Tune: The Cuckoo's Nest

Whistle
1

Dunno if this is the best place to place this question, but if it’s not, feel free to move it.

I’ve been trying to find the music for the tune “the Cuckoo’s Nest”, as played by Grey Larsen on his album “The Green House”. I’ve found several tunes under the same name on thesession.org, but can’t find this one. Anyone know where it can be found?

Thanks,
Aaron

2

Yep, there are lots of Cuckoos and Cuckoo’s Nests. That is an odd setting (I listened on CD Baby). What do Larsen’s liner notes say about the source? Is there a reason not to just learn the tune directly from the recording?

3

I don’t actually have the CD. I listen to it on Real Rhapsody. It’s all legal, you pay 12 dollars a month and can listen to tons of music on your computer. I’ve tried a little to learn it from the recording, but like you say, it’s a rather odd setting. The timing’s a little weird, and I love it, but I can’t quite get it just by ear.

4

Here’s a variant I like. The tune goes back to the middle ages, apparently.
(YOutube has several renditions; these may help you, possibly.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj0zvP8j3Hs&feature=PlayList&p=A13508EB246BE8AE&index=0&playnext=1

5

I don’t have that CD anymore (gave it to a friend), but I remember Grey saying in the liner notes that it’s a version he learned from Michael Kennedy. There is in fact a transcription in Grey’s Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle (Mel Bay). If you don’t have the book you might be able to get it from the library.

While the tale of the cuckoo’s nest that Grey relates in the liner notes is amusing, my understanding is that these “Cuckoo’s Nest” tunes (of which there are many) and the many songs by the same name refer to a part of the female anatomy.

6

Actually, I think Sunita Staneslow, the harp player, has that version on her cd, “The Mist Covered Mountains”. I have been looking for this tune for a while now too.

7

I think this might be the version you are looking for, but I am not sure. http://folktunefinder.com/tune.php?id=1068

8

http://folktunefinder.com/tune.php?id=1068 This is the version from Staneslow’s album.

9

Nope, that’s not it.

10

Here is a cuckoo song that I’v heard all my life. Maybe not the one you are looking for, but a nice tone, http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiCUCKBIRD;ttCUCKBIRD.html

11

The Cuckoo tracks are also accessible here, including the bonus tracks from the album:

http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.press_release/project_id/114.cfm

Track 3 is Larsen’s setting and playing on Bb whistle. Bonus Track 13 (Sample Track 6) is Michael Kennedy (Larsen’s source) discussing the story of The Cuckoo’s Nest, and Bonus Track 14 (Sample Track 7) is his playing of the tune on melodeon.

Kennedy was from Galway, so presumably it’s a Galway setting. Interesting that when Kennedy sings a few lines of the song at the end of the spoken track, the tune matches his playing.

I haven’t tracked down another source of this version yet. Kennedy’s setting is slightly crooked (in 5/4) in the 2nd measure of his B part. Larsen reverses the parts, changes the melody slightly, and propagates the crooked thing in measures 2,6 and 14.

X:1
T:The Cuckoo’s Nest
S:Grey Larsen / Michael Kennedy
D:Grey Larsen & Paddy League: The Green House, Tracks 3 & 14
Z:MTGuru for Chiff & Fipple
R:Hornpipe
M:4/4
K:G
“Larsen setting”
A2|GDGA dBAG|Ggga ag g2df|g2de dBGB|dedB (3ABA GD|
GDGA dBAG|Ggga ag g2df|g2de dBGA|cAG2 G2:|
ef|~g3a bgef|~g3a b2ef|gfag ged2|BedB A2GD|
GDGA dBAG|Ggga ag g2df|g2de dBGA|cAG2 G2:|
“Kennedy’s setting”
ef|ggga bgdf|ggga b2ef|gfag ged2|BedB A2GD|
GAdB AGGg|gaag g2df|gdde dBGA|{c}A2G2 G2:|
A2|GDGA dBAG|Ggga ag g2df|g2de dBGB|dedB A2GD|
GAdB AGGg|gaag g2df|gdde dBGA|{c}A2G2 G2||

These ABCs are bare bones. I’m sure the transcription in Larsen’s book is better.

12

I guess this should really be in the Whistle forum. I’ll move it there, with a link.

13

MTGuru,

Thanks a ton for that ABC! It might be bare bones, but it’s better than anything else I have!