Season 265 "Golden Age of Ukulele"

I had this recorded on Thursday but then the St. Patrick's day thing kicked in so I left it on hold till that was over.

In 1936 & 37, an unknown itinerant musician made a series of recordings that have since become recognised as Blues Classics. Here is my take on Robert Johnson's Crossroad Blues.
 
I love the Pogues but their songs are just about impossible for me to fake. Here's one last very rough St. Patrick's Day song since it's not yet noon here.

 
Abdallah Bulbul Ameer

Written in 1877, so one for either the Golden Age or St Patrick playlist (or both). Another one from the master, Percy French; a song my mother used to sing:

 
Written in 1877, so one for either the Golden Age or St Patrick playlist (or both). Another one from the master, Percy French; a song my mother used to sing:




....Or ..."Be it straight glass or jar,
Whitbreads not particyoolarrrrrrrrr,
'Cos the best Best needs no etiquette "

From the 80's Whitbread Best Bitter Beer adverts ....LOl I remembers ......
 
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O'Brien is tryin' to learn to talk Hawaiian

Another one for either playlist. Written in 1917. Oirishmen, Hawaii, ukuleles? What's not to like? :)

 
Well its Noon EDST in Central PA. Six more hours til folks west of here til Noon in Honolulu The St Pat's Ukulele Ceili is still on. Some mighty fine performances here.


It may already be the 18th for some of you but it is still St. Paddy's day here in Alaska! Just got home from an evening on the town. It's almost 9PM and the sun has just set- the light is returning!
I recorded this earlier this afternoon. I am still researching who wrote this song (R. Alex Anderson??) and when it was first published. It's a well-known hula tune. The hula dancers are actually dancing to this song- I just muted the Hawaiian musicians and added myself in. Turn down the volume! Forgive me - I'm using a new video program and haven't yet learned how to edit the audio.


Myrna: I did some checking here. The best thing I could come up with for authorship here is a 1955 Laurence Welk 45 RPM Coral record label image with the names IL(sic) Cavanaugh, F Weldon, G Whiting(sic).
 
It may already be the 18th for some of you but it is still St. Paddy's day here in Alaska! Just got home from an evening on the town. It's almost 9PM and the sun has just set- the light is returning!
I recorded this earlier this afternoon. I am still researching who wrote this song (R. Alex Anderson??) and when it was first published. It's a well-known hula tune. The hula dancers are actually dancing to this song- I just muted the Hawaiian musicians and added myself in. Turn down the volume! Forgive me - I'm using a new video program and haven't yet learned how to edit the audio.


This in from one of our Seasonista Folklorista's RedPaul1: "LMGTFY: Lola O'Brien - The Irish Hawaiian. Words & Music by: Whiting, George; Cavanaugh J.; Weldon, F. Southern Music Pub. Co. Inc. 1954." Thanks Paul.
 
I thought someone had done this for the Partypalooza. If so, here's my version anyway! Freddy the cat tried to help me by stepping on the keyboard but when I started playing he lost interest. No accounting for taste! (I did make a mess of the last verse ...)

 
The Mountains of Mourne

From 1896, another one for either playlist, and another one by Percy French. Written while he was living in London*. The 'Mary' in question was one Mary Hodgson, a family friend, with whom French often stayed when he would return to Ireland (Revealed: The Mary behind classic Percy French song).



*The Lake Isle of Innisfree, similarly was composed (a few years earlier, in 1890) while Yeats was living in London
 
This is a song I have long wanted to learn. All of it except the Introduction and Chorus is typically notated as a C chord. That didn't work for me. No.1 in 1905 And Arthur Collins version sold over a million copies and was awarded the second "Gold Disc" ever!

 
This one has a U2 connection, as they recorded a very electronic version of this for the Red Hot and Blue album (which contained several other artist covering Cole Porter Songs). This is my take on Night and Day.
 
Me And A Tenor ,who'd a thunk it ?



Three and out for the Golden Age....
 
Season 265. Submission 4. "Muinaslugu muusikas" ("A Fairy Tale In Music) (Written by Raimond Valgre, 1939)

The original lyrics are in Estonian. With poetic license, I have altered the literal English translations which are available.

Kolibri's performances of the music of Valgre have introduced me to the fine composer. Thank you, Kolibri!

And, Tommy, thank YOU for a wonderful Season! (I hope you're not too exhausted to ever do it again. ;) )


 
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This in from one of our Seasonista Folklorista's RedPaul1: "LMGTFY: Lola O'Brien - The Irish Hawaiian. Words & Music by: Whiting, George; Cavanaugh J.; Weldon, F. Southern Music Pub. Co. Inc. 1954." Thanks Paul.
Thank you Paul and Tommy! I listened to several versions of this song while learning it, and came across the Lawrence Welk recording on YT. But I thought it might be an even older song. Mystery solved.
 
Shine On Harvest Moon

This should be from the right era, a 1908 song that I discovered when looking into Public Domain Music.



It is not really a harvest moon in the picture, but a picture taken during an event called "blood moon", when the moon looks reddish during a lunar eclipse. It was the best moon picture I had.
 
Greetings,

Missed most of the week. Life got in the way. Looks like lots of good stuff though. ��
 
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