donderdag 16 mei 2013

On Top Of Old Smok(e)y (1925) / Little Mohee (1926) / Great Shining Light (1938) / Pizza Song (1961) / On Top Of Spaghetti (1962) / Ich geh' noch zur Schule (1963)


"On Top of Old Smoky" is a traditional folk song and a well-known ballad from the United States. As recorded by The Weavers, the song reached the pop music charts in 1951. Their rendition (Decca 27515) became one of their biggest hits in 1951, when it became the number-two song for many weeks on the Billboard charts. Old Smoky may be a high mountain somewhere in the Ozarks or the central Appalachians, as the tune bears the stylistic hallmarks of the Scottish and Irish people who settled the region. Possibilities include Clingmans Dome, named "Smoky Dome" by local Scots-Irish inhabitants, but exactly which mountain it is may be lost to antiquity.


The Weavers hit-version is accompanied by a very well-known melody, which is most likely derived from the traditional "Little Mohee".


1 complete text and reference to 6 more versions of "Little Mohea" were collected in 1940 in Henry M. Belden's Ballads and songs collected by the Missouri Folk-lore Society



As I just said the tune of "On Top of Old Smoky", familiar to most people today, was also paired with a completely different set of words in a folk song called "The Little Mohee", about a frontiersman who falls in love with an Indian maiden (or, in some versions, a sailor who falls in love with a South Seas maiden). 
This tune of "Little Mohee" was collected by the American fieldworkers Loraine Wyman and Howard Brockway in Pine Mountain, Kentucky on May 8, 1916 from a singer named Mary Ann Bagley, and published by them in 1916, in their collection Lonesome tunes, song ballets and love songs of the Kentucky Mountains


 
So only 2 months later the same tune, this time coupled with the lyrics of "On Top of Old Smoky" was collected by Cecil Sharp, as sung by Miss Memory Shelton at Alleghany, N.C., July 29, 1916. As you can see below, with the same familiar "Little Mohee" tune.



But as you also can see this version from 1916 is (wrongly?) titled "Wagoner's Lad", which is in fact a different song with still another distinctive tune. They only share some floating verses.





"Old Smoky" seems to be first collected in 1913 in North Carolina by Edward Perrow and then also published in his Songs And Rhymes From The South in the Journal of American Folklore 1915



The 2nd and 3rd verse in "On top Of Old Smoky" show a striking resemblance to the 1st and 2nd verse of  Ballad # 261B "The Young Man's Lamentation" from Douce Ballads 2 (between 1690 and 1696)


CLICK ON THE LOUPE IN THE NEXT LINK TO GET A BIGGER PICTURE: --> getImageFull (3647×2334)


Here's a transcription of the ballad above:

The Young-man's Lamentation

Containing His Passionate Complaint of his Unconstant Lover;
Together with his Resolution to leave her who scornfully slighted him.


To an Excellent New Tune, or, Over Hills and High Mountains        Licensed according to Order.

Meeting's a pleasure,
But parting's a grief,
An Unconstant Lover
Is worse than a Thief;
A Thief he can Rob me,
And take what I have,
But an Unconstant Lover
Will bring me to the Grave.



It is unclear when, where and by whom the song was first recorded. Pete Seeger modified a version that he learned in the Appalachians, writing new words and banjo music. He said that he thought that "certain verses go back to Elizabethan times." The sheet music for the song credited Seeger for "new words and music arrangement". The liner notes identify an early recording as the first, saying, "It was first recorded by George Reneau, "The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains," for Vocalion (Vo 15366) in 1925".
However, this first version doesn't use the familiar "Little Mohee" melody yet. 

(o) George Reneau (1925) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
(The Blind Musician of the Smoky Mountains)
Recorded in New York on October 15, 1925
Released on Vocalion B 15366



Listen here:


Or here:


As you can hear this ORIGINAL version has not the common "Little Mohee" melody as we know it from the hit-version of The Weavers.

Reneau recorded the number again two years later (June 15, 1927), as a duo with Lester McFarland, under the name the Collins Brothers.
Released on the B-side of Paramount 3040 as by the Collins Brothers


And Broadway 8071 as by the Cramer Brothers.




As you can hear this re-recorded version does use the common melody as we know it from the hit-version of The Weavers, which on his turn is clearly derived from the traditional "Little Mohee".


"Little Mohee" in his turn has a (lyrical) connection with another traditional: -->"Indian Lass".



On August 25, 1925 Kelly Harrell recorded a version of "Little Mohee" for Okeh.
Accompanied by Henry Whitter on harmonica and guitar.
This version wasn't issued.



(c) Flora Noles (1926) (as "Little Mohee"
Recorded March 12, 1926 in Atlanta, Georgia
Released on Okeh 45037




A soundfile of this one is still on my wishlist !



(c) Roe Brothers and Morrell (1927) (as "My Little Mohi")
Recorded March 28, 1927
Released on Columbia 15199-D





Listen to a sample here:




(c) Buell Kazee (1927)  (as "Little Mohee")
Buell Kazee: vocals en banjo; Carson Robison: guitar and whistling
Recorded in New York on April 21, 1927.
Released on the B-side of Brunswick 156



Listen  here:




(c) Riley Puckett (1928) (as "Little Maumee")
Recorded April 14, 1928, Atlanta, GA.
Released on Columbia 15277-D




Or here:




(c) Ernest Stoneman and His Dixie Mountaineers (1928) (as "The Pretty Mohea")
Recorded November 22, 1928 in New York
Unissued at the time
Finally released in 1996 on the next album:


Listen here:




(c) Bradley Kincaid (1929)  (as "Little Mohee")
Recorded on January 28, 1929 in Richmond, IND
Released on Gennett 6856, on Supertone 9402 and on Champion 15731 (as by Dan Hughey)

 

Listen here:


Or here:



In the same year Kincaid also recorded "On Top Of Old Smoky".

(c) Bradley Kincaid (1929) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded on October 4, 1929 in Richmond, IND
Released on Gennett 7053, Supertone 9566, Superior 2770 and on Montgomery Ward 4984





Also released on Champion 16029 (as by Dan Hughey)



Or here:




(c) Pie Plant Pete (= Claude Moye) (1934) (as "Little Mohee")
Recorded  November 1, 1934 ib Chicago, IL
Released on Perfect 5-10-14 and Melotone 5-10-14 in 1935
 







(c) Hall Brothers (1937) (as "Little Mo-Hee")
Recorded February 16, 1937 in Charlotte, NC
Released on Bluebird 6843



Listen here:





In 1938 Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys recorded "The Great Shining Light", which cleverly used the "Little Mohee / On Top Of Old Smoky" tune.

(c) Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys (1938) (as "The Great Shining Light")
Recorded on November 3, 1938 in Columbia, SC
Released on Okeh 04590



Listen here:


If the tune isn't original, even the words aren't. 2 months before, Herald Goodman and his Tennessee Valley Boys already recorded "The Great Shining Light" as the B-side of "New Lamp Lighting Time In The Valley".

(c) Herald Goodman and his Tennessee Valley Boys (1938) (as "The Great Shining Light")
Recorded September 26, 1938 in Rockhill, SC
Released on Bluebird B-7999







More cover-versions of "(On Top Of) Old Smoky":

(c) Burl Ives (1941) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky"
Recorded February 11, 1941 in Columbia Recording Studio, New York

Okeh Presents Burl Ives: the Wayfaring Stranger (Okeh K-3) issued in August, 1941 marked Ives’ recording debut. It comprised twelve songs on four 10-inch 78 RPM discs (oddly, not including the eponymous "Poor Wayfaring Stranger")



"On Top Of Old Smoky" was on the B-side of disc 3.
 




(c) Libby Holman (1942) (as "Old Smoky")
with Josh White on guitar
Recorded March 23, 1942 in New York


Listen here (at 1 min and 38 sec in the YT below)




(c) Hally Wood with Pete Seeger (1944) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded in May 1944 in New York for Lomax's radio ballad opera The Martins and the Coys



Listen to a sample here (Song #13)





(c) In 1946 Burl Ives sang "(On Top Of Old) Smoky" in the movie Smoky along with several other traditional songs:




(c) Minnie Pearl (1944) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
with Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys
Recorded in Aug/Sept 1946
Released on King 590




Or here: 




(c) Bob Atcher (1948) (as "Old Smoky")
Recorded December 29, 1947 in Chicago, IL
Released on Columbia 20484
 



Or here:




In 1951 The Weavers with Terry Gilkyson had a Millionseller with their version (arr by Pete Seeger). 
It became Number 2 Hitsong in the USA for 8 Weeks. 

(c) The Weavers and Terry Gilkyson (1951) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded February 25, 1951 in Los Angeles, CA
Released on Decca 27515





Listen here:




After The Weavers hit the big time with this song, Burl Ives re-recorded "On Top of Old Smoky" (this time with the Percy Faith Orchestra and Chorus)

(c) Percy Faith and his Orchestra and Chorus with Burl Ives (1951) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded March 22, 1951 in New York
Released on Columbia 39328



Listen here:




Vaughn Monroe could not stay behind and recorded his version for the RCA Victor-label

(c) Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (1951) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded March 16, 1951
Released on RCA Victor 20-4114



Listen here: 




Early 1951 Hank Williams performed the song on Mother's Best Flour Radio Show

(c) Hank Williams (1951) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded between January and March 1951 in WSM recording studio in Nashville, TN
Finally released in 2009 on the next album


Listen here:




(c) Cisco Houston (1951) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Recorded around 1945/1946
Released in 1951 on the next album




Listen here:




(c) Eddy Christiani (1951) (as "Daar Ginds Bij Die Molen")
Dutch lyrics by Ad Meurs
Met koor en orkest o.l.v. Pi Scheffer
Released on Decca M 33182


Listen here:




(c) Pete Seeger (1957) (as "On Top Of Old Smoky")
Released December 1957 on the next album


Listen here:




Elvis Presley sang a few lines of "On Top of Old Smokey" in the movie Follow That Dream (1961), but the recording wasn't made in the studio, but on the movie set, sung to Joanne Moore on the beach.


(c) Elvis Presley (1961) (as "On Top of Old Smokey")
Recorded between July 11 and August 28, 1961 on location in Florida
Finally released in 2004 on the next album


Listen here:




(c) Johnny and The Hurricanes (1961) (as "Old Smokie")
Released on Big Top 3076 (USA)
and London 45-HLX 9378 (UK) (# 12 Hit UK)


Listen here:




(c) Connie Francis (1961)  (as "On Top Of Old Smokey")
Recorded August 8, 1961 in Nashville TN
Released September 1961 on the album "Connie Francis Sings Folk Song Favorites".


Listen here:




In 1961 Chicago radio's living legend, Dick Biondi recorded "The Pizza Song", a parody on "On Top Of Old Smokey".
Two years later, Tom Glazer recorded the parody "On Top Of Spaghetti", which was basically a rip-off of Biondi's song.
Listen here to Biondi's story of how the song was recorded: Biondi-PizzaSongStory1985.mp3

(c) Dick Biondi 1961 (as "The Pizza Song")
Released around October 1961 on IRC 6904


Listen here:




(c) Tom Glazer and the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus (1963) (as "On Top Of Spaghetti")
It was released May 1963 on the Kapp-label (Kapp 526) and got to #14 in the US Charts.



Listen here:



But then there is "On Top Of Spaghetti" as recorded by Sharon and the Lollipops in 1962 !!!!
As we see it was written by Sharon Ruth and not by Tom Glazer !!

(c) Sharon and the Lollipops (1962) (as "On Top Of Spaghetti")
Released in June 1962 on Versatile 112



Listen here:



In September 1962 this version, coyrighted by Sharon Ruth, was covered in Sweden by a trio of girls named Snopporna (concisting of Ann-Louise Hanson, Anna-Lena Löfgren and Siw Malmkvist)

(c) Snopporna (1962) (as "Ta Hit Spettekagan")
Swedish lyrics by Lars-Henrik






(c) Rijk de Gooyer (1963) (as "Een Bord Met Spaghetti")
Dutch lyrics by Pi Veriss (= Piet Visser)


Listen here:




In 1963 Little Eva, singer of "The Loco-Motion", recorded a version called "Old Smokey Locomotion", with lyrics describing how the residents of Old Smokey caught on to The Locomotion.

(c) Little Eva (1963) (as "Old Smokey Locomotion")
Additional lyrics by Gerry Goffin and Carole King


Listen here:




In Germany, the tune of the song was used as the chorus to singer Manuela's hit single "Ich geh' noch zur Schule" in 1963. (Nr 4 Hit Germany)

(c) Manuela (1963)  (as "Ich geh' noch zur Schule")
German lyrics by Christian Bruhn and Rudolf-Günter Loose


Listen here:




In Germany, the tune of the song was also used as the chorus to singer Ronny's hit single "Kein Gold Im Blue River" in 1964. (Nr 5 Hit Germany)

(c) Ronny (1964) (as "Kein Gold Im Blue River")
German lyrics by Johannes Jorge (=Hans Hee) and Wolf Hausmann (=Wolfgang Roloff)



Listen here:




(c) John Lennon sang a version as "Old Smoky Mountain" on his 31st Birthday on October 9, 1971 in Syracuse, NY, with Yoko, Phil Spector, Klaus Voorman, Allan Ginsberg, Jim Keltner, and ? (2:00)- LHAP JL31



Listen to John's cover here:




(c) ABBA sang a medley of "Pick A Bale Of Cotton/On Top Of Old Smokey/Midnight Special"
Recording began on May 6, 1975 at Glen Studio. It remains ABBA's only release of material not written by themselves, and was originally released on the 1975 German charity album "Stars Im Zeichen Eines Guten Sterns". In 1978, it featured (with a slight audio tweak, for many years mistakenly referred to as a 'remix') as the B-side of the "Summer Night City" single.

Listen here:




(c) Bruce Springsteen performed this traditional song only once, during The River tour, on October 25, 1980 at the Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR, in honor of Mount St. Helens eruption.


Listen here:




(c) Mickey Newbury (2011) (as "On Top Of Old Smokey")
Recorded around 1969/1970
Released on the next album


Listen here:




(c) In 2005 Roger McGuinn recorded "On Top Of Old Smokey" in the context of his Folk Den project


Listen here to Roger's cover.



2 opmerkingen:

  1. Hoi Joop, ik wil graag het ORIGINEEL van On Top of Old Smoky downloaden. Maar het lukt mij niet. Groet,
    Gerard van Moorst.
    Mooie blogspot overigens!

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen
  2. Dag Gerard,

    Sorry voor de late reaktie.

    Hoe is het ? Nog muzikale aktiviteit op het internet ?

    Die MP3 is gewoon te downloaden door in de Boxplayer op het pijltje rechtsboven te klikken.

    En anders kun je beide kanten van die 78 toerenplaat hier downloaden:

    http://allensarchiveofearlyoldcountrymusic.blogspot.nl/2015/01/sid-harkreader-george-reneau-vocalion.html

    Joop groet

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen