Re: Jig of Life

[edouglas@dejel.com]

> > P.S.  Back in 1986 I heard "Jif of LIfe" on the BBC, but without any
> > singing.  It was a different arrangement and the broadcaster said the song
> > was an old tune unearthed by one Paddy Bush.  Does anyone know more about
> > this?
>
>This is fascinating, the first IED has ever heard of such a broadcast.  Do
>you remember whether Paddy was a guest on the programme?  What was the
>context of the piece being aired?
>
>At the Romford KT Convention (October 1985) Paddy said that the source for
>the rhythm and bass-drone sounds from the "jig" sections of "Jig of Life"
>were inspired by a tape he had made of a performance he had himself witnessed
>of a "Greek or Macedonian fire dance" (if IED remembers correctly).  He has
>never heard anything else about such a thing, however.  Anyone?

The broadcast was heard from Vancouver, B.C. on the folk music program.  I
had just tuned in a few minutes before getting home.  I caught some of the
tune and then "Jig of Life" ended as I pulled into the driveway and all I
heard was the Paddy Bush credit at the end.  I'm unsure if he was a guest
or not on the program.  What I distinctly recall was that it WAS an
instrumental version of "Jig of Life" and Paddy's name being mentioned in
some context of discovering the tune.  I wish I could recall more.

One other interesting note on another tune: "Hello Earth":  when I was
touring with an orchestra in the Soviet Union (1988...before the collapse),
I was eating dinner with two friends at an out of the way Georgian
restaurant in Moscow.  They had music piped in and a tune caught my ear.
It was the male vocals at the end of "Hello Earth".  The music in the
restaurant was, again, without any other instruments or vocals, just those
haunting vocals.  It was the EXACT same thing.  I wish I had asked someone
there about it at the time.  It may be a native song of Georgia and KB used
it in her work, or the folks in the restaurant may have recorded that
section from her song because it sounded authentic "Georgian".  The latter
sounds unlikely, though.  Is there any listing in the credits for the album
about this?  I have the wonderful "Price Buster" edition without credits or
lyrics.

Doug Johnson
edouglas@dejel.com