Origin: Hill and Gully Rider-is there such a song?

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 30 Sep 10 - 04:29 PM

FWIW "Hill and Gully," from my experience with Jamaican music (I am not Jamaican) "Hill and Gully" is extremely well known, to the point that it functions as a sort of "standard reference"... maybe something like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in North America. As such, the song been recycled in various genres -- evinced by the two samples by "Guest" a couple posts above, where one is in a Calypso style (no, calypso is not "native" to Jamaica, but this song has a calypso style) and the other is to the Ska rhythm. Rendition in a Mento (similar, but distinct from calypso) style are common. It seems as a "standard" item of repertoire for "folkloric" presentations of Jamaican music -- admittedly, the "folkloric" mobilizations of heritage are often pretty staid and contrived-feeling. However, beyond that, I have heard the melody "quoted" by instrumentalists in other genre contexts, and have even heard the phrase "hill and gully" used by at least one toaster/dj/rapper. Jamaican rappers often pull out proverbs and all kinds of non sequitur phrases drawn from the collective cultural conscious (for lack of a better term), so to hear one throw in "Hill and gully" is a pretty good indicator IMO that the ditty has endured and is quite well known. "Hill and Gully" has also been adopted by people in the names for other things...I can't point to any examples, but perhaps you'll take my word for it that they are there, eg. a jerk chicken shack might call itself "Hill and Gully Jerk Centre" or something of that sort.

ramble ramble ramble...

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: GUEST,DJ GIBS
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 03:34 PM

I think this might have been covered already...

I don't know where it originated but I know that this was a very popular Jamaican folk song in the early-to-mid 1900s. It had been sung in Jamaica for decades before anyone there ever recorded it (as they didn't have a recorder until Times Records started recording and sending them to Decca in the UK to be pressed).

The earliest recording I know of "Hill And Gully Ride" is a Mento medley on a Jamaican 78 on the MRS label (#31). Considering this label started in '51 or so, this record was probably released in '53 by Lord Composer... the side B was "Hill And Gully Ride / Mandeville Road" Ironically, Belefonte also borrows from the second song on this medley in his version of "Emanual Road". He did not use "Hill and Gully Ride" in his version of Day-O. That was the version released by the Tarriers called "Banana Boat Song".

Hope that helps... although its been over 10 years since this thread started! So I doubt the orignator will read this.

sorry, no idea about Country & Western music... not my thing.

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 May 11 - 01:56 PM

"Hill and Gully Rider" recorded in 1952 by Edric Connor on his Jamaican folk song album.
The word 'dung', in one of the songs posted above, means dug, as in digging.

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Jun 11 - 01:59 PM

Versions of "Day Oh" (1949 printing), other versions, in thread 40845, Jamaican Folk Music.

Jamaican folk music

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: GUEST,Knight Samar
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 02:15 PM

Feel like witnessing a historic conversation! :D

I heard this song over TV the other day and got the words totally wrong...Something like "Ilamboli Raaina" ...I was searching and searching and then hit the soundtrack list of Open Water (http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6770542/a/Open+Water.htm) and here I am :)

I don't understand Jamaican music and still don't get much of the lyrics (it would be great if someone could point to some source on the internet), but this song sounds lovely to me :)

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 03:34 PM

There are some good ones on youtube.com, but title or performer needed to find them (very few have 'Jamaica(n)' in the youtube lists).
Be careful of websites promising Jamaican songs, some are virused.

Titles can be found at mentomusic.com (an excellent site for lyrics, history and lists).

Also see the thread Jamaican folk music for lyrics, references and remarks about some singers.
jamaican folk music
(For some reason not included in the list at top of this thread)

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 26 Feb 12 - 04:11 PM

The word 'dung', in one of the songs posted above, means dug, as in digging.
It usually means "down" in Jamaican.

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: GUEST,Dave Samuelson
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 03:05 PM

In 1999 Erik Darling told me the Tarriers built its hit arrangement of "The Banana Boat Song" around Bob Gibson's version of "Day-O."

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: GUEST,ab..texas
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 11:19 PM

I am 66 years old. I vividly remember the Terriers' song- 1957. The phrase Hill and Gully Rider was appropriated by NYC disc jockey Murray the K (WINS) in the late 1950's; he referred to his listeners as Hill and Gully Riders. May Murray the K rest in peace.

A.B.

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 07:47 PM

:ittle Sally Racket, I believe, passed through the creative system of A.L. LLoyd, and the result, while memorable, my well have had little relationship to the original.

Subject: RE: Hill and Gully Riders - is there such a song?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 20 - 11:38 PM

Any other versions?