GALLOWS POLE (RE-MASTERED)

NEW CD FROM MARK T. - FOLK SONGS AND BALLADS - OUT NOW!

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Gallows Pole -- Trad. Arr. ROOTDOGS.

Twelfth century English / Scottish border ballad meets percussion driven funk.

This is the third video from Rootdog's Summer 2007 concert at New Greenham Arts.

Hi-jinks abound in this dramatic conclusion to their set -- look out for the expression on Domo's face during his drum solo!

Also known as 'The Maid Freed From the Gallows' or 'The Prickly Bush' (Child 95) this song has been collected in many versions throughout England, Ireland and Scotland as well as in the United States -- where Ledbelly (Hudie Ledbetter) recorded a fantastic version for Alan Lomax in 1939.

The most famous version was recorded in 1970 by Led Zeppelin on Led Zep 3 -- which was based on the Ledbelly version.

Richard Thompson did a really good re-write of the theme around the time of the Fairport Convention album 'Full House' -- he called his song 'Poor Will & The Jolly Hangman' -- I don't think it made it onto the album but you can hear it on the LP / CD 'The Electric Muse' if you can find a copy anywhere.

I first heard the song sung by A.L. Lloyd on a Topic LP called Scottish Border Ballads when I was about 16 years old. At that time I was spending much of my 'school' days either in the Hereford Library or the Queen's Arms pub picking up as many songs and tunes as I could, having just discovered folk music.

Over the years my 'pure' version of the 'Gallows Pole' has become much corrupted by the other versions I have listened to ... and a good thing too I say... the folk process lives!

The video cut-ins were filmed at Coombe gibbet -- possibly the only gallows still in existence in England -- and a very unusual one!

Mark T.

Here is more about Coombe gibbet from Simon Topham's web-site:

Combe gibbet stands on the top of Combe down, and was erected on top of a Neolithic burial mound. It was only ever put to its grisly use once in 1676:

George Broomham of Combe, and Dorothy Newman of Inkpen were lovers. They brutally killed Martha and Robert Broomham, George's wife and son, who had come across them together on the Downs. Unfortunately for them they were seen committing the crime by the barefoot village idiot 'Mad Thomas' who managed to convey what he had seen to the authorities.

They were both tried and then hanged at the Winchester Assizes. Their dead bodies were hung on either side of the Combe Gibbet to act as a grim deterrent to other would be wrong doers.

Most Gibbets have just a single side for the body to be hung on, but this Gibbet is a double one! It's worth noting that the gibbet, though in Berkshire is situated near to the county borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire.

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[kriskennedy1992]

the older zeppelin is better