Anthologies   •   Mariposa Folk Festival 1976 At Toronto Islands

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  • Mariposa Folk Festival 1976 At Toronto Islands
    • 1977 - Mariposa M-76 002 LP [x2] (CAN)
  • Side One
    1. Feather — Akinsi Novalinga (Inuit)
    2. Untitled (Throat Singers) — Alicie Tulauga, Lucie Amarualik (Inuit)
    3. A Dress Song — Samson Neacappo (Cree)
    4. Honour Song — Ahbenoojeyug Singers (Ojibwa)
    5. Tobacco Burns — Duke Redbird (Chippewa)
    6. Custer Died For Your Sins Floyd Westerman (Sioux)
    7. Bush Lady — Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)
    8. Heh Broker — Willie Dunn (Micmac)
    9. Old Woman — Duke Redbird & Winston Wuttunee (Chippewa/Cree)
  • Side Two
    1. The Irish Recruiting Sargeant Enoch Kent
    2. Bagpipes — Finlay MacNeill
    3. The Cruel Mother Norman Kennedy
    4. Madame Bonaparte — Alistair Anderson
    5. Blackwater Side — Owen McBride
    6. The Black Sheep — Mac Masters
    7. The Mingelay Boat Song Archie Fisher
  • Side Three
    1. Little Birdie — Roscoe Holcomb
    2. The Dummy Line Michael Cooney
    3. Chattanooga Night — Colleen Peterson
    4. In My Solitude — Jackie Washington
    5. Old Fashioned — Steve Goodman
    6. Satisfied `N Tickled Too — Taj Mahal
  • Side Four
    1. La Destinee, La Rose Au Bois — Robert Paquette
    2. Paddy Murphy`s Wake — Stew Cameron
    3. Birdie In The Middle — Stan Dueck
    4. The Little White Church — Humber River Valley Boys
    5. Mere — Toronto Sacred Harp Singers
    6. Coming In Glory — Original Sloth Band
    7. A Time`s Been Swiftly Rolling By — Strange Creek Singers
    8. Sometimes I Feel Like My Time Ain't Long — Rev Pearly Brown
    9. There Is More Love Somewhere — Bernice Reagon

  • Credits
    • Produced and Edited by Bill Usher
    • On site recording by a list of volunteers under the supervision of Steve Dernier, Jim Field and Sherman Maness
    • Mixed at Thunder Sound, Toronto by Mike Hogg and Bill Usher
    • Mastered at R.C.A., Toronto by Bill Cuddihy
    • Cover Etching by Linda Jurcisek from a photograph by Andy Hurlbut
    • Inside cover photograph by Dave Williams
    • Cover design by John Ivsins
    • Liner note assistance by Kathy Sinclair
    • All tracks: Tradional, unless otherwise noted
    • Performer's permissions secured by Marilyn Koop

Sleeve Notes

A Dress Song — This a song which describes getting up in the morning and getting dressed for hunting.

Custer Died For Your Sins — This song talks about something that happened a hundred winters ago, today. At eleven in the morning on that day, the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe got together and made a statement in history — wiped out the entire 7th Cavalry in three hours. There's a reason for that.

The Irish Recruiting Sergeant — This song is from the Irish tradition. We have a common enemy — the English! Mind you, they're very good at it. So the English came to Ireland on one or two occasions — at least! This particular time they tried to recruit the Irishman to go and fight the Germans in Europe. Nothing to do with nationalism. All for money! And it would be good business to get an Irishman to join the English army to go and fight the Germans. This recruiting sergeant goes down the street in Dublin and tries to recruit this fellow. He doesn't want to join General French and his army. He'd rather stay and make a statement in his own country and in his own class.

Madame Bonaparte — I learned this tune from Billy Pigg, a great Northumbrian piper.

The Dummy Line — I learned this song from Joe Hickerson. It goes back at least a hundred years and has lots of crazy verses. I only heard it played the once and Joe did it real slow. Through trying to play it as I remember it, I started to play it with the off-the-beat hesitation. And that's what the folk process is all about.

In my Solitude — Jackie Washington: Vocals & Piano, Chris Whiteley: Harmonica, Ken Bloom: Clarinet, Mike Gardiner: Bass & Bill Usher: Drums

Old Fashioned — Steve Goodman: Vocals & Guitar, Lou London: Guitar, Ken Bloom: Clarinet & Dennis Gormley: Ball

La Destinee, La Rose au Bois —w/Pierre Germaine (vocal) & Bill Usher (drum) — This a song about young girls and young boys. In the olden days there was a moral to every story. This one says that a young girl's place is in the home, doing the dishes and cleaning up the house. When the house is clean all the boys will come. Now this just an example of how it was then... don't get me wrong! Then, the boys come in four by four playing their fiddles. Then, when the house is all dirty, the boys leave, clicking their heels, leaving the rest of the work for the girls.

Birdie in the Middle —w/Humber River Valley Boys and Kenny Jackson (fiddle)

There is More Love Somewhere — I learned this song from Bessie Jones.


Mariposa is chartered as a non-profit organization. When profit is shown, our stated aim is to direct funds towards projects in the folk field. The Festival wishes to expand its research into Canadian Folklife. The performers have kindly donated their services on this album so that any profits will go into a special fund to finance research into the lifestyles of communities within Canada.

This the second Mariposa record. This anthology has been culled from the tapes of the 1976 Festival. Some of the performers have their own albums and where applicable we have listed their most recent one. Many thanks to all the performers who donated their services, to the volunteers who work so hard and especially to you, the audience for being so warm and attentive.

This record will play rain or shine.