COUNTRY MUSIC...Matrix: 140627-3 ("-3" means 3rd take) Time: 3:00 Photo by Bain News Service Label:...

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COUNTRY MUSIC

FLOYD COLLINS BALLADS

FIRST JENKINS BALLAD Early: 1925 to 1929

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In chronological order by recording date

CY-OT-FC-EY1 United States 1925

THE DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental

Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS (1885-1957) (LY-OT-FC1) Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: Fiddlin' John CARSON (vocal & fiddle) Prod. Co: (78) General Phonograph Corp.; New York, NY & (CD) Document Records; Vienna, Austria Rec. Co: General Phonograph Corp.; Atlanta, GA Rec. Date: Apr. 14 or 15, 1925 (acoustic recording) Rel. Date: Late June 1925 Matrix: 9053-B Liner Notes: (CD) Keith Chandler, 8/1997 Time: 3:01 & (CD) 2:53 1. Original 78:

Label: OKeh 40363-A Flip Sd: Charming Betsy Spec: 10" 78 rpm

2. Reissue on Austrian CD: FIDDLIN' JOHN CARSON – VOL. 2 – 1945-1925 (1997) Document DOCD 8015 (Tk 20) Notes: This was the first recording of the ballad, which today has become an all-time classic, at least among American cavers. Cut in Atlanta barely 2 months after Floyd's death, it was released in late June 1925. Fiddlin' John Carson was one of the pioneering recording artists of old time country music, who, together with Eck Robertson and Henry Whittier, helped launch the "hillbilly boom" in 1923-24. Carson was one of the first country recording stars, not the first to make a record, but the first to have his discs marketed directly to a country audience. Although Wiggins, his biographer, says that “he made the first ‘real’ country record in 1923.” (Wiggins 1979) Winner of several fiddling contests, he was above all a showman who had a wide reputation in the Atlanta area. His music was like none other – “slow-paced, asymmetrical, and dissonant” – (Wiggins 1987) and he sang in the non-commercial, old-hymn style used by the better traditional folksingers of today.

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“Polk Brockman was a record distributor for his father`s department store in Atlanta in the 1920s when he talked a skeptical agent for Okeh Records into recording a Georgian named Fiddlin` John Carson.” (Anon. 1985) On this historic original recording of the Floyd Collins ballad, due to the 3-minute average playing time of a 10-inch 78 record, Carson is only able to sing stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 out of the 9 stanzas from the printed copyrighted sheet music. His fiddling was very raw sounding and eccentric in its rhythm – rough-hewn and earthy tones – the sound of a hornpipe on fiddle. The tune is not exactly what Jenkins wrote and Spain arranged; Carson has set the words to one of his own tunes. It’s as if his fiddle had a will of its own and the notes he plays on it have no relation to the tune he is singing. Wiggins explains, “To have given him the music would have been useless, of course. True, someone, even one of the Jenkins family,

could have taught him the intended tune; but the recording industry was not yet even that finical with its hillbilly offerings. John used a tune that I know only as the melody he later used on “The Storm That Struck Miami” but that I suspect had been used for something long before.” (Wiggins 1987) He makes several minor and some major changes in the newly composed lyrics, which were later copyrighted and printed. A few of the minor wording differences (here in italics) may simply be due to a misreading or a personal preference for his own phrasing. Stz. 1, vs. 4 – A lad we all knew well Stz. 2, vs. 1-2 – How sad, how sad this story It filled our eyes with tears Stz. 2, vs. 4 – For many a' many a' year Stz. 7, vs. 1-2 – The rescue party gathered They labored night and day Stz. 8, vs. 6-7 – His life they could not save His body then was a' sleeping

The important textual changes come in the last stanza where he completely rewrites verses 2, 3, and 4 – Stz. 9, vs. 1-8 – Young people, Oh! take warning This is for you and I We may not be like Collins But you and I must die. It may not be in a sand cave In which we find our tomb But at the mighty judgement We too must meet our doom.

It is significant to note that in three places here the wording corresponds with the text as performed by "Blind Andy" Jenkins and not with the copyrighted text (i.e. Stz.1, Vs.4; Stz.3, Vs.5; and Stz.9, Vs.7). Later in his career, John Carson sold song sheets of Andy Jenkins’ ballads, “Floyd Collins” and “Little Marion Parker.” “Irene [Spain] charitably attributed this more to ignorance than to dishonesty.” (Wiggins 1987) Ref: Anon. 1985, Polk Brockman – Music Promoter, Obit, Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mar. 13, 1985,

sun-sentinel Burrison, John A., Fiddlers in the Alley, The Atlanta Historical Bulletin, v. XXI, n. 2, Summer 1977, p.59-73 Cohen, Norm, 1974, Fiddlin' John Carson: An appreciation and a Discography, JEMF Quarterly, v. X. pt. 4, Winter 1974, n. 36, p. 138-143, 145, 152 Coltman, Bob, 1973, Look Out! Here He Comes – Fiddlin' John Carson, Old Time Music, n.9, Summer 1973, p. 16-21 Comber, Chris, 1972, Fiddlin' John Carson, Country Music People, v.3, n.3, March 1972, Kent, UK, p. 26-27 Fiddlin’ John Carson, Biography, Bluegrassmessengers Fiddlin’ John Carson, The Death of Floyd Collins (3:04), YouTube (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLE) Lloyd, A.L., 1967, Folk Song in England; Paladin, St. Albans, Herts, England (1975); p. 71 Malone, Bill C. & McCulloh, Judith 1975, The Stars of Country Music, Avon, New York, NY, 1976), p. 18-22 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 176 Wiggins, Gene, 1979, John Carson: Early Road, Radio, and Records, The Journal of Country Music, v.8, n.1, May 1979, p. 20, 37 Wiggins, Gene 1987, Fiddlin' Georgia Crazy, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. xii, 84, 94-96, 275 Wolfe, Charles K., 2001, Classic Country – Legends of Country Music, Routledge, New York, NY, p. 64-69

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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-03-13/news/8501090854_1_polk-brockman-bill-c-malone-recording-industryhttp://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/fiddlin-john-carson--1923.aspxhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReMPeoHkmT8&feature=related


THE DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: Al CRAVER [aka. Vernon Dalhart] (tenor vocal & harmonica)

Carson Robison (with guitar) Prod: Frank Walker Prod. Co: Columbia Phonograph Co., New York, NY Rec. Date: May 27, 1925 Matrix: 140627-3 ("-3" means 3rd take) Time: 3:00 Photo by Bain News Service Label: Columbia 15031-D Flip Sd: Little Mary Phagan Spec: 10" 78 rpm Notes: This is Vernon Dalhart's first recording of the song. The stage name, Al Craver, was one of his better-known aliases, but, during his most active recording period from 1924 to 1929, he actually used over 100 pseudonyms. His family name was Marion Try Slaughter: "Vernon" & "Dalhart" are two towns in the panhandle of northern Texas. He was actually born and raised in and around Jefferson, Texas. By using a pseudonym he was able to freelance for all the major and most of the minor record labels; “play the field and avoid the encumbrance of exclusive contracts" (Haden 1971). Today Vernon Dalhart is credited by

many country music historians as “the first country music artist of national importance.” (Haden 1971) In 1924 Carson Robison had been hired as studio guitarist by Victor Records. Starting that year and for four years after, Robison put his virtuosity “at Dalhart’s disposal; and if Dalhart made him, he had much to do with the making of Dalhart… it was his guitar that made Dalhart’s bland, too refined voice move with authority on recordings.” (Coltman 1978) For the second time in his country music career, he covered a song originally recorded by Carson and once again it was Dalhart who had the hit. The resulting popularity of his version of the ballad, allowed him to cut different masters of it for 7 other record companies (including two takes for Plaza), which were released (under his usual stage name for the most part) on over 27 different labels, not including the 6 string

band versions, “Floyd Collins Waltz,” released in 1926 (see under section Floyd Collins Waltz). . All together he is supposed to have sold close to one million copies of the song but this figure is impossible to verify and probably exaggerated. In this initial version, Dalhart only sings stanzas 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9 of the original 9 stanzas. Only two words of the printed lyrics were modified – Stz. 3, Vs. 3, 4, & 5 become – In an awful dream I had

I dreamed I was a prisoner

Stanza 8, Verse 8 becomes – In the lonely sandstone cave A harmonica solo introduces the piece, plays for the bridge after stanza 3, and closes the performance. Had Dalhart reduced the harmonica solos he would have had time to sing more stanzas.

“The tune was singable, Dalhart’s stiff singing made the lyrics comprehensible, and the record took off, selling not only in the south, but all over the country… CBS files reveal that Columbia 15031 eventually sold some 306,000 copies – more than any other recording in Columbia’s hill country catalogues of the 1920s – making it Columbia’s biggest hit for many years to come.” (Wolfe 1998) “Columbia and Victor were the only two companies to achieve anything resembling national distribution with the ‘old time’ series – though it has been noted that by far the largest percentage of sales was in the South.” (Wolfe 1978) Ref: Abrams, Steve & Settlemier, Tyrone 2012, Columbia 1500OD series Numerical Listing, 78discography Al Carver (sic), The Death of Floyd Collins, Columbia Records (3:07), YouTube (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLE)

http://www.78discography.com/COL15000D.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zL3EtsMQNE

Anon 1970, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography, Part 1: Columbia Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v.VI, pt. 4, Winter 1971 (sic. 1970), n. 20, p. 161 Anon. 2012, Carson Robison, Biography, Wikipedia Bailey, Janet, (Editor) 1964, The Spelunker's Songbook, Pittsburgh, PA; Section 2, p. 5 (Song wrongly dated to1930) Coltman, Robert 1978, Carson Robison: First of the Rural Professionals, Old Time Music, n.29, Summer 1978, p. 7 Comber, Chris, 1972, The Story of Carson Robison, Country Music People, v.3, n.9, Sept. 1972, Kent, England, p. 20 The Death of Floyd Collins, Sung by Al Craver, Lyrics, jkhg.org Green, Archie, 1972, Only a Miner: Studies in Recorded Coal-Mining Songs, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. 126 Haden, Walter D., 1971, Vernon Dalhart: His Rural Roots and the Beginnings of Commercial Country Music, Journal of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, v.3, n.1, Winter 1970-71, p. 19, 22 Haden, Walter D. 1975, Vernon Dalhart: Commercial Country Music’s First International Star, JEMF Quarterly, v. XI, pt. 2, Summer 1975, n. 38, p. 95-103 & JEMF Quarterly, v. XI, pt. 3, Autumn 1975, n. 39, p. 129-136 Haden, Walter D., 1975 (1976), Vernon Dalhart, in Malone, Bill C. & McCulloh, Judith 1975 (Editors) The Stars of Country Music, Univ. of Illinois Press, Reprinted by Avon Books, NY, p. 69-92 Leamy, Hugh 1929, Now Come All You Good People, Collier’s Weekly, Nov. 2, 1929, p. 20 unz.org & p. 58-59 unz.org Palmer, Jack & Olson, Robert 2005, Vernon Dalhart: First Star of Country Music, Mainspring Press, Denver, CO, 424p. (Not seen) Paris, Mike, 1972, Vernon Dalhart, Country Music People, v.3, n.1, Jan. 1972, Kent, England, p. 12 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 247 Walsh, Jim 1960, Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists: Vernon Dalhart, Hobbies, Part I to VII, May to Dec. 1960, Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. XVIII, Fall/ Winter 1982, n. 67/ 68, p. 131-145 Wolfe, Charles 1978, Columbia Records and Old-Time Music, JEMF Quarterly, v. XIV, Autumn 1978, n. 51, p. 119 Wolfe, Charles K. 1998, Reading Country Music: Steel Guitars, Opry Stars, and Honky-Tonk Bars, Duke University Press, p. 191 books.google.fr Wolfe, Charles K., 2001, Classic Country – Legends of Country Music, Routledge, New York, NY, p. 70-75

________________________________ CY-OT-FC-EY3 United States 1925

FLOYD COLLINS IN SAND CAVE Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental

Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS (1885-1957) Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: (Unknown)

Perf: BLIND “ANDY” [aka. Andrew Jenkins] (vocal & guitar)

Prod. Co: Columbia Phonograph Co., New York, NY Rec. Co: Columbia Phonograph Co., New York, NY Rec. Date: ca. Early June 1925 (acoustic) Matrix: S-73-415-B Rel. Date: Aug. 1925 Time: Approx. 3:24

Label: OKeh (Truetone) 40393-A Flip Sd: The Country Church Yard Spec: 10" 78 rpm Notes: A rare version performed by the song composer himself, Reverend Andrew "Blind Andy" Jenkins. Curiously he has “changed” the title here. This poses the question whether or not the above title was the one intended by Jenkins in the beginning. Remember the telegram he received from Brockman in April 1925 – ”Get song on Floyd Collins in Sand Cave” (see Song Background above). Could well be that this was the original title. Then, was the more common title, "The Death of Floyd Collins" (the one used on Carson's first recording of it) simply the title assigned to the song by the New York office or by someone else, possibly Brockman? The title here may not be as dramatic as the other but it's also not nearly as morbid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Robisonhttp://www.jkhg.org/death_of_floyd_collins.htmhttp://www.unz.org/Pub/Colliers-1929nov02-00020http://www.unz.org/Pub/Colliers-1929nov02-00055http://books.google.fr/books?id=p_gYzRsNNbEC&pg=PA191&lpg=PA197&dq=andrew-jenkins+jenkins-family+okeh-records&source=bl&ots=n4oR3wclDL&sig=df37rp02MQRtrif-cEDW8gHC5DI&hl=en&ei=H68YSuK3BeOMtgf4scDuDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=andrew-jenkins%20jenkins-family%20okeh-records&f=false

When one compares the eight stanzas of text that Jenkins sings here with the copyrighted sheet music (see LY-CY-FC 1) many variants appear and certain verses ring truer, conform better to the facts, and therefore seem more qualified to be accepted as what Jenkins originally wrote. (Brison 1984) Stanza 3, verse 6, he sings – My life could not be saved This is certainly closer to the grim reality where Floyd was unable to save himself than the printed stanza 3 – My life I could not save

Stanza 4, verses 3 & 4 he has – It traveled in the paper And on the radio

which sounds more natural and down-home than the verses in the printed stanza 6 – It traveled thru the papers And over the radio

Finally in stanza 8 (printed stanza 9), verse 3, he sings – And give your heart to Jesus

This is the way a revivalist preacher like Jenkins would express himself, not – And get right with your Maker.

Stanza 5 starts out with practically the same first two verses as the copyrighted Stanza 7 but the remaining six verses are completely new and unfamiliar. So can we say that these last six verses of Jenkins stanza 5 represent a fragment of one of the three missing stanzas from the original 12 mentioned above? That rescue party labored They toiled night and day To rescue Floyd Collins His body still then lay; They worked all night ‘til morning But the stone they could not move So now we stand around him And mourn in deepest love.

Jenkins also sings a modified additional stanza (Stanza 7) telling how the “mining experts” struggled and succeeded in recovering Floyd’s body. Clearly written after April 23 when the corpse was removed, this stanza appears to be a revised variant of an earlier unpublished stanza (which resurfaced only recently – tacked on illogically after Stanza 9 in Horstman 1975 – see Variant of Stanza 8-B – LY-CY-FC 1). This additional stanza probably constitutes one of the three missing stanzas of the original 12 stanzas. The final two verses – But the cave that swallowed Collins Would never let him out.

make it clear that this stanza was written while Floyd’s body was still in the cave. However, this modified additional stanza 7 as sung here ends with two different verses, which clearly state that Floyd’s body has been taken out of the cave. As performed here the modified additional stanza (Labeled Stanza 8-B) is placed by Jenkins between stanzas 8 and 9 of the original published ballad –

The mining experts gathered They sought to find a plan To move poor Floyd's body From far beneath the sand. It seemed a mighty struggle But with hearts brave and stout They finally, overcoming, Pulled Floyd's body out.

Gene Wiggins reads a different message from this Stanza 8-B – “What Andy’s recorded version added suggests that some lines may have been in his mind, if not on paper, before Collins died. Concerning what happened after Floyd died, Andy sang: [Here he gives Stz. 8-B, vs. 1 to 4] It was mainly, if not entirely, before Floyd’s death that ‘experts’ provided ingenious schemes for getting him out. When he was found to be dead, the excavation was filled in again, leaving him where he died. Later his family reconsidered this decision and employed some coal miners to dig him out. The body was taken out nine weeks [actually nearly 10 weeks] after his death – after John’s [Carson’s] recording. Andy’s penultimate stanza contradicts his first one, which says Floyd’s body is ‘sleeping’ in the cave, and probably does more than justice to the coal miners by calling them ‘mighty experts.’ It is almost as if a heroic, happy-ending version had been written before Collins’s death and had been found to fit reasonably well for the removal of the corpse rather than the removal of a living body.” (Wiggins 1987) Nonetheless, if the verbs are kept in the distant past tense rather than the recent past tense, this stanza could just as easily be read as being composed after April 23.

Blind Andy’s performance constitutes an important variant of the published ballad and given the numerous differences in wording plus the unfamiliar stanzas and verses, it was felt that a complete transcription of the lyrics should be included here (see LY-OT-FC2). The various wording variations are indicated in italics. Another significant difference in this rendition is the way Blind "Andy" retains his original melody but prolongs the syllables in the last verse of each stanza. No one else ever sang the ballad like this but no doubt this is the way the composer wanted it to be sung. According to Wiggins, Andy Jenkins was “paid only for his recording [of the ballad] – the common twenty five-dollar fee – and never received anything as composer” (Wiggins 1987) in the way of payment or royalties. However, G. M. Laws says otherwise – “The composer was paid twenty-five dollars for the song and another twenty-five dollars for the recording he later made of it.” (Laws 1964) Copies with two different OKeh label logo designs indicate at least two pressings. Bob Dylan remembered trying to hear this recording early in his carrier – “Authentic folk records were as scarce as hens' teeth. You had to know people who had them. Koerner (John – see under World music – United Kingdom – The Leather-winged Bat – WD-UK-LWB16) and some others had them, but the group was very small. Record stores didn't carry many of them, as there was very little demand. Performers like Koerner and myself would go anywhere to hear one by anybody we thought we hadn't heard. We once went over to St. Paul [Minnesota] to somebody's house who supposedly had a 78 record of Blind Andy Jenkins singing "Death of Floyd Collins." The person wasn't at home and we never got to hear it.” (Dylan 1997) But in his acceptance speech during the 2015 Grammys awards MusiCares Person of the Year ceremonies honoring him, Bob said – “I sang a lot of ‘come all you’ songs. There's plenty of them. There’s way too many to be counted… ‘Come all ye good people, listen while I tell / the fate of Floyd Collins, a lad we all know well.’ “ (Dylan 2015) So he must have heard the ballad at some later date, but he never recorded it. The modified additional stanza of this ballad as sung by Jenkins (see LY-CY-FC 1) was included in my paper, “The Early Floyd Collins Ballads,” which was presented during the Floyd Collins Symposium at the 2001 NSS Convention in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. Ref: Anon., Talking Machine World, July 15, 1925 (Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. 7, pt. 3, Autumn 1971, n. 23, p. 124) Brison, David 1984, Letter to Prof. D.K. Wilgus, Folklore & Mythology Center, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, Dated Mar.19, 1984 (Letter never answered) Burrison, John A., Fiddlers in the Alley: Atlanta As an Early Country Music Center, The Atlanta Historical Bulletin, v. XXI, n. 2, Summer 1977, p.82-83 Dylan, Bob 1997 (2004), Chronicles: Volume 1, Simon & Schuster UK Ltd., Reprinted in paper (2004), Pocket Books, p. 241 (Quoted online – American Masters. Bob Dylan. Chronicles Excerpt, Chapter 5, River of Ice, pbs.org) Dylan, Bob 2015, Read Bob Dylan’s Complete, Riveting MusiCares Speech, Rolling Stone, Feb. 9, 2015, rollingstone Green, Archie 1972, Only a Miner: Studies In Recorded Coal-Mining Songs, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. 123-125, 127 Horstman, Dorothy 1975 (1996), Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, Country Music Foundation Press, Nashville, TN, p. 76-77 Laws, George Malcolm Jr. 1950 (1964), Native American Balladry: A Descriptive Study & a Bibliographical Syllabus, American Folklore Society, Philadelphia, PA, p. 51 Malone, Bill C. 1968, Country Music U.S.A., Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX, p. 61 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 453 Snyder, Dean H. 1990, Death of Floyd Collins, Paper Collectors’ Marketplace, April 1990, p. 21-23, 99 Wiggins, Gene 1987, Fiddlin' Georgia Crazy, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. 94-96 Wilgus, D. K. 1964, Folksong and Folksong Scholarship, in Boatwright, Mody; Hudson, Wilson” S.; Maxwell, Allen (Editors) 1964, A Good Tale and a Bonnie Tune, Vol. 32, Texas Folklore Society; Austin, TX; Southern Methodist Univ. Press; Dallas, TX, p. 31



Perf: Charlie OAKS

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/bob-dylan/chronicle-excerpts-of-chapter-5-river-of-ice/575/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/read-bob-dylans-complete-riveting-musicares-speech-20150209

(tenor vocal, guitar, & harmonica) Prod: (?) Gus A. Nennstiel Prod. Co: Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.; Chicago, IL Rec. Date: Aug. 7, 1925 Matrix: 1075-76-77-W Time: Approx.2:52 1. Original 78: Vocalion A15099

Flip Sd: Little Mary Phagan 2. Reissue 78: Vocalion 5069

Flip Sd: Little Mary Phagan Spec: (Nos. 1 & 2) 10" 78rpm

Notes: Charlie Oaks was a blind minstrel from Richmond, Kentucky, who spent most of his life singing around Knoxville and eastern Tennessee. Many of the early rural minstrels, like Oaks and Jenkins, were blind; playing music was one of the ways for them to make a living. A much later version of the ballad was recorded in 1976 by another blind singer, Baybie Hoover (see CY-OT-FC-LT10) In a old turn-of-the-century style, Oaks “sang in a high, strained tenor voice suggestive of that of later East Tennessee singers like Roy Acuff, and he deliberately paced his performance to make sure his words could be clearly understood;” (Wolfe 1877). His repertoire included many "event songs" like this one. In the manner of 19th century balladeers he would sell broadside "ballet cards" (with the printed music and lyrics) to people on the street. "By 1924 Oaks was performing his songs with a guitar and a harmonica held around his neck on a holder, forming a sort of one-man band and anticipating a technique to be used by generations of later folk singers, from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan…He was one of the few pre-commercial musicians to make the transition into the new mass media world of phonograph records, but his success was short lived…his rather archaic performing style was soon outmoded on records by newer and slicker singing styles." (Wolfe 1977) Coltman gives more detail – “… he was more or less based around Knoxville, Tennessee; There, singing in the street, meeting incoming trains and taking up regular station on Market Square with his blind wife, guitar, rack harmonica, a tin cup hanging around his neck and plenty of stamina, he made a steady dwindling living until the Depression dried up his meager trade (… there’s nothing like living your art), disappearing afterwards from our view.” (Coltman 1978) In this version only stanzas 1, 3, 7, 8, & 9 are sung with a harmonica bridge after stanza 3. Several lyric changes have been made – Stz. 3, Vs. 3, 4, & 5 – In an awful dream I had


Stanza 7, Vs. 4 becomes – That lay within our way Stz. 8, Vs. 3, 6, & 8 become – The workers were still busy

His life they could not save In the lonely sandstone cave.

Stanza 9, Verse 5 becomes – It may not be in a sand cave All these seemingly minor lyric changes, taken together, almost constitute a variant version of the ballad. Ref: Anon. 2012, Charles Oaks, Biography (in German), Wikipedia Cohn, Norm 1970, Scopes and Evolution in Hillbilly Songs, JEMF Quarterly, v. VI, pt. 4, Winter 1971 (sic. 1970), n. 20, p. 176 Coltman, Robert 1978, A ‘90s Murder Mystery: ‘The Peddler and His Wife,’ Old Time Music, n. 30, Autumn 1978, p.14 Malone, Bill C. 1968, Country Music U.S.A., Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX, p. 46, 58

Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 664 Wiggins, Gene 1987, Fiddlin' Georgia Crazy, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. 37 Vocalion Numerical Listing, 5000 Country Series (1926-1933), 78discography Vocalion Record Almanac of Old Time Tunes for March, 1930, (Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. 8, pt. 1, Spring 1972, n. 25, p. 29) Wolfe, Charles K. 1977, Tennessee Strings, Univ. of Tenn. Press, Knoxville, TN, p. 8, 10, 30, & 32, books.google.fr

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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Oakshttp://www.78discography.com/VOC5000c.htmhttp://books.google.fr/books?id=0PTASddJDH8C&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=Charlie+Oaks+%2B+THE+DEATH+OF+FLOYD+COLLINS&source=bl&ots=vW-tHGAqoB&sig=IhR1jbDOFuNmTdiQgvAf5obDBwc&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=5i5rUKfaMYSp0QXczIDYDg&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=Charlie%20Oaks%20%2B%20THE%20DEATH%20OF%20FLOYD%20COLLINS&f=false


THE DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Popular – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: Gloria GEER [aka. Vaughn De Leath] (vocal) (with guitar)

Prod. Co: Cameo Record Corp. Rec. Co: Cameo Record Co.; New York, NY Rec. Date: Sept. 1925 Matrix: 1625 A2 Rel. Date: Late 1925 Time: Approx. 3:08

1. Original 78: Cameo 805 2. Reissue 78: Lincoln 2412 Flip Sd: (Nos. 1 & 2) Vernon Dalhart –

Just Tell Them That You Saw Me Spec: (Nos. ! & 2) 10" 78rpm Notes: The first woman to record the ballad. Not in any way connected with old time country music, Vaughn DeLeath was a singer of popular songs who is sometimes credited with originating the "crooning" style (a deadpan and emotionless manner of expression). Her real name was Lenore Vonderleath. Still fondly remembered today as the first woman to sing on American radio; she was quite active in both radio and recording from the mid-1920s to the early 1930s.

The Dalhart flip side seems to suggest that he might have given her the ballad to record. With this version the song makes a crossover from old time country to popular music for the first time. She sings stanzas 1, 3, and 4. There’s a short guitar lick and then she combines the first four verses of stanza 7 with the last four of stanza 8 (singing the last two verses very slowly). After another short lick on guitar she finishes with stanza 9. A bit of female sentiment creeps into stanza 1 and 9 where "Floyd Collins" becomes "poor Floyd Collins." Also stanza 4, verse 2, "Don't go, my son, don't go" becomes, "Don't go, my boy, don't go." Other slight changes include – Stz. 3, Vs. 4, 5, & 8 – In an awful dream I had I dreamed I was a prisoner Here within this silent cave.

The only big change comes in stanza 9, verse 3 where "And get right with your maker” became “And give your heart to Jesus” (as Blind Andy himself sang it). Ref: Anon. 1958, Vaughn De Leath, Hobbies, April 1958 (Not seen) Anon. 1989, Mystery Artist: Vaughn De Leath, In the Groove, Issue 9, v. XIV, Sept. 1989, Michigan Antique Phonograph Society, p. 9 Anon. 2012, Vaughn De Leath, Biography, Wikipedia Pinson, Bob 1986, Letter dated Dec. 12, 1986, Country Music Foundation, Nashville, TN

Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250 (Available online – books.google.fr) Settlemier, Tyrone 2012, Cameo Records 1924 to 1926, 500 to 999, 78discography


THE DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaughn_De_Leathhttp://books.google.fr/books?id=rViWZg5k-IgC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=vernon+dalhart+%2B+lincoln+2412&source=bl&ots=77WrKZ7etu&sig=kdNsMFq4DMC6e_vX3LCJg_CL4Tc&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=rM96UL3ULYLC0QWfhYCIBw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=vernon%20dalhart%20%2B%20lincoln%202412&f=falsehttp://www.78discography.com/Cameo500.htm

Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: VERNON DALHART & COMPANY Vernon Dalhart (tenor) Carson Robinson (guitar) Fiddlin' Murray Kellner (fiddle) Prod. Co: Edison Phonograph Co. Rec. Co: Edison Studios; Orange, NJ Rec. Date: Sept. 2, 1925 Matrix: 10556-A, -B, & -C Time: (Disc) 3:24 (Cylinder) 3:25 1. 78 Disc: Edison Diamond Disc 51609-L

Flip Sd: John T. Scopes Trial 10" 78rpm (Thick disc)

2. Cylinder: Thomas A. Edison Blue Amberol 5049 2" (outside diameter) Standard Cylinder (1¾" – inside diameter) Notes: Dalhart had started his recording career with Edison. His first voice trails were made in Nov. 1914 but his first disc wasn't released until Dec. 1916. All his early material consisted of popular and "mammy" songs but he turned to "hillbilly" music in 1924 as a source of new and more profitable material. He was not the first country singer to be recorded but, due to his crossover appeal, he quickly became the most popular and biggest selling among the early pioneers. Starting with this recording, for the next three years, Dalhart had a complete monopoly on this ballad. He sings stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 on this version with a fiddle break between the second and third stanzas. Only very small wording changes were made – Stz. 2, Vs. 3 becomes –The memory too will linger Stz. 3, Vs. 4 & 5 becomes – In an awful dream I had


Stz. 8, Vs. 8 becomes – In the lonely sandstone cave Three different takes were cut on Sept. 2. (Russell & Pinson 2004) Take 10556-B-5 was used for the disc, and an audition of the audio sample at grooveshark indicates that the same take was used for the cylinder. Both of these recordings are very interesting because they represent two entirely different early methods of presenting recorded sound. The cylinder goes back to the original invention of the phonograph in 1877. Edison began issuing unbreakable celluloid cylinders in 1912. The record is equally interesting because this is a vertical-cut disc (“hill-and-dale” motion) where the needle moves up and down in the groove (as on cylinders) in direct contrast to the standard, lateral-cut discs where the needle moves from side to side. This record can only be played on an Edison gramophone. The extra thickness of the disc was designed to provide a certain security against breakage. They were a ¼ inch thick and coated with a sort of plastic, which was bonded to a core of sawdust and glue. (Grendysa 1984) Actually, “Diamond Disc cores were made from finely ground wood flour (not coarse sawdust, as some have speculated) together with an asphaltic binder. In 1921 the core or "powder blank" composition was changed to include china clay and lesser amounts of wood flour. This was done because it was found that wood flour absorbed moisture readily whereas china clay did not.” (Gracyk 2006) The Edison Company ceased making records and cylinders of all kinds in 1929 when it went out of business due to the Stock Market Crash. Ref: Edison Blue Amberol Records, Cylinders, Wikipedia Edison Diamond Discs, T & J Records, Section 3, tripod Edison Disc Records, Wikipedia Edison Records, Early History, Wikipedia Gracyk, Tim 2006, Edison Diamond Discs 1912-1929, gracyk Grendysa, Peter, The Care and Feeding Of 78s, Goldmine, v. 10, Issue 3, n. 94, Mar. 2, 1984, p. 130 Old Time Edison Disc Records, Orange, NJ, Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. VII, pt; 1, Spring 1971, n. 21, p. 24 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250

http://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song?q=Vernon+Dalhart+and+Company+The+death+of+Floyd+Collinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Amberol_Recordshttp://mmmax.tripod.com/bestweb/Section3.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Disc_Recordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Recordshttp://www.gracyk.com/diamonddisc.shtml

Vernon Dalhart & Company, The Death of Floyd Collins, Disc (3:24), mp3bear (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLE) Vernon Dalhart & Co., The Death of Floyd Collins, Cylinder (3:25), grooveshark (◄COMPLETE AUDIO SAMPLE) Vernon Dalhart & Company, The Death of Floyd Collins, Cylinder & Record, ucsb.edu Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250 Walsh, Jim, Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists: Vernon Dalhart, Part VI, Hobbies, Oct. 1960, p. 35 (Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. 18, Fall-Winter 1982, n. 67-68, p. 141) Welch, Walter L., A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part V: Edison Recordings, JEMFQuarterly, v. VII, pt. 4, Winter 1971, n. 24, p. 156


DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor vocal & harmonica) Carson Robison (guitar) Lou Raderman (viola) Prod. Co: Victor Talking Machine Co.; Camden, NJ Rec. Co: Victor Studios; 24th St., New York, NY Rec. Date: Sept. 9, 1925 Matrix: 33374-2 & 3 Rel. Date: Sept. 1925 Liner Notes: (No. 3-LP) D. K. Wilgus ( No. 4-LP) Walter Haden & Charles Wolfe Time: (No. 3) 3:21; (No. 4) 3:26 1. Original 78: Victor (His Master's Voice) 19779-B

Flip Sd: Wreck of the Shenandoah 2. Second Release 78: (Dec. 1925) Victor 19821-A

Flip Sd: Dream of a Miner's Child 3. Reissue on LP: NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS (1967) RCA Victor Vintage Series LPV-548 (mono) 12" 33rpm (Sd 1 – Bd 2) 4. Reissue on LP: VERNON DALHART – OLD TIME SONGS

1925-1930 (1976) Davis Unlimited DU 33030 12" 33rpm (Sd 2 – Bd 8) 5. Reissue on Compilation LP & CD: THE WRECK OF THE OLD 97 AND OTHER EARLY COUNTRY HITS – VOL. 3 (1985)

(LP) Old Homestead OHS 167 12” 33rpm (Sd 1 – Bd 9) (CD) Old Homestead 4167 (Tk 9)

6. Reissue on Compilation CD: VERNON DALHART: INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME, 1981 (1999) King 3820 (Tk 3) 7. Reissue on Compilation LP & CD: BEST OF THE BEST (1999) Old Homestead 3820 (Tk 3) Spec: (Nos. 1 & 2) 10" 78rpm Notes: This is the most famous version among the early recordings because it got the largest distribution and, as a result, is the easiest one to find today. When the conservative and influential Victor Company finally recognized the song's potential and decided to record it, they naturally picked Dalhart, who had provided big sales with "The Prisoner's Song" and whose voice was preferred by the majority of the record-buying public over the voices of the more authentic old time singers that had recently recorded the ballad. In this version he again sings stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9.

http://mp3bear.com/vernon-dalhart-and-company-the-death-of-floyd-collinshttp://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song?q=Vernon+Dalhart+and+Company+The+death+of+Floyd+Collinshttp://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr%201=1016%20&query=Vernon+Dalhart&num=1&start=12&sortBy=&sortOrder=ia

Stz. 2, Vs. 3 & 4 becomes –The memory too will linger For many many year

Stz. 3, Vs. 3, 4, & 5 – I’ll tell all my story In an awful dream I had I dreamed I was a prisoner

Stz. 8, Vs. 8 – In the lonely sandstone cave These slight wording changes (barring the one here in stanza 3, verse 3) would become standard in all the versions by Dalhart from now on right up to 1928. The ballad, "Wreck of the Shenandoah," on the flip side of the original release was withdrawn and replaced by another song on the second release in Dec. 1925 because the widow of the Commodore Lanadowe, the hero of this dirigible accident, objected to this elegy to her husband. It is not known which of the two original takes was used on these 78 releases or which take was reissued on the RCA Vintage Series LP album. On the Davis Unlimited reissue LP the label sources are not given either, but a careful audition seems to prove that it is the Victor recording, all the slight wording changes mentioned above are present. The audio sample on Allmusic of stanza 2 indicates that the King compilation CD has this version. The compilation CDs on Old Homestead probably used this version also. I recall that in 1965 when I purchased this 78 record at the Merit Music Shop in New York City, the salesman told me a story about a journalist who had come in and asked to photograph the record label for an article he was doing on Floyd Collins (the article & photo appeared in the American Legion Magazine, Jan, 1964). The dealer said he charged him $25. to take the picture but he would sell me the record for $5. A short selection from this version was used for the NSS Audio-Visual Aids program, "Caves On Phonograph Records,” which I had first presented at the 1967 NSS Convention held in Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama. A full audio clip of the Victor 19821 release is provided on YouTube (3:07) with a video and the lyrics, which cuts short the instrumental intro and slightly increases the turntable speed. This video includes photos from the 1925 event at Sand Cave and, during the bridge, recent photos of US caves, but it ends with the decidedly indiscreet, indecent photos of Floyd’s corpse when it was removed from the cave and later laid out on the undertaker’s table. This video can also be viewed on the Acoustic Roots site. Ref: Anon., "Wreck of the Shenandoah” Withdrawn by Victor Co., Talking Machine World, 15 Nov. 1925, (Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. VIII, pt. 1, Spring 1972, n. 25, p. 23) Boyat, Bernard 1986, Des premiers pas de la Country Music au Rockabilly, Country Hits Magazine, n. 7, Fév. 1986, Meaux, France, p. 33 Cohen, Norm, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part VI: Victor Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VIII, pt. 1, Spring 1972, n. 25, p. 10 Green, Archie 1972, Only a Miner: Studies In Recorded Coal-Mining Songs, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, p. 126 Native American Ballads, RCA Victor Vintage Series LP, worldcat.org Rocky Productions 2009, Vernon Dalhart, Biography & Discography, rocky-52.net Russell, Tony 1977, Reviews, Old Time Music, n. 23, Winter 1976/ 77, p. 23 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250 Smyth, Willie 1984, Country Music Recorded Prior to 1943, JEMF Special Series No. 14, Los Angeles, CA, p. 28, 43 Vernon Dalhart, Inducted into the Hall of Fame, 1981, Compilation CD, Stanza 2, Allmusic (◄AUDIO SAMPLE) Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins (3:07) Acoustic Roots (◄COMPLETE AUDIO & VIDEO SAMPLE) Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins, with lyrics (3:07) YouTube (◄COMPLETE AUDIO & VIDEO SAMPLE) Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins (3:32) YouTube (◄COMPLETE AUDIO & VIDEO SAMPLE)



Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor & harmonica) (with guitar & fiddle) Prod. Co: Plaza Music Co.; New York, NY Rec. Date: ca. Sept. 12, 1925 Orig. Matrix: (Plaza) 6193-1

http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/inducted-into-the-hall-of-fame-1981-mr0000733942http://www.worldcat.org/title/native-american-ballads/oclc/7457477http://www.rocky-52.net/http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/inducted-into-the-hall-of-fame-1981-mr0000733942http://garynelsonacousticroots.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/the-death-of-floyd-collins/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vTT9wNQwMMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6rcFkiZAM&list=PL4C50D1B2178D4EF1&index=1&feature=plpp_video

Control Nos: (Banner) 16193 (in runoff 6193-1) (Bell & Emerson) 3037 (Silvertone) 6193 (in runoff 6193-1) (Conqueror) 6193 (in runoff 6193-1) (Paramount) 6193-1 Time: (Banner) Approx. 3:15; (Bell) 3:12; (Silvertone) 3:11; (Conqueror) 3:10 A. American Releases: 1. Plaza Music Co. 78s: A. Banner 1613-A (Late 1925)

Flip Sd: Billy Burton – Lonesome Pal Dist: W.T. Grant (dime stores) B. Regal 9914 Flip Sd: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues 2. Bell 78: (1925) Bell 364-A (Titled – “Death of Floyd Collins”) Flip Sd: Just Break the News to Mother Dist: W.T. Grant (dime stores) 3. Emerson Phonograph Co. 78: Emerson 7364 Flip Sd: The Wreck of the Shenandoah 4. Wisconsin Chair Co. 78s: (1927) A. Paramount 3012 Flip Sd: Ernest Stoneman [aka. V.Dalhart] –

The Letter Edged in Black B. Broadway 8047 Flip Sd: Old Smokey Twins [aka. The Kentucky

Thorobreds] – I Love You Best of All Dist: Montgomery Ward 5. Sears, Roebuck & Co. 78s: A. Silvertone 2683-B (1926) Flip Sd: A Boy's Best Friend … B. Conqueror 7068 (1928)

(Two labels – Red or Dark maroon) Flip Sd: A Boy's Best Friend Is His Mother

B. Canadian Releases on 78s: 1. Apex (Electrophonic) 8466 (1926) Flip Sd: Guy Massey's Farewell Dist: Compo Co. Ltd.; Lachine, (Montreal), Quebec 2. Starr 10131 (1926) Flip Sd: (?) 3. Domino 21142 (& Domino 21487?) Flip Sd: (?) 4. Leonora 10131 Flip Sd: (?) Spec: (All 12 discs) 10" 78rpm Notes: There is some discussion among discographers as to what is the original master for all these releases. Norm Cohen says that this was originally Bell matrix 3037, which was later leased and assigned a Plaza matrix number. Two different takes are indicated for the Plaza matrix, numbers 6193-1 & 2, which probably means there were two takes for the original Bell matrix. (Cohen 1972) However, Tony Russell and Bob Pinson say that the original matrix numbers were Plaza 6193-1 & 2 and “the ‘control’ number 3037 is believed to have been assigned only to Bell 364 & Emerson 7364.” (Russell & Pinson 2004) It was decided to use with the most up-to-date data given by Russell and Pinson. The Banner, Paramount, Silvertone, Conqueror, and Regal 9914 releases used the first take whereas the Regal 9916 release used the second take (see next entry).

The version on Conqueror has stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 with a few bars on fiddle after the third and seventh stanzas. The same wording changes were made as on the Victor version except for stanza 3, verse 3 where he sticks to the original text – I’ll tell you all my troubles

There are two chief distinguishing signs of the first Plaza take; first of all, there is a slight pause or break after the short violin solo (following stanza 2) before two bars on guitar lead into stanza 3. It is as if two takes were badly spliced together here. The second key distinguishing sign is in stanza 3, verse 4, where he sings – In an awful dream I had As best could be determined all the releases listed in this entry have this verse performed thusly. However, it was not possible to listen to Regal 9914, Emerson 7364, Paramount 3012, Broadway 8047, or any of the four Canadian releases, The variations in running times here can be due to surface drag at the start and the variable speed of my windup gramophone turntable. The two pressings of Conqueror 7068 show a marked difference in quality when played on a windup turntable: the dark maroon label plays fine, but the red label drags the needle so badly that the record slows to a halt.

Ref: Anon. 1872, Paramount Old Time Tunes, JEMF Quarterly, v. 8, pt. 1, Spring 1972, n. 25, p. 38 Cohen, Norm 1972, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part IXa: Plaza Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VIII, pt. 4, Winter 1972, n. 28, p. 215 Cohen, Norm 1976, A Preliminary Paramount 3000 Series Numerical, JEMF Quarterly, v. 12, n. 41, Spring 1976, p. 30 Olsen, Bob 1974, Letters, JEMF Quarterly, v. X, pt. 4, Winter 1974, n. 36, p. 137 Pinson, Bob 1986, Letter dated Dec. 12, 1986, Country Music Foundation, Nashville, TN Rocky Productions 2009, Vernon Dalhart, Biography & Discography, rocky-52.net Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250 (Available online, go to p. 250 – books.google.fr) Turner, F.S., A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part XV: Bell Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. X, pt. 3, Autumn 1974, n. 35, p. 96



Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor & harmonica) (with guitar & fiddle) Prod. Co: Plaza Music Co.; New York, NY Rec. Date: ca. Sept. 12, 1925 Orig. Matrix: (Plaza) 6193-2 Control Nos: (Oriole) 36193 (in runoff 6193-1 2P) (Domino) 16193 (in runoff 6193-1 2P) (Regal) 6193 (in runoff 6193-2) Time: (Domino) 3:07 Plaza Music Co. 78s: A. Regal 9916

Flip Sd: Billy Burton – Lonesome Pal B. Oriole 490-A (1925) Perf: Frank EVANS [aka. V. Dalhart] Flip Sd: A Boy's Best Friend Is His Mother Dist: McCrory's (dime stores) C. Domino 3584-A (1925) Flip Sd: Billy Burton – Lonesome Pal Dist: Domino Record Co.; N.Y., NY Spec: (All 3 discs) 10" 78rpm

http://www.rocky-52.net/http://books.google.fr/books?id=2usUpwMgx3gC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Notes: Most discographers group all the Plaza Music Company releases together, only mentioning in passing that two takes were recorded in New York in Sept. 1925. It was decided necessary here to create a separate entry for the second take where three of the releases on Plaza subsidiary labels, the Oriole, Domino, and Regal releases, were all found to have two things in common, which distinguish them as different takes from the others. One of the key differences in this second take is the absence of any pause after the short violin break following stanza 2; the passage is smooth and seamless right into stanza 3 without any guitar. The other key difference is in two contracted words from stanza 3, verse 4 – In an awful dream I’ve had – this was the original copyrighted text. All the other Plaza releases that have been auditioned by the author have this verse as – In an awful dream I had Otherwise, just as the Banner release, all three versions here have stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 with a few bars on fiddle after the third and seventh stanzas. The same wording changes were made as on the Victor version except for stanza 3, verse 3 where he sticks to the original text – I’ll tell you all my troubles The variations in running times here can be due to surface drag at the start and the variable speed of my windup gramophone turntable. On the Oriole release another of Dalhart's numerous pseudonyms is used. Over the entire span of his recording career from 1916 to 1938, Dalhart used over one hundred different pseudonyms. There were several possible reasons for this. In the late 20s this was one way of selling more records by tricking the buying public into thinking they were getting a different version by another singer (as good as Dalhart). It was also done to avoid possible breach of contract problems with other record companies. And then again, “it is likely that many of these name changes were done so the companies would not have to pay royalties.” (Palmer 1998) Haden suggests that by using a pseudonym Dalhart was able to freelance for all the major and most of the minor record labels; “play the field and avoid the encumbrance of exclusive contracts" (Haden 1971). Ref: Anon. 2009, Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins, Domino 3584, honkingduck78s Cohen, Norm 1972, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part IXa: Plaza Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VIII, pt. 4, Winter 1972, n. 28, p. 215 Haden, Walter D., 1971, Vernon Dalhart: His Rural Roots and the Beginnings of Commercial Country Music, Journal of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, v.3, n.1, Winter 1970-71, p. 19, 22 Olsen, Bob, Letters, JEMF Quarterly, v. 10, pt. 4, Winter 1974, n. 36, p. 137

Palmer, Jack 1998, Some Difficulties in Researching a Dalhart Discography, In the Groove, v. XXIII, n. 12, Dec. 1998, Michigan Antique Phonograph Society, p. 4-5, 13-15 Pinson, Bob 1986, Letter dated Dec. 12, 1986, Country Music Foundation, Nashville, TN Rocky Productions 2009, Vernon Dalhart, Biography & Discography, rocky-52.net Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 250 (Available online, go to p. 250 – books.google.fr) Turner, F.S., A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part XV: Bell Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. 10, pt. 3, Autumn 1974, n. 35, p. 96



Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor vocal & harmonica) Carson Robison (guitar & whistling) Prod. Co: Pathé Phonograph & Radio Corp. Rec. Date: Oct. 14, 1925 Matrix: Pathé 106319-3 Rel. Date: Late 1925 Time: Approx. Photo by Bain News Service

http://honkingduck.com/mc/side/vernon-dalhart/death-floyd-collins-5http://www.rocky-52.net/http://books.google.fr/books?id=2usUpwMgx3gC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

1. Pathé 32144 Flip Sd: Many Many years Ago 2. Perfect 12223 10" 78rpm Flip Sd: Many Many years Ago Dist: Perfect Record Co.; Brooklyn, NY 10" 78rpm (brown shellac) Notes: Similar to the Columbia version in that the harmonica carries the tune joined here by whistling. As usual stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 are sung with the whistling and harmonica doing the long intro and two bridges: a long one following the second stanza and a short one after the seventh stanza. Carson Robison is probably the one playing guitar and doing the whistling in much the same way he later did on some of the version of the

"Floyd Collins Waltz" (see under the section Floyd Collins Waltz). Pick Temple felt, and I agree, that this version is "not nearly as tragically compelling" as the others by Dalhart. The wording changes are the same as those in the Victor version (except for stanza 3, verse 3). Stz. 2, Vs. 3 & 4 becomes –The memory too will linger For many many year

Stz. 3, Vs. 4n& 5 – In an awful dream I had I dreamed I was a prisoner

Stz. 8, Vs. 8 – In the lonely sandstone cave Ref: Temple, Pick, Sun City, AZ, Cassette letter dated Feb. 14, 1983 Cohen, Norm, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography - Part VIII: Pathe Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VIII, pt. 3, Autumn 1972, n. 27, p. 129 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 251 (Available online, go to p. 251 – books.google.fr)



Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor) (with guitar & fiddle) Prod. Co: Starr Piano Co.; Richmond, Indiana Rec. Co: (?) New York, NY Rec. Date: ca. Nov. 21 or 24, 1925 Matrix: 9854-A Time: Approx. A. Original Releases on 78s: 1. Gennett 3197-A (Jan. 1926) Flip Sd: The Dream of the Miner's Child 2. Herwin 75502-A Flip Sd: The Dream of the Miner's Child Dist: Herwin Record Co.; St. Louis, MS B. Reissue 78: 1. Challenge 160-B (Late 1926) Flip Sd: The Letter Edged in Black C. Reissue 78s: [Titled “Death of Floyd Collins”] Challenge 315 (1927) Flip Sd: The Great Titanic 2. Challenge 318 (1927) Flip Sd: The Ship That Never Returned

http://books.google.fr/books?id=2usUpwMgx3gC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Dist: (Nos.B1, B2, & C) Sears, Roebuck & Co. Spec: (All) 10" 78rpm Notes: Stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 are performed. Stanza 8, verse 8 becomes – In the lonely sandstone cave Ref: Anon. 2009, Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins, Challenge 160, honkingduck78s Cohen, Norman, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part IV: Starr Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VII, pt. 3, Autumn 1971, n. 23, p. 131 Rocky Productions 2009, Vernon Dalhart, Biography & Discography, rocky-52.net Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 253 (Available online, go to p. 253 – books.google.fr)



Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor vocal & harmonica) Carson Robison (guitar)

(with fiddle) Prod. Co: General Phonograph Co.; New York, NY Rec. Co: OKeh Studios Rec. Date: Feb. 10, 1926 Matrix: S-73999-B (acoustic recording) Time: (?) Label: OKeh 40568-A Flip Sd: Tobe Little – Little Mary Phagan Spec: 10" 78rpm Notes: Probably because General Phonograph had already released two versions of this ballad by other artists on their OKeh label in mid-1925 (one by Fiddlin' John Carson and the other by Blind Andy), they took their time in getting Dalhart to record it for them. On the label Dalhart is incorrectly listed as a "baritone." Opening with the tune played on fiddle and harmonica backed by guitar, Dalhart again sings stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9. The fiddle has a solo bridge following stanza 7. Ref: Anon. 2009, Vernon Dalhart, The Death of Floyd Collins, OKeh 40568, honkingduck78s Cohen, Norman, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part II: Okeh Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VII, pt. 1, Spring 1971, n. 21, p. 28 Laird, Ross & Rust, Brian 2004, Discography of Okeh Records, 1918-1934, Greenwood Publishing Group Inc., p. 335, (Available online – books.google.fr) Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 255 (Available online – books.google.fr) Settlemier, Tyrone 2011, OKeh 40000 series numerical listing pt. 2, 78discography


DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS Folk – Old Time – Ballad – Vocal & Instrumental Mus. & Lyr: Andrew JENKINS Mus. Trans: Irene SPAIN Rts: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

Perf: Vernon DALHART (tenor vocal & harmonica) Carson Robison (guitar) Adelyne Hood (fiddle) Prod. Co: Starr Piano Co.; Richmond, Indiana Rec. Co: (?) New York, NY

http://www.honkingduck.com/mc/side/vernon-dalhart/death-floyd-collins-1http://www.rocky-52.net/http://books.google.fr/books?id=2usUpwMgx3gC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=falsehttp://www.honkingduck.com/mc/side/vernon-dalhart/death-floyd-collins-7http://books.google.fr/books?id=nrT7KE9cOpsC&pg=PA335&lpg=PA335&dq=vernon+dalhart,+the+death+of+floyd+collins+%2B+OKeh&source=bl&ots=2AyS3whIqF&sig=sf18shbnF8vb_KcAgcnKOQgtVTA&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=T8JsUOHJIuSn0QXN9YHACw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=vernon%20dalhart%2C%20the%20death%20of%20floyd%20collins%20%2B%20OKeh&f=falsehttp://books.google.fr/books?id=2usUpwMgx3gC&pg=PA256&lpg=PA256&dq=Dalhart+%2B+Floyd+Collins+waltz&source=bl&ots=RMu-JBHhnd&sig=iankVm1IUomxYgsUwduDiJV9vTE&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=2ANuUPzTHKHK0QXG5oCwBw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Dalhart%20%2B%20Floyd%20Collins%20waltz&f=falsehttp://www.78discography.com/OK40500.html

Rec. Date: ca. May 22, 1928 Matrix: GEX 1257 A Time: (?) 1. Silvertone 8134-A Flip Sd: The Letter Edged in Black 2. Supertone 9227-A (Late 1928) Flip Sd: The Letter Edged in Black 3. Champion 15048 (July 13, 1928) Flip Sd: The Wreck of the Shenandoah Dist: Champion Records; Richmond, IN Dist: (Nos. 2 & 3) Sears, Roebuck & Co. Spec: (All) 10" 78rpm Notes: This was the last time that Dalhart recorded the Jenkins ballad. As on all previous versions since the Edison recording, he sings stanzas 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 9 with the fiddle break here following stanza 3. There was a second take made at this recording session, which was numbered GEX 1257B but was never released. (Cohen 1971) Murray Kellner was replaced on this recording by Adelyne Hood, a classically trained violinist. “Her fiddling, while not in any hillbilly tradition, is light-fingered, deft, and lively enough to win a country fiddler’s respect.” (Bufwack & Oermann 1982) The long relationship between Dalhart and Robison ended with this recording session. “Their collaboration became uneasy by 1927 – partly because Dal was a harsh, arrogant man, but partly because he did not see new possibilities and Robison did… In 1928 the friction broke open, and the momentous partnership was dissolved. Robison’s commitments with Dal ended with the recording session in late May in which Adelyne Hood joined; Dalhart would record for Victor for another year and a half, using a number of

Robison’s songs whose use had been contracted, and then, but for a last attempt eight years after, his career would collapse.” (Coltman 1978) We are told – “The Dalhart-Hood-Robison collaboration was a short one… Scholars have speculated that Adelyne Hood was the cause of Vernon Dalhart and Carson Robison’s rather messy breakup, but Robison’s opinion that ‘Miss Hood was a charming person,’ points to Dalhart’s arrogant behavior rather than to Hood as the reason for the split. Hood’s initial entrance into the Dalhart-Robison partnership in 1927 was stormy. Dalhart had fired fiddler Murray Kellner and hired Hood without consulting Robison. In a 1951 letter [to Jim Walsh] Robison indicated that this incident was ‘the beginning of the end with him and me.’ Catherine Robison, Carson’s widow, has stated that the real reason for the breakup was Dalhart’s ‘signing up exclusively with Columbia Records without consulting Carson and told them they needn’t worry about material because Carson would have to come along with him.’ Robison was also tired of sharing his composer royalties with Dalhart.” (Bufwack & Oermann 1982)

Carson Robison In July 1928 this matrix was replaced another on the Champion label. Cohen writes – “This master GEX 1257A replaced "Sand Cave" on side B of Champion 15048 on July 13, 1928.” Russell & Pinson write – “Matrix 9854-A was replaced after July 13, 1928 by matrix GEX-1257-A. A later issue of Champion 15048 replaced matrix 9854-A with Sand Cave (matrix 12229) by George Ake as by Edward Johnson.” (Russell & Pinson 2004) See under – Other Floyd Collins Ballads – Sand Cave. The Silvertone and Supertone labels were cut-rate, cheap records distributed by the mail order firm Sears, Roebuck & Co. Ref: Bufwack, Mary & Oermann, Robert K. 1982, Adelyne Hood: The Amalgamation of Vaudeville and Folk Traditions in Early Country Music, JEMF Quarterly, v. XVIII, Fall/ Winter 1982, n. 67/ 68, p. 116-122 Cohen, Norman, A Preliminary Vernon Dalhart Discography – Part IV: Starr Recordings, JEMF Quarterly, v. VII, pt. 3, Autumn 1971, n. 23, p. 131 & 133 Coltman, Robert 1978, Carson Robison: First of the Rural Professionals, Old Time Music, n.29, Summer 1978, p. 7 Pinson, Bob 1986, Letter dated Dec. 12, 1986, Country Music Foundation, Nashville, TN Robison, Mrs. Catherine J. 1980, Letter to M. Bufwack & R. Oermann dated 12 April 1980 Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 281 (Available online, go to p. 281 – books.google.fr) Walsh, Jim 1960, Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists: Vernon Dalhart, Hobbies, Part VII, Nov. 1960, Reprinted in JEMF Quarterly, v. XVIII, Fall/ Winter 1982, n. 67/ 68, p. 144

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Perf: Harry SMITH [Emil Velasco] [Possibly aka. Irving Kaufman] (pipe organ) George Black (vocal) Prod. Co: OKeh Phonograph Co. Rec. Co: OKeh Studios (?); New York, NY Rec. Date: Sept. 5, 1928 Matrix: 401099-C Rel. Date: Oct. 1928 Time: (?) A. American 78:

OKeh 45260 Flip Sd: You Will Never Miss Your Mother Until She Is Gone

B. Australian 78: Parlophone A2675 Flip Sd: You Will Never Miss Your Mother Until She Is Gone

Spec: (Both) 10" 78rpm Notes: The pipe organ played at an unusually slow tempo gives this version the feeling of a church hymn or dirge. Smith only sings the first stanza and then, following an organ solo, the last stanza 9. Ref: Anon. 2009, Harry Smith, The Death of Floyd Collins, OKeh 45260, honkingduck78s Docks, Les R. 1980, American Premium Record Guide, Florence, AL, p. 459 Russell, Tony (Editor of Old Time Music), Letter to author dated Nov. 14, 1989 Laird, Ross & Rust, Brian 2004, Discography of Okeh Records, 1918-1934, Greenwood Publishing Group Inc., p. 498, (Available online – books.google.fr) Russell, Tony & Pinson, Bob 2004, Country Music Records: A Discography 1921-1942, Oxford University Press, p. 843 Settlemier, Tyrone 2012, OKeh 45000 series numerical listing, 78discography

ADDITIONAL VERSIONS OF

THE DEATH OF FLOYD COLLINS This discography continues in Part 2 – 1930 to 2005

caveinspiredmusic.com
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COUNTRY MUSIC...Matrix: 140627-3 ("-3" means 3rd take) Time: 3:00 Photo by Bain News Service Label:...

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