Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 07:56 PM

Boy, we're all gettin' old...I can remember when Jim Ed Brown was a thin, dark-haired, mellow-voiced singer. I almost didn't recognize him in the pic on the hospice fundraiser web site.
SC

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 03:36 PM

Here's the original.

youtube link

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Dec 06 - 02:19 PM

Later - the dinner for 18 went very well. You want to know my secret? The secret is slow cooker liners.

Now, what's French for "Jimmy?"

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Dec 06 - 03:32 PM

Thanks, everybody. That's good to know.

Now I'm off to work on hospitality - we are giving dinner for 18 tonight.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 24 Dec 06 - 11:30 AM

Non Historical Fact:

Originally it was about just ONE bell ...
then Paul Revere rode a horse thru the night to warn that the British were coming and was told to ring ONE Bell if by land and TWO bells if by sea in the Old North Church and many years later Jim Ed Brown and his two sisters upped it to THREE BELLS.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: Scrump
Date: 24 Dec 06 - 06:23 AM

I hesitate to mention it, but in the interests of completeness: Brian Poole and the Tremeloes had a UK Top 20 hit with Three Bells (yes, the same song) early in 1965.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,Peter Taylor
Date: 24 Dec 06 - 06:14 AM

Tony Rose also recorded it rather nicely on his LP 'Poor Fellows'.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: Adrianel
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 08:50 PM

Piaf also recorded it in English, but I prefer the French.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 12:28 PM

A bit off topic, but here is a picture and an article about a recent reunion performance by the Browns. Maxine and Bonnie both retired and came back home to Arkansas at an early age. Jim Ed continues in the music business to this day.

http://www.arkansashospice.org/foundation/rvic_jimedbrown.html

Maxine recently had a well received book published about their music careers. I have not read it yet ~~ it is still on my to do list, but I rather imagine that The Three Bells occupies a prominent place in the book.

More trivia, Bonnie Brown Ring's daughter Kelly is a TV news anchor in Tampa, FL.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 12:21 PM

Thread 48674- detailed discussion and some versions here.
Three Bells

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:34 AM

The Browns also recorded "The Old Lamplighter", I think. Their records (oh how old we are) were played regularly on rock stations in NYC.
M

Subject: Lyr Add: LES TROIS CLOCHES (from Edith Piaf)
From: oldhippie
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:25 AM

As recorded by Edith Piaf:

LES TROIS CLOCHES

Village au fond de la vallée
Comme égaré, presqu'ignoré
Voici qu'en la nuit étoilée
Un nouveau-né nous est donné
Jean-François Nicot qu'il se nomme
Il est joufflu, tendre et rosé
À l'église, beau petit homme,
Demain tu sera baptisé...

Une cloche sonne, sonne
Sa voix d'écho en écho
Dit au monde qui s'étonne:
"C'est pour Jean-François Nicot"
C'est pour accueillir une âme
Une fleur qui s'ouvre au jour
A peine, à peine une flamme
Encore faible qui réclame
Protection, tendresse, amour...

Village au fond de la vallée
Loin des chemins, loin des humains
Voici qu'après dix-neuf années
Coeur en émoi, le Jean-François
Prend pour femme la douce Élise
Blanche comme fleur de pommier
Devant Dieu, dans la vieille église
Ce jour il se sont mariés...
Toutes les cloches sonnent, sonnent
Leurs voix d'écho en écho
Merveilleusement couronnent
La noce à François Nicot
"Un seul coeur, une seule âme"
Dit le prêtre, "et pour toujours"
"Soyez une pure flamme"
"Qui s'élève et qui proclame"
"La grandeur de votre amour."

Village au fond de la vallée
Des jours, des nuits, le temps a fui
Voici qu'en la nuit étoilée
Un coeur s'endort, François est mort...
Car toute chair est comme l'herbe
Elle est comme la fleur des champs
Épis, fruits mûrs, bouquets et gerbes,
Hélas vont en se desséchant...

Une cloche sonne, sonne
Elle chante dans la mort
Obsédante et monotone
Elle redit aux vivants:
"Ne tremblez pas coeurs fidèles"
"Dieu vous fera signe un jour"
"Vous trouverez sous son aile"
"Avec la Vie Éternelle"
"L'éternitéde l'amour

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: oldhippie
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:18 AM

more info: The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)was credited to Jean Villard (Gilles) - Bert Reisfeld on the Browns recording.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: oldhippie
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:12 AM

The popular recording was by the Browns (Jim Ed Brown and siblings).

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:05 AM

Here see Masato's post for details, and a sound clip.
Giok

Subject: RE: Origins: 'Three Bells' Jimmy Brown
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:03 AM

Les Compagnons de La Chanson Leenia, there have been threads about this before I think.
Giok

Subject: Lyr Add: THE THREE BELLS
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Dec 06 - 10:01 AM

Never mind what that says, I am not a Guest.

Here's the lyrics for a song I'm wondering about today.
-------
There's a village hidden deep in the valley among the pine trees half forlorn,
And there on a sunny morning, little Jimmy Brown was born.

All the chapel bells were ringing
In the little valley town,
And the songs that they were singing
Was for baby Jimmy Brown;
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above:
"Lead us not into temptation.
Bless this hour of meditation.
Guide him with eternal love."

There's a village hidden deep in the valley beneath the mountains high above.
And there twenty years thereafter, Jimmy was to meet his love.

All the chapel bells were ringing.
'Twas a great day in his life,
'Cause the songs that they were singing
Was for Jimmy and his wife;
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above:
"Lead us not into temptation.
Bless, O Lord, this celebration.
May their lives be filled with love."

From the village hidden deep in the valley one rainy morning dark and grey
A soul winged its way to heaven. Jimmy Brown had passed away.

Just the lonely bell was ringing
In the little valley town.
'Twas farewell that it was singing
To our good old Jimmy Brown;
And the little congregation
Prayed for guidance from above:
"Lead us not into temptation.
May his soul find the salvation
Of Thy great eternal love."
------
When I was a kid, we used to listen to the Wally Phillips show on WGN (Chicago) in the evening. That's where I heard this song and learned the tune. It seemed to me that the singers had a foreign accent, but I never did hear who they were or where they came from. The song has stuck in my mind ever since. Does anybody know anything about it?

Today I wonder whether that "foreign accent" I heard as a kid was Cajun.

The website where I found the words simply gives "Classic Country" for the source, so that's no help.