Mike Cross "Whiskey Before Breakfast" (Tune At End?)

[timacn]

Mike Cross recorded a great album "Live and Kickin" back in the 1980s with Zan McLeod. For me, one of the best songs on the album (there are many great ones) was his version of "Whiskey Before Breakfast." Mike Cross apparently wrote words for this old fiddle tune and he sings them on the album. I believe Mike plays guitar (and plays it very well) on the cut and Zan McLeod plays mandolin. At the very end of the song, they shift into a version of what I think is "The Sailor's Bonnet." Zan McLeod does an especially good mandolin solo at the end of this. Do any of you know the tune he is playing? My guess is that it's a different fiddle tune or it might be an improv or variation on "The Sailor's Bonnet." I've always wanted to try to learn it and if I could locate some tablature, I would be most appreciative.

If anybody can help me out with this I would be most appreciative. Thanks.

[Mark Gunter]

You could use slow-down software and figure out what they're playing, then notate it yourself if you can't actually find tablature. Understood that you may not want to do this or have no time for it, in that case you could also hire someone to do it. There are some guys here at the forum that offer services like that. I've seen that Jordan Ramsey does this; also, Nick DiSebastion does this, he has a website geared to it. Sorry, I don't have a link to these guys at the moment, but they are both members here. I've traded with Nick before and satisfied. He sometimes has an ad in the classifieds.

NFI in any of these.

If you want to do it yourself and not sure how to go about that, I have some suggestions, just ask if you're interested. Sorry I couldn't help with the actual tune name you're seeking. Maybe someone else will chime in.

[Jess L.]

Mike Cross... album "Live and Kickin"... "Whiskey Before Breakfast." ...

Is this the same track?


(or direct link)

[Dagger Gordon]

I can't get that video to play, I'm afraid, but I did hear that version of Whisky Before Breakfast.
Actually, my memory is that he changed it to Whisky FOR breakfast!

'Heaven help us, Lord protect us,
We've been drinking whisky for breakfast'

It was good. I think I maybe heard it on some sort of sampler album, rather than his own record?

[Mark Gunter]

Is this the same track?


(or direct link)

That's a great track! If that's the same track, I don't think it's any type of medley at all, it's Whiskey 'Fore Breakfast to the end. The instruments at the last part are playing the melody suggested by his lyric content, with plenty of embellishment . . . and I love it.

[Dagger Gordon]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fgB1S1t4bVw

It's certainly a tune off the first Bothy Band album, yes it probably is The Sailor's Bonnet.

[timacn]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fgB1S1t4bVw

It's certainly a tune off the first Bothy Band album, yes it probably is The Sailor's Bonnet.

Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak:

Zan McLoud himself told me that he is, in fact, playing "The Sailor's Bonnet" at the end of "Whiskey 'Fore Breakfast" on that Mike Cross album.

[Mark Wilson]

In the 70's and 80s Mike played a lot around NC in the summer. Terrific vocal version of WBB. Growing up on his version, I thought it was just a vocal tune until I took up mandolin.

[HonketyHank]

In the 70's and 80s Mike played a lot around NC in the summer. Terrific vocal version of WBB. Growing up on his version, I thought it was just a vocal tune until I took up mandolin.

Yeah. I think this version was the only one I ever heard until a year or two ago. Got the cd somewhere in the pile. ,

[Jess L.]

... if I could locate some tablature...

As a starting point, FWIW, here's a couple of tabs+notation for the ending-tune (Sailor's Bonnet)...

1. Printable PDF of what I hear at the end of the Mike Cross track, can't guarantee its accuracy but hey it's free! The notes that have big question marks are notes I wasn't sure of. The little "H?" over a couple of the notes, means that it sounds to me like a hammer, but it might be a slide or something, I can't really tell. He also might be doing some double stops, or maybe that's the backing guitar, there's only one double-string I was *almost* certain of so I only show one of those in the tab. The preview icon shows black but it's a normal PDF:
   
   
   
   
2. Below is a different version that's nearly identical to TheSession version, the tab below is a TablEdit tef file that you can playback (at any speed) in TablEdit or the free TEFview. I tested playback on Android TEFview on my phone, works ok here, FWIW:
   
   TablEdit/TEFview: sailors-bonnet-regular.tef

An aside, I found another mind-bendingly awesome version of Sailor's Bonnet on YouTube, in the credits they say it's from a 1973 album with Kevin Burke (fiddle) and Arlo Guthrie and someone on banjo and it sounds like also a steel guitar or something... hmm seems that YouTube doesn't allow embedding that particular video, so here's the direct link to the video.

[timacn]

Very nice! Thanks for the help.

As a starting point, FWIW, here's a couple of tabs+notation for the ending-tune (Sailor's Bonnet)...

1. Printable PDF of what I hear at the end of the Mike Cross track, can't guarantee its accuracy but hey it's free! The notes that have big question marks are notes I wasn't sure of. The little "H?" over a couple of the notes, means that it sounds to me like a hammer, but it might be a slide or something, I can't really tell. He also might be doing some double stops, or maybe that's the backing guitar, there's only one double-string I was *almost* certain of so I only show one of those in the tab. The preview icon shows black but it's a normal PDF:
   
   
   
   
2. Below is a different version that's nearly identical to TheSession version, the tab below is a TablEdit tef file that you can playback (at any speed) in TablEdit or the free TEFview. I tested playback on Android TEFview on my phone, works ok here, FWIW:
   
   TablEdit/TEFview: sailors-bonnet-regular.tef

An aside, I found another mind-bendingly awesome version of Sailor's Bonnet on YouTube, in the credits they say it's from a 1973 album with Kevin Burke (fiddle) and Arlo Guthrie and someone on banjo and it sounds like also a steel guitar or something... hmm seems that YouTube doesn't allow embedding that particular video, so here's the direct link to the video.

[Oz Camera]

I have also use the words and tune and made my own version of this song.