Annotation:Wild Horse

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WILD HORSE. AKA and see "Buck Creek Girl," “Cripple Creek Girls,” “Goin' Up Chaney” (Bill Monroe’s Uncle Pen), "Hop Along Sally," “Hop Skip Squirrel” (Gene Goforth), “Hop Squirrel,” “Kelton's Reel,” “Nigger in the Woodpile (2),” "Off with Your Jacket," "Old Dad" (Va. title), "Old Mother Goodwin" (Pa.), "Pigtown Fling," "Preacher in the Woodpile," "Stony Point (1)," "Stoney Point Reel" (Pa. title, 1866), “Wake Up Jacob,” "Wild Horses at Stony Point," “White Horse (3).” Old Time, Breakdown. USA; N.C., Ky., Central West Virginia, southwestern Pa. G Major (Krassen, Phillips, Titon): F Major (Ford). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB: AAAB (Phillips/1989): AA'B (Phillips/1994): ABCD (Silberberg). The tune is wide-spread in the upland South and (under other titles) in the northern United States. Sometimes a third part is added to the first two [Phillips, 1994]. The melody was printed in the Howe publications, White’s Collection and Ryan’s Mammoth Collection in the 19th century under the title “Kelton's Reel.” See also the related tunes "Rich Mountain" and "Rock Jenny Rock." Though an unusual key for the tune, Kentucky fiddler Clyde Davenport played the tune in F Major. “Wild Horse’s” pedigree, at least locally, was remembered by Braxton County, West Virginia, old-time guitar and banjo player Brooks Hardway, who attributed it to a fiddler named John McCune whose hey-day was in the early 20th century. Hardway maintained Old Noah Cotrell had it from McCune and Ward Jarvis learned it in turn from Cotrell (Milnes, 1999, pp. 11–12). “Wild Horse” was in the repertoire of West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammons. Jeff Titon identifies althernate titles “Old Dad” as particular to Virginia, and “Buck Creek Girl” to Kentucky.

Sources for notated versions: French Carpenter (Clay County, West Virginia) [Krassen]; Levi Hall (Fayette County, Pa., 1944) [Bayard]; John Rector [Phillips/1994]; Leland Hall [Phillips/1994]; John M. Salyer (Salyersville, Magoffin County, Ky., 1941–42) [Titon]; Warren Argo [Silberberg].

Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 166E, pp. 112–113. Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; p. 35. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1983; p. 60–61. Phillips (Fiddle Case Tunebook: Old Time Southern), 1986; p. 46. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; pp. 257–258. Silberberg (Fiddle Tunes I Learned at the Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 171. Titon (Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 168, p. 194.

Recorded sources: Augusta Heritage Records 003, Ernie Carpenter (W.Va.) "Elk River Blues: Traditional Tunes From Braxton County, W.Va." {Carpenter learned the tune from Wallace Pritchard}. Berea College Appalachian Center AC003, “John M. Salyer: Home Recordings 1941–42” (1993). Columbia 15279 D (78 RPM), 1926, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. County 509, "Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, vol. 2" (Posey Rorer, fiddler). Document DOCD 8042, “Doc Roberts in Chronological Order, vol. 1” (1999). Document 8041, The Hill Billies/Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters: Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, vol. 3.” Flying Cloud FC-023, Kirk Sutphin – "Fiddlin' Around." Folk Legacy FSI-74, Howard Bursen – "Cider in the Kitchen" (1980. Learned from the banjo frailing of Walt Koken). Gennett 5613 (78 RPM), The Tweedy Brothers (1924. West Virginia string band). Rounder 0004, “Clark Kessinger” (1985). Rounder 1037, Jilson Setters (under the pseudonym Blind Bill Day; b. 1860, Rowan County, Ky.) {reissue of his 1928 Victor side}. Rounder 1133/1134, Ed Haley – “Grey Eagle/Forked Deer” (1997). Victor 40025 (78 RPM), Jilson Setters, 1928. Edden Hammons Collection II, Disc 1. Flatt & Scruggs – “Carnegie Hall.”

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources []

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