Chubby Parker’s World
We have no idea how an artist that we don’t know much about today, could have been so popular in a certain time and place.In the 1920’s, for listeners of WLS, the Chicago-based radio station, Chubby Parker and his old-time banjo was a very popular act, entertaining the audience with his repertoire of funny songs, country songs and “negro” songs. Singing, strumming his five-string banjo, blowing his harmonica, whistling a bit, he was a much loved figure before going to oblivion in the depression era, like many others. 
-On the last issue of The Old-Time Herald, there’s an article by Ken Russell. There’s a short excerpt on line here.
-Here’s 21 sides for your delight of Chubby Parker, old-time troubadour and clown, that will put a big smile on your face and move your feet (I hope…).
TRACK LIST
1.The Year Of jubilo
2.In Kansas
3.Get Away Old Maids Get Away
4.Bingo Was His Name O
5.Drill Ye Tarriers Drill
6.Grandfather’s Clock
7.I’m A Stern Old Bachelor
8.The Old Wooden Rocker
9.A Rovin Little Darkey
10.Whoa Mule Whoa
11.You’ll Hear The Bells In The Morning
12.Nickety Nackety Now Now Now
13.Davey Crockett
14.Kissing Song
15.Bib-A-Lollie-Boo
16.King King Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O
17.And That Was Irish Too
18.The Irish Christening
19.See The Black Clouds A Breakin’ Over Yonder
20.Oh Susanna
21.Oh Dem Golden Slippers
The King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O Variations
Known better under the title “Frog went a-courtin”, this is a variant of one of the oldest and more popular british folk song of all times. It tells of the courtship that leads to the wedding between a frog and a mouse,the folk process adding along time many words and funny twists to it, like a non-sense chorus that changes depending on the traditions. Today, it’s still one of the most famous children song of the english-speaking world and it has been recorded a lot during this last century.
To go deeper in the study of this song and its many variants, i’ve found a few interesting links:
-First of all, this website is devoted to track down all the variants of the song. An impressive work
-On the Folk Den page, you have the lyrics of the Chubby Parker’s version and the Roger Mc Guinn performance of the song
-On this page, there’s many good informations
There’s so many good performances of this song that i decided to offer you two compilations of the ones that i like the best, a total of 32 tracks divided in two parts.
I always try to find some unusual versions to be included with my favorite ones, so here you’ll have, for example, a punk-rockabilly version by The Flat Duo Jets, a gospel one by The Golden gate Quartet, a blues one by Doctor Oakroot and an acapella version by Jim Nollman who made a very unusal record of music played with animals (issued in 1982 by Folkways records). Here, he’s singing the song with 300 turkeys!!
I would like to know which one among the performances i chosen (or maybe one that is not included here) is your favorite so feel free to leave a comment…
TRACK LIST
1.A Frog He Went A-Courting, Jeff Warner and Jeff Davis, from “Two Little Boys: More Old Time Songs for Kids”
2.Froggy Went A-Courting, Doctor Oakroot, from “Hapless Fool”
3.Frog Went A-courtin’ ,Enzo Garcia, from “Breakfast With Enzo”
4.Froggy Went A-Courtin’, Steve Gardner, from “JERICHO”
5.Froggy-Went-a-Courting (300 Turkeys), Jim Nollman, from “Playing Music with Animals: Interspecies Communication”
6.Mr. Froggie Went A-Courting (Good Bye Mister Froggie), Golden Gate Quartet, from “Gospel Masters: Get On Board Little Children”
7.Sing Song Kitty, Doc Watson, from “At Gerdes Folk City”
8.Froggy Went a Courtin’, Sparky Rucker, from “A Home In Tennessee”
9.Frog Went a-Courting, Pete Seeger, from “American Folk Songs For Children”
10.Kemo Kimo, Jack Pearson, from “Singin’ in Our Own Back Yard”
11.Keemo Kimo/ Brigg’s Corn Shucking Jig, Camptown Shakers, from “Tooth & Nail”
12.Froggy went a courtin, Jimmy Driftwod, from “Ozark Folksongs”
13.The Frog Went A-Courtin’,Tom Glazer, from “Tom Glazer Sings Honk-Hiss-Tweet-GGGGGGGGGG”
14.The Frog Went A-Courtin, Anna & Juliet Canova, from “The Story That The Crow Told Me, Vol. 2″
15.Frog Went A-Courtin’, John Jacob Niles, from “I Wonder As I Wander – Carols & Love Songs”
16.Selections from 19 American Folk Songs for Piano: Frog Went a courtin’,Virginia Eskin, from “Music of Marion Bauer & Ruth Crawford Seeger”
1.There Was A Puggie In A Well, Ewan MacColl, from “The Riverside / Folklore Series Volume 4 “
2.A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go, Alan Mills, from “Animals, Vol.1″
3.Frog Went A-Courtin’, George and Gerry Armstrong, from “Simple Gifts”
4.Frog Went A Courtin’, Flat Duo Jets, from “Go Go Harlem Baby”
5.Froggy Went a Courtin’,Red Allen, from “Keep on Going: The Rebel & Melodeon Recordings”
6.King Kong Kitchie Ki-Mi-O, Ed Badeaux, from “American Guitar”
7.Frog In The Well, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, from “We’ve Come A Long Way”
8.King Kong Kitchie (with The Wonderland String Band),Dan Zanes and Friends, from “Rocket Ship Beach”
9.Froggie Went A-Courtin’, Bob Dylan, from “Good As I Been To You”
10.Kitty Alone, Martha Hall, from “Mountain Music Of Kentucky”
11.Froggy Went A Courtin, Doc Watson, from “Songs for Little Pickers”
12.Sing Song Kitty, Harry and Jeanie West, from “Smoky Mountain Ballads”
13.A Frog, He Would A-wooing Go, Studio Group, from “Nursery Rhyme Sing-along”
14.Froggy went a courtin, Almeda Riddle, from “Ozark Folksongs”
15.Froggie Went A-Courtin’, Woody Guthrie, from “Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4″
16.Froggy Went a Courtin, Elizabeth Mitchell, from “You Are My Sunshine”
-And here’s two videos you might enjoy:
