Annotation:Sally Ann (1)

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SALLY ANN [1]. AKA and see “Beano,” “Darneo,” "Dineo," "Mississippi Square Dance--Part 2." American, Reel (cut time). USA; West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina. D Major: A Major. Standard tuning, ADae or AEae (fiddle). AABB. One version of the tune was recorded for the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph from Ozarks Mountains fiddlers in the early 1940's. See also related tunes "Big Sweet Taters in Sandy Land," "Great Big Taters in Sandy Land/Lot," "Sandy Land," "Sail away Ladies (1)" (Kentucky/Tennessee), "Wished/Wish I had My Time again" (Ky.). One version of the tune goes by the name "Dineo" in the Franklin/Floyd County area of southwestern Virginia, and it was recorded as “Darneo” by the Blue Ridge Highballers (Yazoo CD 2046). “Sally Ann” has been jokingly called the Surry County, North Carolina “national anthem.” Among the many early recordings of the tune was a version by the Ashe County, North Carolina, string band Frank Blevins and His Tar Hell Rattlers, a name made up on the spot at the 1927 Columbia recording session in Atlanta for 16 year old fiddler Frank Blevins, his older brother and guitarist Ed Blevins and banjo player Fred Miller. The band’s playing was inspired by a few shots of corn liquor from a convenient jug. The Hill Billies, a Galax, Va., area band, recorded an influential version in 1925 (re-released on Document DOCD-8039). Fiddler Joe Birchfield (1911-2001) of Roan Mountain, Tennessee, played a version of “Sally Ann” in the key of C. Freeny's Barn Dance Band, a family string band from Leake County, Mississippi, recorded a version of "Sally Ann" with square dance calls on their 1931 OKeh Records release "Mississippi Square Dance--Part 2."

English folk-song and dance collector Cecil Sharp noted the following set of words from Mrs. Dellie Hughes of Crane River, Burnsville, North Carolina, in 1918, while on a collecting trip to the Appalachians:

O where are you going Sally Anne ...(x3)
I’m going to the wedding, Sally Anne.

O shake that little foot, Sally Anne ...(x3)
You’re a pretty good dancer, Sally Anne.

These are from another traditional source (from Mudcat):

Ever see a muskrat, Sally Ann,
Draggin' his thick tail through the sand,
Pickin' a banjo, kickin' up sand?
I'm gonna marry you, Sally Ann.

Chorus:
I'm gonna marry you, Sal gal,
I'm gonna marry you, Sally Ann.
I'm gonna marry you, Sal gal,
I'm gonna marry you, Sally Ann.

Make my livin' in sandy land,
Make my livin' in sandy land,
Make my livin' in sandy land,
Raise them taters, Sally Ann.

So, y'ever see a muskrat, Sally Ann,
Draggin' his thick tail through the sand,
Pickin' a banjo, kickin' up sand?
I'm gonna marry you, Sally Ann.

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - John Ashby (Virginia) [Brody, Phillips].

Printed sources : - Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 244. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 209.

Recorded sources : - County 405, "The Hillbillies." County 727, John Ashby - "Old Virginia Fiddling." Document 8039, “The Hill Billies/Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters: Compoete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, vol. 1” (reissue). Folkways FA2434, Norman Edmonds and the Old Timers - "The 37th Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention at Union Grove, North Carolina" (1961). Library of Congress (2741-B-1), 1939, J.W. 'Peg' Thatcher (Franklin County, Virginia). Musical Traditions MTCD321-2, Pug Allen (et al.) – “Far on the Mountain: vol’s. 1 & 2” (re-release, 2002). OKeh 40336 (78 RPM), The Hillbillies (1925). Old Hat Enterprises CD, “Music from the Lost Provinces” (1997). Revonah RS-932, The West Orrtanna String Band - "An Orrtanna Home Companion" (1978. Learned from Henry Reed via the Hollow Rock String Band). Rounder 0058, Clell Caudill - "Old Originals, vol. II" (1978). Rounder CD0262, Mike Seegar - "Fresh Old-Time String Band Music" (1988. Appears as "Pork Fat Makes My Chicken Tan," an unusual variation by the Horseflies and the Agents of Terra, Ithaca, N.Y., string bands in which the fiddle is tuned EDad). Yodel-Ay-Hee 020, Rafe Stefanini & Bob Herring - "Old Paint."

See also listing at :
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Hear West Virginia fiddler Mose Coffman's version at youtube.com [2] (approx. 3:20), recorded by Gerry Milnes. Mr. Coffman was recorded in 1992, at age 87.

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