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Eighth of January- See Also: Battle of New Orleans
Old-Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. Widely known.
ARTIST: Tune- Eighth of January, Lyrics- Mary Sullivan
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes; DATE: 1940’s;
RECORDING INFO: Johnny Horton Makes History, Columbia 1478; Anderson, Bob; and the Country Ramblers. Indiana Hoedown, Puritan 5003, LP (1973), cut#B.02; Arkansas Barefoot Boys. Echoes of the Ozarks, Vol. 1, County 518, LP (1977), cut# 5; Ashby, John; and the Free State Ramblers. Old Virginia Fiddling, County 727, LP, cut# 1; Brickman, Weissberg & Company. New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass, Elektra EKS-7238, LP (197?), cut# 13; Brower, Cecil (Cousin Cecil). Old Fashion Country Hoedown, Cumberland MGC 29500, LP (196), cut#A.04; Brower, Cecil; and his Square Dance Fiddlers. America's Favorite Square Dances, Smash MGS 27015, LP (196?), cut#B.05 (8th of January); Cedar Point String Band. Cedar Point String Band, Roane, Cas (1993), cut# 4; Claunch, W. E.. Anglo-American Shanties, Lyric Songs, Dance Tunes & Spirituals, Library of Congress AAFS L 2, LP (195?), cut# 14; Douglas, Bob. Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee Folklore Soc. TFS-109, LP (198?), cut# 3; Fall Creek Ramblers. 28th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Galax, Virginia 1963, Kanawha 302, LP (1963), cut# 9; Feldmann, Peter. How to Play Country Fiddle, Vol.1, Sonyatone STI-101, LP (1975), cut# 4; Flippen, Benton. Old Times, New Times, Rounder 0326, Cas, cut# 5; Fox Chasers. Old Time String Band Classics, County 531, LP, cut# 6; Frazier, Nathan; and Frank Patterson. Altamont: Black Stringband Music from the Library of Congress, Rounder 0238, LP (1989), cut# 5; Free State Ramblers. 38th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention, 1973, Gazette 38, LP (1973), cut# 14; Gosset, Ted;'s String Band. Old Time Fiddle Classics, Vol. 2, County 527, LP (1973), cut# 12; Gosset, Ted;'s String Band. Fiddle Band Music from Kentucky, Vol.2, MorningStar 45004, LP (1980), cut# 8; Hascall, Carol. Now That's a Good Tune. Masters of Missouri Traditional Fiddling, Grey Eagle 101, LP, cut# 2; Johnston, Don. National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest & Folk Music Festival. 1965, Century, LP (1966), cut# 14; Johnson, Vesta. Down Home Rag, Marimac 9017, Cas (1988), cut# 19; Long, Bill; and Ora Spivey. More Fiddle Jam Sessions, Voyager VRLP 304, LP (197?), cut# 15; Maxson, Charles; and Karen Skidmore. From the Heartland of West Virginia. The Hammered & Plucked Dul, Peaceable 4, LP (1975), cut# 17 (8th of January); Mitchum, Johnny. Johnny Mitchum, Sircy 7304, LP (197?), cut#A.01; Molsky, Bruce. Lost Boy, Rounder 0361, CD (1996), cut#12 (8th of January); Paley, Tom. Folk Banjo Styles, Elektra EKL-217, LP (195?), cut# 11; Perry County Music Makers. Going Back to Tennessee, Davis Unlimited DU 33024, LP (1976), cut#B.02 (8th of January); Red River Dave and His Texas Tophands. Songs of the Golden West, Remington, LP (1957), cut# 5; Rice, Tony. Tony Rice, Rounder 0085, LP (1976), cut#B.04; Roan Mountain Hilltoppers. Down Home, Roan Mountain, CD (2000/1983), cut#21 (8th of January); Ryan, Buck. Fiddler on the Rocks, Rebel REB 1529, LP (197?), cut# 8; Scancarelli, Jim. Virginia Carolina Sampler, Flying Cloud FC 007, LP (1988), cut#A.08 (8th of January); Shannon, Bookmiller. Southern Journey. Vol. 7: Ozark Frontier, Rounder 1707, CD (1997), cut#18; Shannon, Carlos. Folk Songs from the Ozarks, Prestige International INT 25006, LP (196?), cut# 7; Sharp, Hardy. Great Big Yam Potatoes. Anglo-American Fiddle Music from Missi., Southern Culture AH002, LP (1985), cut# 19; Simmons Family. Stone County Dulcimer, Dancing Doll DLP 112, LP (197?), cut#2.06; Sweeney, Ed. American Sampler, North Star NS0033, Cas (1991), cut# 20; Taylor, Kermit. Rackensack. Volume 2, Driftwood LP 279, LP (1972), cut#B.08; Thomason, Ron. Mandolin and Other Stuff, Kanawha RT-3, LP (198?), cut#B.05; Traum, Happy. American Stranger, Kicking Mule KM 110, LP (1977), cut#A.02; Walters, Bob. Drunken Wagoner, MSOTFA 106, Cas (1993), cut#A.01; Wanzer, Loyd. Famous Country Fiddling, American Heritage AH-401-19C, LP (197?), cut#A.10; Warren, Paul. America's Greatest Breakdown Fiddle Player, CMH 6237, LP (1979), cut# 4 (8th of January); Williams, Vivian. National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest & Folk Music Festival. 1966, Century, LP (1966), cut# 12; Bate, Dr. Humphrey; & his Possum Hunters. Nashville Early String Bands, Vol. 1, County 541, LP, cut# 6; Brunswick 239 (78 RPM) {1928}, Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters (Nashville, Tenn. Bill Barret was the fiddler for the tune, not Bate's regular, Oscar Stone). Caney Mountain Records CLP 228, Lonnie Robertson (Mo.) - "Fiddle Favorites." County 518, Arkansas Barefoot Boys- "Echoes of the Ozarks, Vol. 1." County 531, "Old Time String Band Classics" (1975). County 541, Dr. Humphrey Bate & His Possum Hunters - "Nashville; the Early String Bands, Vol. 1." County 727, John Ashby- "Old Virginia Fiddling." Heritage 060, Major Contay and the Canebreak Rattlers - "Music of the Ozarks" (Brandywine, 1984). Kicking Mule KM-301, "Happy Traum, American Stranger" (1977). Marimac 9017, Vesta Johnson - "Down Home Rag." Mississippi Department of Archives and History AH-002, Hardy C. Sharp (Meridian, Mississippi) - "Great Big Yam Potatoes: Anglo-American Fiddle Music from Mississippi" (1985). Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers' Association, Bob Walters (b. 1889) - "Drunken Wagoneer." Morning Star 45004, Ted Gossett's String Band (western Ky., originally recorded Sept., 1930) - "Wish I Had My Time Again." Ok 45496 (78RPM), The Fox Chasers. Rounder 0085, "Tony Rice." Rounder 7002, Graham Townsend--"Le Violin/The Fiddle." Spr 2655 (78 RPM), Buddy Young's Kentuckian's (AKA the Ted Gossett Band, originally recorded Sept. 1930). Spt 9775 (78 RPM), The Country String Band (AKA the Ted Gossett Band/Buddy Young's Kentuckian's/Tommy Whitmer Band). Voyager 340, Jim Herd - "Old Time Ozark Fiddling."
OTHER NAMES: Battle of New Orleans; Jackson’s Victory. Ken Perlman (1979) reports that the melody was originally named "Jackson's Victory" after Andrew Jackson's famous rout of the British at New Orleans on January, 8th, 1815. Around the time of the Civil War, some time after Jackson's Presidency, his popular reputation suffered and the tune was renamed to delete mention of him by name, thus commemorating the battle and not the man. Despite its wide dissemination, Tom Carter (1975) says that some regard it as a relatively modern piece refashioned from an older tune named "Jake Gilly." Not all agree-Tom Rankin (1985) suggests the fiddle tune may be older than the battle it commemorates, and that it seems American in origin, not having an obvious British antecedent, as do several older popular fiddle tunes in the United States. A related tune (though the 'B' part is developed differently") is Bayard's (1981) Pennsylvania collected "Chase the Squirrel" (the title is a floater).
RELATED TO: Jake Gilly/Gillie; Chase the Squirrel (Ford)
SOURCES: Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p 63a; Bell, David. Learning the Fiddler's Ways, Penn State, Sof (1980), p 48; Kaufman, Alan. Beginning Old-time Fiddle, Oak, sof (1977), p39; Krassen, Miles. Appalachian Fiddle, Oak, sof (1973), p50; Smith, Warren. Devil's Box, Devil's Box DB, Ser (196?), 22/1, p21; Settle, Jim. Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p114b; Charlie Higgins (Galax, Va.) [Krassen]; Cyril Stinnett (Oregon, Missouri) [Christeson]; Tommy Jackson [Phillips/1994]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 99. R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddler's Repertory, Vol. 2), 1984; pg. 65. Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 63. Kaufman (Beginning Old Time Fiddle), 1977; pg. 39. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; pg. 50. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 17. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 80. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 15, pg. 7. Sing Out, Vol. 36, No. 2, August, 1991; pg. 77. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1964/1981; pg. 76; Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc;
NOTES: "D Major. Standard or ADAE. AABB (Brody, Christeson, Phillips, Ruth, Sing Out, Sweet): AABB' (Krassen). One of the most popular and widespread of Southern fiddle tunes. On January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson led a small, poorly-equipped army to victory against eight thousand British troops at the Battle of New Orleans. The victory made Jackson a national hero and he was later elected President. "Eighth of January" was recorded for the Library of Congress from Ozark Mountain fiddlers in the early 1940's by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, and from Mississippi fiddlers (John Hatcher, W.E. Claunch, Enos Canoy, Hardy Sharp) in 1939 by collector Herbert Halpert. It was in the repertoire of Cuje Bertram, an African-American fiddler from the Cumberland Plateau region of Kentucky who recorded it on a home tape in 1970, made for his family. In 1958, James Morris (Jimmy Driftwood) composed lyrics to the old tune and recorded it as "The Battle of New Orleans" (recorded on Jimmie Driftwood Sings Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs, Victor RPM 1635). In 1959, Johnny Horton recorded a version of Driftwood's song, and the song rose to the top of the hit parade that year." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
One version recalled by Mrs. Mary Sullivan-Shafter, 1940:
On the eighth of January
Just at the break of day
The wind blew from the North Course
And we were bound for sea.
The wind blew from the North Course
To England we were bound,
The hills and vales were garnished
With pretty girls all around.
Up stepped a young man
All in the bloom of years,
Stepped up to his best beloved
With his eyes all filled with tears.
Stepped up to his best beloved,
Gave her to understand,
I'm going away to leave you
And sail to the foreign land.
O my dearest Willie
How can you treat me so
To go away and leave me
In sorrow, grief and woe.
To go away and leave me
In sorrow grief and woe.
You know I've been in love with you
For sixteen months or more.
Then if I should go away
Some other would take my place
And that would be a scandal
Besides a great disgrace.
My king now calls for volunteers
And I for one must go.
It's not for my own life long love
That I do leave you so.
My yellow locks it's I will trim,
Men's clothing I'll put on,
Just like a humble servant
It's you I'll wait upon.
Just like a humble servant
Upon you I'll wait.
I dread and fear no danger,
Let the storm be ever so great.
Then if I see some other girl
More handsomer than you
That I might take a fancy to
What would my Mollie do?
What could I say, dear Willie -
Why I would love her too.
I'd step to one side lonely
While she might talk to you.
O my dearest Mollie
Those words have won my heart.
Right here we'll get married
And never more to part.
They joined right hands together,
Went sailing o'er the main -
God grant them peace and pleasure
Till they return again.
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