First, I agree that of the "Sleepy Eyed Joe" recordings I've cited, the
Enloe version is the odd one out in terms of basic melody. Besides the transcription Erik
cited in _Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory_, there's a transcription of Enloe's
version in the Mel Bay book _Ozark Fiddle Music_, by Drew Beisswenger:
https://books.google.com/books?id=2vm8OaHq_WcC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&…
Beisswenger also cites yet another transcription published by Stacy Phillips.
I found a transcription of the tune played by Foghorn here:
https://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.html
Linked from a large collection of tunes at
https://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.html
Also, while composing this message I discovered that I botched an earlier attempt to post
a link to a video of Foghorn playing "Sleepy Eyed Joe" at Malloy's Pub and
instead posted a duplicate link to the version from the _Weiser Sunrise_ album.
Here's the correct link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDlpjkhJ0To
(Note that the attribution of the tune to Blake appears to be in error.)
Next, I agree with Erik and Meg that solid rhythmic backup can contribute a lot to
danceability. That said, when I listen to the two Norman Blake versions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AntWbzdq60
Solo guitar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rek6WqLfUVI
Mandolin (with backup, and alternating melodic lead
with a fiddler)
it seems to me that his playing on the second version is somehow more danceable than on
the first version, even without the backup. Of course, I don't have a multi-track
studio recording to experiment with, and it may be that I can't trust myself to listen
to a version with backup and imagine it without backup. Still, that's how it seems to
me. I'd like to know what anyone else thinks about it. And as I said in an earlier
message, you might want to try listening to both Blake versions with the YouTube playback
speed set to 1.25.
--Jim
On Sep 27, 2019, at 11:01 AM, Erik Hoffman via
Musicians <musicians(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
First, the tune played by Norman Blake as well as the Sleepy Eyed Joe by Foghorn is not
the same tune as the one played by Lyman Enloe. There is a transcription of the tune Lyman
plays called Sleepy Joe in R. P. Christeson's "Old-Time Fiddler's
Repertory." It's Hoedown #24 in book one.
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Time-Fiddlers-Repertory-Traditional-Tunes/dp/082…
The guitar version in Norman Blake's video misses the drive most of us strive for
when playing for dances. It's not that a solo guitar can't do it, but it's
missing the distinctive beat markers. The other versions all have backup instruments
pushing the drive along...
~Erik Hoffman
-----Original Message-----
From: Musicians <musicians-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> On Behalf Of jim saxe
via Musicians
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 7:56 PM
To: musicians(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Musicians] Danceability of versions of the same tune (Sleepy-Eyed Joe)
In my message of earlier today, I offered links to four renditions of "Sleepy Eyed
Joe", including this one from Foghorn's out-of-print _Weiser Sunrise_ album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2RI8FlwvQg
Foghorn Stringband
~134 BPM
Thanks to Meg Dedolph for an off-list message pointing out that the aforesaid video has
been diasbled since I first posted a link to it in 2015 and for calling my attention to a
video on the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival's channel of a live performance by
Foghorn at Matt Molloy's Pub, Bridge Street, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland in 2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_q8vaQuI0
Foghorn Stringband
~137-138 BPM
I've also found that the version from the _Weiser Sunrise_ album is currently
available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_q8vaQuI0
The title and description of the Westport video attribute the tune to Norman Blake, but
as I said in the postscript to my earlier message, notes accompanying one of Blake's
CDs attribute the tune to one Ellis Hall. I haven't heard Hall's 1952 78 RPM
recording of the tune, so I can't say how it compares to any of the others I've
mentioned. Using Google Advanced Book Search, I found a 1952 copyright catalog with a
listing attributing "Sleepy Eyed Joe" to Ellis John Hall. Whether Hall was
claiming authorship of the tune itself or just of his performance/arrangement is more than
I can say for certain, but I didn't find any older references to "Sleepy Eyed
Joe" as a tune name.
--Jim
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