"Swannanoa Tunnel" Performance
Added 2020-09-04 22:42:13 +0000 UTCI learned "Swannanoa Tunnel" from a recording of Retta Spradlin titled "The Pea Fowl." Roscoe Holcomb, who learned his version directly from western Carolina railroad workers, recorded it as "Swanno Mountain." Several more recordings exist under the title "Swannanoa Town." While Bascam Lunsford's is probably the most well-known, the _oldest_ recording was made in 1939 by Will "Shorty" Love under the title "Asheville Junction."
You can listen to Will Love's 1939 recording here: https://repository.duke.edu/dc/brownfrankclyde/RL00160-PD-0034_01_01
Filmed at Brush Creek near Turtle Town, Tennessee by Jayce Hill: https://www.jaycehill.com
My instrument is an 1890s Thompson & Odell "Luscomb" banjo tuned fB♭FB♭B♭. Aquila Nylgut strings; 1960s vintage Remo frosted head; bridge by Joel Hooks: https://www.banjothimble.com/
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When you hear
That pea fowl calling,
Somebody died, honey
Somebody died.
Little girl
Lost forty-one dollars,
All in gold, honey
All in gold!
Asheville Junction
Swannanoa Tunnel,
All caved in, babe
All caved in.
Last December
I remember,
Wind blowed cold, babe
Wind blowed cold.
When you hear my
Watchdog howling,
Somebody’s ‘round, babe
Somebody’s ‘round.
When you hear that
Hoot owl squawling,
Somebody died, babe
Somebody’s dead.
I’m going back to
Swannanoa Tunnel
That’s my home, babe
That’s my home.
Hammer falling
From my shoulder,
All day long, babe
All day long.
This old hammer
Killed John Henry,
It won't kill me, babe
It won't kill me!
This old hammer
Rings like silver,
Shines like gold, babe
Shines like gold.
Comments
Love the video! What a beautiful spot.
bambuza
2020-09-07 15:23:30 +0000 UTCYes!
Clifton Hicks
2020-09-07 01:57:44 +0000 UTCtab for this coming? sounds great!
josh waller
2020-09-06 19:19:09 +0000 UTCYes the larger pots are good for the stage. I also go to a bluegrass jam here. Just because I like the people. So I use my 12 inch Chuck Lee so they can hear me.
Billy Stewart
2020-09-06 16:47:25 +0000 UTCBilly, the earliest stage performing banjos made roughly 1840-1870 usually had a 12" or larger pot. By 1880, most makers had agreed that 11" was the best, and that's been the standard ever since. The 1890s Luscomb I'm playing here is actually 11-5/8"--an unusual diameter.
Clifton Hicks
2020-09-06 15:47:59 +0000 UTCQuestion about you Banjo. Noticed you've been playing 12 inch pot lately. Both of the Banjo's I play on stage or 12 inch pots. I like the sound a lot how do you feel about them. And history how long do you think they've been around? Or are they pretty new?
Billy Stewart
2020-09-06 15:03:11 +0000 UTCStunning production quality but even better music!
Roshan
2020-09-06 00:24:17 +0000 UTCThanks, Josh. Been busy; I've been dodging you--sorry!
Clifton Hicks
2020-09-05 18:57:33 +0000 UTCJohn I was in the neighborhood of gCGCC, something close to fB♭FB♭B♭.
Clifton Hicks
2020-09-05 18:56:44 +0000 UTCIs this gCGCE tuning (relative)? I've kind of worked it out in that tuning, but it doesn't sound exactly the same. I guess that's a good thing, diversity!!
John Gilby
2020-09-05 18:40:01 +0000 UTCThe production quality of this video is stunning. Excellent work!
Josh Sullivan
2020-09-05 16:42:46 +0000 UTCGreat stuff
Daniel Pearce
2020-09-05 08:10:14 +0000 UTCI love it! The playing and singing is perfect as always and the camera work is awesome on this one.
Corentin Ramone
2020-09-05 07:16:54 +0000 UTCI like the sun break (that's what you call a week of rain in Oregon with sun breaks -- 3 or 4 times a day, you will see the sun for 20 s, then it will start to drizzle again.)
Rufus Knapp
2020-09-05 03:40:16 +0000 UTC
