maryzcox - Posted - 01/07/2016:  20:07:31

Wow--there are lots of TOTW's & after studying the list for over an hour--I didn't see Waterbound!  

 Of course, when I searched for info on it--the first link to pop up was--yes--you guessed it--Dirk Powell & the transatlantic sessions playing about the most beautiful version you'd ever want to hear. 

This is it :

youtu.be/1MAMu3LHIYA

​For those of you that would prefer an old time string band version--here's a link to a Smithsonian Folkways  Iron Mountain String Band Version

folkways.si.edu/iron-mountain-...ithsonian

And here are the line notes from the Iron Mountain CD

Waterbound". In A; banjo (5th A, EC#AE); fiddle (EAEA); guitar; vocal by Finch. This humorous song was often played by the Grayson County Bogtrotters in the 1930's where it was recorded by Lomax: Library of Congress, Archive of American Folksong No. 1343 AS.

and these are the words listed:

1. Waterbound and I can't get horne Waterbound and I can't get horne Waterbound and I can't get horne Down in North Carolina. 2. The old man's mad and I don't care The old man's mad and I don't care The old man's mad and I don't care Just so I get his daughter. 3. If he don't give her up, we're gonna run away If he don't give her up, we're gonna run away If he don't give her up, we're gonna run away Down to North Carolina. 4. Dick and Charley, let's go horne Dick and Charley, let's go horne Dick and Charley, let's go horne Before the water rises. 5. Chickens a'crowing in the old pine tree Chickens a'crowing in the old pine tree Chickens a'crowing in the old pine tree Down in North Carolina. 6. Waterbound and I can't get horne Waterbound and I can't get horne Waterbound and I can't get horne Way down in North Carolina. SID

 And here is an instrumental one that I recorded back in 2006 on a gut strung silver spun rim banjo in a low A tuning :)

maryzcox.bandcamp.com/track/waterbound

​Please feel free to post any of your favorite versions on TOTW--its a fine old tune/song & its been played many ways for many years.  And its always great fun to play :)

Wishing all the TOTWers a happy & prosperous New Year filled with banjo,

Mary Z Cox

maryzcox.com

​

Happy New Year 2016

f#dead - Posted - 01/07/2016:  20:50:09

Thanks Mary. I can't add any "Waterbound" to the thread but enjoyed the fullness of the Dirk Powell take and always the swing of your version. Thanks.

Sideshow Skip - Posted - 01/08/2016:  00:17:22

Mary- love your version. Here is my humble effort on this great tune. I play a 3 finger clawhammer style.

VIDEO: Waterbound - Clawhammer Banjo (click to view)

Paul R - Posted - 01/08/2016:  01:35:38

Thanks for posting this, Mary. Dirk Powell has played at least three quite different versions with the same title, two with Transatlantic Sessions musicians in concert, and one with Riley Baugus. For all I know, there may be others.

There's a version with Fred Coon on banjo, with an explanation of the title. In the mountains there were two ways to go, along the ridgetops and along the stream beds. When the water rose you couldn't travel by the stream beds - you were waterbound.

maneckep - Posted - 01/08/2016:  04:15:46

One of my favorite versions by Brad Kolodner:

youtube.com/watch?v=zOXSowiWP9E

 

chip arnold - Posted - 01/08/2016:  04:44:33

Here's a video of someone made of me playing Waterbound on my OME, years ago. 2-finger, index lead. It's only part of the tune and I have a buzzing string, but it's how I play it. It comes up at jams here in SW, Va. pretty often. You have to scroll down the page for it.

banjohangout.org/myhangout/vid...erID=6347

Edited by - chip arnold on 01/08/2016 04:49:50

BobTheGambler - Posted - 01/08/2016:  05:37:25

Fields Ward and The Grayson County Railsplitters:

The Ballard Branch Bogtrotters:

MusicManMike - Posted - 01/08/2016:  06:14:30

Here is a version I just recorded on my new Bob Thornburg grain measure banjo

reverbnation.com/banjomikeevan...t/3584564

Jimmy Sutton - Posted - 01/08/2016:  07:25:19

Here's a two banjo version from across the pond. It is the final number of this short medley:

youtube.com/watch?v=yog9Fm9QxW8

bradeinhorn - Posted - 01/08/2016:  07:38:20

I learned from Brainjo's great version (nicely sung too I might add.

youtube.com/watch?v=dwRlqwgxl30

hobogal - Posted - 01/08/2016:  11:56:55

Here is a version from a few year's back when I was playing banjo with the band: 'The Darling Coreys'.  

Waterbound

ZEPP - Posted - 01/08/2016:  16:05:18

Here are a couple of old recordings.  The MP3 is of a Lickety Split banjo, being a diatonically fretted, 3-string creature having no drone string.  The video is a neat Chuck Lee fretless that we had in my store...

Cheers,

ZEPP

VIDEO: Waterbound on a Chuck Lee Custom 12-inch fretless (click to view)

Waterbound played on a LicketySplit banjo

banjo bill-e - Posted - 01/08/2016:  16:11:23

To any who may be confused, there are two completely different songs being discussed here, with multiple examples of both.
And, I like them both and I'm not complaining!

chip arnold - Posted - 01/08/2016:  16:11:30

Zepp, is that an early ODE behind you?

blockader - Posted - 01/08/2016:  16:37:09

Banjoholic and I included a version of this one on our recent album. I love this tune and break it out at jams all the time, and also for dances. The key change in the high part is particularly suited to contradances.

ZEPP - Posted - 01/08/2016:  17:52:55

quote:

---

Originally posted by chip arnold

Zepp, is that an early ODE behind you?

 

---

robmac07 - Posted - 01/08/2016:  18:04:40

Oldest Aussie TV clip of old time banjo. Here's "Waterbound" I sung and played on the national C&W Hour way back in 1966!
I still play it. Never heard the term 'clawhammer' then, only 'frailing'. My banjo was one I put together from and old Lange built plectrum pot and an English Windsor 5 string neck. The calf skin was from the 1920s.

VIDEO: Waterbound. Old Aussie video clip (click to view)

chip arnold - Posted - 01/08/2016:  18:45:36

Rob, when I first learned Waterbound, it included the B part close to how you play it here, only twice.

maryzcox - Posted - 01/08/2016:  20:25:18

quote:

---

Originally posted by robmac07

 

Oldest Aussie TV clip of old time banjo. Here's "Waterbound" I sung and played on the national C&W Hour way back in 1966!

I still play it. Never heard the term 'clawhammer' then, only 'frailing'. My banjo was one I put together from and old Lange built plectrum pot and an English Windsor 5 string neck. The calf skin was from the 1920s.

---

Love it :) mzc

Brooklynbanjoboy - Posted - 01/09/2016:  01:53:46

Great playing, BHO friends, and great tune choice.  One of the first tunes I heard when I started wading into clawhammer.  John Huerta showed me this one.  

Here's my crack at it, with apologies to John:

youtube.com/watch?v=SEiOqbe_Wps

Have a fine weekend, all.

Play hard,

Lew

overhere - Posted - 01/09/2016:  03:35:31

eeesshhh...I thought you said waterboarding...

greenbrooms - Posted - 01/09/2016:  09:41:37

haven't learned the tradition Waterbound yet, but here's a link to my favorite recording of the dirk powell arrangement. guy wolf in sawmill:

Sideshow Skip - Posted - 01/09/2016:  10:43:29

For me, the finest version of Dirk Powell's "Waterbound" has to be Travis Brink's ( Billygoat here on BHO )haunting version.

VIDEO: Billygoat Brink - Waterbound by Dirk Powell (click to view)

banjered - Posted - 01/09/2016:  11:31:14

My spouse and I call our group Waterbound, made a CD called waterbound with the song in it of course. But again, I lack the technical know-how to post any audio or video.  Really like Dirk's version too. Banjered

JanetB - Posted - 01/09/2016:  18:04:53

You've hit a TOTW jackpot, Mary Z!  Thanks for all the inspirations posted above.  The title reminded of being flooded in Yuba County, California, but somehow I still made it to school on even the worst day.  We're expecting another El Nino weather pattern this year to end the drought and most likely to flood many of us.  

I really like the Waterbound banjo duet you did on the Florida Banjo CD.  Here's a 2-in-1 recording with both versions:

Waterbound

Paul R - Posted - 01/10/2016:  00:04:00

The first version of Waterbound I ever heard was by Tony Saletan (an early folkie from the Boston area, I believe) on TV Ontario, taken from U.S. public television, in the early or mid-Seventies. It's also on one of his albums.

atleson - Posted - 01/10/2016:  08:07:22

fine versions all around.  Dirk's version is very moving----is it in model?

ZD - Posted - 01/10/2016:  20:53:40

Red Dog Run with Richie Stearns on Banjo does a nice version of Dirk Powell's Waterbound. youtube.com/watch?v=dMECA1GLIKU

Ketch and Willie from Old Crow Medicine Show with some nice playing on the traditional Waterbound. youtube.com/watch?v=kTs9mldAunQ

VancePants - Posted - 01/14/2016:  19:41:54

Yupper Skip's, Travis Brink version is excellent, fer sure.  Here are a couple i done, a little while back:

VIDEO: WaTERBoUND (clawhammer - for Cathy) (click to view)

VIDEO: WaterBound (banjo - vocal) (click to view)

rubicon - Posted - 01/14/2016:  20:21:04

Love the version for Cathy really cool!

cmic - Posted - 01/14/2016:  23:41:48

@kenneth  Love your version. So bad the video thing cuts your head ..

Cheers

Scott Barnbilly56 - Posted - 01/15/2016:  04:53:43

Great job Kenneth and super vocals . I'll grab the words for this and start playing now I heard it like this .

rudy - Posted - 01/15/2016:  05:54:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjo bill-e

To any who may be confused, there are two completely different songs being discussed here, with multiple examples of both.

And, I like them both and I'm not complaining!

---

Dirk's Waterbound is one of my favorite pieces.  The "completely different song" is "Stay All Night" as I know it.  The interesting thing is I play with folks who play "Stay All Night" and intersperse Dirk's Waterbound lyrics with it.