Before George Martin, the fifth Beatle, produced the Fab Four, he had produced the Scottish accordion player James (Jimmy) Shand.
In 1955 he had a UK Top 20 hit with the instrumental "Bluebell Polka", written by Frank Stanley and arranged by Charles Lovat.
This tune has quite a history.
"Bluebell Polka" was first found on page 51 in Book 1 of James Kerr's first Collection of Merry melodies in 1875, without a composer. James Kerr's publishing company was then located at 79 Berkeley Street in Glasgow
Around the turn of the century it was published in Kerr's new and popular music with F. Stanley's name as composer.
In Kerr's Collection from round about the beginning of last Century,
while they were now situated on 314 Paisley Road, Glasgow, the back page has a list
of New and Popular Music Published by J S Kerr
In the section: Popular Polkas, Waltzes, Schottisches &c. "The Blue Bell
Polka" has the name F. Stanley written beside it - it doesn't say if this is
the writer or arranger, but this must be the same Frank Stanley who was credited for the 1952 Hit-version by Jimmy Shand.
The tune is sometimes used for an accompaniment to the Irish dance "Siamsa Beirte" (which roughly translates as 'play for two'), a kind of two-hand hornpipe sixteen bars in length. The dance apparently is of no particular antiquity.
In Holland an early version was played as "Piederman's Polka".
The melody sounds also quite similar (and may be ancestral) to the American "Flop Eared Mule".
But could this bluegrass tune called "Flop Eared Mule" originally be a Ukrainian tune called "Kow Dowbush" or "Dowbush (Kozak)"
See the UKRAINIAN FIDDLING IN CANADA part in the next article
But it's more likely to assume it's derived from "Detroit Schottisch", a three-part melody written and published in 1854 by Adam Couse (1810-1885), a dancing master who owned a music store in Detroit.
The schottische is a barndance or couple dance, most likely Scottish in origin. In the early 1800's this dance became popular in Central and Eastern Europe. It took hold among German speaking people, who said schottische, German for scottish.
The schottische became a popular ballroom dance in the United States in the 1840's through the influence of dancing masters and dance orchestras as well as the many German-speaking immigrants to the states.
The schottische craze in the 1830's and 1840's led to all sorts of schottisches composed by famous composers and common folk sold as sheet music, performed by cornet bands, orchestras and fiddle bands. Well, the "Detroit Schottisch" is one of those compositions.
Here's the sheet music:
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZnjodRRjIM
Over time, the tune popped up in several songs: "Blue Bell Polka", "Little Pet", "Dowbush Kozak" and "Flop Eared Mule" (or "Big/Long Eared Mule")
The first recording of the tune I could find:
(o) James (Jas) Brown (1911) (as "Little Pet" (Caledonian Polka))
Recorded April 19, 1911
Released on Zonophone Record X-49336
Listen here:
In 1882 a song called "Little Pet Polka" has been copyrighted in the USA by Louis Wallis in 1882.
But this seems NOT to have the familiar "Bluebell Polka" tune
And here's a "Blue Bell Polka" copyrighted in 1850 by Herman Louis Koenig
Also this one also is NOT related to the "Bluebell Polka" tune we're discussing here.
Next up is the Ukrainian "Dowbush Kozak" version, which has the familiar tune.
(c) Ukrainska Selska Orchestra (1930) (as "Dowbush Kozak")
Recorded February 10, 1930 in Camden, New Jersey
Released on Victor V-21034
Listen here:
Or here:
In 1952 a version written by Frank Stanley and arranged by Charles Lovat was published under the title "The Bluebell Polka".
As we see Charles Patrick Lovat was born in 1889. But was he Scottish born ?
Jimmy Shand recorded the tune in the Orpheus Studio, Greyfriars Church Hall, Albion Street,
Glasgow on April 21, 1952 and in 1955 it reached No. 20 in the UK hit parade and sold over 100,000 copies.
According to "The British Hit Singles - The Missing Charts", it had previously reached #13 during a 14 week run from July 7, 1952.
But already in 1940 Jimmy Shand had recorded "The Bluebell Polka" as part of a medley on the Beltona-label.
Recorded July 28, 1940 in West Hampstead, London
Released on the B-side of the 78 pictured below.
In 1956 Alma Cogan recorded the first vocal version of "Bluebell", with lyrics by Paddy Roberts.
Listen here:
According to Philippe Varlet, the melody was known to Irish musicians in the 78 RPM era. It was recorded by the renowned County Sligo/New York fiddler James Morrison for Columbia in 1935
(c) James Morrison (1935) (as "The Blue Bell")
Recorded January 21, 1935 in New York
Released on Columbia 33536-F and Vocalion 84054 in the US
Released on Regal Zonophone G22539 and Regal Zonophone MR 1803
Listen to a sample here: James-Morrison -The Blue Bell polkas.sample.mp3
The Gallowglass Céilí Band waxed "The Bluebell Polka" in the 1950's for Irish Columbia.
Listen here:
In the US the tune popped up in fiddle tunes like "Big Eared Mule or "Flop Eared Mule" /"Long Eared Mule" (or other titles like: "Asheville", "Karo", "Old Dan Tucker" and "Roscoe Trillion")
(o) William B. Houchens (1923) in a medley (as "Big Eared Mule")
Wm. B. Houchens, fiddle and Saloma Dunlap, piano
Recorded in Richmond IN on February 26, 1923
Released on Gennett 5070 as part of a medley
Listen here (at about 1 minute and 56 seconds in the clip below)
Or here:
(c) Osey Helton (1924) (as "Asheville")
Probably recorded in 1924 in New York
Released on Broadway 5119
Listen here: (at 21 seconds in the YT clip below)
(c) B.E. Scott (1924) (as "Big Eared Mule")
B.E. Scott, fiddle and Berdina Scott, piano
Recorded August 1924
Released on Paramount 33156 and Puritan 9156
Listen here:
(c) Ernest V Stoneman and Emmett Lundy (1925) (as "Long Eared Mule")
Emmet Lundy,f Ernest V Stoneman h/ah.
Recorded May 27, 1925 in New York,
Released on Okeh 40405
Listen here:
(c) Judge Sturdy Orchestra (1925) (as "Old Dan Tucker")
Recorded December 3, 1925 in St Louis, Missouri
Listen here:
(c) Blue Ridge Highballers (1926) (as "Flop Eared Mule")
Recorded March 23, 1926 in New York
Released on Columbia 15081-D
Listen here:
(c) Uncle Jimmie Thompson (1926) (as "Karo")
It may be named for the Mississippi River town "Cairo," which sounds like 'karo' in pronounciation.
Atlanta, GA Monday, November 1, 1926
''Uncle Jimmie'' Thompson, f; acc. prob. Eva Thompson Jones, p.
Released on COLUMBIA 15118-D
(c) Bill Helms and His Upson County Band (1928) (as "Roscoe Trillion")
Bill Helms,f; Grady Owens,f; John Hogan,bj; Ty Cobb Hogan,g.
Recorded in Atlanta, GA on February 23, 1928
Released on Victor 40079 A
Listen here:
(c) Highlanders (1929) (as "Flop Eared Mule")
Recorded May 9, 1929
Released on Paramount 3171
Listen here:
(c) Melvin Robinette and Byrd Moore (1929) (as "Flop Eared Mule")
Recorded April 10, 1929 in Richmond, IN.
Released on Gennett 6884
Also released on Supertone 9500 (as by Clark and Howell)
Listen here:
(c) Dixie Ramblers (1930) (as "Long Eared Mule")
Recorded March 27, 1930 in New York
Listen here:
(c) Wade Ray and his Ozark Mountain Boys (1949) (as "Flop-Eared Mule")
Recorded June 1, 1949 at Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA.
(c) Holy Modal Rounders (1965) (as "Flop Eared Mule")
Listen here:
(c) Dubliners 1969 (as "Donkey Reel")
Listen here:
A song partly indebted to "Big/Flop/Long Eared Mule" and so to "Detroit Scottisch" is
"Kicking Mule" or "Whoa Mule" / "Bucking Mule"
Another song partly indebted to "Big/Flop/Long Eared Mule" and so to "Detroit Scottisch" is
"Johnson's Old Gray Mare"
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