Double Decker String Band – Double Take – Annotated TrackLists

Double Decker String Band – Double Take – Annotated TrackLists FRC746

Disc 1

  1. Crawling and Creeping: recorded by Asa Martin and James Roberts, August, 1934
  2. Goin’ Back to Dixie: from Uncle Dave Macon and His Fruit Jar Drinkers, recorded May, 1927. Also recorded by the Leake County Revelers in April, 1929.
  3. Poor Ellen Smith: recorded by numerous artists, but this version is mostly from Dykes Magic City Trio, recorded in March, 1927.
  4. Lawdy, Lawdy: from the Alabama Sheiks, one of only four sides recorded by Eddie West (fiddle) and Ad Fox (guitar) in 1931.
  5. Katie Hill: recorded as “Sally Johnson” by Lowe Stokes with Riley Puckett on guitar in April, 1930.
  6. Giddyap Napoleon: recorded as “Giddap Napolean” by Gid Tanner and His Skillet-Lickers, October, 1929. Vocal by Riley Puckett.
  7. Down in Baltimore: from the Southern Melody Boys (Odus Maggard and Woodrow Roberts). Recorded in February, 1937.
  8. John Henry: our version was inspired by the Williamson Brothers and Curry and the Skillet-Lickers.
  9. Then It Won’t Hurt No More: recorded as “It Won’t Hurt No More” in June of 1931 by (Buster) Carter and (Preston) Young, with Posey Rorer on fiddle.
  10. Riley the Furniture Man: from the Georgia Crackers, recorded in March, 1927.
  11. Mary, Don’t You Weep: from the Georgia Yellow Hammers, recorded in August, 1927.
  12. New Prisoner’s Song: from Dock Boggs (with Hub Mahaffey of Dykes Magic City Trio on guitar). Recorded in March, 1927.
  13. Look Before You Leap: recorded by Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers in September, 1930.
  14. Horseshoe Bend: from the Stripling Brothers, recorded in August, 1929.
  15. Goin’ to Germany: recorded by Cannon’s Jug Stompers in October, 1929. Harmonica and vocal by Noah Lewis.
  16. Georgia Camp Meeting: from the Leake County Revelers. Recorded in April, 1929 in the same session that yielded “I’m Gwine Back to Dixie”.

Disc 2

  1. Going Across the Sea/Ryestraw: This is a version of “Going Across the Sea” that was being played around the DC area in the 70s. Our rendition of “Ryestraw” was based on the Uncle Dave Macon/Charlie Arrington recording of 1938. It was played at the end of the song “Johnny Grey”. The third part we added probably came from the Highwoods Stringband.
  2. Old Joe: from Dr. Humphrey Bate and His Possum Hunters, with Oscar Stone on fiddle, recorded in March, 1928.
  3. Tittabawasee Jane: written by Jay Stielstra.
  4. Diamond Joe: recorded in October, 1927 by the Georgia Crackers, also known as the Cofer Brothers.
  5. Walking in the Light: from Lake Howard and Bill Wakefield, recorded in April, 1935.
  6. Wait Till I Put on My Robe: from the Famous Jubilee Singers, recorded in July, 1927.
  7. Outshine the Sun: from a recording by William Wexford which we got from Joe Bussard. Neither this title or William Wexford is listed in Tony Russell’s extensive discography, so we can’t provide any information about this recording or the mysterious Mr. Wexford.
  8. Evolution Girl: recorded by the Carolina Buddies (Odell Smith, Norman Woodlieff, and Walter Smith) in February, 1931.
  9. Little Black Train is Coming: from Emry and Henry Arthur, recorded in January, 1928.
  10. Louisianna Breakdown: from the Hackberry Ramblers, recorded in February, 1927.
  11. Just Give Me the Leavins: recorded by Dr. Smith’s Champion Hoss Hair Pullers in December, 1928.
  12. Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel: from Tom Paley and the New Lost City Ramblers, “Songs of the Civil War”, recorded in 1960.
  13. Called to the Foreign Field: recorded in July, 1927 by Alfred Karnes (who accompanied himself on the harp-guitar!)
  14. My Own Iona: from the Scottdale String Band, recorded in March, 1927.
  15. Saturday Night Breakdown: Recorded by the great Mississippi band, the Leake County Revelers in April, 1929. The same tune was played by the Newton County Hillbillies, also from Mississippi. They called it the Nine O’clock Breakdown.
  16. Liza Jane: an unhinged version of the J.P. Fraley tune.
  17. Duck Shoes Rag: an original tune recorded by the Grinnell Giggers in November, 1930. They were from the Missouri bootheel. A grinnell is a fish and gigging was a method of fishing using a three-pronged fork.
  18. Tom and Jerry: this version of the tune came from the playing of John Ashby, the great Northern Virginia fiddler. He likely got it from Uncle Dave Macon and His Fruit Jar Drinkers who recorded it in May, 1927.