Issue 1127: Confusion re attribution of tunes in associated recordings

Object

The Steamboat Hornpipe (Tune)

Submitter

Iain Boyd

Assigned to

Viktor Lehmann

Priority

Normal

Disposition

Fixed

Description

Yesterday, I discovered that there was considerable confusion regarding the association of the tunes “The Steamboat Quickstep” (a jig) (no published source) and “The Steamboat” (a reel) (published in Merrie Melodies, 1st Collection) - both traditional tunes.

When I checked the ‘Recordings’ which included “The Steamboat” I was presented with a list that included both reels and jigs.

On checking the ‘Recordings’ which included “The Steamboat Quickstep” I was presented with a list of two entries only.

I subsequently asked Peter Elmes (a local musician) if he could provide more information about the two tunes.

He replied as follows -

"You are correct, Iain – two different tunes.

The jig is in the “Leaves of Cabbage” collection, where it is used as the third tune for “Hooper’s Jig”. No info. on ultimate source. There it is called “Steamboat Quickstep”.

The reel is found in the American collection “One Thousand Fiddle Tunes”, Page 110, under the title “Steamboat Hornpipe”. From the layout of this book, I deduce that it is a “trad” tune.

By far the majority of recordings of these tunes simply name them as “The Steamboat” and I have followed this guide - not sure why after all these years, except that I may have taken the tunes down from recordings before I obtained the above two collections."

I suspect that most, if not all, of the jigs wrongly associated with “The Steamboat” have been done so simply because, as Peter states, the two tunes are usually simply titled “The Steamboat” and no consideration has been given as to whether the Recording was a jig or a reel!

Regards,

Iain Boyd

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