include the name of the song in the thread title.

Murray

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info?
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:18 AM

andi, the song is listed as "Greenland Fisheries" in The Collected Reprints From Sing Out, Volumes 1-6, 1959-1964. Here is what the introduction to the song says:

"Reuben Ranzo was no sailor, so he shipped aboard a whaler" says a well known shanty. Regular seamen wouldn't ship on whalers, because conditions were so bad. Crews were impressed from waterfront malcontents, who hated everything and everybody. This hearty shanty should be sung with a strong rolling rhythm paying careful attention to the ups and downs of the story."

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info?
From: curmudgeon
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:48 AM

First of all, it is a forebitter, not a shanty. According to A.L. Lloyd's notes on "Leviathan," it derives from a broadside of c. 1725, makijng it the oldest of the whaling ballads. The version Lloyd sings on this recording is a longer, more detailed narrative ballad than later English and American versions.

Steer clear of the fluke -- Tom

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 12:31 PM

Okay, I put on my joeclone hat and added to the title; don't know why I didn't think of that at four in the morning!*bg*

Late/early, Murray, it's all been the same, lately...no sleep!:-)

kat

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: Kim C
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 01:17 PM

The Watersons did a good version of it.

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 01:35 PM

Of the two digitrad versions, the earlier date is much more suitable. By the 1850s the Greenland Right Whale was getting very scarce, and setting off in June didn't make much sense (unless you were setting off from somewhere very close to Greenland).

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Sep 02 - 02:06 PM

Tom, the post doesn't say it is a shanty. It simply uses a quote from a shanty to make a point.

Mick

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: GUEST,andi from work
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 05:17 AM

Thanks to all of you. and Mr Macleod,sorry for thje omission, I may have to be at work at O'Dark Thrirty but I never claimed to function well..or at all. Kat, thanks for everything andi

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 06:48 AM

The Watersons' version is here.

Garry

Subject: RE: Does anyone have any info? Greenland Fisheries
From: Big Tim
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 10:29 AM

The Pogues also did a great version on their "Red Roses For Me" album.