Annotation:That's My Rabbit My Dog Caught It

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X:1 T:That's My Rabbit, My Dog Caught it N:From the playing of the Walter Family (Kentucky) M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel D:Champion 16653 (78 RPM), Walter Family (1933) D:Yazoo 2200, Walter Family - Kentucky Mountain Music (2003) D:https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/thats-my-rabbit-my-dog-caught-it K:C +slide+[e4e4][c4e4]|+slide+[e4e4][e4g4]|+slide+[e4e4]c2[G,2G2]-|[G,G]AGE [C2E2][C2E2]| +slide+[e4e4]c4|+slide+[e4e4]g4|(agag) e2[c2e2]|1[e2e2]d2[c2e2][c2e2]:|2[e2e2]d2[c2e2]|| Ac|:[G,2G2]A2 cd c2|c-dcA c2cA|G2A2 cdc2|c-dcA G2E2| [G,2G2]A2(cdc)A|(cdc)A c3c| e2g2 agec+slide+ |[e4e4][c4e4]:|]



THAT'S MY RABBIT, MY DOG CAUGHT IT. AKA - "Little Rose (The)," "Little Rose is Gone." Amcerican, Reel (cut time). USA; Ky., W.Va. (as "The Little Rose"). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle) AABB. Mark Wilson and Guthrie Meade have both independently pointed out that the tune has been recorded by Calhoun County, West Virginia, fiddler Wilson Douglas as "The Little Rose." Meade (1980) records an odd feature of the Walters' recording:

The instrumental breaks, which add variety and intensity to the performance, were actually an accident brought about by a misunderstanding of procedures during the recording. The cue for beginning the number was picked up prematurely by Draper Walter (the fiddler), while the rest of the band, believing his entrance untimely, held back, and then joined in one by one during the next few bars of the tune. When the lights come on, supposedly indicating a false start, the band again dropped out with the exception of Draper, who continued playing. The other instruments joined in sporadically as before and the recording was completed with the whole ensemble. Amazingly, the item was accepted and released.

The tune was one of eight sides recorded for Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana, in March, 1933, and released on the subsidiary label, Champion Records. It sold poorly, with only just over a hundred copies sold, making the recording extremely rare. Draper Walter was born in Camp Nelson, Jessamine County, central Kentucky, and the band is often described as being from that state. Camp Nelson was also the home to the Booker family, regionally influential musicians, with whom Draper sometimes played[1]. However, long prior to their recording date, Draper and his family had relocated to Richmond, Indiana, in 1919, where they played locally there at least through the New Deal years of the early 1930's (as mentioned in newspaper items). The Walter Family band at the time of their recording session consisted of fiddler Draper E. Walter (1870-1955) and Mary Walter (piano), Ray Agee (banjo), along with Charlie Estes (guitar), Wilburn Burdette (washboard), and Charlie Burdette (jug)[2]. According to researcher Richard Nevins[3], Mary was Draper's daughter, while Ray Agee was his son-in-law; Charlie Burdette was Wilburn's son. However, Ray was not married to Mary, but rather to her sibling Betty Lou, a singer and early radio personality known as “Singing Schoolmarm”. Husband Ray was a radio broadcaster on station WKBV and assisted the stations move from Brookville to Richmond. Somewhat later he organized a stage show called "The Home Folks Show" (which included the Agees' two sons, Highly and Chuck), and operated a music store in Richmond[4].


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - fiddler Draper Walter [Phillips].

Printed sources : - Walt Koken & Clare Milliner (Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes), 2011; pp. 658-659. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes vol. 1), 1994; p. 240.

Recorded sources : - Champion 16653 (78 RPM), The Walter Family (1933). Morning Star 45005, Walter Family - "Old Time Fiddle Band Music from Kentucky, vol. 3: Way Down South in Dixie" (1980). New World 226, The Walter Family - "That's My Rabbit, My Dog Caught It; Southern Traditional Instrumental Styles" (1978. Various artists). Yazoo 2200, Walter Family - Kentucky Mountain Music (2003).

See also listing at :
Hear the Walter Family's 1933 recording at Slippery Hill [1] and youtube.com [2] [3]



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  1. Richard Nevins. Liner Notes to "Old Time Fiddle Band Music from Kentucky, Vol. 3": Way Down South in Dixie. Morning Star Records 45005, 1980.
  2. Tony Russell, Country Music Records, A Discography 1921-1942.
  3. ibid.
  4. Information from Paul Tyler, "Dr. Dosido's Blog", Jan. 6, 2017, "Indiana Fiddle Bands (DDCD-112) [4].