First, I agree that of the "Sleepy Eyed Joe" recordings I've cited, the Enloe version is the odd one out in terms of basic melody. Besides the transcription Erik cited in _Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory_, there's a transcription of Enloe's version in the Mel Bay book _Ozark Fiddle Music_, by Drew Beisswenger:
https://books.google.com/books?id=2vm8OaHq_WcC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=%22sleepy+eyed+joe%22+enloe&source=bl&ots=vCRm4poWy-&sig=VfhzvlIp2s9LDMQWdz23EKU1G5A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6pYT3y__JAhUM9WMKHfoQCHIQ6AEIQDAH#v=onepage&q=%22sleepy%20eyed%20joe%22%20enloe&f=false Beisswenger also cites yet another transcription published by Stacy Phillips. I found a transcription of the tune played by Foghorn here: https://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.html Linked from a large collection of tunes at https://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.html Also, while composing this message I discovered that I botched an earlier attempt to post a link to a video of Foghorn playing "Sleepy Eyed Joe" at Malloy's Pub and instead posted a duplicate link to the version from the _Weiser Sunrise_ album. Here's the correct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDlpjkhJ0To (Note that the attribution of the tune to Blake appears to be in error.) Next, I agree with Erik and Meg that solid rhythmic backup can contribute a lot to danceability. That said, when I listen to the two Norman Blake versions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AntWbzdq60 Solo guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rek6WqLfUVI Mandolin (with backup, and alternating melodic lead with a fiddler) it seems to me that his playing on the second version is somehow more danceable than on the first version, even without the backup. Of course, I don't have a multi-track studio recording to experiment with, and it may be that I can't trust myself to listen to a version with backup and imagine it without backup. Still, that's how it seems to me. I'd like to know what anyone else thinks about it. And as I said in an earlier message, you might want to try listening to both Blake versions with the YouTube playback speed set to 1.25. --Jim > On Sep 27, 2019, at 11:01 AM, Erik Hoffman via Musicians > <[email protected]> wrote: > > First, the tune played by Norman Blake as well as the Sleepy Eyed Joe by > Foghorn is not the same tune as the one played by Lyman Enloe. There is a > transcription of the tune Lyman plays called Sleepy Joe in R. P. Christeson's > "Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory." It's Hoedown #24 in book one. > https://www.amazon.com/Old-Time-Fiddlers-Repertory-Traditional-Tunes/dp/0826204392 > > The guitar version in Norman Blake's video misses the drive most of us strive > for when playing for dances. It's not that a solo guitar can't do it, but > it's missing the distinctive beat markers. The other versions all have backup > instruments pushing the drive along... > > ~Erik Hoffman > > -----Original Message----- > From: Musicians <[email protected]> On Behalf Of jim > saxe via Musicians > Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 7:56 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Musicians] Danceability of versions of the same tune > (Sleepy-Eyed Joe) > > In my message of earlier today, I offered links to four renditions of "Sleepy > Eyed Joe", including this one from Foghorn's out-of-print _Weiser Sunrise_ > album: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2RI8FlwvQg > Foghorn Stringband > ~134 BPM > > Thanks to Meg Dedolph for an off-list message pointing out that the aforesaid > video has been diasbled since I first posted a link to it in 2015 and for > calling my attention to a video on the Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival's > channel of a live performance by Foghorn at Matt Molloy's Pub, Bridge Street, > Westport, County Mayo, Ireland in 2016: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_q8vaQuI0 > Foghorn Stringband > ~137-138 BPM > > I've also found that the version from the _Weiser Sunrise_ album is currently > available here: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_q8vaQuI0 > > The title and description of the Westport video attribute the tune to Norman > Blake, but as I said in the postscript to my earlier message, notes > accompanying one of Blake's CDs attribute the tune to one Ellis Hall. I > haven't heard Hall's 1952 78 RPM recording of the tune, so I can't say how it > compares to any of the others I've mentioned. Using Google Advanced Book > Search, I found a 1952 copyright catalog with a listing attributing "Sleepy > Eyed Joe" to Ellis John Hall. Whether Hall was claiming authorship of the > tune itself or just of his performance/arrangement is more than I can say for > certain, but I didn't find any older references to "Sleepy Eyed Joe" as a > tune name. > > --Jim > > _______________________________________________ > Musicians mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/musicians-sharedweight.net > _______________________________________________ > Musicians mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/musicians-sharedweight.net _______________________________________________ Musicians mailing list [email protected] http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/musicians-sharedweight.net
