Recordings of Bonny Black Hare

Subject: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Scarlett
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 09:43 AM

Hello there,

Does anyone know where I can get a recording of this song in a more basic time sig than Fairport or Martin Carthy? It's one some of my relatives know but they all stuck and start stuttering over the tune and words all the time, but having found the words, the timing in these versions is too much for us!

I also heard Steeleye Span do it recently in a sig I could understand but can't find that they recorded it anywhere.

Can anyone help?

Cheers,
Locksley

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 11:19 AM

All I can tell you about recordings is that almost all will be arrangements of the version A L Lloyd introduced to the Revival.

The tune widely known today isn't the only one to which forms of the song used to be sung, though. There is another version of the song in the DT:  BONNIE BLACK HARE.  It was noted by Dr George Gardiner from Thomas Jones of Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1907, though the DT file doesn't mention any source. Text (verse 1 is from Mr Jones, the rest is from a broadside edition) is copied from Frank Purslow, The Constant Lovers (London: EFDS, 1972) though with "bonny" altered to "bonnie" throughout; maybe that's why you didn't find it. The 3/4 tune is included in midi format, and is completely different from the one you know.

If the midi isn't working, you can get midi, staff notation etc at the Digital Tradition Mirror site:  Bonnie Black Hare.

There is some discussion of the two variants in thread  Tune Req: Bonny Black Hare.  It's a fairly rare song in folk song collections, for obvious reasons, but has turned up occasionally over the years. Cecil Sharp got a version in 1908, again with a regular tune in 6/8.

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Fidjit
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 02:23 PM

I have it on one of my attemps at a cd. Kitchen table stuff see if I can send you a file if you pm me you e-mail.

Chas

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: DebC
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 03:13 PM

Ian Robb has a very nice version on his latest CD "JIIG"

Deb Cowan

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Tradsinger
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 05:37 PM

A version was collected from Lemmie Brazil, a Gloucestershire gypsy. Her version is on one of the Topic records, and is a much more straightforward tune.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Jun 06 - 03:08 AM

Bert Lloyds own version is on the Topic CD ' The Bird In The Bush ' like
Martin Carthy he is accompanied by Swarb on the fiddle, so Martins version is very close to Berts.

eric

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: alison
Date: 13 Jun 06 - 03:55 AM

Jim Moray did a great hard rock type version on his CD. Tune is pretty easy to pick out.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Scarlett
Date: 13 Jun 06 - 06:27 AM

Great - thank you everyone, I shall hunt about a bit...!

Subject: RE: Recordings of Bonny Black Hare
From: Fidjit
Date: 13 Jun 06 - 12:38 PM

My version is from Carthy's, "Bonny Black Hare" LP.

Chas