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17 Aug 10 - 05:34 PM (#2967413) Subject: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: GUEST,^&* There's a recording on Youtube HERE claimed to date from 1918, sung by "shipmates of Tom Crean", the Antarctic explorer. Can anyone confirm its authenticity? It's described as "from an Edison Blue Amberol Cylinder recording ". |
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17 Aug 10 - 05:40 PM (#2967422) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: McGrath of Harlow Here's the transcription of that, as posted by the GUEST above: Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean, He's the bravest man that the world's ever seen. Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean, He's the Irish giant from county Kerry. Walked thirty-five miles in the Arctic alone To save Teddy Evans from making his bones. He went down to the south with Shackleton and Scott, Won three polar medals and a coward he's not. Faced death many times, but he never backed down. Came home to Anascaul, his little home town. Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean, He's the bravest man that the world's ever seen. Hail, hail, Tom Crean, hail, hail, Tom Crean, He's the Irish giant from county Kerry. |
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17 Aug 10 - 05:43 PM (#2967423) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: The Sandman can we be sure its not a pinky and perky recording. |
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17 Aug 10 - 05:46 PM (#2967428) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: McGrath of Harlow I'd be astonished if it's what it says it is. |
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17 Aug 10 - 06:47 PM (#2967468) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: mg Why? When were the first recordings made? I had some very old ones of John McCormack that I think were from the 1917s or so...not sure. mg |
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17 Aug 10 - 06:52 PM (#2967472) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: GUEST,^&* The date is possible, certainly - but the style sounds oddly modern - and it seems curious that it has only appeared recently, with no trace of recording details etc. At the same time, The Annascaul website, which is likely to involve at least some locals with an interest in the history, presents a link to it without comment while there was no mention of it at a major exhibition in Tralee a few years ago. For now, I'm just sceptical, like McGrath... |
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17 Aug 10 - 07:05 PM (#2967479) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: mg I don't know of course but it certainly seems likely that such a thing would have been done if the technology was available. The men were certainly famous enough and there would have been the interest. But you would think local historians would know of it. However, stuff turns up in basements of old museums, old attics, pawn shops etc. mg |
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17 Aug 10 - 07:38 PM (#2967505) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: McGrath of Harlow No problem with the technology, masses of cylinder recordings with pretty good quality, but as GUEST,^&* says (do please get a name people can say!) the style sounds too modern, the singing and what you can hear of the accompaniment. And the words. It'd be great if it was genuine, but... Anyway, it's singable enough, and the man certainly deserved a ballad. |
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18 Aug 10 - 04:40 AM (#2967679) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: GUEST,Roger Knowles If any 'Catters are in Tralee, Eire, go to the South Pole pub at Anascaul and wonder at Tom's old pub and all the super Antarctic photos. Well worth a trip. The music shop in Tralee is pretty good, too. |
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18 Aug 10 - 12:39 PM (#2967931) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: mg The style does not sound modern to me and the words sound of an older style but I have not listened for accompaniament. I have a hunch it is for real. We need to find some really old people and ask them if it at least sounds older. mg |
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18 Aug 10 - 01:32 PM (#2967970) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: McGrath of Harlow That'd be "modern" meaning the way it gets done in a folk context back here. Sort of roughed up. I suspect that back in the day even Arctic explorers would have been a bit more formal in their approach. But I could be wrong. |
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18 Aug 10 - 02:27 PM (#2968021) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: mg I am hoping it is real because these are some of the most amazing men the world has ever produced and it is such a link to the past. mg |
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18 Feb 23 - 07:19 PM (#4165503) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: Felipa Folklorist and musician Mick Maloney (r.i.p.) played a bit of that recording in his talk introducing the modern Ballad of Tom Crean by Cliff Wedgebury, saying that Crean was a hero in his own time. I don't think he said anything about Endurance crew members having made the recording, so maybe that information isn't substantiated?? / There is reference to another new Tom Crean song by the Good Time Villains at https://tomcreandiscovery.com/1371/ but the link to the recording doesn't work now. The group based the chorus of their song on the 1918 song. |
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19 Feb 23 - 02:16 PM (#4165552) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: Steve Gardham Edison Blue Amberol Cylinder recording. Does this mean it was a commercial recording, in which case there may be other copies, or is it an amateur recording which were also being made at the time by folk-song collectors? If it's a commercial recording it will have a reference number and can be checked against listings. 'sung by shipmates'. If this is true it would seem reasonable that some of his old shipmates would visit him in his home pub. The recording sounds 'of the time' to me. |
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19 Feb 23 - 02:21 PM (#4165554) Subject: RE: 'Ballad of Tom Crean' early recording? From: Steve Gardham Had another listen. First impression is of a pub crowd with one or more guitars and a large chorus of untutored voices, some female. No reason to suppose it is not of its time. If the lead singer was one of his crew mates he would not necessarily have an Irish brogue. Either way it doesn't come across as a polished or commercial recording. |