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21 Jan 19 - 01:47 AM (#3972532) Subject: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: lefthanded guitar I recently heard a very appealing version of the song Blackjack Davy by Carlene Carter ( of the Carter family) along with Kris Kristopherson - two great voices and nice guitar work too. When she talks about the song, she says she learned it from her grandmother, and it was sung as an Appalachian ballad.The folk process is really at work here, as I first heard it years ago as an English folk ballad. The melody and general story of the song are the same, but I recall the English folk song as having a lot more verses. And in the old time ballad this lady forsakes her baby, not so in this newer country version. I remember a version of it, dating back probably to the seventies , maybe eighties, that I really liked, but can't remember who did it. ( It was not the Steeleye Span version) Maybe one of you catters can help me find it again : I believe the final verse went: Last night I slept on a fine feather bed Besides my husband and baby Tonight I'll sleep on the cold cold ground In the arms of blackjack Davy. Also, that version may have been called The Gypsy Davy. I believe it was on an album that has been lost in transit years ago. I 'm also interested in what your favorite version of the song might be, and any other information you have about it. Seems that it goes back a long way, but has been embraced - and modified and/or evolved- by many popular singers and groups. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me. |
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21 Jan 19 - 02:43 AM (#3972538) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: DaveRo Mainly Norfolk has a page about this song: https://mainlynorfolk.info/sandy.denny/songs/gypsydavey.html I have two favourite versions, both quite different . One by Bob Fox and Stu Luckly on the LP 'Now't so Good'll Pass' and a a lively version by the Incredible String Band on, I think, 'I Looked Up' . The girl is only 15 in the ISB version. |
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21 Jan 19 - 02:51 AM (#3972539) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Erich Hard to tell, there are so many great recordings of this song. I have more than 50 in my collection. At the moment I prefer Gavin Davenports version. |
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21 Jan 19 - 03:49 AM (#3972545) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: Uncle Phil Lefty, the last verse you quoted was performed by outlaw country singer Waylon Jennings for one. His old roommate was Johnny Cash who married into the Carter Family, so perhaps there is some connection there. |
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21 Jan 19 - 04:22 AM (#3972553) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: MoorleyMan The ISB version's always been a favourite - prefer their first studio recording (on I Looked Up) for its great arrangement and joie de vivre. (The remake on Earthspan doesn't come close.) |
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21 Jan 19 - 02:53 PM (#3972685) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: Dave the Gnome Steeleye Span. B side of "All around my hat" if I remember rightly as well as on the album of the same name. |
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21 Jan 19 - 02:58 PM (#3972686) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: peteglasgow incredibles for me - i have it (somewhere?) as a 45 |
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23 Jan 19 - 12:54 PM (#3973109) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: Georgiansilver Black Jack Davey by Steeleye Span. |
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23 Jan 19 - 01:14 PM (#3973117) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Well, it's hard to beat any version that Nic Jones comes up with. Nic's away with the gypsies |
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23 Jan 19 - 01:58 PM (#3973127) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST For the edification of a certain cretinous "mod" THE BLACK COUNTRY is the official designation of an industrial part of middle England. |
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23 Jan 19 - 02:51 PM (#3973143) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: Dave the Gnome I went to a Black Country evening in Dudley (pronounced Duddel eye) once and could not understand most of what was sung! |
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24 Jan 19 - 02:05 AM (#3973190) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Bob Schwarer I vote for Incredible String Band as the version I like best. |
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24 Jan 19 - 10:14 AM (#3973268) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,henryp Honours shared between Nic Jones and Incredible String Band. |
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24 Jan 19 - 10:31 AM (#3973274) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: DaveRo Here's Bob Fox & Stu Luckley live, which sounds pretty much the same as on the record I have: Bob Fox & Stu Luckley - The Gypsy Davey It's odd that some versions hve 'Gypsum Davey'. Makes me think of an itinerant plasterer. |
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24 Jan 19 - 02:08 PM (#3973334) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Hedy West did a ridiculously good version on her Fontana album "Serves 'Em Fine"(1970) Amazingly, I think I'm correct in saying that this wonderful album has never had a cd release! |
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03 Feb 22 - 05:37 AM (#4135035) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,ceol beag https://youtu.be/luOAgo4zsaM |
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05 Feb 22 - 02:27 AM (#4135308) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST Harry Jackson's cowboy version's my favourite Jon Bartlett |
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13 Oct 23 - 06:13 AM (#4183557) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST great |
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13 Oct 23 - 06:13 AM (#4188110) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST great |
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13 Oct 23 - 08:11 AM (#4188111) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Wendy M. Grossman There ae *so many* great versions of this. Ed Trickett had two great ones he learned from Harry Tuft, who had it from Bob Jones. One was called Black Jack Davy; the other was Clayton Boone. Both American. The Putnam String Country and had a version they did with harmony singing backed by a cello drone. The one I sing most, SEven Gypsies, which I learned from Gordon Tyrrall you can find at https://www.pelicancrossing.net/roseville.htm. wg |
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13 Oct 23 - 08:11 AM (#4183566) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Wendy M. Grossman There ae *so many* great versions of this. Ed Trickett had two great ones he learned from Harry Tuft, who had it from Bob Jones. One was called Black Jack Davy; the other was Clayton Boone. Both American. The Putnam String Country and had a version they did with harmony singing backed by a cello drone. The one I sing most, SEven Gypsies, which I learned from Gordon Tyrrall you can find at https://www.pelicancrossing.net/roseville.htm. wg |
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13 Oct 23 - 03:16 PM (#4183597) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST Pete Coe : Seven Gypsies |
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13 Oct 23 - 03:16 PM (#4188112) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST Pete Coe : Seven Gypsies |
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15 Oct 23 - 05:49 PM (#4188113) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,coronatone Blackjack David by Dave Alvin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILUb1JbVyJ4 |
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15 Oct 23 - 05:49 PM (#4183745) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,coronatone Blackjack David by Dave Alvin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILUb1JbVyJ4 |
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22 Oct 23 - 05:03 AM (#4184236) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,lefthanded guitar Wow ! Can't believe that after I posted this thread several years ago asking about a version of this song - it looks like I finally found the answer right here. Posted just this month. Wendy got it right! The version that I was thinking of was from the Putnam String County Band. It was done in harmony singing that was plaintive and humbly elegant, with a cello as the only instrument.Just found it on youtube and replayed the album as well. So nice to find it again. It was a long time coming, but better late than never I say, and Thank You Wendy and to all you mudcats as well. |
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22 Oct 23 - 05:03 AM (#4188114) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,lefthanded guitar Wow ! Can't believe that after I posted this thread several years ago asking about a version of this song - it looks like I finally found the answer right here. Posted just this month. Wendy got it right! The version that I was thinking of was from the Putnam String County Band. It was done in harmony singing that was plaintive and humbly elegant, with a cello as the only instrument.Just found it on youtube and replayed the album as well. So nice to find it again. It was a long time coming, but better late than never I say, and Thank You Wendy and to all you mudcats as well. |
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24 Oct 23 - 03:14 AM (#4191557) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GeoffLawes A lot of information is given in this Wikipedia post on The Raggle Taggle Gypsy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raggle_Taggle_Gypsy |
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24 Oct 23 - 03:14 AM (#4184378) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GeoffLawes A lot of information is given in this Wikipedia post on The Raggle Taggle Gypsy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raggle_Taggle_Gypsy |
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11 Feb 24 - 02:59 PM (#4196997) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: gillymor Chesapeake, with the late great Mike Auldridge on Dobro, did a fine version and I still love hearing The Carter Family doing Blackjack David. |
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26 Feb 24 - 11:36 AM (#4198058) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: GUEST,Alan Kearns So many versions play up the jolly or jaunty or saucy side of it, but Chris Foster on 'Traces' does a wonderful version which, right from the first verse, is all about the loneliness and sadness of the lady. |
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26 Feb 24 - 12:12 PM (#4198062) Subject: RE: Origins: What is your favorite Blackjack Davy? From: Stilly River Sage My dad (John Dwyer) sang Blackjack Davy, but he learned the parody by Miles Wootton called "Hippies and the Beatnicks" from friends in the Vancouver Song Circle and often performed that one in later years. It is linked at the top of this thread. There are a couple of performances on YouTube here and here. |