Oral History Interview with Clyde Davenport Part III

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1986OHO3.12c---Davenport

Transcriber’s Notes: Words or phrases in found brackets represent unclear or unintelligible portions of the recording. Brackets are also used to provide the reader with helpful background information about the recording. Underlined text within the transcription represents more than one person speaking at the same time.

[Recording begins mid—song, ends at 1:14]

Interviewer: Did you ever hear another part to it?

Davenport: No, that’s the way, all I ever did hear of it.

Interviewer: You ever hear of “Washington’s March?” They didn’t play it down here, did they?

Davenport: I don’t know.

Interviewer: Washington must not have marched around here.

Davenport: I don’t know. Daniel Boone did. [Laughs]. Now let me see. I’ve got to change keys for my fiddle. [Tunes fiddle.] You want to hear “Drunken Hiccups?”

Interviewer: Sure.

Davenport: You ever hear it? Huh?

Interviewer: I, everybody plays that one different.

Davenport: Bet you never hear like I can play it. [Continues tuning fiddle]. You ever heard it played in that key? You have?

Interviewer: Are you in A, E, A, E?

Davenport: [Laughs] I don’t know I, E, I, E or what it is [Both laugh as Davenport continues tuning fiddle]. Ready for it?

[3:49---6:08 Plays “Drunken Hiccups.”]

Interviewer: I like that one.

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: I like that one. Do you play “Sally in the Garden?”

Davenport: Yeah, I play that. I can’t key in my fiddle.

Interviewer: Oh no, don’t change. Play something else while you’re there.

Davenport: [Begins tuning fiddle] I ain’t nothing much else I can play in that tune any more. [Continues tuning fiddle]. I just have to change one string any how.

Interviewer: You must have been in G minor. Where were you? Where was it? [Laughs].

Davenport: I don’t know. I just know know I’m setting here on the porch is all I know. [Tunes fiddle]. “Sally in the Garden Sifting Sand.”

[7:05---8:19 Plays “Sally in the Garden.”] Now, do you want to hear “John Henry?”

Interviewer: Yeah.

Davenport: [8:34---9:55 Plays “John Henry.”] You ever hear it played like that before? [Voices speaking in the background]. Oh boy, what shall I play now?

Interviewer: You played a real minor sounding tune.

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: You played, I don’t know the name of it, you played a a real minor sounding tune, real kind of, very modal sounding, very, almost spooky sounding tune.

Davenport: [Laughs.] I don’t know. Can’t prove it by me.

Interviewer: The first of Bob’s tape. I wondered if you knew what it was?

Davenport: No,

Interviewer: I don’t think you played it for us today?

Davenport: No, I don’t know what it is. [Plays notes on fiddle]. 1:00—begins playing song, but recording ends and then begins again.

Interviewer: [Unintelligible.]

Davenport: Let’s see, now what do you want to play?

Interviewer: Oh,

Davenport: Let’s see, let’s play “Ginny in the Cotton Patch,” huh?

Interviewer: All right.

Davenport: Huh?

[ 2:00 --- 3:00Plays “Ginny in the Cotton Patch.”]

Interviewer: “Ginny in the Cotton Patch?”

Davenport: “Ginny in the Cotton Patch.” You want “Sugar in the Gourd?”

[ 4:00 --- 5:00Plays “Sugar in the Guard.”] Now let’s see what can we play. Did you ever hear “Getting Up the Stairs?” Huh?

Interviewer: Is that the same as “Stepping in the Parlor.”

Davenport: [ 6:00 --- 7:00Plays “Getting Up the Stairs.”]

Interviewer: That’s another one of those where you reach over and get that bass string. I like those.

Davenport: Now, let me see now. I’ll play you “Peckerwood.” That all right? Huh?

Interviewer: Does it have words?

Davenport: Oh yeah. Want me to sing them? [Laughs.] Oh no, I better not.

[ 8:00 --- 9:00Plays “Peckerwood.”]

Interviewer: “Peckerwood?” Are you still in that tuning?

Davenport: Key of A.

Interviewer: A?

Davenport: A, A tuning. I know some more but can’t think of them. Well, what about “Big, Sweet Tater in Sandy Lands?”

[ 10:00 --- 11:00Plays “Big, Sweet Tater in Sandy Lands.”]

Interviewer: “Great Big Taters in Sandy Land” or just Taters?

Davenport: “Big Sweet Tater in Sandy Land.” I can’t think of anything. [Pause]. I can’t think of nothing else. What are we going to do? Reckon I could play “Sourwood Mountain?” Huh? Reckon we could?

[ 12:00 --- 13:00Plays “Sourwood Mountain.”] Eeeboy, aint that something.

Interviewer: You’ve got an opportunity to put down any tune you want to leave. These will stay at Morehead State Library for a long time.

Davenport: I can’t think of nothing.

Interviewer: It’s your choice. Fiddler’s choice.

Davenport: I can’t think of anything. I know more tunes in that key, but I can’t think of them.

Interviewer: Boy that key is a nice one. You know I hadn’t fooled with that very much.

Davenport: You haven’t? A, is, I played a lot in that key. But I can’t any more. [Begins tuning fiddle]. You ever hear “One-Eyed Rosie?”

Interviewer: One of these kind of eyes?

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: One of these kind of eyes?

Davenport: “One-Eyed Rosie.”

Interviewer: Is this a World War I tune?

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: Is this a World War I tune?

Davenport: Ah, [laughing] long before World War One.

Interviewer: How old do you think it is?

Davenport: Old as the hills themselves. [Continues tuning fiddle.]

[ 14:00 --- 15:00Plays “One-Eyed Rosie.”] “One-Eyed Rosie.” She in bad shape, weren’t she? [Both laugh].

Interviewer: She’s one legged too.

Davenport: Huh? Yeah, that probably was. Can’t never tell.

Interviewer: You haven’t played those cackling hen, cluck old hen, all of those kind of stuff. Do you play those?

Davenport: Yeah. [Tunes fiddle.] What do you want to hear? “Cluck Old Hen?” “Cackling Hen?”

Interviewer: Which do you call?

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: Which do you call?

Davenport: I can play them both.

Interviewer: Oh, are we going to get one after another?

Davenport: No, just play one of them.

Interviewer: And you were going to play “Black-Eyed Susie” in C and D, but don’t leave this tuning. Stay with this tuning.

Davenport: Ah, I’ve done changed.

Interviewer: Oh you have already. It’s easier to come out of it then to get in to it.

Davenport: [Continues to tune fiddle] Yeah, see. You’re wanting “Cluck Old Hen,” you say?

[ 16:00 --- 17:00Plays “Cluck Old Hen.”] Now what do you say?

Interviewer: I am just trying to help you think of more tunes.

Davenport: Well, let’s see. [Plays practice notes]. How about “Five Miles?”

[ 18:00 --- 19:00Plays “Five Miles.”]

Interviewer: Do you play more like that that you are in that [makes sound of the fiddle]?

Davenport: [Plays practice notes.] Can’t think of a thing to play. Wish I could, but I can’t.

Interviewer: Can you play “Black-Eyed Susie” in C?

Davenport: In C? [Plays practice notes, laughs]. If I can still play it.

[ 20:00--- Plays “Black-Eyed Susie.” Ends mid song]. I can’t even play it. I have to quit.

Interviewer: Play it in D.

Davenport: I’ll play D.

[ 21:00 --- 22:00Plays song in different key.] I just might as well play you “The Lost Indian.”

Interviewer: Yeah.

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: Yeah.

Davenport: Reckon I could get over it though. That’s the trouble there.

[ 23:00 --- 24:00Plays “The Lost Indian.”]

Interviewer: That’s a nice low part.

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: That’s a nice low part you got there.

Davenport: Oh yeah. All my parts are good. [Laughs].

Interviewer: [Unintelligible.] We’ll eat. [Unintelligible background voice, then recording ends.]

[Recording begins again mid-song and plays though 25:00 ]

Davenport: Something, wasn’t it?

Interviewer: Play another one like that.

Davenport: I can’t. [Both laugh]. [Unknown voice says, “Have you sung that song for them?”] Yeah. [Plays practice notes.] Going to play you “Cumberland Gap” now.

[ 26:00 --- 27:00Plays “Cumberland Gap.”]

Interviewer: You know what? I wish I could move about up there, and get down on. Let me do something. Let’s play this a little bit. Could you just [Davenport begins playing fiddle which overpowers Interviewer’s voice.]

Davenport: Want me to turn around a little more.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Davenport: This, this a way?

Interviewer: Just toward me a little bit, yeah.

Davenport: Bout like that?

Interviewer: Let’s see this for a little bit. Yeah. Play a little more “Cumberland Gap” or something that you do a lot of that scooting---

Davenport: I’ll play “Little Stream of Whiskey” then. Ready?

Interviewer: Ready.

Davenport: [ 28:00 ---- 29:00Plays “Little Stream of Whiskey.”]

Interviewer: Boy that just ran over all the place.

Davenport: Yeah. You never did tell them what kind of fiddle I was playing.

Interviewer: Oh, this is the, you’re going to tell me what kind of fiddle that is and where you got it.

Davenport: Well, I can’t tell where I got it at.

Interviewer: Oh.

Davenport: I’m afraid they’d come and get it.

Interviewer: [Laughs].

Davenport: It’s a [unintelligible].

Interviewer: That’s pretty. It’s pretty.

Davenport: What about “Billy in the Low Ground?” You like that one?

[ 30:00 ---- 31:00Plays “Billy in the Low Ground.]

[ 32:00 --- 33:00Plays “All Night Long Blues.”]

Interviewer: What was that?

Davenport: “All Night Long Blues.” This is the “Bed Bug Blues.”

[ 34:00 --- 35:00Plays “Bed Bug Blues.”]

Interviewer: [Unintelligible] bed bugs?

Davenport: Huh?

Interviewer: One with the bed bugs?

Davenport: “Bed Bug Blues.” I’ll play you the “Tennessee.” You ever hear it?

[ 36:00 ---- 37:00Plays “Tennessee [Unintelligible.”]

[ 38:00 --- 39:00Plays “[Unintelligible] Dance.”

Just a little fast on it though, wasn’t I? Huh?

[ 40:00 ---- 41:00Plays unnamed song].

“In May the Roses Blooms Again.”

Interviewer: Okay, and then play “Paddy Won’t You Drink a Little Cider.”

Davenport: When I get to it. I am going to play “Roses Blooms Again.”

[ 42:00 --- 43:00Plays “In May the Roses Blooms Again.”] You want “Paddy Won’t You Drink Some Good Ole Cider?”

Interviewer: Yeah, just a [unintelligible].

Davenport: [ 44:00 --- 45:00Plays “Paddy Won’t You Drink Some Good Ole Cider.”] Well, let’s see now. I’ll play you the “Wild Goose Chase.” How’s that?

Interviewer: All right.

Davenport: [ 46:00 --- 47:00Plays “Wild Goose Chase.”]

Interviewer: I’m glad we got that one around from this side because you are baring that one and coming over there.

Davenport: I am going to play you “Done Gone” now.

[ 48:00 --- 49:00plays first part of “Done Gone.”]

[ 50:00Recording Ends.]

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