Country Blues > Super Electrical Recordings!

Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music

<< < (12/12)

lindy:
Hi John:

The Canotes did a couple of tunes, including the instrumental with the minimalist square dance calls. Jere was playing this six-string banjo:



L

Johnm:
That's a beauty, Lindy.  As you know, Jere made my fretless banjo-guitar, too, and he's a wonderful maker.  Anyone interested in a custom banjo-guitar or banjo-uke should contact him.  He's made the best I've seen, and they're very reasonably priced.
All best,
Johnm

Johnm:
Hi all,
Coley Jones recorded "Drunkard's Special" in Dallas on December 6, 1929, and Harry Smith selected the song for inclusion on Volume One, Ballads.  Coley accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning for the song, which is evidently an Americanized version of a very old English song sometimes called "Three Nights Drunk" or "Our Goodman".  The focus of the song is drunken cuckoldry, as recounted by the drunken cuckold.  Coley Jones comes across as immensely likable in the rendition, and speaks the words "Come here, honey" every time he comes to them, each time with a droller inflection as the song goes along.

First night when I went home, drunk as I could be
There's another mule in the stable, where my mule oughta be

"Come here, honey.  Explain yourself to me.
How come another mule in the stable, where my mule oughta be?"

"Oh crazy, oh silly, can't you plainly see?
That's nothing but a milk cow, where your mule oughta be."

I've traveled this world over, million times or more
Saddle on a milk cow's back I've never seen before

Second night when I got home, drunk as I could be
There's another coat on the coat rack, where my coat oughta be

"Come here, honey.  Explain this thing to me.
How come another coat on the coat rack, where my coat oughta be?"

"Oh crazy, silly, can't you plainly see?
Nothing but a bed quilt where your coat oughta be."

I've traveled this world over, million times or more
Pockets in a bed quilt, I've never seen before

The third night when I went home, drunk as I could be
There's another head on the pillow, where my head oughta be

"Come here, honey, come here.  Explain this thing to me.
How come another head on the pillow, where my head oughta be?"

"Oh crazy, oh silly, can't you plainly see?
That's nothing but a cabbage head that your Grandma sent to me."

I've traveled this world over, million times or more
Hair on a cabbage head, I've never seen before

All best,
Johnm

Johnm:
Hi all,
There are a couple of performances or places in performances included in the Anthology of American Folk Music that make me think that Harry Smith may have had a soft spot for renditions in which singers became totally unmoored from their sense of pitch.  One such place occurs in Volume II, in Rev. Moses Mason's performance of "John The Baptist".  (This, I believe is the same singer who recorded "Molly Man" as "Red Hot Old Mose".)  At any event, at just about 1:00 or 1:01 into his rendition, after a long stretch of text-heavy chanting, Moses Mason goes into a wordless "Hey-eee, hey-eee" that lasts about ten seconds, and which sounds from a pitch point of view, as though it is inhabiting some sort of alternate universe, or at least, not the same universe as the rest of the song.
A more extreme example is Didier Herbert's rendition of "I Woke Up One Morning In May" on Volume III.  Herbert backs himself on guitar out of G position in standard tuning, free-handing the melody in the bass under his singing, and never really playing full chords.  Herbert's vocal is so sharp as to induce a toothache, and he never brings it into agreement with the guitar.  The song is an exceptionally long 3:01.

I think Harry Smith must have enjoyed these pitchy moments for their own sake, or perhaps for their strangeness.  I'm glad he chose to include them in the set, because they contribute to the singularity of experience you get in listening to the Anthology.  Apropos of this guesswork on my part, I was wondering if anyone knew of any published interviews with Harry Smith in which he discussed his selection process for the songs on the Anthology.  It would be nice to get some insights from the man himself.
All best,
Johnm

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page