Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You (from Moeran)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:54 PM

Villan/ Les - if only!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 01:02 PM

And there was me thinking somebody had written a song to Herga Kitty.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST,Peter Nalder
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 12:33 PM

OK I'm owning up tobeing in Northampton on 01604-630719 in some trepidation - I don't owwe you any cash, do I?
And, yes, from your thread answerer it is the same (I) who appears in the engalnd-in-particular website. You can reach me via [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 06:53 AM

I remember Tom Smith singing this with "Shegui" too. Somebody above asked about Tom. He was living near Girvan on the South-West coast of Scotland last I heard . He did record and tour for a while with the Belfast Band "Craobh Rua", maybe 4 or 5 years ago. A much under-rated singer IMHO.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 09:13 AM

In the US what might be a version of the same basic song got around as Kitty My Love, sung, I think, by Richard Dyer-Bennett back in the 50s ... Its lyrics are mostly distinct but seem related.

Cho:   Kitty my love will you marry me,
          Kitty my love will you go, oh,
          Kitty my love will you marry me,
          Either say yes or say no, oh...

I have a bucket of praties,
And I have a ligget [?] of meal,
And I have a sheep in the corner,
He's tied to a tuppenny nail, oh,

I have a goose that is hatchin',
The goose eggs are under the bed,
And I have a goat that is greasin'
Way up to the tops of the hedge, oh,

I have a ballad, a ballad,
It's all about Kitty my dear, oh,
I have my granny's old cradle,
That she bade me rock in a year, oh,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST,Giles Earle
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 08:39 AM

Jack Moeran's arrangement (for voice and piano) is published by Thames; he collected the song in County Kerry, I think in the 1940s. As far as I recall them, the lyrics are as below: the refrain being sung at the beginning, as well as after each verse.


Kitty I am in love with you
Kitty I am asthore
Kitty I am in love with you
Whether you like it or no

I was on top of Mount Brandon
And she in the valley below
I took off my shoes and my stockings
To follow my Kitty-i-o

I have a leg for a stocking
And I have a foot for a shoe
I have a kiss for the ladies
And maybe some other thing too

I have a pan and a keeler
And a churn as white as the snow
Kitty my dear will you marry me
Love with your dove will you go? *


* - I suspect this was a mistake, and usually sing the last line as "Love will you, dove will you go?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST,Peter Nalder
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 06:32 PM

Thanks for comments. I sing the songs still. Sometimes over the phone! Try the Northampton telephone directory...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From:
Date: 23 Dec 04 - 07:44 PM

Herga Kitty

You're hitting all the nostalgia buttons. Doc Rowe must have been one of the very first singers I ever heard in the first folk club I ever visited, the Prince Regent in Paignton in 1965.
I remember him singing "The Butcher and the Chambermaid" though on that occasion he didn't justify the reputation he had gained for forgetting a song half way through. Doc lived in Swan Street, Torquay and, even then, was known for his record collection. Rumour had it that he had taped all the Radio Ballads, sealed them in tins and buried them in order to preserve them for posterity.
A couple of years later Doc brought the creators of the Radio Ballads, Charles Parker and Philip Donnellan, down to Torbay and I still have a vivid impression of Philip Donnellan describing his first meeting with Sam Larner.

I'm letting this post get way off track. Suggest we pursue any further memories of the 60s off post. Address in header.
Colin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 23 Dec 04 - 02:28 PM

Colin

I suspect that Doc Rowe will have recordings of both Fred and Pete singing!

Kitty (with fond if very ancient memories of both the Old Forge and the Beach Store).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I Am in Love with You
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 09:25 PM

Herga Kitty

Yep - the same. Fred was a member of the family firm that owned a large and, to us, quite classy furniture shop in Newton Abbott. Like Pete Nalder's family, he lived on the far side of the Newton Abbott to Torquay railway line. His house had a large garden and he would readily open up both house and garden to host song, music and impromptu dance sessions.

Although he suffered from chronic asthma Fred enjoyed singing long "classic" ballads in a simple, unaffected, style. His professed favourite was "Fair Helen of Kirkconell Lea". I may even have, somewhere, an ancient open-reel recording of him singing it in the Lord Nelson.

Fred loved Sidmouth. He used to lodge for the week in Sidford (or was it Sidbury?) and cycle into town on a sit-up-and-beg bike for sessions at the Beach Store and Old Forge.

He seemed to know just about everybody on the South Devon folk scene and was always ready to encourage youngsters, even though some of our drunken antics must have filled him with embarrassment.

I think I last saw Fred in 1973 when I called on to introduce him to my 9 month old daughter. He was sitting in his vegetable garden, topping enormous carrots. Laconic as ever, he looked up, gazed for a few moments at the baby, said, "That's a fine specimen," and went on with his chopping.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: MartinRyan
Date: 21 Dec 04 - 04:43 AM

Malcolm

That Moeran book appears to be the only reference to the song in the Iriah Traditional Music Archive, at least under this title.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Dec 04 - 07:02 PM

Colin - that would be Fred Austin as in the Fred Austin who used to run ballad sessions at Sidmouth folk festival?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: GUEST,Colin Turner
Date: 20 Dec 04 - 06:36 PM

So pleased to come across the words again after so many years of playing it on melodeon and concertina with only the chorus and a few fragments managing to struggle to the surface of my memory. I've searched the net on several occasions but never got further than references to E J Moeran and an enigmatic track listing from Peter Kennedy's site.

I picked up the tune from Pete Nalder who used to sing it in the back bar of The Locomotive in Newton Abbott in the late 60s. (And in the upstairs room of the Lord Nelson in Kingskerswell as well as at Sunday afternoon gatherings at the house of his neighbour, Fred Austin) Never having seen the words written down I heard and remembered the phrase "Kitty I am, a stor" as "Kitty I am as thaw" - which has an appropriately melting feel to it. (I did consider "Kitty I am as Thor" as a possibility but it brings to mind the Norse mythology joke which ends, "Do you realise I'm Thor?" to which the answer from the seduced Scandinavian maiden is, inevitably, "Tho'm I, but I'm thatithfied")

Pete had a marvellous repertoire of songs. One I would love to hear again is his version of "The Lakes of Coolfin" which he said he had learned from an Irish nurse while he was recovering in hospital from scarlet fever.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 08:45 AM

It's a conventional Gaelic endearment, "my treasure" more-or-less.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: DrAM
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 08:32 AM

Thanks for all replies (I requested it), especially MD. But what does 'a stor' or 'astore' mean? Tony H did it so well, among many unusual and excellent songs (e.g. Do I Still Figure in Your Life, as recorded by Honeybus in 69).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 08:14 PM

I can't remember how long it is since I heard it sung, but would love to hear it again..

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Emma B
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 06:35 PM

I used to love Tom Smith singing it - anyone know where he is now?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 05:04 PM

Yes rich-joy it certainly was although I doubt that many copies of it will be around now. Tony Hall is the only other person that I have heard singing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: rich-joy
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 09:39 AM

It was on Peter Nalder's "Nasty Tayles" (60s/70s?) recording I think ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 02:00 PM

That last verse looks more likely than what I was hearing. Probably from the same original source, at a guess.

Subject: Lyr Add: KITTY I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 01:28 PM

Here are the lyrics I have for this song. They're from another source but I never wrote that down in my notes.

KITTY I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU

Me on the top of Mount Brandon
And you in the valley below
I'd put off me shoes and me stockings
To go with sweet Kitty-i-o

Kitty, I am in love with you
Kitty, I am astore
Kitty, I am in love with you
Whether you like it or no

I have a leg for a stocking
And I have a foot for a shoe
And I have a kiss for the ladies
And maybe some other things too

I have a pan and a keeler
And I have a churn white as snow
Kitty, me love, will you go with me
Love, with your love, will you go

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 12:13 AM

That site requires registration to hear the sound sample; I won't touch such things any more. However, the Murray recording can be heard elsewhere without strings: for instance, at http://www.fnac.com/. It's sung extraordinarily fast.

Jim's reference was helpful, and provided a clue to substantive information. This was one of the songs included in Moeran's Songs from County Kerry (Opus R 97g, London: Augener, 1950). These were songs he had collected between (roughly) 1934 and 1938, "in Cahirciveen, Sneem and Kenmar".

E J ("Jack") Moeran did a fair bit of collecting in his time, mainly in Norfolk (largely around Sutton, where he met Harry Cox among others) and, later, in Ireland.

From the sound of it, Shegui recorded an arrangement of the set noted by Moeran. The tune is exactly as I remember it.

http://www.moeran.com/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 11:34 PM

Ann Murray sings KITTY I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU on her album "Irish Songs Bid Adieu," Forlane CD #16784, 1998. The cut is only 51 seconds long. The style of this performance is rather operatic. It is attributed to Ernest John Moeran, but I suspect he only did the arrangement. allmusic has a sound sample, and the words seem to correspond to what Malcolm Douglas posted above.

Subject: Lyr Add: KITTY (from Shegui)
From: GUEST,Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 12:24 PM

It may perhaps be related to that, though distantly. A band called Shegui recorded the song that I think is meant, 20 or more years ago, as Kitty. I have an old tape of it, but unfortunately no proper details.

Kitty I am in love with you,
Kitty I am, a stor;
Kitty I am in love with you,
Whether you like it or no.

And me on the top of Mount Brandon
And she in the valley below;
I'd take off my shoes and my stockings
To follow sweet Kitty I O.

Kitty I am in love with you...

And I have a leg for a stocking
And I have a foot for a shoe;
I have a kiss for the ladies
And maybe some other things too.

Kitty I am in love with you...

And I have a pan on the keel*, love,
And I have a tongue white as snow;
Kitty my love, will you go with me
Love, with your love will you go.

Kitty I am in love with you,
Kitty I am, a stor;
Kitty I am in love with you,
Whether you like it or no.

And me on the top of Mount Brandon
And she in the valley below;
I'd take off my shoes and my stockings
To follow sweet Kitty I O.


Shegui, In the Wind (Highway Records SHP 105, 1982.

I am not sure about "pan on the keel", and I don't know where they got the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 10:07 AM

Google hasn't got me anywhere.

Could the song by any chance be "Kitty My Love Will You Marry Me?"

Subject: Lyr Req: Kitty I am in love with you.
From:
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 09:49 AM

Trad. Irish song, as sung by Tony Hall at Whitby this year