vrijdag 21 april 2017

Cockles and Mussels (1876) / In Dublin's Fair City (1917) / Molly Malone (1940)


"Cockles and Mussels" (also known as "Molly Malone" or "In Dublin's Fair City") is a popular song set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become its unofficial anthem.

The song tells the fictional tale of a fishwife who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin and died young, of a fever. 
In the late 20th century a legend grew up that there was a historical Molly, who lived in the 17th century. She is typically represented as a hawker by day and part-time sex-worker by night. In contrast she has also been portrayed as one of the few chaste female street-hawkers of her day.


The song was compiled and edited in 1883 by William H. Hills in "Student's Songs", published in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Moses King




It was also published by Francis Brothers and Day in London in 1884 as a work written and composed by James Yorkston, of Edinburgh, with music arranged by Edmund Forman.

But the earliest version of  "Cockles and Mussels" which has been traced to date was published firstly in Boston, Massachusetts, in a collection of college songs in 1876,
(Henry Randall Waite, Carmina Collegensia: A complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges, with Selections from the Student Songs of the English and German Universitys, Boston, Ditson, 1876, Part Third: Miscellaneous Songs and English and German Student Songs: page 73).
 

According to Brian Rust's "The Columbia Master Book Discography, vol 2", George Potter recorded "In Dublin's Fair City" on March 30, 1917 in New York. But it was not issued



First officially released version I could find:

(o) James O'Neill (1924) (as "In Dublin's Fair City")
Recorded April 15, 1924 in New York
Released on Harmony 2-H
 

Wanted: soundfile





(c) Terence O'Brien (1927) (as "Cockles and Mussels")
Released on Parlophone E 3244




(c) Tom English (1934) (as "Cockles and Mussels")
Released June 1934 on Decca F.3965


Listen here:



(c) Gray Gordon and his Tic-Toc Rhythm (1940) (as "Molly Malone")
Vocal: Art Perry
Recorded July 23, 1940 in New York
Released on Bluebird 10861




Listen here:




(c) Andrews Sisters (1940) (as "Sweet Molly Malone")
Recorded September 5, 1940
Released on Decca 3440





(c) Danny Kaye (1941) (as "Molly Malone")
Recorded May 5, 1941
Released on Columbia 36194

Recorded in Melotone Recording Studio in New York
Released as record # 3B of a 3 10" 78RPM album on Stinson S-364
 






(c) Marie McDonald (1944) (as "Cockles and Mussels")
The first part of the song is sung by actress Marie McDonald in the 1944 movie Guest in the House. Her character arrives home rather drunk, carrying a basketful of live mussels from the nearby beach. Some seconds later she echoes her equally tipsy companion's lines while keeping the melody

The complete movie is here (she sings it at 54 min and 30 sec in the movie)




(c) James Dunn (1945) (as "Molly Malone")

The song (sung by James Dunn) also appears in the 1945 movie A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and is quoted in the book of the same title by Betty Smith.

The complete movie is here (he sings it at about 40 minutes in the movie)




(c) Josh White (1947) (as "Molly Malone")
Recorded December 10, 1945
Released as record # 24239 on 4 record set "Ballads and Blues Vol 2" (Decca A-611)
 



Listen here:


Or here:




(c) Kate Smith (1946) (as "Molly Malone")
Recorded April 16, 1947
Released on Columbia 37136





(c) Burl Ives (1953) (as "Molly Malone")
Recorded May 2, 1953 in New York
Released on Decca DL-5490


Listen here:




(c) Joni James (1959) (as "Molly Malone")



Listen here:




(c) Pete Seeger (1962) (as "Molly Malone")

Released on the album "American Favorite Ballads: Songs and Tunes, vol. 5"



Listen here:




(c) Eric & Hattie (1962) (as "Cockles and Mussels")


Listen here:




(c) Ruby Murray (1962) (as "Cockles and Mussels")


Listen here:




(c) Joni Mitchell (1963) (as "Molly Malone")
Recorded ca 1963 at Radio Station CFQC AM, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Released in 2020 on the next CD set





(c) Cisco Houston (1964) (as "Molly Malone")





(c) John Gary (1965) (as "Cockles and Mussels (Molly Malone)")


Listen here:




(c) Conny van Bergen (1965)  (as "Molly 'Dear' Malone")
With the Rivertown Dixieland Jazzband
Released on Decca ‎– AT 10 146




Listen here:




(c) Bing Crosby (1966) (as "Molly Malone (Cockles and Mussels)")
Bing Crosby (voc), Radio Eireann Light Orchestra, Conducted by Buddy Bregman (orc)
Recorded September 20, 1966 in Dublin. Ireland
Recorded for an Irish TV show in Dublin (Radio Eirean - "A Little Bit Of Irish" TV show)


Released in 1993 on the CD: "A Little Bit Of Irish".


Listen here:




(c) Dubliners (1977) (as "Molly Malone")


Listen here:




(c) Tim Hart (1983) (as "Cockles and Mussels")


Listen here:




(c) Ian McCulloch (1984)  (as "Cockles and Mussels")



Listen here:





(c) U2 (1985) (as "Molly Malone")
This song has been played 4 times as a snippet. It's been played 2 times in the main set and 2 times in an encore set.



Here's a live version from a 2001 USA tour:




(c) Sinead O'Connor (2002) (as "Molly Malone")





(c) Roger McGuinn (2006) (as "Molly Malone")
In 2006 McGuinn recorded a version in the context of his Folk Den project





Finally here's a beautiful ethereal version by Irish artist Clodagh Simonds

This recording by Matmos of Clodagh Simonds (of Fovea Hex) singing Molly Malone, in itself a sonic marvel of intelligent artifice, was first featured on their FOR ALAN TURING ep, a work commissioned in 2006 by The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at Berkely CA on the opening of their new Mathematics Hall.

(c) Fovea Hex (2006)

Re-released in 2012 on the next CD


Listen here:








NOT TO BE CONFUSED with another Molly Malone written in 1927 by George M. Cohan for his Broadway musical "The Merry Malones".





And also NOT TO BE CONFUSED  with another Molly Malone recorded by Charles Hart in 1920

Listen here:





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