Cyril Ferguson "Ya Mar" mp3 Update
Bob R
(by a Bahamian songwriter named Cyril Ferguson) on my website and all
hell breaks loose. You phreaks downloaded this thing so much, I got a
notice from Mindspring saying I've exceeded my bandwidth limit for the
month already (and Sept aint even half over!!). So, I've had to take
it down so as not to further upset the powers that be. In the
meantime, I'm gonna put this one out on Napster (do a search on Ya Mar
in the title or Cyril Ferguson as artist....it should come up) as
another means to get download it. I'm usually online in the evening
hours and will leave my connection on so it can be downloaded (please
realize that I only have a 56K modem and the file is around 3.7Mb -
please be patient). If any of you other guys who did get a copy would
do the same that may help get this interesting piece of Phish cover
history out to the masses. I may try reloading it on my webpage when
October rolls through and my bandwidth limit resets so look out for
that if you don't have Napster. Thanks again for your support and
understanding.
Bob R
PS - Here's the text from my website related to how I found the song
and background info:
The story behind finding this song is not all that different from Mike
Gordon's. My parents went on a cruise to the Bahamas and while in
Nassau my Dad found this double CD set of various artists
entitled "Over 30 Years of Bahamian Music" (Š 1996 G.B.I. Recording
Studios, PO Box F-42668, Freeport, G.B., Bahamas). This disc set is
chock full of great calypso, junkanoo, and other local flavors of music
(including some rap on the second disc). When Mom & Dad got home, I
visited them at home in Florida. Since Dad knows I'm a fan of all kinds
of music, we broke out some Red Stripes and threw the first CD on. So
I'm boppin along to these great shuffling tunes until track 4 where I
hear this familiar little progression (with some great guitar) that
keeps harping at my memory. Soon the lyrics start up and I can't help
but think that the melody from Ya Mar must be very popular in the
Bahamas (and I'd also read on the Phish.net FAQ page about the song
that there are other versions of the melody out there). But when Cyril
started singing "Don't ask him what is was, tell him what it is" I had
no doubt that this WAS Ya Mar. I walked over to the stereo and checked
out the CD. Yep, it was even titled "Ya Mar".
Interestingly, Cyril doesn't sing the repetitive Ya Mar chorus until
after the second verse (whereas Phish sings it after both verses). Also
notice that there are some changes in lyrics from the Cyril version to
the Phish (Mustangs?) version. Instead of a "you got a nice shiny
sports car, you keep it very clean", Cyril sings "you got a nice
thousand dollar car, you're lookin' really clean". And Cyril also
sings "You used to be a barefoot girl, walkin' around the yard" in the
beginning of the second stanza instead of "vampire" or whatever else
Mike may sing there. I don't believe that this is the version that Mike
Gordon first heard on that Mustangs tape he got while on vacation. And,
like most of y'all, I still don't know who the Mustangs are. But Cyril
Ferguson is listed after the title so I assume that this is the
original version.
Here are some of the liner notes that I found in the booklet that came
with the CD:
" 'YA MAR' was the very first recording of CYRIL 'Dry Bread' FERGUSON
and earned him the Most Potential Recording Artist Award at the first
MUSIC MAKER OF THE YEAR AWARD (MMOYA) Ceremony held in 1974 at the,
then, Kings Inn Hotel, Freeport, Grand Bahama. This proved to be a
prophetic choice as Mr. Ferguson went on to become a renowned
performer, plus one of the most prolific songwriter/recording artists
of the 1980's and 1990's."
It also includes this pic of him standing in a cool white suit lookin'
boss. As for the liner notes above, I don't know if "recording" a song
is the same as writing it. But, like I said, the CD cover credits him
as the writer.
I've done some research on the Web looking for more info on Cyril
Ferguson but to no avail. If anyone knows anything more please email
me. I'd like to get more of his work since I really dig the guitar
sounds of whoever is playing on this cut (Cyril?). I hope this little
bit of history helps in our understanding of the roots of the songs
Phish covers.
--
My CD-R List: http://www.phishhook.com/lists/bobr_31
"Music is the ultimate for me.
It's the ride of a lifetime."
-Trey Anastasio
trader_b...@yahoo.com
take the red out for replies
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Brendon M. Troy
http://www.geocities.com/brendotroy/Cyril_Ferguson-YaMar.mp3
we'll see how geocities likes this...ahh well, whatev...
Bob R <bob...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8ppmjd$k5o$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Well, I put this mp3 of what may be the original version of "Ya Mar"
> (by a Bahamian songwriter named Cyril Ferguson) on my website and all
> hell breaks loose. You phreaks downloaded this thing so much, I got a
> notice from Mindspring saying I've exceeded my bandwidth limit for the
> month already (and Sept aint even half over!!). So, I've had to take
> it down so as not to further upset the powers that be. In the
> meantime, I'm gonna put this one out on Napster (do a search on Ya Mar
> in the title or Cyril Ferguson as artist....it should come up) as
> another means to get download it. I'm usually online in the evening
> hours and will leave my connection on so it can be downloaded (please
> realize that I only have a 56K modem and the file is around 3.7Mb -
> please be patient). If any of you other guys who did get a copy would
> do the same that may help get this interesting piece of Phish cover
> history out to the masses. I may try reloading it on my webpage when
> October rolls through and my bandwidth limit resets so look out for
> that if you don't have Napster. Thanks again for your support and
> understanding.
>
> Bob R
>
> PS - Here's the text from my website related to how I found the song
> and background info:
>
> The story behind finding this song is not all that different from Mike
> Gordon's. My parents went on a cruise to the Bahamas and while in
> Nassau my Dad found this double CD set of various artists
Bob R
"Brendon M. Troy" <bt0...@mail.rochester.edu> wrote:
> Done, and done...check it out:
> http://www.geocities.com/brendotroy/Cyril_Ferguson-YaMar.mp3
> we'll see how geocities likes this...ahh well, whatev...
Thanks Brendon. Anybody else? Come on, lets get this fukker out to
everyone!!!
Bob R