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Julie Gal/Saro/Betty Anne
Traditional Old-Time & Minstrel Song/ Fiddle Tune.
ARTIST: Blue Ridge Highballers; 1927
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes.
DATE: Minstrel song 1848; fiddle tune 1900’s.
Listen: Blue Ridge Highballers; Julie Gal
Listen: LeadBelly; Julie Ann Johnson
Listen: Julie; Dink Roberts
Listen: Emmett Lundy (fiddle Solo) Julie Ann Johnson
Leadbelly YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYoHWLittf8
Transcription of Lundy/Molesky fiddle tune by John Lamancusa See: http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.htm
RECORDING INFO: Julie Girl
Rt - Saro
Julie Girl/Gal [Me II-G 37]
Rt - Betty Anne
Blue Ridge Highballers. Cotton Mills and Fiddles, Flyin' Cloud FC 014, LP (1990), trk# 12 [1927/09ca]
Blue Ridge Highballers. Paramount Old Time Recordings, JSP 7774A-D, CD( (2006), D.24 [1927/09ca]
OTHER NAMES: "Betty Anne" "Julianne Johnson"
RELATED: Julianna Johnston (minstrel); Julie Gal
SOURCES: Fiddler's Companion; Folk Index;
NOTES: Julie Gal/Julie Girl
It's prossible there is a connection with the old minstrel song by Cool White of the Virginia Serenaders which was published in the 1848 New Negro Forget-Me-Not Songster. Here are White' lyrics:
The Original Julianna Johnston- Cool White; Virginia Serenaders 1848
Day is cum, de night is gone,
Ole feller take his rest.
Ob all de gals's I eber saw,
Juliainna suits me best.
CHORUS—Den Julianna Johnston don't you cry
I'm gwaine away to leabe you.
Wait a little while, I'll cum by'm by,
Don't let my parting grieve you.
In de morning lub, we must be gone,
I hear ole massa say, Sleep light,
Take care dont' sleep too long,
For we start at broke ob day.'
Den Julianna, etc.
Remember what you promise me
When we walked side by side,
Beneath de ole persimmon tree
You said you'd be by bride.
Den Julianna, etc.
An' when my lub, I'm gone away,
You sit and watch de moon,
Oh link ob him who cotch for you
De possum an' de coon.
Den Julianna, etc.
De morning breaks, ole massa calls,
Poor sinner must obey,
Good buy, my lub, I'll tink ob dee
Forebber and a day.
Den Julianna, etc.
Whether (See: Leadbelly's lyrics below) there is a connection between White's song and Leadbelly's is unknown (Leadbelly, at one time claimed that the song was named after his girlfriend- he calls her a "good looking girl" on the recording. He changed the lyrics in subsequent recordings). Many of the minstrel songs like Old Dad (Hook and Line/Catfish/Shout Lulu etc), Zip Coon; Jim Along Josie; Git Along John were popular fiddle tunes from the 1830s on.
It's possible that there is also a minstrel connection with Emmett Lundy's classic fiddle tune Julie Ann Johnson [Listen: Emmett Lundy (fiddle Solo)]. Born in Grayson County, Virginia on May 9, 1864, Lundy made the classic recording of Julianne Johnson for the Library of Congress during his session in the 1930s and 1940s. He learned the tune from Leonard Green, a fiddler born circa 1810 (married in 1833).
Lundy's tune is simple and resembles Angeline the Baker. Whether it resembles the original minstrel tune is unknown since Cool White's song in the Negro Songster is text only. A similar tune "Julie Gal" was recorded by the Blue Ridge Highballers in 1927 [Listen: Blue Ridge Highballers]. Another song that may be related is Dink Roberts banjo song, Julie [Listen: Julie; Dink Roberts]
The fiddle tune Julie Ann has also gone through at least one change since the Lundy recording. The tune remains in the key of D just as Lundy played it, but the “Low” part in his recording used a “D” chord (I) for the first 2 measures of each 4 bar phrase, while most modern recordings use the “G” chord (IV) in those spots.
Notes from Andrew Kuntz: JULIE GIRL. AKA and see "Saro," "Cow in the Cabbage Patch," "Caro in the Cabbage Patch."
CARO IN THE CABBAGE PATCH. AKA and see "Saro," "Cow in the Cabbage Patch." Old‑Time, breakdown. USA, southwest Va. The tune is really the old‑time breakdown and song "Saro," with a 2nd part added by Taylor Kimble (1892‑1979), Patrick County, southwest Va.
SARO. AKA and see "Caro in the Cabbage Patch," "Cow in the Cabbage Patch," "Julie Girl." Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA; West Virginia, eastern Tennessee, Virginia. D Major. Standard. AABB. Recorded in 1928 for Brunswick/Vocalion by West Virginia string band duo the Cumberland Mountain Entertainers (Sam Caplinger & fiddler Andy Patterson {1893‑1950}). Later the duo moved to Akron, Ohio, and formed the Dixie Harmonizers, who recorded for Gennett. Tom Carter and Barry Poss (1976) remark that the tune is common in the Patrick County, southwestern Virginia, area both as a dance or 'band' tune, and a song (with many verses).
JULIE GAL
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