Annotation:Old Time Cotton Eyed Joe

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X:1 T:Old Cotton Eyed Joe S:Norman Edmonds (1889-1976, Hillsville, near Galax, southwest Virginia) M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:AEae tuning (fiddle) Q:"Quick" D:Spring Fed Records SFR-DU 33002, Norman Edmonds - Train on the Island (1973). F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/old-cotton-eyed-joe Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:Amix [A2e2] +slide+gf e2dd|edBA A4|[Ae]f+slide+gf e2 dd|edBA A4:| |:D2E2 FEED|FEF[GA]-[A4A4]|[A,2D2]E2 FEED|EDB,A, A,4:|]

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OLD TIME COTTON EYED JOE. American, Reel (cut or 2/4 time). A Mixolydian. AEae tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune was in the repertoire of fiddler Norman Edmonds (1889-1976) of Hillsville, Virginia, a community in the southwest part of the state, near Galax. Edmonds only recorded a few sided in the 78 RPM era with J.P. Nestor, but continued to play for dances and events in his area. In later years he and his band The Old-Timers played on local radio broadcasts from the Hillsville station. Some of these radio performances from the 1950's and 60's were released on his 1973 LP (SFR-DU 33002).

Norman Edmonds

Edmonds "Old Time Cotton Eyed Joe" bears resemblance to another tune in his repertoire, "Pretty Little Gal/Pretty Little Girl (1)." There is no concordance with other "Cotton Eyed Joe" tunes, although there is a rather vague similarity; the preface word "Old..." was often used to denote a tune that was different (but perhaps reminiscent) from the one usually given the name, the difference perhaps being attributed to antiquity.