"I love sea shanties, I thought they were really good melodies, so I arranged them for a rock and roll band. We used to play 'em all the time. I used to really love to listen to sea shanties and folk music. When everyone else was listening to Cream, I was listening to A. L. Lloyd and Ewan McColl. these were two old guys who used to record together, trying to replicate the original instrumentation of sea shanties. Some of the words were absolutely unbelievable. 'Handsome Cabin Boy' is a song about the bogus certification of sailors. A girl goes on a boat dressed as a boy, and gets pregnant. The lyrics are all about who done it. I loaned the LP to Beefheart, and he probably still has it." (Countered Vliet, in a 1994 conversation, "He gave it to me!")
On the Lost Episodes and Mystery Disc there is an adaptation of an Appalachian folk song titled "Wedding Dress," it is paired with the Sea Shanty "Handsome Cabin Boy." By reading the liner notes you could infer that "Wedding Dress" may have been performed by AL Lloyd or Ewan MacColl. I have tracked down the likely original version of the "Wedding Dress Song," on Peggy Seeger The Folkway Years 1955-1992 Smithsonian/Folkways CD SF 40048. In the liner notes Peggy refers to Ewan MacColl as her "most constant musical companion." The "Wedding Dress Song" originally was released on American Folk Songs Folkways 2005 in 1957, Peggy Seeger does the vocals and banjo on this track. No one else is credited or can be heard on this track. It does appear that Ewan MacColl has collaborated with her on over ten albums.
1968
During the 4/10 performance, this tune pops up in a transcendent passage of music consisting of "King Kong-> Wedding Dress Song-> Little House I Used to Live In-> Status Back Baby". At the tail end of "King Kong", the music slowly dissolves into a reflective piano solo, from which the band delicately builds the basis of the "Wedding Dress Song". They are hesitant at first, but Frank steps up and with a solid stroke of the guitar, leads the band into a jazzed out version of this tune. After a short take on the main theme, we get a flute solo, followed by a horn solo which liberally teases the tune's melody. During this latter solo, Frank begins playing the melody line to "Little House", which eventually brings about a seamless transition into a shortened version of that tune. Simply beautiful.
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