The North Fork Rounders: Railroadin and Gamblin
GROUNDHOG 2:34
Bill :Fiddle And Vocal; Les: Banjo And Vocal;
Craig : Guitar And Vocal ; Mike: Bass And Lead Vocal.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a Groundhog is a woodchuck, a Woodchuck is a Marmot, and a Marmot is a
Groundhog. With that in mind, We added A B-
Section to this Great Old Tune, and it’s one of our favorites
These days.
GEORIGA RAILROAD 2:27
Les: Fiddle and Vocal; Bill: Banjo and Lead Vocal; Mike: Bass And Vocal.
South 40 is Another Excellent Old Time Band in Ohio. We Traded Them Our Arrangement of “She’s Got
The Money”, And Two Future Draft
Choices For Their Version of this fine old tune.
I’M GLAD MY WIFE’S IN EUROPE 3:00
Bill: Fiddle And Lead Vocal; Les: Banjo And
Vocal; Craig: Guitar And Vocal; Mike: Bass And Vocal.
Fiddlin’ John Carson Recorded This song
In Atlanta in 1924, The Music was composed by
Archie Goettler with words by Howell Johnson
And Coleman Gotzer, we added A B-section to
Fiddlin’ John’s version.
SHE’S GOT THE MONEY TOO 2:57
Bill: Fiddle and Vocal; Les: Banjo and Lead Vocal; Craig’ Guitar and Vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal; Francie: vocal.
Our Band’s song Repertoire tends to run to three general subjects: Liquor, Critters, and Heartless Women, our vast collection of Women songs includes only one song which reflects positively on the fairer sex.
In this Tune, Les exults in having discovered the perfect woman, the idea mate; She’s
Beautiful, She’s Sweet’ And She’s Got Plenty of Money. (Any Similarity Between The
Subject of the song and any living female, is purely coincidental). Uncle Dave Macon Recorded this song in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1938, Francie Clark, who was a regular member of the Band before leaving the area, adds vocals on this and several other tunes.
BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM 2:11
Bill: Hammered Dulcimer; Les: Banjo; Guitar; Mike: Bass.
Our Arrangement is a composite of various versions we each have played for year
HELL AMONG THE YEARLINGS 2:07
Les: Fiddle; Bill: Banjo; Craig: Guitar; Mike: Bass; Chris: Limberjack.
Les got “ Hell Among The Yearlings” From several different sources, including Ohio’s State Champion Fiddler, Rollie Hommon who lives in Newark. Les can’t remember exactly where he picked up the curious little measure tag he plays at the end of each section. We are joined on this selection by Chris Powers, Les’ Wife, 0n Limberjack.
C-H-I-C-K-E-N 3:07
Bill: Fiddle and Lead vocal; Les: Tenor banjo and vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal; Mike; Bass and vocal.
This song, which was very popular around the turn of the century was recorded by
Sam and Kirk McGee in 1926. It is, in Sam’s words, a coon song, But we have changed some derogatory lyrics so we can sing it for any occasion. Additional vocals are by Chris Powers, Carolyn Hudgins, Francie Clarks, and Tom Booze, lowest paid sound man In captivity.
SUGAR IN THE GOURD 2:52
Bill: fiddle and vocal; Les: banjo and Lead vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal; Francie’ vocal.
This is our favorite Skillet Licker tune. They recorded the song in 1930 with Riley Puckett singing our first verse over. Les got additional verses from several sources, including the 1924 recording by fiddlin’ John Carson.
DIXIE 3:05
Les: Fiddle and Vocals; Bill: second fiddle and Lead vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal: Dave; banjo.
Daniel Decatur Emmett was born on Oct. 29 1815, in Mount Vernon, Ohio,
Just a few miles north of us. It always comes as a surprise to our audiences to learn that a Northerner wrote “Dixie”. Equally surprising is the fact that the composer of “Dixie did not support the Confederacy in the Civil War. In fact, when he discovered that the song was being used as a sort of Anthem in the
South, he said, he said, “if I had known to what use they were going to put my song, I will be damned if I’d have written it”. The words we sing here, are from an (1860 edition of The Song. Dave Partington,
3 Time winner in the Famous Bushatte Family Reunion Orphan and Mother song
Contest, plays banjo for us on this cut.
CLUCK OLD HEN 2:07
Bill: fiddle and vocal; Les: banjo and Lead vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal.
This is probably the best known chicken song in the Old Time Repertoire.
Every banjo player learns it when first introduced to the Mountain Minor Tuning…(GDGCD). Our Rendition begins with Les playing his highly acclaimed Chicken call on the banjo.
PULL OLD MULE 3:04
Bill: Fiddle and vocal; Les: banjo and lead vocal.
We find this Critter Tune especially refreshing when we use it to break up
A long string of Chicken Songs. It is another of those Masterpieces from Uncle Dave Macon.
THE HOUND DOG SONG 2:49
Les: Fiddle and Lead Vocal; Bill: Lap Dulcimer and vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal: Mike: Bass and vocal; Francie: Carolyn: Hurdy Gurdy; Chris: Limberjack.
To the Mountaineer who depended on game as a main source of food,
A good hunting dog was very important and nothing to be kicked around.
Alan Lomax tells the story of a boy who fell out of a tree during a possum hunt and broke his neck. His Father’s reaction: “It could-a-been worse. He might have fell on one of the Dogs”.
We are pleased to present Carolyn Hudgins, in Her Hurdy –Gurdy recording debut on this cut.
TURKEY IN THE STRAW 2:53
Bill: Jew’s Harp and Lead vocal; Les: banjo and vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal. “
Turkey in The Straw” is alone With “Arkansas Traveler”, is one of the most universally known of all Old Time Fiddle Tunes. The words indicate that things don’t really change: times have always been bad.
BUFFALO GALS 1:52
Les: Fiddle and vocal; Bill: Hammered Dulcimer and vocal; Craig: Guitar and vocal; Mike: Bass and vocal.
“Buffalo Gals” is our Tribute to true Love. Ah were more Tender in”. One of two songs Bill learned as a child from his father, The other being,” I’ve Got Tears in My Ears From Crying on My Back”.
ROVING GAMBLER 3:07
Bill: Fiddle and Vocal; Les: banjo and Lead vocal: Craig: guitar and vocal; Mike: bass and vocal; Francie: vocal.
“Roving Gambler” is a very old American Ballard. A Semi-classical arrangement by John Jacob Niles is popular among concert vocalist. Our version leans more toward the Stanley Brothers Group which plays
A type of music called “Bluegrass,” an offshoot of old time music, too complicated to describe here.
RAILROADIN’ AND GAMBLIN’ 2:55
Les: fiddle and vocal;
Bill: banjo and Lead vocal; Graig: guitar and vocal; Mike: bass and vocal; Francie; vocal.
Uncle Dave Macon recorded this tune in 1938, late in his career, in a solo rendition that is so lively and exciting that it is hard to imagine why more Old Time Bands haven’t picked the tune up.
