The Sheik of Araby

[Mike Moss]

Does anyone here play this one Classic style? (Did Van Eps ever play it?) I think it could sound great arranged for the banjo... If there isn't a Classic style arrangement we can just rip off a Plectrum score and fingerstylise it, ;-)

[thereallyniceman]

That is a good banjo tune...perhaps..er... STEVE?????

 

Unfortunately I am always reminded of the Spike Jones version when I hear the tune ;-)

 

 

[Alan Sims]

i Mike, Theres lots of guitarists that have played it . django .travis. Ihave a tab of Marcel Dadi version of it if that would be any use.

[Mike Moss]

Yeah the lyrics are priceless! :P

Hi Alan, I really like Django's version, do you have any tab for the gypsy jazz version?

[Trapdoor2]

Considering it wasn't written until after Valentino did "The Sheik" (1921), it was unlikely to have been recorded by any of our Golden Age heros. Played, perhaps...

It is a 'standard' for any early jazz band but I suspect even then it didn't really gain popularity until the mid-to-late 20's. Too late for the Classic guys but perfect timing for the novelty orchestras of the period. By the time of the big band era, it had become an "oldie" and gained a good bit of schmaltz.

I just don't think I could play it w/o interjecting some jazzy lines...and yes, my brain either hears the Spike Jones version or the one done by Leon Redbone.

Miz Diane and I got to experience the New Orleans version back some years ago at the Jazz & Heritage festival. It was a complete hoot (the vocalist sings the straight lyrics but the band chants "with no pants on" in between the lines: "I'm the Sheik of Araby (with no pants on)/Your love belongs to me (with no pants on)/At night when you're asleep (with no pants on)/Into your tent I'll creep (with no pants on)..."

[Mike Moss]

Not too late for Van Eps though -- he recorded "I'm sitting on top of the world" and that was published in 1925. Classic Banjo wasn't mainstream anymore but pop/tin pan alley songs were still being recorded on the 5-stringer.

[Tarry Barriball]

Hi Mike - I seem to remember my father playing this piece several years ago and he probably had sheet music for it. But where it is now I would not even like to hazard a guess. He used to play it when he was playing for ballroom dancing if my memory serves me right. Don't know where it is now though. Sorry can't be more helpful, kind regards - Tarry Barriball

[Steve Harrison]

https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/21445?show=full

This is a free copy the the whole song score from the Levy collection. Copy each page as a jpeg image...Steve.

[Hans Straub]

Hallo Mike

Do you know this arrangement of Don Van Palta?

Good luck to you 

Hans

 

[Mike Moss]

Thanks Steve and Hans; the Don Van Palta arrangement should be very useful.