Chuck Levy plays Forks of Sandy (in the Rain)

Описание: Here's a banjo version of Forks of Sandy, inspired a by Manco Sneed's fiddle version recorded in 1964 by Peter Hoover in Cherokee, North Carolina, and Posey Rorrer and Gerry Milnes, and I am not sure who else. Similar tunes with similar names were played by Clark Kessinger ("Three Forks of Sandy"), Burl Hammons (couldn't remember the name), Clyde Davenport ("Boatin' Up Sandy") Glenn Smith ('Forks of Sandy or Three Forks of Reedy"), and of course Ed Haley ("Three Forks of Sandy").More recently, John Hartford andWalt Koken have recorded it.

Please note that I am aware that the accompanying video demonstrates that that I don't know enough to come out of the rain. There were extenuating circumstances. Officer.

I am playing a Gold Tone BC 350+ banjo.

The following information about Forks of Sandy comes from Kerry Blech, who cites Kinney Rorrer as his major source of information:

Says Kerry [slightly reworded]: According to historian/researcher/musician Kinney Rorrer, his kinsman Posey Rorrer, who was the fiddler for Charlie Poole (and Poole's brother-in-law), made the first recording of "Forks of Sandy" (Columbia 15106), recorded in NYC on September 16, 1926. The record label read, "North Carolina Ramblers led by Posey Rorrer." Posey Rorrer, fiddle, Charlie Poole, banjo, Roy Harvey, guitar. Kinney wrote that when they got to the recording studio in New York, Posey wanted to record "Sandy River Belle," but A&R man for Columbia (Frank Walker) declined, as Columbia already had recorded it, by Charlie LaPrade and the Blueridge Highballers. So Posey "reworked" Sandy River Belle and presented to Frank Walker "Forks of Sandy." Both tunes are supposedly meant to be about The Big Sandy River, which makes up part of the border between West Virginia and Kentucky, emptying into the Ohio River at Catlettsburg.

On page 35 of Kinney Rorrer's "Rambling Blues, the Life and Songs of Charlie Poole," he writes: "Posey Rorer had wanted to record Sandy River Belle at this session but Frank Walker would not allow it. The reason given was that a fellow Franklin County fiddler named Charlie LaPrade had already recorded it for Columbia in March 1926. Posey later claimed that, unknown to Walker, he simply changed Sandy River Belle around and called it Forks of Sandy.

The flip side of "Forks of Sandy" was "Flyin' Clouds" and the disk sold 13, 053 copies, far below the number of disks they sold of songs. Songs were much more salable than instrumentals in the 1920s and '30s.

The core of the tune ("Sandy River Belle") probably arose in West Virginia. Roy Harvey, the guitarist for the NC Ramblers, was from Beckley, WV. Charlie and Posey spent a lot of time at Harvey's place, usually rehearsing there for tours and recording sessions. It is unknown where Charlie LaPrade learned it, possibly from Posey Rorer. He just beat them to the punch, er... to the recording studio. A year after Laprade recorded it, Dad Blackard's Moonshiners, from Virginia, recorded it for Victor. The Dixie Ramblers, with Posey Rorer on fiddle, recorded Sandy River Belle in 1930.