Week 1: Down in the Valley

Children plowing, Kentucky, 1940s

Our first project, as discussed in class. Media is open--a visual work or visuals + writing. We will post at 6pm next week for discussion. Down load songs from Box, and listen up! Be sure to include the .xml file to have full track information on each song.  Add it to your iTunes with the songs themselves. Start singing them so that you begin to know them by heart!
The material below is a supplement to last night's discussion on how to explore additional resources (Max Hunter Archive, Music Library Archive, et al). It's from last year's blog. See you next week.


Down in the Valley. Here are some different versions.   (The search was made using <down in the valley + folksong> By the way, our own "anonymous" version on the S&P CD that you've download is still the best... think about WHY--and let's discuss in class. Also, check out the recorded versions on the Max Hunter Archive (I'm giving you links).

Burl Ives - 08 - Down in the Valley - YouTube    
The classic folkways master... also an actor--something we should discuss
Andy Griffith - Down In The Valley - YouTube  
1950s American tv. Consider... You Angelinos, see also Gene Autry on Okeh...
Down in the Valley - YouTube  
I get impatient, but there's something here...where she takes it...
Lex and Lor Performing Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail) - YouTube  
Little girls with musical bells
 Slim Whitman - Down In The Valley - YouTube  
A country-western version, steel-guitar

YouTube - Solomon Burke - Down in the valley  (this one's been pulled, so see below)
The song returned to it's souce--by the EMPEROR... Solomon Burke passed away two years ago--and a lot of his material is no longer up on YouTube. Nevertheless, his version of the song is really worth paying attention--how he re-incorporated Down In the Valley into his own soul-singer world. He also tells a powerful story about  performing the song in Louisiana at what  turned out to be a Ku Klux Klan event. (Last thing Solomon Burke expected--he told his band--"No matter what happens, just keep on playin'...") Look into this to see another aspect of American social history--a difficult one--and its connection to the music...  Otis Redding does a similar version... Here are some of Solomon Burke's versions that are still posted:
Solomon Burke - Down In The Valley - YouTube
Solomon Burke - Down In The Valley (Tradução) - YouTube

And here are the Max Hunter Archive recordings (Ollie Gilbert apparently did not record this song!)
http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=264  
Rev. Harold Hunter and Max Hunter, Max Hunter Folk Song Collection
http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=489  
Jimmy Morris, Max Hunter Folk Song Collection