Reclaiming Black Influences On The United States' Old Time Music Genre: Three YouTube Examples Of The Old Time Music Song "Rockabout My SaroJane"

Uncle Dave Macon - Topic, May 25, 2021

Rock About My Sarah Jane · Uncle Dave Macon

 Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early American Rural Music, Vol. 3

 ℗ 2005 Yazoo

 Released on: 2005-06-20
-snip-
This YouTube sound file incorrectly attributes this song to the Black American Delta Blues musician and songwriter Charley Patton (born April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Patton

Here's a statement about (White American singer/musician) Uncle Dave Macon and the song "Rockabout My SaroJame": "According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Uncle Dave said he had learned the song from black stevedores on the Cumberland River in the l880s." https://www.lizlyle.lofgrens.org/RmOlSngs/RTOS-RockSaroJane.html "Remembering The Old Songs: ROCK ABOUT MY SARO JANE" by Lyle Lofgren (Originally published: Inside Bluegrass, May, 2010)

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series

This post post showcases YouTube examples of the United States old time music song "Rockabout My SaroJame" vy Uncle Dave Macon, by The Kingston Trio, and by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs.  

"Rockabout My SaroJane" is categorized as an Old Time Music song and a Bluegrass music song. My position is that Black Americans should reclaim our role in the creation of and contribution toward both of these American music genres. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/11/reclaiming-black-influences-on-united.html _ for Part I of this series. That post provides two article excerpts about the Old Time music song "Rockabout My SaroJane" (also given as "My Saro Jane" and similar titles.)

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the original composers and singers of this song. Thanks to the singers/musicians and collectors who have kept this song alive. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. 
-snip-
This post is part of an on-going pancocojams series about Black Americans reclaiming our influence on the United States' Old Time Music genre.

As of November 18, 2024, there are no YouTube examples by Black from the United States or elsewhere of the song "Rockabout My SaroJane".

The Uncle Dave Macon song file has a photo of a Blackband composed on men and women musicians (perhaps this photograph was selected as a tribute to this song’s source population.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/black-influences-minstrel-influences-on.html for the 2020 pancocojams post entitled "Black Influences & Minstrel Influences On The Songs That Old Time Music Performer Uncle Dave Macon Sung & Played".

****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #2 - Rockabout My Saro Jane By The Kingston Trio

CompVid101, Sep 10, 2010

The original Kingston Trio of Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds perform Dr. Lou Gottlieb's arrangement of a song that Uncle Dave Macon heard from black stevedores on the Mississippi River in 1887. Gottlieb, who went on to fame and fortune as the founder of his own pop folk group, The Limeliters, was a stand-up comic and sometime musician in San Francisco in the late 1950s when he heard and befriended the members of the then-unknown Kingston group. He contributed several other arrangements to the goup's repertoire.

 "Rockabout My Saro Jane" appeared on the Trio's first album, the legendary million-selling Capitol T996, "The Kingston Trio,"  which was released June 1, 1958 and which also included the single "Tom Dooley" that sold three million copies and ushered in the popular folk music revival.

****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #3 - My Saro Jane , Flatt & Scruggs , 1964

Wicker Bill,   Nov 10, 2022

Written by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Released January 1964 as a single, it reached #40.
 -snip-
"Written" here may mean changes or additions to the lyrics and/or the tune since this song was sung and played prior to Lester Flatt and Earl Sruggs. 

****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.