Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs

Subject: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 04:29 PM

Q reminded me today of a book I've been wondering about, Us One of the Old Songs: A Guide to Popular Song 1860-1920 (Michael Kilgarriff, 1999. Oxford University Press). It's $100 from Amazon, which is far too expensive for my taste. I think I should wait until the book goes on the remainder shelf, but maybe not. Maybe it's the book that will answer all the mysteries of life. Does anybody have experience with this book?

Here's the synopsis from Amazon:

Michael Kilgarriff's compilation of 20,000 popular song titles, 1860-1920, seeks to provide, in one volume, answers to the questions which excite Music Hall and popular song enthusiasts more than anything in life: who wrote what, when and who sang it? The criteria for a song's inclusion are popularity, topicality and significance in the career of its singer. Also included are titles still remembered and performed, for it is to today's Music Hall performers and producers that these checklists are primarily aimed. The non-active enthusiast and the casual enquirer should also find much of value herein if only because the information offered is not readily available elsewhere. Many specialist libraries and collections are not open to the public. The importance of Sing Us One of the Old Songs is to bring much previously inaccessible material within general reach.

Comments?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 07:08 PM

There's one at www.abebooks.com for $74.38. The other three listed are more.:-)

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Joybell
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 07:34 PM

I got my near-new copy for about $20 (US) at Alibris. It was about a year ago. This book is a wonderful resource. I'll take a look at the Alibris site again. I'll be back. Cheers Joy

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Joybell
Date: 25 Sep 04 - 07:38 PM

OK there's one there for around $55. Joy

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 12:32 AM

I know a snatch of a song -

Sing us one of the old songs George
One of the songs we know
try old man, do what you can
and we'll make the chorus go
We won't forget how it used to be
in the days when life was new
sing us a song and if you go wrong
We'll help to pull you through.

Is there any more of it?

Is it the song from which the book takes its title?

It sounds music hall ish, so is it in the book?

Anne

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 03:55 AM

I would not be without it.

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 03:57 AM

Yes, it is music hall based and so are 30% or so of the songs croppi9ng up on this forum. As I have frequently pointed out!

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 03:58 AM

...under my mudcat name of Billy Weeks.

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Joybell
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 04:50 AM

Hello Anne, That song is given at the beginning of the book. It is credited to W. B. Kelly and J. H. Woodhouse. Just as much as you've given though. I'll try to find more if someone doesn't beat me to it.
The book is a "guide to popular song 1860-1920". It lists almost 18,000 song titles with who wrote the songs and who sang them. It is cross referenced through several different sections such as: Artists repertoires, composers, dates of composition and show names etc.
I find it very valuable because I'm interested in studying the history of the songs I sing. It's not a book for someone who just wants song words - there's none of them here. Cheers Joy

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Sep 04 - 11:02 AM

Michael Kilgarriff maintains a small website for additions and corrections to the book:

http://freespace.virgin.net/m.killy/sing.htm

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 10:51 PM

Thanks Joybell

I have added the credit to the words in my song book

I don't want any more songs but I am trying to tidy up my collection - find out who wrote them, if possible, look for any extra verses, correct names of people and places if they existed.

I supose that music hall is the popular music which is as far back as many of us can trace within our own families - I heard my grandmother sing songs which she heard on the stage. It is our personal link to past generations we actually knew.

Anne

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: Joybell
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:16 PM

Anne, I can give you the credits for lots and lots of old songs. We have lists and of course this book. Give me a call or a message about any you need that you can't find here or at Google. Cheers Joy

Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST,marian popescu
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 10:48 AM

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Subject: RE: Book: Sing Us One of the Old Songs
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 24 Oct 04 - 10:05 AM

Thanks Joy - I have managed to get attributes for a lot of the songs in my book now - but it is sometimes awkward to discover that there are quite a few differences between what I sing and the originals.

I have decided just to include the abbreviation (why IS that such a long word?) FP to indicate that the folk process has been at work, as the rhymes are often improved and singability is increased.

Anne