My friend Eric likes to play this tune, so I thought that I should listen to some recordings of it and learn topplay it right. I have found many interesting videos and compiled thos in my playlist.
This tune goes back to the 1930s when it has been recorded by the Mississippi Sheiks:
Mississippi Sheiks – Sitting On Top Of The World
I have found a video with Doc Watson from 1962:
SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD (1964) by Doc Watson
And a version with Bill Monroe that can be found in the Blackmountain Underground blog:
I am currently reading about the history of the English Guitar or Guittar, a kind of Cittern. Some time ago I have written a post about this instrument in my German blog www.gezupftes.de.
The guittar was developed after 1753 in Great Britain. According to the very detailed paper by Jürgen Kloss it has first been used by the actress Maria Macklin in a play that has become very popular. After this the guittar has become very popular for the next 50 years.
The guittar has 6 courses and ist typically tuned in C-major. The guittar can be used to accompany the singing, but it can also be used to play instrumental music like that for the guitar. It can be played with the fingers, but also with a pick or quill. Early instruments had tuning pegs, later a system using watch keys has been developed similar to the system used for the Portuguese guitar.
Rob MacKillop has compiled interesting information and pictures on his website (choose “guitar” first, then http://robmackillop.net/guitar/cittern/ ). His videos can be found at the beginning of my playlist.
Pictures of historical citterns can be foudn on the museum websites listed below.
The first video shows an instrument from the workshop of John Preston from the 18th century:
Robert Mouland on The English Guitar
An example in which a cittern is used to accompany the singing with Dante Ferrara:
The Wager
(William Ellis, 1652)
from the CD Bazimakoo by Dante Ferrara
Lyrics:
My lady and her maid, upon a merry pin,
They made a match at farting, who should the wager win.
Joan lights three candles then, and sets them bolt upright.
With the first fart she blew them out, with the next she gave them light.
In comes my lady then, with all her might and mane,
And blew them out and in and out and in and out again.
Music Copyright Dante Ferrara 2007
Video Copyright Adam Verity
Doc Rossi plays his arrangement of a Sonata by J. C. Bach on a cittern from the workshop of John Preston (ca. 1770).
Doc Rossi : J C Bach Sonata for cittern (English guitar) and violin
Solo arrangement of JC Bach’s Sonata for 18th-century cittern (a.k.a; English guitar) and violin played by Doc Rossi on a Preston cittern from around 1770.
Playlist with more videos with the English Guittar / Cittern
Additional Information about the English Guittar / Cittern
The “Guittar” In Britain 1753 – 1800 – paper by Jürgen Kloss:
On April 20, 2012 Bert Weedon has passed away. Weedon was a very influetial guitarist in Great Britain, his instructional book Play in a Day has served many important guitarists including Paul McCarney and Eric Clapton to learn to play their instrument.
Wikipedia:
Herbert Maurice William ‘Bert’ Weedon, OBE (10 May 1920 – 20 April 2012) was an English guitarist whose style of guitar playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the UK Singles Chart, in 1959, and his best-selling tutorial guides, Play in a Day, were a major influence on many leading British musicians, such as Eric Clapton, Brian May, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page.[1][2][3][4] He was awarded an OBE in 2001 for his “services to music”.[1]
Bert Weedons sound was very special, and who grew up during the 60s like me will certainly know some of his recordings. I liked to hear again his tunes Albatross and Apache.
In the following video you find some information about Play in a Day:
BERT WEEDON – Mr PLAY IN A DAY
Bert Weedon recounts the tremendous succes of his guitar playing textbook : ” Play in a Day “.
BERT WEEDON – ALBATROSS.
BERT WEEDON – APACHE.
Additional Information
New York Times: Bert Weedon, Guitar Teacher to a Generation, Dies at 91:
Anthony Hannagan has posted the following video at Facebook – a film from a concert with Jethro Burns, Don Stiernberg and John Parrot from 1985 at Adler House.
This has been filmed by Paul Goelz who shows many more videos from the 80s in his youtube channel:
And don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel, for archival videos of the Chicago and Michigan music scene dating back to the early 1980s.
At the beginning of this concert Jethro plays some solo pieces, in the second part he is joined by Don Stiernberg with another mandolin and the guitarist John Parrot. Jethro talks between the pieces, makes announcements and jokes – he’s really great and one of my all time favorite mandolni players.
A great video which every Jethro fan will view several times!
Jethro Burns at Adler House, 1985
The first of two sets Jethro did at Adler House (Libertyville, Illinois) on March 1st, 1985. Jethro is joined by Don Stiernberg (mandolin) and John Parrott (guitar).
The “other” Jethro Burns
Betcha didn’t know Jethro played the guitar, did you And he’s good, too! Jethro Burns jamming with Don Stiernberg in between sets at Adler House in Libertyville Illinois, March 1st, 1985.
And he’s good, too! Jethro Burns jamming with Don Stiernberg in between sets at Adler House in Libertyville Illinois, March 1st, 1985.