BS: Can you identify this tune?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Allan C.
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 07:17 PM

Sadly, during the darker days of the "folk scare" there were artists who took such great, traditional songs as this, changed them slightly (maybe even added some verses,)and then claimed copyright. See example:

Come Softly To Me

Words and Music by The Fleetwoods (Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, and Barbara Ellis)
Words (in parentheses) are sung by Gretchen and Barbara only

Mm dooby do, dahm dahm, dahm do dahm ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm ooh dahm
Mm dooby do

(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)

(Come softly, darling)
(Come to me, sta-ay)
(You're my ob-session)
(For ever and a da-ay)

I want, want you to kno-o-ow
I love, I love you so
Please hold, hold me so tight
All through, all through the night..

(Speak softly, darling)
(Hear what I sa-ay)
(I love you always)
(Always, always)

I've waited, waited so long
For your kisses and your love
Please come, come to me
From up, from up above

(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)
I need, need you so much
Wanna feel your wa-arm touch

Mm dooby do, dahm dahm, dahm do dahm ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm ooh dahm

Mm dooby do, dahm dahm, dahm do dahm ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm, ooby do
Dahm dahm, dahm ooh dahm

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 06:55 PM

Doesn't she sing everything?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 03:20 PM

Didn't Kate Rusby sing this?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 03:08 PM

Yes I can.
Io nao falar Portogues
Muit obrigada
Joao
Uma Sagres for chavor

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Rasener
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 12:38 PM

This is the only one I know.

Dum Dum
Brenda Lee
(Sharon Sheeley - Jackie De Shannon)

A dum dum, a deedely dum
Uh huh huh
A dum dum, a deedely dum
Oh yeah
Dum dum, a deedely dum

A music's sweet the lights are low
Playing a song on the radio
Your ma's in the kitchen
Your pa's next door
I wanna love you just a little bit more

Singing dum dum, a deedely dum
Uh huh
Dum dum, a deedely dum
Sing it out
Dum dum. a deedely dum

Come on baby, don't you be so shy
You know that I love you, let me tell you why
You got a heart I know that it's true
I couldn't love you any more than I do

Singing dum dum, a deedely dum
Oh yeah
Dum dum, a deedely dum
One more time
Dum dum, a deedely dum

Ahh, I want you with me all of the time
Tell me you love me and you'll be mine
There's so many things that we could do
So say the words and make my dreams come true

Singing, dum dum, a deedely dum
Uh huh
Dum dum, a deedely dum
Sing it out
Dum dum, a deedley dum

A dum dum, a deedely dum
Sing it out
Dum dum, a deedely dum
I can't hear ya
Dum dum, a deedely dum
Oh yeah

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 12:36 PM

I've heard it many, many times since I've moved here to Idaho. It's sung by Basque shepherds as their walk herd at night. I'm told that it keeps the sheep from stampeding, attempting to get back to Wales.

It may well be an old Basque-Welsh tune dating back to when they Celts emigrated from the Iberian Pennisula to Eire and from Eire to Wales (I can't spell Cymra reliably). I will, however, call your attention to the word "dum" being used repeatedly, and the city of Dumdum in India. I'm not sure that it's a coincidence!

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Don Firth
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 12:18 PM

Scottish mouth music. My father used to sing it. He learned it from his grandfather who was born on Mainland Orkney.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 11:56 AM

This is an Irish tune, naturally, and everyone else has stolen it.
The chorus "Dum diddle door-aye-ay" is derived from the Irish, and refers to the sound made by potatoes falling into a bucket during harvesting.

But the question remains: is it folk? I believe a wise man once said something meaningful about horses, but I seem to have conveniently forgotten what it was.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 11:27 AM

it isn't that some instruments are out of tune - it is that the "accepted" pitches for modern music have drifted from the notes are biologically and physically set by the laws of nature. Many of the "simple" instruments used especially in elementary school education are of aincient origin - and were developed speciafically because they did not require tuning.

Since the accepted values of the notes have drifted - these instruments sound "out of tune" to the modern ear.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 11:09 AM

Actually, I want to have a bunch of kids in my kindergarten class at the school for the intellectually gifted play this on instruments they stole when I took them to the New York Philharmonic Concert last week, can anybody explain why some instruments are always out of tune?

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Allan C.
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 11:08 AM

My Portuguese isn't what it should be, ClaireBear, but I'm pretty sure that last line should read,

Dumdedum Diddly do dao (Sorry, I haven't yet figured out how to do the tilde in this format.)

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:50 AM

With JennyO's mention of the falopian connections - I wonder if perhaps there is a connection to Goddess worship here?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:47 AM

I'm so excited -- I've only heard this tune as an instrumental and never knew it had words. The only trouble is, I want to sing it with a samba band, so I really need the words in Portuguese. Babelfish translated Robin's original lyrics as:

Dum de dum, do de dum diddly de dum

and Allan C's chorus as:

Diddle di dee que o dum diddle dee di dia o doodle diddle, doodle o dit de Dumdedum Diddly do doo

...and while I'm sure these are technically correct, they just don't scan quite right. Can anyone help?

Claire

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:46 AM

Thanks, JennyO,

since it seems to have a serious Australian connection, perhaps now Bob Bolton can help? I have heard it played on an ut of tune button box - not by BobB of course, - well, I mean the Button Box wasn't out of tune when BobB played it...

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:41 AM

I thoought it had a German origin - should we wait for input from Wolfgang?

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: JennyO
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:40 AM

I recognise it as very similar to an old Australian falloping song that I heard years ago by Ned Kelty and the Kelpies. I believe it went something like this:

Di di di dum, diddle diddle diddle dum
Diddle di day dum, diddld diddle dum
De dy de do dum do dum do
De dy de do dum do dum do

This is known as the "Rolfus Harrisus" beat.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:38 AM

I think we should all be a little cautious about this till Masato has spoken, he will have the full facts.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:33 AM

Loooks close MMario..

if we can get all the verses, I'll ask Joe Offer if he can change the title of the thread to something else...

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:28 AM

Isn't the chorus derived from the old Blue Mountains (Massachusetts) song 'Can Kerdiddle' where the chorus goes...

Diddle da dee dum
Diddle dee di day
Doodle diddle, doodle doo
Dumdedum Diddly die

or is that just conincidence?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:22 AM

Well done Allan, that's helped me enormously! so far...

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Allan C.
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:20 AM

The red haired banjoist was certainly none other than the woman affectionately known as "Futile" Tuning. The "Dumdedum Diddly Song" Greg Stephens mentioned above is her trademark tune. I haven't seen her for a while although I'm told "The Barroom Floor" is a likely venue where she may be seen. To the best of my recollection, the chorus was something close to:

Diddle di dee dum
Diddle dee di day
Doodle diddle, doodle doo
Dumdedum Diddly dit

Sorry, that's all I can dredge up from my deteriorating memory.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:19 AM

I thought Dean Martin recorded it, but it could have been Johny Cash or Elvis - one of his slower numbers...

Didn't Bob Dylan write it?

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:14 AM

My drinkin' buddy, Greg, wins...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:10 AM

Actually I think it was recorded by that guy who got an OBE for tuning his guitar...

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Bobjack
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:09 AM

Got it! Ace of Spades by Motorhead. Am I good or what?

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:08 AM

Sounds like the "Dumdedum Diddly Song" to me. I claim the prize.

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:03 AM

Actually, there was also this sort of solo where the guy who sings falsetto with that sound like he had grabbed his adam's apple and wobbled it.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 10:01 AM

We are good, Robin, but ............

Subject: BS: Can you identify this tune?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 09:35 AM

I dunno, I can't remember the words, cause I'd had a few too many drinks, but they were really clever - I can't seem to remember what it was about either. That big tall guy with the 12 string guitar did it, I think, or else it was that red haired lady with the banjo and the kazoo.

The tune sort of went something like

Dum de dum, de diddly de dum dum... I think...

Robin

---

Also see Drinking on the premises