Annotation:Sandy River Belle (2)

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X:1 T:Sandy River Belle [2] S:Clarice Blackard Shelor (piano) & either Jesse or Pyrhus Shelor, fiddle. N:Recorded by Ray Alden M:C| L:1/8 F:https://dla.acaweb.org/digital/collection/Ferrum/id/3598/rec/4 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:G g2 ge d2 ga|babg agef|gage dege|a2 ab a4| [B2g2]ge d2 ga|babg agef|gage dB2B|AGA2 G4:| |:D2G2+slide+[G4B4]-|[G2B2] (A<B) e2d2| D2G2 {A}[G3B3]B|AGEA GE D2| D2G2+slide+[G3B3]B|AGAB e2d2|g2ed BG2G|BGAE G4:|]

SANDY RIVER BELLE [2]. AKA and see "Stoney Ridge Stomp." Old Time, Breakdown. USA; W.Va., Virginia. G Major (Brody, Kaufman, Krassen, Phillips, Songer, Spadaro): A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AA'BB' (Phillips). "A fairly common tune in the Galax area" (Krassen, 1973). Ken Perlman (1979) states the tune comes from the region around the small Blue Ridge town of Meadows of Dan, Patrick County, Virginia. Tom Carter and Blanton Owen (1976) state that "Sandy River Belles" is so frequently played in Patrick County that it could be considered an old time anthem for the area. Its popularity, they say, extends north through Franklin and Floyd Counties and into West Virginia. It was originally recorded for Victor Records in Bristol, Tennessee, by Dad Blackard's Moonshiners in 1927, a group consisting of banjo player J.B. "Dad" Blackard, fiddlers Jesse and Pyrhis Shelor, and pianist Clarice Blackard Shelor. The phrasing of the 'A' part is different in various versions, with some beginning the downbeat of phrase on what are the introductory notes of other versions. "Sandy River Belle" has been widely disseminated since the later 20th century "revival" of interest in old-time music.

There are simple words set to the tune. According to Clarice Blackard Shelor, the group played the tune as an instrumental until Victor recordists asked them to put words to it. Dad Blackard came up with them nearly on-the-spot.

Sandy River Belle, going to leave you, .... (x3)
Going away to leave you now. ... (From the Hillbillies recording)

A couplet was collected by English song-collector Cecil Sharp during his trip to the Appalachians in 1918, from informant Lucy Cannady of Endicott, Virginia. She sang (to the fine strain):

Sandy River bells keep jingling, jingling ... (x3) I've got no use for Sandy River Bells.
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Additional notes

Sources for notated versions: - Frank George & Henry Reed (W.Va. & Va.) [Krassen]; St. Regis String Band (N.Y.) [Spadaro]; Buddy Pendleton [Phillips]; Barry Schultz [Silberberg].

Printed sources : - Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 250. Kaufman (Beginning Old Time Fiddle), 1977; p. 52. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; p. 64 (Krassen's version has the A and B parts reversed from Brody's version). Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 215. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 140. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 174. Spadaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; p. 29.

Recorded sources: - County 504, Dad Blackard's Moonshiners "Mountain Songs." County 705, Buddy Pendleton "Virginia Breakdown" (learned from his great uncle, Dad Blackard, who recorded it in 1927). Green Linnet GLCD 3127, Sharon Shannon – “The Best of Sharon Shannon: Spellbound” (1999). Folk Legacy FSI 38, "Sarah Grey with Ed Trickett" (1970). Rounder 0057, Doc Williams "Old Originals, Vol. 1" (1978). Ruthie Dornfeld - “Egyptian Dominoes.” Victor 21130 (78 RPM), Dad Blackard's Moonshiners (1927).

See also listing at:
Hear Dad Blackard's Moonshiner's 1927 recording on youtube.com [1] and at Old Town School of Folk Music Fiddle Tune Archive [2]

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