Friday, October 3, 2008

Crankin' It Up



Tonight we have another fiddle selection. You will recognize the tune as Turkey in the Straw, but the record is labeled Old Zip Coon. This song was first performed in 1829, and was popular on the minstrel stage. The lyrics to Old Zip Coon were different from Turkey in the Straw, and if you look it up on Wikipedia, you will see that more than one person claimed to have written it. This record was recorded in 1914 or 1916, depending on the source, but well before Eck Robertson recorded his fiddle tunes. I guess Don Richardson's records are considered to be something other than country music; maybe folk or minstrel tunes. This record has Old Folks at Home plugged in the middle, and I am sure you will recognize that song. This is another well loved record that was played to death. I don't remember when or where I picked up this rarity, and tonight was the first time I have played it.

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