THE WEDDERBURN OLDTIMERS ON THE VERANDAH MUSIC CHANNEL

Vintage video of the Oldtimers in fine form on 1970s television! Lovingly edited by Rob Willis, you can join the proper old time dancing and the fun here..here...

The Wedderburn Oldtimers were amazingly popular back then, with two platinum and several gold LPs (Long Playing vinyl records) to their credit.

You can read all about it on the Peter Ellis Archives site where we’ve uploaded an account in which Peter recalls the history of the band and his involvement with it.

BUSHRANGERS VS OUTLAWS

Bushranger’s flight by artist S T Gill (1818-1880) published by James J. Blundell & Co. Melbourne Victoria [1856]

Following up on our interest in bushranger ballads and lore, here’s an interesting sidelight on public perceptions of bushrangers versus American outlaws. The survey was carried out by researcher Bruce Tranter and published in the International Journal of Social Science Studies Vol. 1, No. 2; 2013

It seems that the only bushranger better known than the outlaw Jesse James, is Ned Kelly. Everyone other bushranger is an ‘also ran’. Here’s the relevant section of the article (the stats are tabulated in the article):

‘ … Jesse James (46%) emerges as by far the most frequently named outlaw. While it is perhaps not surprising that many Australians can identify James, the results provide a gauge of the extent of their knowledge. The next best known outlaw – Billy the Kid – was named by 33% of respondents in total. Thereafter, a substantial drop in recognition occurs to Butch Cassidy (12%) and the Sundance Kid (6%), famously represented in the 1969 film of the same name starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The other James gang members – including Jesse’s older brother Frank –  also fared poorly in the survey. ‘Wild Bill’ (James Butler) Hickok was identified by 5% of the sample as an outlaw, as were Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp by approximately 3%. In reality these lawmen allegedly worked both sides of the law (Carnes 1996).

In contrast, 80% of Australians named Ned Kelly as a bushranger and 29% identified Ben Hall. The next best known bushrangers were Captain Thunderbolt and Dan Morgan with around 12% of the cumulative responses. These results show that Jesse James and Billy the Kid are recognisable to more Australians than any of their home grown outlaws, with the exception of the armoured outlaw, Ned Kelly! …’

The survey didn’t include the earlier Jack Donohoe or the mythic Wild Colonal Boy, whose ballad is well-known around the world, but the outcome would have been much the same I expect.

Better keep singing those bushranger ballads.

WHO CALLED THE COOK A BASTARD? - PODCAST

Lunch in the bush, near Warwick, ca.1893. State Library Qld.

They were called ‘bait-layers’, ‘babbling brooks’ and much worse by the bush workers and soldiers who had to endure their offerings. The traditions of Australian cooking also include pioneering women who made do with whatever they could get from the bush and their own ingenuity. Iguana-tail curry, anyone?

Listen to the podcast here.

MORE BUSHRANGER BALLAD PUZZLES

William Strutt, 'Bushrangers, Victoria, Australia, 1852' (detail), 1887, oil on canvas, The University of Melbourne Art Collection, gift of the Russell and Mab Grimwade Bequest, 1973

Sandra Nixon continues to excavate the extensive archives of the Sydney Bush Music Club. Her latest discoveries are some intriguing versions of bushranger ballads of Ben Hall and Fred Lowry – here and here.

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A RIVER MURRAY MYSTERY

Environment SA

The song known as ‘A Nautical Yarn’ has always been a bit of a mystery. A parody of the shipwreck songs so popular in the Victorian era, this one is set on the Murray River. It begins:

I sing of a capting who’s well known to fame;
A naval commander, Bill Jinks is his name.
Who sailed where the Murray’s clear waters do flow,
Did this freshwater shellback, with his Yeo heave a yeo…

Stephen Whiteside throws some light on the mystery here.

The song has been recorded by many performers, including Burl Ives, John Thompson and Bush Gothic and you can near Warren Hardiman and Dick Bromhead doing a nice version here.

NARIEL CREEK, 1971 – ON THE TELLY!

The ABC has unearthed from its cavernous archives some footage of Con Klippel and all at the Nariel Creek Black and White Folk Festival of 1971. This treasure, complete with interviews with Con and a gum leaf solo, has been posted here on the Facebook page of Australian Folk and Roots Community Forum.

JIVING ON JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth celebration in 1900 at Eastwoods Park. (Austin History Center via NMAAHC)

Here’s an intriguing ensemble for the Ghost Music files. Juneteenth is a folk anniversary on June 19 marking the end of US slavery. Most states have now made it an official holiday, though for much of its history it flew mostly under the radar. This group was photographed at the 1900 observation in Austin, Texas.

With that line-up you wonder what sort of music they were making. If I had to guess, I’d say some early jazz, blues and the dance hits of the time. Oh, to have been there!

Article about Juneteenth at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/juneteenth-our-other-independence-day-16340952/

ALL THE PRETTY WALTZES - NEW RELEASE

This new CD contains twenty-four tunes of beautiful traditional waltzes, mazurkas, varsoviennas and schottisches. 

Collected by Dave and Julie Gittus over thirty years, they include many traditional Australian dance tunes. Long-time friend Ian White provides backing on banjo and guitar.

The tunes include collected arrangements by Dave De Hugard, Maurie Gervesoni and the late Jacko Kevins.

The album is available at: 

https://thethreefourtimers.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-pretty-waltzes 

or by contacting the artists directly via this email address: 

davegittus@bigpond.com

MY FATHER, BURL IVES, PETE SEEGER AND AUSTRALIA’S FOLK MUSIC HERITAGE

Stephen Whiteside reminisces about the 1970s, his encounters with folk music and a couple of its noted singers, as well as their encounters with the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s.

On Stephen's website at:

https://stephenwhiteside.com.au/my-father-burl-ives-pete-seeger-and-australias-folk-music-heritage/

REMEMBER, REMEMBER ... WITH DANNY SPOONER

Here’s a teaser for the other Cracker Night (or one of them, at least). The late and much missed Danny Spooner sings the Guy Fawkes bonfire song and reminisces about the Fifth of November. More on this then!