It’s interesting to see the Mainstream list changes that have occurred over the years: Mainstream History. It’d be even more interesting to have something like the Congressional Report, that would give the legislative history behind the various changes.

---

This is an interesting site: California Folk Music Home Page, especially this page: Walter Harp calling for square dancing, March 10, 1939. I couldn’t really decipher much of what Walter was calling, but it’s interesting to hear that “raw” style.

In a note to the trad-sd mailing list, Fred Feild notes:

It’s the real thang. Raw and right on. I suggested it as a mystery call to this group about a year ago. Nobody could help me decipher Walter’s screams. I finally decided that the figure must be Birdie in the Cage done in a couple visit with opposite swings and a long docey-doe.

Well worth what ever it takes you to download it. It’ll raise yer goose bumps.

Some notable rhymes which can be understood:

• “Now let’s go down the line, meet your honey & everybody wind”
• “Ice cream, lemonade, meet your honey, go promenade”
• “Right now go trade, your little girl for my old maid”
• “All 4 reel and rock, we’ll be here ’til 4 o’clock”
• “Swing, swing, everybody swing, break loose get ’em in a ring”
• “Third gent, out by the right, two hand swing, cut the grade as you go ’round the pretty little thing”
• “Docey doe for a spell, bid those folks fare thee well”

To subscribe to the trad-sd mailing list, go to groups.yahoo.com/group/trad-dance-callers/.

---

It’s Toni Tenille’s birthday: a perfect day to break out your new Muskrat Love record.