SHAMUS O'BRIEN

Now without any further ado I proudly present the latest addition to my collection of classic Canadian fiddle tunes. This time it is an original recording from the Banff Rodeo archive, featuring a number of Canada's most accomplished fiddlers, such as Don Messer, Johnny Mooring, Reg Hill, Graham Townsend, etc. This is a great collection, and further evidence that Canada produces the world's greatest fiddlers. I hope y'all enjoy it!

TRACKLISTING: Carl’s Favorite Jig - Johnny Mooring/Big John McNeil - Joe MacIsaac/Plaza Polka - Don Messer/Dusty Millers Reel - Graham Townsend/Highland Jig - June Eikhard/Interlake Waltz - Don Messer/St. Annes Reel - The Rodgers Bros./Wild Colonial Boy - Johnny Mooring/Riley’s Favourite Reel - Don Messer/Don Tremaine's Reel - Graham Townsend/Midnight Waltz - Graham Townsend/Smash The Window - Cye Steele/Kitchen Polka - Jim Allen/East Coast Jig - Graham Townsend/Hobo’s Jig - Jim Allen/Pilot Mound Waltz - Don Messer/Waltzing Through The Leaves - Graham Townsend/Fiddle Head Reel - Jim Magill/Mountain Girl - Jim Allen/Money Musk - Reg Hill/Ottawa Valley Reel - Graham Townsend/Maple Sugar - Jim Allen/Three Legged Milk Stool - Jim Allen/Poor Girl's Waltz - Don Messer/Mountain Park Breakdown - Jim Allen/Parry Sound Reel - Joe Murphy Band/Paddy The Coon - Jim Allen/Hannigan’s Hornpipe - Don Messer/Road To The Isles - Reg Hill/Cape Blomindon Reel - Jack Greenough/Back Up And Push - Jim Allen/Golden Stream Waltz - Reg Hill/Fairylake Waltz - Jim Allen/East York Jig - Graham Townsend/Shamus O’Brien - Reg Hill/Sunset Waltz - Jim Allen/Lamplighter Hornpipe - Don Messer/High Level Hornpipe - Gerry Robichaud/Buckwheat Batter - Don Messer/The Girl I Left Behind - Don Messer/Back To The Sugar Camp - Jim Allen/Westphalia Waltz - Don Messer/Grant Lamb’s Breakdown - Don Messer/Over The Waves - Johnny Mooring - and 6 more!

Get it HERE

CALEDONIA'S WAILS FOR NEIL GOW

Here we have an awesome collection of Cape Breton Fiddle tunes by some of the best of the Genre - Winston Fitzgerald, The Five MacDonald Fiddlers, Joe MacLean, and Dan Joe MacInnis. This was transferred from a Vinyl LP that was graciously loaned to me by a fellow collector.
Hope Y'all enjoy it!

TRACKLISTING:
Duke of Fife March and St. Kilda's Wedding Reel - -
The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Rolling off the Log & Green Shades of Gasque Jigs -
The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Caledonia's Wails for Neil Gow, Sportsman's Haunt, & High Road to Fort Augustus -
Dan Joe MacInnis
Barney O'Neil, Jackson's Fancy, & The Walls of Lisearrol - Dan Joe MacInnis
March to the Rendezvous, James Wares & Miss Fogo - Dan Joe MacInnis
Brookside & Miss Russell Jigs - Dan Joe MacInnis
Mrs. Douglas of Ednam - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Medley of Highland Jigs - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Maggie Cameron Strathspey, Honourable Mrs. Maule's Reel, & Archie Brown Reel - The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Willie Fraser, Stephanie Marie MacLean, & MacKenzie Fraser - Dan Joe MacInnis
Donald MacLean's Farewell To Oban March - Joe MacLean
Mike Maloney & Bessie Brown Jigs - Joe MacLean
Little John's Hame - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Jamie Hardie - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Tarbolton Lodge, Johnnie Sullivan's, & Keep It Up Reels - The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Sir James MacInness, Mrs. J. Forbes, & Mr. Jamieson - Dan Joe MacInnis
Bill Robertson's & Mrs. MacPherson of Inveron Reels - Joe MacLean
Alex McEachren's Strathspey, Lady Glenorchy & Miss Scott Reels - Joe MacLean
Archie Menzie - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Fisher's Hornpipe - Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Miss Flemming of Moness Strathspey, Mrs. Macintoch of Macintoch, & Miss Watt's Reels - The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Lady Anne Amelia Stuart's Strathspey, Wigs of Fife, & Susan Gordon's Reels - The Five MacDonald Fiddlers
Angus & Ladies' Delight Jigs - Joe MacLean
Bachelor & Tommie's Jigs - Joe MacLean

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G9VMFEF5

LARK OF THE MORNING

Here is a Superb Collection of 30 Fiddle Tunes from Canada's First Lady of the Fiddle, Eleanor Townsend. These Tunes were recorded, I believe, in the 1970s. They are drawn from several sources (Vinyl Lp, Cassette, and CD) so the Sound Quality will vary somewhat, but the tunes and the artistry are superb!


TRACKLISTING:

Road To Lake Dore - Ridgeway Merchant - Tuck Your Shirt In
Lakes Of Kildare & Lark of The Morning
Montgomery's Farewell
Toronto Waltz
Social Sixty - Peeler's Jacket - Lame Fisherman
Bayview Reel
Route To Ripley
Cornhusker's Reel - Whitehouse Reel - Lone Fiddler
Rosebud Of Avondale
Spirit Of Springhill - Port Severn Breakdown - Coldwater Reel
Grand Valley Reel
Wildwood Waltz
Little Bob River
Maggie Mahinney's Jig
Forrester's Hornpipe
Algonquin Waltz - Alberta Waltz
Hull's Victory - Ned Kendall
Golden Days
Blackberry Quadrille - The Harvey Jig - Hervester's Jig
Mengie Of Mcbride's Hill - Frank Kelley's Jig - Maitland River - Cornyn Street
Bluevale Waltz
Two-Step Polka
Dungannon Waltz - Waltz Of The Bells
The Spider Bit The Baby
Kinloss Clog - Hart's Jig - Snowshoer's Reel
Why Should I Care - Johnny Mind Your Mammy - Rocky Mountain
Buchta Dancer's Polka
McDowell's Breakdown
Jewel Waltz
Cowboy Reel

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QMTGGHXD

MOON RIVER HORNPIPE

In a sense, I guess you could say that our good friend Lonesome Lefty of the Scratchy Attic Blog, is partially to thank for this post. This week, he posted a number of Graham Townsend LPs to his blog, which served as my main inspiration to do this posting. Here is a Link to Lefty's blog with all the Graham Townsend Albums (http://scratchyattic.blogspot.com/search?q=Graham+Townsend)

On to my post. In the Early 1970s, Graham Townsend, in my humble opinion, the world's greatest fiddler who ever lived, met a young woman named Eleanor Moorehead, who was, from age 8, Classically Trained on the Violin. The story goes, that Eleanor soon became enamoured with both Old-Time Fiddle Music, and Graham Townsend, and the two married and began a musical partnership, Eleanor switching her style from Classical Violin to Old-Time Country Fiddle and becoming a success in her own right. They made beautiful music, together and apart, for the next two-and-a-half Decades. Sadly in 1998, Graham passed away after a tough and courageous battle with Colon Cancer. Just Three Weeks Later, Eleanor died in a House Fire. There has been speculation going around for years and years, that Eleanor deliberately set the house fire that claimed her life and the life of her Granddaughter, but I recall reading the news stories when this happened, and the news stories indicated that local Police and Fire officials determined the fire was in fact an accident, and Eleanor died trying to save her granddaughter.

Anyway, about the album. This is a collection of tunes Graham and Eleanor recorded for the Marathon label circa 1974, with each performing 10 tunes. I hope y'all enjoy these tunes, as I do, and take time to appreciate two tremendous talents gone far too soon, the Talented Townsends!

TRACKLISTING:

GRAHAM TOWNSEND:
Clear the Track
Liberty Tw0-Step
Larry O'Gaffe
Father O'Flynn
Newlywed Reel
Old Rustic Jig
Peter's Favourite
Operator's Reel
Ste. Anne's Reel
Angus Campbell.

ELEANOR TOWNSEND:
Moon River Hornpipe
McDowell's Breakdown
The Jewel Waltz
Buchta Dancer's Polka
Maggie Mawhinney's Jig
Little Bob River Jig
Cowboy's Reel
Wildwood Waltz
Forrester's Hornpipe
Grand Valley Reel.

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=78QAY0LO

IF I HAD A HAMMER

In a departure from the usual fare offered here at Mr. Meadowlark's Music and Memories, we present German Organist Extraordinaire Franz Lambert playing a Super Oldie Hitparade. This package includes such numbers as "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'", "Hard Day's Night", "Sloop John B", and, one of my personal favourites, "If I Had a Hammer". Hope you enjoy it!

TRACKLIST:
These Boots Are Made for Walking
Locomotion
I Got You Babe
A Hard Day's Night
Peppermint Rock
Hang On Sloopy
Kiss Me Quick
The Hippie Hippie Shake
If I Had a Hammer
Mr. Tambourine Man
Skinny Minnie
She Loves You
Living Doll
Doo Wah Diddy
Happy Organ Man
Sloop John B.

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TWJHAYI6

ROSIN UP THE BOW AND AWAY WE GO!

Here is an Excellent Compilation of Canadian Fiddle Tunes, featuring Ricky Cormier, Bill Sawyer, and the Multitalented Smiley Bates. Smiley Could play any instrument with strings on it, and sing a Hurting Song like he had lived thru it. Sawyer played both Fiddle and Guitar. Hope you enjoy these 50 Olde Tyme Fiddle Favourites.

TRACKLISTING
RICKY CORMIER:
Poor Girl's Waltz/Rick's Reel/Jubilee Jig/Holiday Polka/Thunder Bay Jig/Fiddle Fingers/Trudeau's Reel/Nobody's Business/Andy's Reel/Westphalia Waltz/Big John McNeil/Andy's Jig/Waylon's Breakdown/Shannon Waltz/Ole French Reel/Angus Campbell/Jacket Trimmed in Blue/Joys of Wedlock/Whiskey Before Breakfast/Black Velvet Waltz/Way Down Yonder/Honest John.
SMILEY BATES:
Boil Them Cabbage Down/Maple Sugar/Old Joe Clark/Buffalo Gal.
BILL SAWYER:
Salute to the Maritimes/Brenda's Reel/Home Sweet Home/Snowflake Breakdown/Town Shuffle/Cotton-Eyed Joe/Wonderful World/Cock of the North/Maggie/Lord McDonald's Reel/Saltwater Jig/Irish Washerwoman/Soldier's Joy/Bluewater Hornpipe/Kevin's Jig/Flowers of Edinburgh/Faded Love/Sawyer's Hornpipe/Daryl's Hornpipe/Smash the Window/Joys of Quebec/Ste. Anne's Reel/Rippling Water Jig/Rubber Dolly.

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6AZ1F22E

I HAVEN'T GOT THE RIGHT

"Sing Me a Sad Song" released in 1989, was the compilation that got me into the artistry that was Smiley Bates. One listen to this album and you will realize they did not call him the King of the Hurtin' Songs for nothing.
Enjoy!



TRACKLISTING:
Mama Used to Cry
My Daddy's Eyes
Mom Can You Hear Me
Don't Let The Teardrops Show
Cumberland Waltz
This Picture Of Me
Room 305
I'm Doing This for Daddy
Shop Worn
I Haven't Got The Right.

Get it Here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SZ0WSBVA