Well, I decided to do something that would be a slight departure from a fiddle tune, the older I get, the more I think about how much the banjo historically is intertwined with the voice, and although I can't sing worth a lick, I still think that the voice is the perfect accompaniment to the banjo so here goes. I recorded and posted an instrumental version of this song some years ago, but it really comes alive when you sing it...no pun intended.
Ever since I heard the "High Atmosphere" album as a high schooler in 1975, I've been fascinated with the singing of Lloyd Chandler. His amazing acapella "A Conversation With Death", which he performed during his preaching days as a Free Will Baptist Minister in Appalachia the 1920's, somehow (well, ok, I guess primarily through Dock Boggs & Ralph Stanley who both recorded it) got music added to it and found it's way into the old-time songbook. A lot of folks have recorded this, from folk musicians to punk rockers and just about everyone in between it seems, but the seminal versions for me are still Dock & Ralph. Dock said that he learned it from his brother-in-law Lee Hansucker, a Holiness Preacher, and maybe Lee heard it from Lloyd Chandler...and I have no idea where Dr. Ralph heard it...from Lee or Lloyd or...??
"Oh Death" is most assuredly Mr. Chandler's composition en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Chandler, but I've always found the tune to be mesmerizing musically, and so here's my version, 2 finger thumb lead mostly with a little three finger thrown in for good measure and the banjo tuned to Dock's tuning of f#CGAD tuned down a step to fBF#G#C#. This is a pretty easy tune to play in fingerstyle or down-picked, just a lot of open strings and alternating between the 2nd and 5th fret on the fourth string, keep a strong rhythm of TITI going and mix in the middle finger on the first string a bit if you want and you'll figure it out, trust me...I just wish I could sing 1/20 as good as Mr. Chandler...that's the tougher part...
And there's a bunch more versions on youtube, of all different genres, some good, some not so good, but there is a stark honestly and beauty to this song that is undeniable...in my humble opinion...so I hope you'll give it a try...
I noticed that there's a couple of tab versions in the tab archives, but I haven't opened them to check them out...
RG, what a basso. Sounds like some of the Russian bassos I heard back in the 1950s. Really, really nice.
Some 8 years ago, I uploaded my voice and fiddle version to Fiddle Hangout. It was derived from Dock Boggs version and used the tuning EDae followed by a short version of Glory in the Meetinghouse.
Wow Carl, your fiddle version knocked me out, what an awesome performance! And that Glory in the Meeting House was icing on the cake!
And , Steve, I was not familiar with Sarah Wood but thanks so much for sharing, what an amazing, beautiful voice, I'll be checking out her music for sure, so good to see young people taking up the reins to keep that rich singing tradition going strong...
RG: I feel that you are an EXCELLENT interpreter of the Dock Boggs picking style, and your choice of the banjo you play works so well. (I recently had a professional banjo player tell me how great your recent posting of Davenport was). Dock did not exactly have the greatest vocal range himself, but made up for that with expressiveness without being maudlin. Same goes for you.
One cannot listen to Mr. Chandler's version without reflecting seriously about one's mortality.
Tracey Schwartz recorded a very good version of "Oh Death"on the final NLCR's final CD, "Ain't No Wat Out". No banjo on that track, so play along!
That Tracy Schwartz version is great Don, solid geetar...really enjoyed that! As you know, I love Dock's style, that Kentucky finger style that Pete Steele, Dock, Roscoe et. al. played really appeals to me, good stuff!
Chris B, yeah, I was surprised a couple of years ago when I found out that Mr. Chandler was the composer, the song sounds much older and very archaic to me...his version on High Atmosphere transcends performance as far as I'm concerned, a vision indeed!
What impressive performances I'm hearing this week -- RG, Carl, and Larry (LNP)! RG, you've chosen a song that touches us deeply.
I'm partial to Ralph Stanley's a capella and am attempting an arrangement clawhammer style. It's a song that fits his mountain roots, but hard for me to catch on banjo.
As RG says, Oh Death has been amply recorded, but the following one is really intriguing.
Alan Lomax and Bess Lomax Hawes extensively recorded Bessie Jones (1902 - 1984) of Georgia, here singing Oh Death with similar lyrics, but clearly telling a story of a sinner in the midst of illness having a conversation with the devil. Here are some of those lyrics:
O Death in the mornin', (3 times)
Spare me over another year.
Well, Death walked up into the sinner's gaze,
Says, "B'lieve you have waited now a little too late,
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for posting that recording of Bessie Jones...very intriguing indeed!
I finally found the link to the University of Indiana press articles detailing folklorist Carl Lindahl's extensive research into the origins of the song jstor.org/stable/3814588?seq=1..._contents. Alan and Bess recorded Bessie in May of 1960; this song seems to have spread far and wide in a relatively short amount of time, which attests to the power of it's message among a rural population (I guess an urban one as well to a certain degree given all of the recordings of it)...very interesting when you can see the progression and cultural adaptations of these songs as they move out their regional geographic origins...
Interestingly in the IU press article, it mentions that Lloyd Chandler frequently stayed with African-American families and preached in their churches as well during his preaching days...quite a feat and a testament to the character of Mr. Chandler in 1920's North Carolina...
Great performance RG. Your love for the authentic stuff performed authentically makes you someone who is truly keeping this old music alive. Note I said, "keeping alive" rather than "preserving". That's because in your hands this music is a living thing, not just some sort of museum piece.
Your work with Tiki, your extensive knowledge, and your love for this music places you IMHO as one of the foremost exponents of the music.
In all sincerity, thanks for what you do. The future of this music is insured in large part because of folks like you.
I'm honored to know you, and appreciative of having recourse to your offerings both musical and intellectual.
R.D., thanks for your kind words, coming from someone whose music and playing I hold in high regard your comments mean a lot...
Jan, that Leftwich version is very nice, Brad is an amazing player...
Matthew, that is a great version of the tune, great performnace. I have always enjoyed your singing and playing on this site, haven't seen you on the forums in a while, but appreciate your approach and skill at playing this music, well done sir...
Thanks for this thread,I love this song. Has someone got a simple clawhammer tab for this tune. It don't sound to complex but that can be deceiving. If you do would you post it here so I might print it out. I have no luck with tab-edit.
Bobby, there are a couple of tabs in the "tabs & lessons" section of the site, you might check those out. I'm not much of a tab guy so not sure how they'll play...it is essentially open strings in the tuning listed with the fretted notes being on the fourth string at the 2nd and 5th frets and the third string at the 2nd fret and then the second string at the 3rd fret during the chorus...that's really about it...and why open tunings are integral to the sound of old-time music...
I have a tab that is based on Dock's version, played in some easy 3-finger style.
It is played in f#CGAD in some kind of D modal with occasional use of the fifth string (which is a part of D major). (Dock tuned a half step lower)
I think it is easy to pick out the melody notes to play a CH verrsion from this tab. But if someone is trying to play it in clawhammer i would suggest to tune the fifth string to a or d.
After much listening, here's a clawhammer arrangement without singing. I'm just thinking the words. The cello banjo pitch landed write on Dock Boggs' singing and the tuning is sawmill.
This has to be the greatest "mortality" song of all time. I first heard this back in the late 80s when I was first learning CH banjo.I was at the San Francisco Folk Club annual winter camp out and Fred Carlson of Beyond The Trees (custom harp-guitars/plus) played this song on an old banjo. It blew my socks away of course and I thought it was one of those advanced impossible songs that I would never ever be able to do. Of course now years later I would put it in the "easy" category like falling off a log. I would have posted this song years ago on TOTW but still don't know how to post this song or the other couple hundred in the data bank. Someday someone will show up and show me how...Anyway I always rework a song when I get a hold of it and the below version is what I currently sing. The last verse is particularly mine but use or throw away what ever you like. It's pretty much in modal. In the line "With icy hands and a grip like steel" I do a pull off on "hands" followed immediately by a drop thumb on "and."Chorus every two verses. I've played it in public only once at a noisy bar on Hallow's Eve. Your turn now...
