name that tune please

[nick Kelly]

I have just been listening to the Tony Lidington radio documentary called Pierrot Hero, very good it is too, curious if anybody can tell me the name of the title music and, who is playing it, very jolly little piece methinks, thanks in advance for any info.

[Richard William Ineson]

Joel, I agree that the days of people recognising even songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, are numbered so old ragtime songs are not going to get a look in at all. I had a copy of 'A Bunch of Rags' with the titles of the various songs pencilled in by a previous owner, if i remember rightly they include,'When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around'', 'Oh! Mr. Johnson', 'Darktown is Out Tonight', 'All xxxxx look alike to Me' ( a disgustingly racist title which i cannot write down in full) 'I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby'. I recently took a look at Ossman's 'Little Johnny Jones' medley, apart from  'well known' songs such as 'Give My Regards to Broadway' and I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy' this medley contains a song which was unfamiliar even to someone as ancient as me, this is, 'If Mr. Boston Lawson Has His Way'. This turned out to refer to a Stock Market scandal which was big news at the turn of the 19th century.

[Joel Hooks]

Hi Richard, was there a published score for "Little Johnny Jones' Medley"?  My wife is a fan of Cohan... while most of the tunes are lost on me, she will know them all.  I try to play things that she likes as to not be a constant annoyance. 

Richard William Ineson said:

Joel, I agree that the days of people recognising even songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, are numbered so old ragtime songs are not going to get a look in at all. I had a copy of 'A Bunch of Rags' with the titles of the various songs pencilled in by a previous owner, if i remember rightly they include,'When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around'', 'Oh! Mr. Johnson', 'Darktown is Out Tonight', 'All xxxxx look alike to Me' ( a disgustingly racist title which i cannot write down in full) 'I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby'. I recently took a look at Ossman's 'Little Johnny Jones' medley, apart from  'well known' songs such as 'Give My Regards to Broadway' and I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy' this medley contains a song which was unfamiliar even to someone as ancient as me, this is, 'If Mr. Boston Lawson Has His Way'. This turned out to refer to a Stock Market scandal which was big news at the turn of the 19th century.

[Richard William Ineson]

I like the JJ medley and am also  a fan of Cohan, I just downloaded the Ossman cylinder from the Library of Congress who also have all of the sheet music to the songs and  I scribbled a rough arrangement down so that I could play it. My wife seems to have become immune to the banjo and never makes any comment any more, my kids don't live with us anymore but they occasionally catch me playing a tune; I was playing 'Cupid's Arrow' one day when one of them asked me what they called it. I thought that at last that she had become a fan but when i told her the title she said, "I hate that tune, I heard it all the time when I was growing up, I just wondered what they call it"

Joel Hooks said:

Hi Richard, was there a published score for "Little Johnny Jones' Medley"?  My wife is a fan of Cohan... while most of the tunes are lost on me, she will know them all.  I try to play things that she likes as to not be a constant annoyance. 

Richard William Ineson said:

Joel, I agree that the days of people recognising even songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, are numbered so old ragtime songs are not going to get a look in at all. I had a copy of 'A Bunch of Rags' with the titles of the various songs pencilled in by a previous owner, if i remember rightly they include,'When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around'', 'Oh! Mr. Johnson', 'Darktown is Out Tonight', 'All xxxxx look alike to Me' ( a disgustingly racist title which i cannot write down in full) 'I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby'. I recently took a look at Ossman's 'Little Johnny Jones' medley, apart from  'well known' songs such as 'Give My Regards to Broadway' and I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy' this medley contains a song which was unfamiliar even to someone as ancient as me, this is, 'If Mr. Boston Lawson Has His Way'. This turned out to refer to a Stock Market scandal which was big news at the turn of the 19th century.

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Richard, Some time back, I did do an arrangement of Popularity Rag by Cohan which can be found in the library...Steve.

Richard William Ineson said:

I like the JJ medley and am also  a fan of Cohan, I just downloaded the Ossman cylinder from the Library of Congress who also have all of the sheet music to the songs and  I scribbled a rough arrangement down so that I could play it. My wife seems to have become immune to the banjo and never makes any comment any more, my kids don't live with us anymore but they occasionally catch me playing a tune; I was playing 'Cupid's Arrow' one day when one of them asked me what they called it. I thought that at last that she had become a fan but when i told her the title she said, "I hate that tune, I heard it all the time when I was growing up, I just wondered what they call it"

Joel Hooks said:

Hi Richard, was there a published score for "Little Johnny Jones' Medley"?  My wife is a fan of Cohan... while most of the tunes are lost on me, she will know them all.  I try to play things that she likes as to not be a constant annoyance. 

Richard William Ineson said:

Joel, I agree that the days of people recognising even songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, are numbered so old ragtime songs are not going to get a look in at all. I had a copy of 'A Bunch of Rags' with the titles of the various songs pencilled in by a previous owner, if i remember rightly they include,'When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around'', 'Oh! Mr. Johnson', 'Darktown is Out Tonight', 'All xxxxx look alike to Me' ( a disgustingly racist title which i cannot write down in full) 'I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby'. I recently took a look at Ossman's 'Little Johnny Jones' medley, apart from  'well known' songs such as 'Give My Regards to Broadway' and I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy' this medley contains a song which was unfamiliar even to someone as ancient as me, this is, 'If Mr. Boston Lawson Has His Way'. This turned out to refer to a Stock Market scandal which was big news at the turn of the 19th century.

[Richard William Ineson]

Hi Steve, Yes I remember seeing it, 'Popularity' is a good tune which I used to play with Paul Whyman in the 90s (1990s that is) when i could still play the banjo.

Steve Harrison said:

Hi Richard, Some time back, I did do an arrangement of Popularity Rag by Cohan which can be found in the library...Steve.

Richard William Ineson said:

I like the JJ medley and am also  a fan of Cohan, I just downloaded the Ossman cylinder from the Library of Congress who also have all of the sheet music to the songs and  I scribbled a rough arrangement down so that I could play it. My wife seems to have become immune to the banjo and never makes any comment any more, my kids don't live with us anymore but they occasionally catch me playing a tune; I was playing 'Cupid's Arrow' one day when one of them asked me what they called it. I thought that at last that she had become a fan but when i told her the title she said, "I hate that tune, I heard it all the time when I was growing up, I just wondered what they call it"

Joel Hooks said:

Hi Richard, was there a published score for "Little Johnny Jones' Medley"?  My wife is a fan of Cohan... while most of the tunes are lost on me, she will know them all.  I try to play things that she likes as to not be a constant annoyance. 

Richard William Ineson said:

Joel, I agree that the days of people recognising even songs by the likes of Stephen Foster, are numbered so old ragtime songs are not going to get a look in at all. I had a copy of 'A Bunch of Rags' with the titles of the various songs pencilled in by a previous owner, if i remember rightly they include,'When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around'', 'Oh! Mr. Johnson', 'Darktown is Out Tonight', 'All xxxxx look alike to Me' ( a disgustingly racist title which i cannot write down in full) 'I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby'. I recently took a look at Ossman's 'Little Johnny Jones' medley, apart from  'well known' songs such as 'Give My Regards to Broadway' and I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy' this medley contains a song which was unfamiliar even to someone as ancient as me, this is, 'If Mr. Boston Lawson Has His Way'. This turned out to refer to a Stock Market scandal which was big news at the turn of the 19th century.