Lyr Add: Sleepytoon / Sleepy Toon (Norman Kennedy)

Subject: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Jim I
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:22 PM

I got this one from the singing of Norman Kennedy. According to "The Glasgow Guide" (www.glasgowguide.com) it's attributed to Willie Scott c. 1870

Sleepytoon

It happened at last Whitsuntide
I tired o' ma place
So I gaed up tae Ainsty fee
Ma fortune for tae chase

Chorus:
And sing iry iddiday addy
And sing iry iddiday an.

I met wi' Adam Mitchell
And tae fee we did presume
He's a fairmer up Kinethmont way
At a place ca'd Sleepytoon

"If ye and I agree" said he
"I promise ye fair play,
For I never gar ma servants work
mair nor ten 'oors a day"

"Ye'll work well when the day is fine
In rain ye shall work none.
A regular diet ye shall hae
And wages when they're won."

"If a' be true ye tell tae me
I think the place might suit"
Says I, "I'll gang wi' you
although ye are an ugly brute."

So I agreed tae fee wi' him
An' thocht masel well kent
Until I got tae Sleepytoon
And there I did repent

The order was tae yoke at five
And work while we could see
"Oh no! you're not in order Sir,
Defied ye maun be"

"Will ye defy what I command,
Ye scoundrel that ye are?
Ten 'oors a day did we agree
Deny it if ye daur."

Next order was tae bed at nine
And never leave the toon
And ilka time we left it
We'd be fined half a croon

But we took little heed o' that
And oftimes took the pass
Sometimes tae buy tobacco
And sometimes tae court a lass

The ither lads were often fined
But never lost the hairt
And I maself was fined a croon
For riding in the cairt

And noo the term is nearly done
And soon we shall be free
And wi' that wary fairmer
I never more will fee.

And noo the term is over
And oor wages we hae won
So we'll awa' tae Rhynie mere
And hae oorselves some fun

Maybe we'll see old Adam,
Suppin' at his brose.
I'll gie him a len' o' ma hankie
For tae dicht his snotty nose

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:16 PM

First verse - "I gaed up tae Insch tae fee"

Chorus - "An sing airy irrity addy
And sing airy irrity an".

I sang this frequently back in the early "Heritage" days and I'm pretty sure I first got it from the singing of Ray Fisher. Margie Sinclair of "Mirk" also sings it. It's in Ord's "Bothy Songs and Ballads".

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:33 PM

Willie Clark, not Willie Scott. Unfortunately, that Glasgow site doesn't acknowledge its source(s) for text or attribution, so it's hard to tell how seriously they should be taken. A quick look around shows that they don't credit the writers of The Road to the Isles or Jock of Hazeldean (both are well known), and they seem to think that She Moved Through the Fair and The Rose of Allandale are Scottish songs, so I wouldn't put much trust in what they say without backup.

I should think that the best available information would be in volume 3 of the Greig-Duncan collection, but unfortunately I don't have a copy of that. There are people round here who do, though; with luck someone will be able to help.

Did Norman say where he got the song? Are you able to post his tune?

A shortened text, transcribed from a Dougie MacLean record, was posted in the earlier thread Sleepy Toon: the traditional source was not named and no tune was quoted, so that's a bit vague too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,scotus
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 12:24 PM

There is indeed a lengthy note on the song in volume 3 of Greig Duncan (too lengthy to post here). From the beginning of the note - "The farm was officially named Christ's Kirk, with Sleepytoon appearing as the title after 1870. Adam Mitchell, named in the song was farmer from the 1840s to 1858."

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Jim I
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM

from Guest: First verse - "I gaed up tae Insch tae fee"

                         Chorus - "An sing airy irrity addy
                                  And sing airy irrity an".

Thanks Guest. I've been singing that for years but when I listen to the original again it is indeed "Insch tae fee". The version I have however is slightly different in the chorus. "iry" is closer than "airy" (which I assume rhymes with fairy?)and it does sound to me like iddity rather than irrity - but surely none of that (with the exception of the name) really matters.



Malcolm; "Willie Clark, not Willie Scott." Sorry my mistake. I have been trying to give sources to the songs in my book and I 'oopsed!' that one. Normally I go through as many sources as possible to try to get the right info but I was in a bit of a hurry with this one.

As to the tune I only have an old cassette which I learned the song from - no dots I'm afraid. I am working on putting it into Cakewalk - but its a slow job

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 04:46 PM

Just a thought - given the fact that we're talking about 'bothie ballads', hiring fair should probably be feein mercat.

and - in the north-east of Scotland (where the ones being discussed hail from) bothies were more often called chaumers (from the French chambre).

The aforementioned volume 3 of Greig Duncan has a wonderful guest editor's article on bothy ballads by the late Peter Hall.

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM

I have heard that Norman got the song from the singing of Jeanie Robertson.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 07:23 PM

I'm not so sure of that akenaton, I don't think Jeannie ever recorded it (not that that means she didn't know or sing it, of course), but Norman was hearing lots of other singers in the 50s and 60s who might be more likely candidates. I can think of Charlie Murray for instance.

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 08:02 PM

Hello Jack...I did hear Norman being interviewed on radio some years ago, mention that Jeanie was a friend who influenced his early singing. Although never recording "Sleepytoun", I'm sure she must have known it well.

Sleeve notes on TOPIC 12T133 say the collector Rev. James Duncan was told by a worker at Sleepytoun that he had worked with the author of the song ,one William (poet) Clark who lived in Alford and was "awfu' leern't"
The tune being very common in the North East, is often used for the "Toon o Kelso" and "Battle of Harlaw"??..Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 10:25 PM

Ake - I don't have any hard evidence, it's just that most of Jeannie's material seemed to be from a traveller background rather than the bothies or 'ferm toons'. I know that there's a certain overlap but I just can't recall her ever singing bothy ballads of that style (I heard her a fair few times back in the 1960s and have most of her recordings). But, as you say, just because she didn't sing things in public doesn't mean she didn't know them!

What I do know is that Norman (one of my personal all-time favourite singers) did hear a great many singers who WERE steeped in the bothy tradition as well as Jeannie (and he did get many songs and ballads from her).

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 06:52 PM

I've always thought the place referred to in line 3 was Inchtuthil, near Dunkeld.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 04:15 AM

Susanne...There are various spelling mistakes in the version on Malcolms link.

Insch, Alford,Rhynie(mere) and Kennethmont are all in a small area of Aberdeenshire.
Apparently the farm is still there, between Insch and Kennethmont and was visited by someone a few years ago who described it on this forum.    Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 12:02 PM

Rhynie mere is a local pronunciation of muir which is the Scots equivalent of moor. Alford is pronounced Ah-ford and Kennethmont has the emphasis on the second syllable 'eth'.

Driving around that part of Scotland, the road signs are like a series of bothy ballad titles - wonderful.

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 12:41 PM

Yes Jack, I find the bothy ballads fascinating history, especially the ones with place names.

I'm a great admirer of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, whos novels and short stories are full of colourful insights into our farming past.

As a mason, working on old buildings often gives me the same feeling.
I know the history of most buildings in my area and often find links to the past...Builders clay pipes under the slates ...old tools that have been mislayed 100 yrs ago....what a lovely job I've got!!..Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST, Jim I
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 02:20 PM

Ake said "Insch, Alford,Rhynie(mere) and Kennethmont are all in a small area of Aberdeenshire."

I'd just looked up my road map and found them all when you beat me to the punch. I also found Kirktown of Auchterless just a bit to the north where my great, great, great grandfather was a crofter in the 1830's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 07:21 AM

Good version of this sung by Arthur Watson, of "The Gaugers" from Aberdeen - 1st recording, "Beware O' An Aiberdonian", I think.
Fit like, Jack ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 09:39 AM

Is that Kenny Hadden?

I'd been trying to think where else I'd heard it and that's it - Arthur Watson with The Gaugers!

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:13 PM

Did anybody mention the County Clare song 'Come To The Hiring' by Jamesie McCarthy on the Voice of The People CDs?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 05:42 PM

I've got the LP 'Beware o' an Aberdonian', and Sleepytoon is not on it. Could it be a bonus track on a reissued CD? Or is it on a different recording altogether?

Anyway, none of the above lets me know whether or not my guess of Inchtuthil is correct. Akenaton seems to be telling me it is 'Insch tae fee', and Inchtuthil is too far off the scene. Is it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: ScottishVoice
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 06:38 PM

Hi, I visited Sleepytoon a couple of years ago - the bothy is stil there although it is looking a bit worse for wear now! As the crow flies its pretty near to Alford and Rhynie but its closest to Insch and in the shadow of the hill of Dunideer. I should say that the farm sign at the end of the road is actually Sleepytown as opposed to toon! Och well, cant have it all! Have been meaning to go up again (I live about 15mins away) but studying in Glasgow doesnt give me many chances to get up north anymore!! IF anyone wants any other info or even if you want me to email you some pictures let me know, I'd be more than happy to.

Shona

PS I was at Earlsfield the farm of the Scranky Black Farmer last weekend and sang the song in the byre. What a great way to spend an afternoon!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 06:38 PM

Susanne...The "hiring fair" was indeed at Insch, although there would also be fairs at other towns in the North East

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 10:15 AM

susanne - apologies, you are quite correct, in that "Sleepytoon" is not on "Beware..etc". In fact I couldn't find it on any of their recordings, which is strange, because I reckon they sang it at nearly every concert I ever heard them, and that was many times in the 70s, but it doesn't look as if they ever recorded the song.
Ah, well.
By the way, the Gaugers version had far fewer verses than are listed at the beginning of this thread.
Jack , hope all is well with you. Kenny

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 11:33 AM

I used to have Norman Kennedy singing "Sleepytoun" on a various artistes LP released around 1966. The only other artiste that I can remember being on the record was Gordeanna McCulloch, singing, I think (!), "Dowie Dens o Yarrow". Norman also did a terrific version of another bothy great, "Drumdelgie", now available on CD.
(Look out also for recordings of bothy ballads by Joe Aitken of Kirriemuir - saw him at Celtic Connections a couple of years ago).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 12:02 PM

Hi Tim..I'v got that LP, "New Voices from Scotland".
Norman, Gordeanna, The Exiles. Cracking LP.

Hope your well doon in the "Bullwood"....Ake

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 12:26 PM

"New Voices from Scotland", wow! That's the one Ake. What year was it?

All's well in the Bullwood, how's thing up your way? We were over in Otter Ferry two days ago! Had a diet irn bru in the Oystercatcher!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 12:31 PM

Hi Kenny

Can you e-mail me on [e-mail] with your contact details?

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:51 PM

Thanks, Ake and Kenny. I've got four recordings of Sleepy Toon - by Dick Gaughan (1977), Ian Campbell (1969), John Mearns (1951) and Gaberlunzie (1976). It's probably too far-fetched to think Kenny was confusing the Gaugers with Gaberlunzie as he sounds pretty certain, but I'll mention the thought anyway, just to have it refuted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Scotus
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:59 PM

No-one could ever get them mixed up :-)

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 06:59 AM

Not a mistake I was ever likely to make susan. :-)
Will be in touch, jack.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: ScottishVoice
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 10:24 AM

Just to let you know, WOlfstone have recorded sleepytoon as well, I think it might be on the Pick of the Litter cd.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 05:41 PM

Apologies, Kenny. I didn't really think it possible!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: akenaton
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 07:36 PM

John...By god when the Bullwood team party they really party....Diet Iron Bru at the Oystercatcher...How decadent is that!!

New Voices from Scotland   Topic 12T133. 1965(not far out)

Norman Kennedy...Gordeanna McCulloch...The Exiles(Bobby Campbell,Enoch Kent,Gordon McCulloch).

Soldiers Joy (Exiles)
The kirk o' Birnie Bouzle(Gordeanna)
The dowie dens o' Yarrow(Gordeanna)
Tae the beggin'(Exiles)
Sleepytoon (Norman)
Peurt a beul (Norman)
The Haughs o' Cromdale (Norman)
The lichtbob's Lassie(Gordeanna)
Will ye gang love (Gordeanna)
My son David (Norman)
The toon o' Kelso (Exiles)
Instrumental Selection (Exiles).
Absolute magic (Ake)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 07:08 AM

Thanks Ake: a lot of great songs and memories there. I'd forgotten about "My Son David" - what a song and what a performance.

I believe NK is now somewhere in New England. He was much admired by J.Eaglesham and Voy (who turned 70 a couple of weeks ago and looks 10 years younger: quite amazing, all things considered).

(I stick to irn bru when I'm driving, the road from Otter Ferry to the Clachan of Glendaruel is dodgy enough sober!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 04:18 PM

Wolfestone sings SLEEPY TOON on "Unleashed" and on "Pick of the Litter: The Best of Wolfstone 1991-1996." From a sound sample, it seems to be the same song as the one posted above.

However, a version of SLEEPY TOON sung by John MacDonald on "Come All My Lads That Follow the Plough," Topic CD #655, 1999, although possibly related, seems significantly different. It has the following lines, which I transcribed from a sound sample:

At five o'clock, our foreman jumps like a shot
Cryin', "Come awa, ye sleepy-headed lot.
Are ye gaun tae lie in yer beds till ye rot
At Sleepy Toon in the mornin'?"
Fa la la lal the diddle dilly die dum day.

At half past five, we followed our nose
Out to the kitchen to ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Jim I
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:03 PM

Thanks Jim Dixon. I just listened to that Wolfstone sound sample on Amazon - and it is exactly the song as I posted here.

Jim I

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Scotus (minus cookie)
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 04:24 PM

I'm pretty sure that Jock Duncan's (relatively) recent recording is the version Jim Dixon mentions in relation to John MacDonald.

Jack

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Jim I
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 07:04 PM

A fairly recent CD of Norman's can be had from thetraditionbearers.com along with quite a few more traditional artists

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 05:24 AM

Jim I: I can't find the album on traditionbearers. Have you the title?

I did find an NK CD on Amazon UK, "I Little Thocht My Love Wid Leave Me", £8.16. No track list, have ordered anyway!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Jim I
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 03:18 PM

Hi Big Tam
the cd is Norman Kennedy; Live in Scotand - LTCD2002

When you get to the site click on "the recordings" and Normans is quite far down the list.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: Jim I
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 03:20 PM

Oops! Missed this.

the CD is under

"'Magic of Live' series (LTCD2001 -)
A series of live recordings, to capture some of the magic of live performance that can sometimes be difficult to capture in a studio."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 11:12 AM

Thanks Jim: I found the CD and placed my order.

(Anyone who hasn't heard Norman Kennedy should do so asap. He's brilliant).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Hiring Fair) Sleepytoon
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 08:04 AM

Just received the "I Little Thocht My Love Wid Leave Me" CD.

Tracks are, Dainty Davie, Jock o Hazeldean, The Plooman Laddies, Busk Bonnie Lassie, Binnorie, Brennan on the Moor, Nancy Whisky, Flooers o the Forest, Haughs o Cromdale, Smelly Ghost (story), Gallowa Hills, Gypsy Laddies, Peacock's Close, I Little Thocht My Love Wid Leave Me, Mouth Music/Puirt a Beul.

Recorded in Boston (US) in 1999.

The sleeve notes include,
"Norman Kennedy is one of Scotland's finest traditional singers with a unique repertoire of folk songs and ballads. Born and brought up in Aberdeen, he was a neighbour of the great ballad singer Jeannie Robertson and during the evolving folk scene of the 1960s he picked up many songs from her and from other singers such as the bothy ballad singer Jimmy McBeath and the traveller and street singer Davie Stewart.

In 1966, he moved to live in the USA after representing Scotland at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where he was an immediate success with the "folkies" and the academics alike. The former loved his relaxed easy style, while the latter recognised a deep knowledge and understanding of the songs, which went way beyond book learning. And 36 years later he has lost none of that magnetism".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sleepytoon / Sleepy Toon (Norman Kennedy)
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Tim
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 01:19 PM

Gavin Greig attributes authorship to "Poet Clark. [I] hunted up his residence in the upper part of the parish of Keig. I found however that he had left the place and had died in a son's house in Glasgow in January 1907. He was then between 70 and 80 years old. Recently I made a record of the song from an old man who had been a farm servant along with Clark, had learnt the song from himself, and often heard him sing it and also speaks about the 'making' of it. His full name was William Clark...[he came from]the the parish of Alford".

Greig's earliest version of the song dates from 1854. He also gives 32 verses.