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Thread: Goin' across the sea

  1. #1
    Purveyor of Sunshine sgarrity's Avatar
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    I've heard this tune for a while and just decided to learn it after hearing it again on the recent Mashville Brigade release. What's the history of it? I see it attributed to Monroe on occassion but it also seems to be an old-time fiddle tune. Thanks for any info.....

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    I first heard it done by the Wilders of Kansas City who learned it from the Rounder Ozarks fiddle compilation. pretty sweet tune.
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    I know it as an old time song played and sung by Uncle Dave Macon...Gary

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Cousin Emmy did it on her LP with the New Lost City Ramblers. I also have an almost indecipherable rendition from an old acetate disk on one of the Kentucky Fiddle Bands LP's, the most frantic version you could ask for, but really hard to hear through all the surface noise.

    I got the "Let me tell you people, three things I don't need" verse from someone who said he got it from Guy Carawan.
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  5. #5

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    A really good tune!

    From The Fiddler's Companion

    GOING ACROSS THE SEA. AKA and see "Across the Sea," “Going to the Army,” "Gwine Across the Sea." Old‑Time, Breakdown and Song Tune. USA; Tennessee, Kentucky. A Major/Mixolydian. AEad or ADae (Monday/Titon) tunings. This piece has been popular as a banjo/vocal number and has a reputation as a driving banjo tune among musicians in eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, although both Guthrie Meade (1980) and Jeff Titon (2001) say the tune is identified with the Cumberland Plateau region of south central Kentucky and middle Tennessee. Others have called it a fairly common tune in the upper/central South. Titon relays that Mark Wilson told him that it was frequently encountered in the Ozark Mountain region of the Mid-West, where Tennessee populations had migrated. The piece was recorded in 1924 by Tennessee's banjo-playing Uncle Dave Macon, and indeed, the tune has lyrics and has often been rendered with banjo accompaniment. Monticello, Kentucky, musician Dick Burnett performed a noticeably different version on the banjo from Macon’s. In fact, Burnett copyrighted his version, had it printed and sold “ballets” of the song in the second decade of the 20th century. He later recorded the song for the Gennett company, although the side was unissued (Gennett 14651), the only copy pressed being presented to him. It was also recorded in the 20's by other south‑central or eastern Kentucky musicians (such as Henry L. Bandy, who waxed it for Gennett in 1928, though unissued), African-American fiddler John Lusk, and (in an instrumental version) by Nashville's Crook Brothers (Wolfe, 1982). It was the Crook Brother’s most popular record. Bascom Lamar Lunsford was recorded for the Library of Congress playing “Goin’ Across the Sea” in 1935 (1801B2). Charles Wolfe says a "sea chanty" variant was published in 1939 by Jean Thomas in the book Ballad Makin' in the Mountains of Kentucky, collected in northeastern Kentucky. According to Meade, Spottswood and Meade (Country Music Sources, 2002, pg. 529), the tune is closely related to Stephen Foster’s “Angelina Baker.” Source for notated version: Isham Monday (Tompkinsville, Monroe County, Ky., 1959) [Titon]. Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Music), 2001; No. 50, pg. 81. County 542, Crook Brother's String Band {1928} ‑ "Nashville: the Early String Bands, Vol. 2." County 787, Clarence Ferril Band ‑ "Five Miles Out of Town: Traditional Music From the Cumberland Plateau, Vol. 2." Marimac 9060, Jim Bowles - "Railroading Through the Rocky Mountians" (1992). Morning Star 45004, H.L. Bandy (southern Ky.) - "Wish I Had My Time Again" (originally recorded in 1928). Rounder 1004, "Ramblin' Reckless Hobo: The Songs of Dick Burnett and Leonard Rutherford." Victor Vi40099 (78 RPM), The Crook Brothers. Vocalion 5081 (78 RPM), Uncle Dave Macon.

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    Registered User evanreilly's Avatar
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    I believe this is one of the fiddle tunes that Bill Monroe's mother played while he was growing up. Monroe recorded it at one of his last recording sessions, in 1994, I believe. It was released, strangely enough, on a CMH collection of bluegrass mandolin tunes. Not Monroe's label!! CMH CD-8672.

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    You will find ‘Going Across the Sea’ on the Kansas City based band The Wilders’ 2003 Album titled ‘Spring a Leak’. The group’s fiddle player, Betse Ellis, credits learning it from Ozark Fiddler Bob Holt. It is on his CD titled ‘Got a Little Home to Go To’.

    Bill Monroe also played it. He plays it on the documentary film ‘High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass’ sitting on his front porch as I recall. He tells the interviewer that he learned it from his mother and it was an old scotch/irish traditional. Netflix carries the documentary. It is worth checking out just for that song. It is also on the soundtrack for the documentary film.

    Amazon has .99 MP3 downloads of the Bob Holt and Wilder versions.

    It is one of my favorite songs. I play it on both the mandolin and the fiddle…. I am surprised it does not get more coverage.

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    Dan Zanes recorded a nice version on Parades and Panoramas, a collection of stuff from Carl Sandberg's American Songbag.

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    Registered User cooper4205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (the_mahout @ May 18 2008, 21:56)
    Bill Monroe also played it. #He plays it on the documentary film ‘High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass’ sitting on his front porch as I recall. #He tells the interviewer that he learned it from his mother and it was an old scotch/irish traditional. #Netflix carries the documentary. #It is worth checking out just for that song. #It is also on the soundtrack for the documentary film.
    That Monroe version of Goin' Across the Sea is available as a single download on iTunes as well.
    Wes
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