[Dixielandjazz] Songs

[Marek Boym]

>   Marek wrote:
>
>
> Beltona was indeed a subsidiary of a larger company, possibly Decca, but
> was run locally from Glasgow for the Scottish market. The Beltona
> management insisted on public domain material being used for the
> tracks recorded by them as they weren't in the habit of paying for
> copyright clearances. Without hearing the CDs, I've no idea where or when
> the live recording was made, or who the musicians were. Do the sleeve notes
> give any clues?
>
> St. Andrew's Grand Hall, Glasgow, 30/06/56 for the first seven numbers,
which include "Keep Right to the End of the Road" and "Tres Moutarde."

>
> Marek wrote:
> "Swingin' Seamus" was recorded in April 1959, after "the band secured a
> recording contract with Pye under the auspices of the redoubtable Lonnie
> Donegan."  And it certainly was not public domain, but an original by Ian
> Menzies and Jim McHarg.  "The Uist Tramping Song" and "I Love a Lassie" are
> attributed to composers, which does not necessarily mean they are not
> public domain.
>
> When the band switched to Pye, they started to record jazz repertoire
> which would attract royalty payments, but continued to adapt Scottish songs
> to a jazz setting to emphasise that they were a wee bit different from all
> the English bands. Are publisher details given for Swinging Seamus? It
> might be an original composition of 2 of the band players, but if it hadn't
> been published it would go out as "copyright control" without attracting
> publisher royalties. Similarly, Uist Tramping Song was a traditional air
> which had been published in a collection of other folk songs, so may not
> have attracted composer royalties. I Love a Lassie was a hit for Harry
> Lauder but may well have been out of copyright by 1959. The point is that
> Pye was less averse to issuing copyright material than Beltona, but, like
> any record company, was happy to issue material which didn't attract full
> composer and publisher rights.
>
> No publisher rights whatsoever given.

>
> Marek wrote:
> Maurie Rose is on six out of the 53 numbers only.  Some of the vocals
> leave a lot to be desired.
>
> Those 6 tracks would be from the Beltona recording.
>
>
Probably the preceding eight numbers as well.  The Rose numbers were
recorded in London on 15/02/57.

>  Once Fionna Duncan became the band singer, the quality of vocals improved
> markedly.
>
>
But she was still far from the excellent singer I heard in Edinbourgh in
the 1980's.
 Cheers