Bully of the Town
John Garst
In one of his books, Wayne Erbsen dates "Bully of the Town" to 1895. I'm
interested in the history of this song, and I've e-mailed Wayne about
that.
Does anyone else have any information on the origins of "Bully of the
Town" and related songs?
Thanks,
John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu
Steve Goldfield
In article <garst-07019...@garst.chem.uga.edu>,
John Garst <ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu> wrote:
#>In one of his books, Wayne Erbsen dates "Bully of the Town" to 1895. I'm
#>interested in the history of this song, and I've e-mailed Wayne about
#>that.
#>
#>Does anyone else have any information on the origins of "Bully of the
#>Town" and related songs?
#>
#>Thanks,
#>
#>John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu
1895 sounds kind of recent. In my article on Mel
Durham in Old-Time Herald, I recall Mel saying (I think
it's in the article) that when one was traveling and
came to a new town, it was common to seek out the town
bully and beat him up as a way to establish your
reputation and win respect. Mel said that was the
background of the tune. But I don't have or know
of any documentary evidence about it.
Steve
The following comes from the Fiddler's Companion web site
linked to the FAQ:
BULLY OF THE TOWN. Old-Time, Country Rag and Song Tune. USA; Ga., N.C.,
W.Va., Arkansas, Mo., northeast Tenn. G Major. Standard. AABB.
"Bully of the Town" is mentioned as one of the frequently played tunes in
a 1931 account of a LaFollette, northeast Tennessee fiddlers'
contest. It was in the repertoire of Skillet Licker fiddler Clayton
McMichen (Ga.) who recorded the tune with that group in a triple fiddle
version at their first recording session in 1926. Musicologist/folklorist
Vance Randolph recorded the tune from Ozark Mountain fiddlers for
the Library of Congress in the early 1940's. Phillips, Vol. 2, 1995; pg.
26. County 526, "The Skillet Lickers, Vol. 1" (1973. Orig. rec. 1926).
Gennett 6447 (78 RPM), 1928, Tweedy Brothers (W.Va. brothers Harry,
Charles, and George who played twin fiddles and piano). Marimac
9017, Vesta Johnson (Mo.) - "Down Home Rag." Rounder Records, Gid Tanner
and His Skillet Lickers - "The Kickapoo Medicine Show"
(appears as the 4th tune of the Kickapoo Medecine Show skit). Tradition
TLP 1007, Etta Baker - "Instrumental Music of the Southern
Appalachians" (1956).
(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>(8<})>
Steve Goldfield <stev...@best.com> * El Cerrito, California
* Home Page--<http://www.best.com/~stevesag/stevesag.html> *
John Garst
Update: A little browsing reveals the information that May Irwin sang
"The Bully Song", possibly in 1895, in a musical called "The Widow
Jones." May Irwin also appears to be well known for her "Frog Song" and
for filming the first kiss in cinematic history (1896).
John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu
Kerry, Sheila, Louise or Mirabelle Blech
John Garst wrote:
>
> Update: A little browsing reveals the information that May Irwin sang
> "The Bully Song", possibly in 1895, in a musical called "The Widow
> Jones." May Irwin also appears to be well known for her "Frog Song" and
> for filming the first kiss in cinematic history (1896).
>
Ahhhh... excuse me, but I confess an error. May Irwin’s recording of
“The Bully” can be found on “Minstrels and Tunesmiths -- The Commercial
Roots of Early Country Music” (JEMF LP 109) [and not on a New World
Record -- sorry!]. The LP was issued in 1981. Though the JEMF has moved
from UCLA to UNC (where it is now part of the Southern Folklife
Collection), I believe that Arhoolie Records is now handling all the old
JEMF recordings (check at www.arhoolie.com), though probably without the
booklets included, and this is one booklet you’d want to have. Possibly
they would copy the booklet at an additional charge (??). Norm Cohen
wrote the notes to this set.
Discographical information in the booklet is as follows:
THE BULLY -- May Irwin, vocal, with orchestra accompaniment (Victor
master C-4511-1, recorded 20 May 1907; issued on Victor 31642 (as”
single-sided) in July 1907 and on Victor 35050 (12” double-sided) in
February 1909.) Cohen has an extensive discussion of the song,
including references, song texts, and additional recordings listed.
Sigmund Spaeth’s book “Read ‘Em And Weep” (Arco Pubishing Company, NY,
first published in 1926; this was a 1945 reprint) also addresses Ms.
Irwin and this song on pp. 193-195.
“ THE NEW BULLY
May Irwin, who now raises pedigreed cattle in the Thousand Islands (a
big butter-and-egg woman), will always be remembered as the real mother
of ragtime in America, and the song that did the trick was _The Bully_,
to which the adjective ‘new’ is still generally added.
The story goes that ‘The Country Sport’ company, including Miss Irwin
and Peter F. Dailey, were travelling from San Francisco to Chicago, and
Charles E. Trevathan, a sports writer, was entertaining the Pullman
passengers with some songs to the accompaniment of a guitar. A Negro
melody which he had picked up in the South made such a hit that Miss
Irwin insisted on his making a complete song out of it.
_The Bully_ song was the result, and it went into the production of
‘The Widow Jones’ the following season. The new and strange rhythm
scored a knock-out first at Brockton, Mass., then in Boston, and finally
at New York’s Bijou Theatre. “
[there follows May Irwin’s complete text, copyright 1896 by Charles
E. Trevathan and was used by permission of May Irwin and the White-Smith
Music Publishing Co.]
Spaeth went on:
“Miss Irwin had another great ‘coon song’ success in _Mamie, Come
Kiss Your Honey Boy_, which was largely her own, as well as her _Frog
Song_, _When You Ain’t Got No Money, Well You Needn’t Come Around_, and
_Mr. Johnson Turn Me Loose_ (‘I got no money but a good excuse’).”
The Bully of the Town of course was a big hit for Riley Puckett and the
Skillet Lickers, among others, and another Georgia band, The South
Georgia Highballers, made a recording of “Mr. Johnson Turn Me Loose,”
featuring only the chorus as lyrics, and an interesting combination of
short-bowed fiddle and musical saw.
For further information, I suggest reading the JEMF LP notes and
following up the references.
Regards,
Kerry
--
***** ****** ***** ***** ***** ***** ******
Kerry, Sheila, Mirabelle Rose & Louise Marie Blech
blec...@wolfenet.com + http://www.wolfenet.com/~blechfam
"The Old Tunes Are the Best Tunes." -- Luther Davis
pet...@silcom.com
In <garst-07019...@garst.chem.uga.edu>, on 01/07/98
> May Irwin also appears to be well known for her "Frog Song" and for
>filming the first kiss in cinematic history (1896).
John,
Where did you find this info? Eck Robertson recorded a frog song ("My
Frog Ain't Got No Blues") for Victor, but it was never issued. I'm
wondering if they're related. Kisses seem to have gone downhill,
cinematically speaking, since that time.
Best,
__Peter
--------------------------------------------------------
Peter Feldmann
Blue Dalmatian Productions
Pet...@silcom.com (Remove "X" from address to reply)
--------------------------------------------------------
John Garst
> John Garst wrote:
> >
> > Update: A little browsing reveals the information that May Irwin sang
> > "The Bully Song", possibly in 1895, in a musical called "The Widow
> > Jones." May Irwin also appears to be well known for her "Frog Song" and
> > for filming the first kiss in cinematic history (1896).
> >
>
>
> Ahhhh... excuse me, but I confess an error. May Irwin’s recording of
> “The Bully” can be found on “Minstrels and Tunesmiths -- The Commercial
> Roots of Early Country Music” (JEMF LP 109) [and not on a New World
> Record -- sorry!].
....[much more useful information deleted]....
Thanks, Kerry. This is all very informative and useful.
There is a New World recording of May Irwin's "Bully Song", but it is not
by May Irwin but rather some choir that apparently was gathered to make
the record. I've not heard it.
Is the original song, the fragment that Charles E. Trevathan built his
composition on, known?
John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu
Joel Shimberg
In article <garst-07019...@garst.chem.uga.edu>,
ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu (John Garst) wrote:
>
> Does anyone else have any information on the origins of "Bully of the
I don't have much factual info about it, but I've seen 1890s sheet music
for this, advertising it as the great hit song popularised by Mae Irwin.
It was one of the bombshell hits of the Coon-Song genre of that time.
Quite a few others made it into the old-time repertoire, mostly as fiddle
tunes. Whistling Rufus, At A Georgia Camp Meeting, An Alabama Jubilee, My
Gal's A High-Born Lady, and A Bunch O' Blackberries come to mind as
examples. I think that The Yellow Rose Of Texas may belong there too.
Kerry Mills and Abe Holzman come to mind as composers. I hope that this
will help you look further for information.
Joel Shimberg
--
(Joel)shim...@poboxes.com
MNeiburger
Thought this posting on 78-L from Cary Cinell might be of interest to the
group.
B. Matthew (Matt) Neiburger
Wilmington, NC
Subj: The Compleat Bully of the Town
Date: 98-01-10 02:33:23 EST
From: Sound...@aol.com (SoundThink)
To: 78...@cornell.edu (78 RPM Records)
The best study of the song "Bully of the Town" that I have seen was done by
Norm Cohen in the notes to the JEMF album "Paramount Old-Time Tunes"
(JEMF-103). Here are his findings:
That "The Bully" was an immensely popular song of the late 1890s is
indisputable, as is its firmly secure place in folk tradition of the last half
century. What is more difficult to discern is whether the folksong was based
on the pop song or vice versa.
James J. Geller, in his Famous Songs & Their Stories, tells the following
anecdote about the origins of "The Bully." One day at the conclusion of the
horse racing season in San Francisco in ca. 1894, the celebrated singer May
Irwin, traveling with the rest of the cast of the Rich & Harris production of
"The Country Sport," encountered Charles E. Trevathan, a sports writer and
horse racing judge, on the train back to Chicago. Trevathan, a Tennessean, sat
in the Pullman playing and humming popular airs on his guitar to the amusement
of the passengers around him. One snappy air that caught May Irwin's attention
was described by Trevathan as a tune he had learned from Tennessee blacks.
Attracted by the rhythm, Miss Irwin suggested that Trevathan put some words to
the tune. That he soon did, and a few days later he brought his results to
her. The following year, when she was opening in "The Widow Jones," she
decided to include Trevathan's "The Bully" as one of her numbers. It was first
performed in Brockton, Mass. where the new stage production was tried out
before being offered to a New York audience. The song was an instant hit.
Throughout May Irwin's career, "The Bully" remained her most popular song, and
was alwyas requested from audiences. She recorded it for Victor Talking
Machine Company in 1907 (VI 31642), though NOT THE FIRST TIME THE SONG WAS PUT
ON WAX {caps mine}
Other popular music historians - Edward B. Marks, Sigmund Spaeth, Douglas
Gilbert - are some of the opinion that the song was popularized before
Trevathan got his hands on it by Mama Lou, the short, fat, homely, belligerent
powerhouse singer in Babe Connor's classy St. Louis brothel, a popular
establishment in the 1890s that drew all sorts of people in its day. Either
Trevathan picked up the song from Mama Lou, or equally likely, both learned it
from black oral tradition in the south of the early 1890s. Gilbert cites, in
addition to Trevathan's 1896 copyright, a nearly identical version published
by Delaney in the same year, crediting Will Carleton with the words and J.W.
Cavanagh with the muisc. In other words, the song seems to have been around
before Trevathan gave it to May Irwin to popularize.
An early long text was published by folklorist Howard Odum in 1911. It was
taken from black oral tradition. It is in a standard blues stanza format,
without chorus. Trevathan's melody is quite unbluesy. It is not easy to relate
Trevathan's song, the common hillbilly variants, and the traditional black
text of 1911. Perhaps the hillbilly version drew on the black tradition for
stanzaic matter but borrowed the chorus from the pop version.
***************
Cohen goes on to compare the texts of "The Bully Song" by Irwin and the
various hillbilly versions by artists such as Sid Harkreader, Vernon Dalhart
and others. There are two versions of "The New Bully" on cylinder: by Silas
Leachman on Chicago Talking Machine Co. #2 and by Arthur Collins on Edison
5416. These are the only versions that I can see might pre-date Irwin's 1907
recording. Maybe a cylinder expert can date these for us.
Cary Ginell
Sound Thinking Music Research