Lew H - Posted - 07/26/2019:  06:51:36

Riley and Spencer,  Raleigh and Spencer, or Rylan Spencer, is a lyrical song whose exact meaning is unclear to me.  The lack of detail within and variation across versions give the song an air of mystery around the central theme of liquor or whiskey.  The song’s chorus, about Riley and Spencer burning down, laments the loss of liquor—as do some verses.  But what is Raleigh and Spenser?   In some people’s thinking they could be towns that were burned during the Civil War. They, or it, could also be a liquor store, a pharmacy (where whiskey was sold), or a barrel house in a small town in other people’s minds.  Some people suggest a connection to a steam engine and a Raleigh and Spenser railroad line, but this doesn’t account for the liquor theme of the song.  Some versions have “floating” or “maverick” verses and lines that appear in other old songs. Whatever the origins and meanings of Riley and Spencer, it is outstanding whether played as a slow bluesy song or as a barnburner.  

For people interested in more detail about possible origins and versions, check the Mudcat link below. It has a lengthy forum on the origin and various sets of lyrics.  The Tune Archive link notes the possible railroading connection.

mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=66589#81092

tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:R...d_Spencer

Most singer-musicians today use lyrics from one of two “base” recordings.  The two recordings 

 differ in their lyrics, and neither is the “original” version.  One “base” recording is by Fields Ward on guitar. He is reported to have learned the song from a black musician.  The other is by Tommy Jarrell on fiddle. Jarrell says he learned the song from his brother-in-law and a black singer-guitarist in his neighborhood.  These two source-stories strongly indicate African American origin.  Interestingly, neither “base” version has any banjo.  Here are links to the two versions from Ward and Jarrell that form the basis of most contemporary versions of the song.

Fields Ward, with guitar

youtube.com/watch?v=Xeq7Y82iDLk

Tommy Jarrell, with fiddle

youtube.com/watch?v=s4yn-mkjthA

There are numerous posts of the song on BHO.  Terry Sorelle does a nice finger picking version as "Riley and Spencer."

youtube.com/watch?time_continu...iP6uCA_4I

As “Raleigh and Spenser” the song has been posted as video on BHO 12 times.  Here is a video search result you can look over.  

banjohangout.org/myhangout/vid...it=Search

There are so many recordings of Riley and Spenser on youtube that I dare not show all the links, but if you want to look, use the keywords of “Raleigh and Spencer” to find the masses of posts.  Here are a few from better known people and groups that feature some banjo.  You can see that the song has spread into bluegrass (and even into other genres that I don’t show here!).

Riley Baugus and Dirk Powell, banjo and fiddle

youtube.com/watch?v=yNq3lgBw8W0

Tim O’Brien, John Hermann, from the Songs from the Mountain album

youtube.com/watch?v=Xo6O7Q8fTGk

Clifton Hicks and Jake Book, banjo and guitar 

youtube.com/watch?v=qmIYV2RPizg

Yonder Mountain, bluegrass version

youtube.com/watch?v=BrcWTuWwBrI

23 Stringband

youtube.com/watch?v=XfRQB_QBqas

Adam Steffey, with stringband.   Video of conversation, recording, and jam.

youtube.com/watch?v=_C1Oo2seFOg

Travelin’ McCourys with guests, bluegrass version

youtube.com/watch?v=mDREXWxlyg8

Billy Strings, bluegrass 

youtube.com/watch?v=Pd6iLf2AQoY

Lonesome River Band, bluegrass

youtube.com/watch?v=iqgZ43I3m8c

I learned Raleigh and Spencer from a Greenwillis album, which was Lukas Pool’s band when he was growing up in Mt. View AR—a musical town I try to visit a few times each year.  The Greenwillis version linked below on the right is a Cold Frosty Morn--Cluck Old Hen medley.

More than I had realized before writing this post, I changed the song away from the Greenwillis version.  My version evolved (or devolved)  over the years from the Greenwillis recording.  Herer,  I do the song in  modal (sawmill) tuning, which makes it bluesy. I capo up 4 frets to B modal to my voice better.  

Edited by - Lew H on 07/26/2019 06:54:55

VIDEO: Riley and Spencer
(click to view)

Raleigh & Spenser

Winged Words - Posted - 07/26/2019:  07:23:18

The incomparable Hunter Robertson's version of this was one of the first clawhammer banjo arrangements I ever heard. I'm not sure whether it was just before or just after I bought my first banjo, but I was totally obsessed with it for weeks and it's forever linked in my mind with my first explorations of this whole new (to me) world.

I shall be paying a lot of attention to this TOTW. Thanks.

banjo bill-e - Posted - 07/26/2019:  08:27:05

This link is to an absolutely ferocious version by the incomparable Dan Gellert.  Everyone should own his Tiki Parlor set, just amazing start to finsih.        Dan!

banjo bill-e - Posted - 07/26/2019:  08:35:01

Wow, love that version with John Hermann/Tim O'Brien. John's rhythmic plunks and clucks sure can drive a band.

Lew H - Posted - 07/26/2019:  08:48:57

Just a few thanks and comments before I go away over the weekend. I'll be away from BHO for a while. Thanks for the likes and comments!
Winged Words I really like Robertson's playing in that video. It's quite innovative.
banjo bill-e Gellert's fiddle version is nice, but he's mostly copying Jarrell's recording. I think it's hard to beat Riley Baugus's CH playing.

JanetB - Posted - 07/26/2019:  17:55:59

It's great to have a sung song here, Lew, and you did it justice. I listened to Tommy Jarrell's fiddle and vocals and basically tuned to his fiddle, ending up with an alternate D tuning, aDF#AD, fun to play with its bluesy slides. I was also impressed with the Songs from the Mountain CD by Dirk Powell, Tim O'Brien and John Herrmann and wished that the Cold Mountain soundtrack had used their music.

As to the song's origins, I'll just go with what Barry Poss' liner notes say in The Legacy of Tommy Jarrell, Volume 1 CD, confirmed by Tommy's intro:  He heard Raleigh and Spencer "after moving from Round Peak to Mount Airy in the early 1920's.  Jim Raleigh, a black guitarist who lived down the road, taught it to Jim Gardner, Tommy's brother-in-law and also a guitarist, and he in turn taught it to Tommy....A number of guitarists around Mt. Airy played it, and Field Wards, from Galax, recorded a fine version of this tune with guitar accompaniment."

Raleigh and Spencer (TOTW)

Raleigh and Spencer (CH) tab

RG - Posted - 07/26/2019:  19:59:39

Great TOTW and nice playing Lew, enjoyed that, such a great song.

Barry's an old friend Janet, and that's about as much of the history that I know as well...

nightingale - Posted - 07/26/2019:  20:33:23

Lew, thanks for your video, I really love the way you played it and love your playing,

I agree, Hunter Robertson's version is also great.

dfwest - Posted - 07/26/2019:  21:10:58

Here's a link to the Hunter Robertson version:

youtube.com/watch?v=aQikpvdrs00

Truly fantastic, in my opinion.

Dave

ndlxs - Posted - 07/27/2019:  04:34:58

I've always loved this song/tune since I heard Bob Carlin sing it at a house concert in Davis, CA in the mid 1980s. He traveled the country on Grey hound buses on that tour, I believe....

It is widely done and very popular, but like Pete Seeger always said, that is just because it is such a good song.