Five Vocal Renditions Of "Sail Away, Ladies" (featuring Uncle Dave Macon, Odetta, & three more)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of two part pancocojams series about the Old Time Music song "Sail Away, Ladies".

Part II presents showcases five YouTube videos of the song "Say Away Ladies".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/excerpts-from-two-mudcat-folk-music.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I presents information about and lyric examples of the song "Sail Away Ladies" from two Mudcat folk music forum discussion threads. I wrote a number of these selected comments in 2006-2008 when I was an active member of that online folk music forum.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyright remains with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos for their musical legacies and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Uncle Dave Macon-Sail Away Ladies



BBYMRLCCOTNDec 8, 2009

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Example #2: Sail Away, Ladies!



Brian Phelan, May 1, 2011

From the 2011 ACDA Virginia All-state women's choir 4/30/2011 at Salem HS in Virginia Beach, arranged by Judith Herrington, directed by Dr. Rollo Dilworth

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Example #3: Odetta - Sail Away, Ladies



sanny blues, Aug 12, 2012


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Example #4: Sail Away Ladies performed by the Roe Family Singers



Quillan Roe, May 31, 2015

We learned our version of the tune from Roe Family fiddler, Ric Lee.

The words are a mishmash of words I remember hearing and reading in various versions and a verse I made up. As "Sail Away Ladies" is a branch on the "Sally Ann" song tree (see below), when I had trouble getting the common Uncle Dave Macon words, "Don't you rock 'em, di-de-o," out, our friend, fiddler Jake Hyer--from both Pocahontas county, West By God Virginia, and the band Pocahontas County--suggested singing, "I'm going home with Sally Ann," instead, and it stuck.

Stewie on MUDCAT says: "Here is the entry from Fiddler's Companion site: SAIL AWAY LADIES [1A]. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Kentucky, Tennessee. G Major. Standard. ABB (Brody, Ford): AABB (Spandaro): AABBCC (Phillips). The tune is related to the numerous versions of "Sally Ann" played in the keys of A and G Major. According to Guthrie Meade (1980), the tune is identified with the south central Kentucky and middle Tennessee locals. The title also appears in a list of the standard tunes in the square dance fiddler's repertoire, according to A.B. Moore in his 1934 book "History of Alabama." Southern Kentucky fiddler Henry L. Bandy recorded the tune for Gennett in 1928, though it was unissued, however, the earlest recordings were Uncle Bunt Stevens (1926-without words) and Uncle Dave Macon (1927-with words). Paul Wells (Middle Tennessee State University) states that the song was collected around the turn of the 20th century and seems to have been common to both black and white traditions."

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Example #5: Sail Away, Ladies (3-Part Mixed Choir) - Arranged by Audrey Snyder


Hal Leonard Choral, Mar 23, 2016

…This traditional fiddle tune is a rollicking celebration of Americana in this well-crafted arrangement for younger mixed choirs. Perform with a live fiddler or the recorded bluegrass track for a spectacular concert showcase!

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

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