Draggin' the bow

fiddles; guitars; double bassesTRANSCRIPTION OF THE TAPE RECORDING My name is Daryl Price. I am making this tape for the Arkansas Folklore class at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is a tape of fiddle tunes. We are at my home at 510 Meadow Street ( Springdale, Arkansas ), March 28, 1962. I am going to be playing a few fiddle tunes. My brother will be playing bass and my father will be playing guitar, and the first tune we're going to play is a real old one called LEATHER BRITCHES. ( Plays LEATHER BRITCHES and includes a portion of SALLY GOODIN ) Item 1 Says during song; Sally Goodin. ( End of Song ) At the beginning of the tape, I don't believe I told the names of my father and brother. My father is Scott Price and my brother is Duane Price. This next song we're going to saw at is going to be an old one too and it's called BILL CHEATUM. ( Plays BILL CHEATUM and also plays a portion of DEVIL'S DREAM) Says during song; Breaking off into DEVIL'S DREAM. And a few moments later says; Back to BILL CHEATUM again. ( End of Song ) Now this next fiddle tune is one that I always called HELL AMONG THE YEARLINS, but I've had some other fiddlers that have disputed me on it. They said it wasn't HELL AMONG THE YEARLINS,Reel 409 but they didn't know what it was, but I've always called it HELL AMONG THE YEARLINS and I've been told that in polite circles it's knows as TROUBLE AMONG THE CALVES. ( plays HELL AMONG THE YEARLINS) Item 3 ( End of Song ) DARYL: This next series of fiddle tunes was made at my house at 510 Meadow Street at Springdale, Arkansas on May 22, 1962. The occasion was my fathers birthday, and a friend of hie, Albert Fields, who is a fiddler, came in and we decided to do some taping. So, My father, Scott Price, will be playing guitar, along with Kindle Sigmon, who will also be playing guitar. Duane Price, my brother, is playing base, and Albert Fields will be playing the fiddle. Albert had a very sore finger at this time and he was not very happy with his playing and didn't particularly want to record, but we finally talked him into it. The first tune he's going to play will be RAGTIME ANNIE. ( Albert plays RAGTIME ANNIE ) Item 4 ( End Of Song ) SCOTT: You don't happen to remember where you learned that, do you Albert? (Referring to the next tune to be played) ALBERT: No, I don't. SCOTT: Fort Smith?Reel 40 ALBERT: Learned it from my daddy. SCOTT: From your dad. ALBERT: Yea. Well, we'll play FORT SMITH. G (Referring to the Key) SCOTT ( Talking to Duane ) You got her cut back, Duane? Item 5 ( Albert plays FORT SMITH ) Item 5 ( END OF SONG) ALBERT: Now that was worse than the other'n. Let's play a little bit of WHISKERS. KINDLE: Play THE WALTZ YOU SAVED FOR HE, Albert. ALBERT: Play a little bit of WHISKERS. KINDLE: I don't know if I can play it or not. ( Plays WHISKERS ) Item 6 ( END OF SONG) ALBERT: Don't play that one back. SCOTT; You didn't record that, did you? DARYL: Yes. (3) JULIA SIGMON: (Kindle's wife) Reel 409 That one? SCOTT: I didn't know you had it on. KINDLE: Play THE WALTZ YOU SAVED FOR ME, Albert. SCOTT: I want to hear that OVER THE WAVE S we did a while ago. I think that was pretty. ALBERT: I'm off here. SCOTT: Might as well save a little tape till he gets tuned up. ALBERT: Play OVER THE WAVES. SCOTT: OK. (Daryl and Albert play OVER THE WAVES) Item 7 (gnd of Song) KINDLE: Purty good. SCOTT: I'd like to hear that one back. (Albert begins playing another waltz) DARYL: ( While song is in progress ) This is THE WALTZ YOU SAVED FOR ME. (End of Song) (4) KINDLE: Reel 409 I got lost fellas. DUANE: Me three. ALBERT: Play one in D. (Begins playing) (END OF SONG) SCOTT: Now what was the name of that? ALBERT: THE 8th of January. Lets play BILLY IN THE LOW GROUND. SCOTT: OK. (Albert plays and ends BILLY IN THE LOW GROUND) Item 10 SCOTT: Albert, there's one thing I wanted to ask you and thats that rattle snake rattle you've got in your fiddle. How come you've got that rattler in there. ALBERT: Well, I always thought it kinda sharpened up the tone. SCOTT: Sharpened up the tone? ALBERT: Yea. SCOTT: Well, who taught you to do that? (4) ALBERT: Well, my dad used to keep one in hie fiddle allthe time. RAMONA PRICE ( Scott's wife ) What? One what? ALBERT: Rattle snake rattle. SCOTT: A rattle snake rattle in the fiddle. RAMONA: Well, how does that sharpen up the tone? Does it absorb the moisture from the air? ALBERT: Well, I don't know just what it does.--------- — Let's play a little bit of DURANG'S HORNPIPE. SCOTT: Durang's Hornpipe—OK. Item 11 (Albert plays and ends DURANGS HORNPIPE) KINDLE: I'ue just fixin to call a little, Albert. ALBERT: You was? SCOTT: I'd still like to hear a little bit of SALLY GOODIN. ALBERT: Well, let's play a little bit of SALLY GOODIN.SCOTT: Reel 409 Which Sally Goodin is this now, Albert? ALBERT: Aw, it's the old time Sally. SCOTT: Which creek, do you know? ALBERT: I don't know. SCOTT; Bear Creek? ALBERT: Bear Creek SALLY GOODIN, I guess. This'uns played in A. SCOTT: A,--- OK. ( Albert begins playing ) KINDLE: (During the song,begins calling) Forward all 'n back to the wall. Forward up 'n swing by the right 'n by the left your left foot up 'n your right foot down 'n tear the floor as you come round. First couple forward 'n by the right 'n by the left. Left foot up 'n the right foot down, make that big foot jar the ground. Swing your partner once 'n a half. Hold your left like swingin on a gate I'd ride the hoes but it's too damn late. (END OF SONG) ALBERT: That'll be awful—That's AWFUL.DARYL: Albert, what was that last song? ALBERT: DRAGGIN THE BOW. SCOTT: DRAGGIN THE BOW. DARYL: DRAGGIN THE BOW. DARYL: The last part of this tape contains fiddle tunes that were recorded on May the 25th, 1962, at my house at 912 Meadow Street. I'll be playing the fiddle and my brother, Duane Price will be accompanying me on the guitar, and the first tune we're going to play is going to be CRIPPLE CREEK. (Plays CRIPPLE CHEEK) Item 17 Now we're going to try a tune called SOLDIERS JOY, in G, Duane. (Plays SOLDIERS JOY) Item 15 Duane, let's try CASEY JONES, in G. (Begins playing but stops) That's not CASEY JONES,— Well, let's see now. How does CASEY JONES GRAYSON WHELCHEL: ( a friend who was listning ) a doodle daddle doodle daddle? DARYL: Well, something like that, pete. I've got it now. (Begins playing but stops again) That's still not CASEY JONES. (Albert begins playing and ends another song) DUANE: (Laughing) You'd better erase that. DARYL: Never mind, just for the heck of it lets see what happens. I'm going to get CASEY JONES down first. (Begins playing. This time it is CASEY JONES.) DARYL: OK, this next song is going to be an old one called DUSTY MILLER. Duane, this one is in A. Item 17 (END OF SONG) (END OF TAPE) (8)Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation