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19 Aug 08 - 09:58 AM (#2417701) Subject: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: JedMarum Here's a link to The Broom of the Cowdenknowes at Youtube. The song is sung by Ed Miller and has background comments from Ed about the song that I quote below. I've always loved the song and have heard so many wonderful versions, including Ed's. These comments put some perspective on the song for me. It's not listed on the Youtube page, but I have the album this clip comes from and know that EJ Jones is playing the small pipes and that Brian McNeill is on fiddle. Comments from Ed Miller about this song: "This has always been one of my favourite songs, ever since I first heard it sung by Archie Fisher, years ago - so long ago, in fact, that the words of his version and mine have deviated considerably. Such is the oral tradition. Cowdenknowes was a farm in the hills near Earlston, a small market and woollen mill town about halfway between Edinburgh and the English border; and broom is a bushy plant that covers the hillsides with its yellow blooms in the early summer. For centuries, sheep grazing has been the main land use in the Scottish Border hills, providing wool for towns along the Tweed and other rivers. This song is basically a lament by a shepherd who has fallen for the landowner's daughter; but, as she is from a higher class, he is forced to leave, rather than fulfill his love." |
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19 Aug 08 - 11:01 AM (#2417750) Subject: RE: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: greg stephens To my mind, the definitive(read:"best I've heard") recording was the Watersons.On their first LP, I think. |
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19 Aug 08 - 11:03 AM (#2417751) Subject: RE: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: terrier One of my favourite songs and beautifully sung. Sit down with the book 'Yellow On The Broom'(Betsy White)and that song playing along would drive anyones cares away. Thanx JM. |
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19 Aug 08 - 01:00 PM (#2417838) Subject: RE: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: GUEST,pattyClinK Good link, Jed. Love an Alex Beaton recording of it as well, killer guitar break-- as if the song wasn't great enough, a little lagniappe. |
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19 Aug 08 - 08:09 PM (#2418201) Subject: RE: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: van lingle Marvelous arrangement and performance. Thanks for the link. |
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19 Aug 08 - 08:30 PM (#2418219) Subject: RE: Broom O' the Cowdenknowes on Youtube From: Geordie-Peorgie Aye! The first version aah heard of this delightful song was by Archie Fisher at the 'Folk Aid For Lockerbie' concert and it just blew me away. Aah learned it from the video of the concert. Silly Wizard also did a tremendous version with Andy M Stewart up front on vocals |