Sunday, December 30, 2018

Sunday morning gospel--Fields on Fire-athon; Pictures/A Picture from Life's Other Side




I haven't done a Sunday Morning Gospel in a long, long spell.  Kind of nice to get back into the spirit.  I've done research on both of the songs in this morning's -athon but never came up with definite dates.  He Will Set Your Fields on Fire, a country and bluegrass gospel standard, is credited to H.W. Ballew (words) and Mrs. L.L. Brackett (music).  Someone stole the copyright in 1943 (the usual "Arr. by" scam) but it's clearly a quartet piece from the late 1920s.  And I just now noticed that The Music of Bill Monroe (Neil V. Rosenberg, Charles K. Wolfe, University of Illinois Press, 2007) gives a year of 1902 for the song, but I've found no other source for this, and I find it odd that neither I nor the folks at Hymnary.org have located an early printing after much searching.  It could well be 1902, but it has a 1920s sound, and Smith's singers were an as-written sort of group, which is my weird way of saying that they stuck to the songbook versions, coming as they did from the shape(d)-note tradition, which was highly disciplined and not very flexible.  

I'd love to see the original sheet music version of Fields.

Ironically, although the later versions of the song sound faster, they're actually taken at a slower tempo than the 1927 Smith side.  It's the fast bluegrass strumming under the melody and harmonies that makes things sound faster.  A similar evolution happened with rock songwriting, come Carole King and other folks who traded eight-bar sections for sixteen, with that Beatles-style beat moving things along, even as the melodies slowed down.  Will You Love Me Tomorrow may be the classic example (quarter and half notes).  Classic 32-bar AABA standards move faster than rock tunes when played as written, but they don't have that beat.  Swing treatments are an exception, as they have a strong forward push rhythmically.  Bill Haley was quite frank about rock and roll coming from swing, and he was right, but don't tell any of the Rolling Stone folks. They know the truth--rock and roll started in the Grand Ole Opry.

Anyway, in my awesome playlist,. we hear everyone from the Smith gang to Carl Story to Kitty Wells to Pat Boone.  I love it, I love it.  Unfortunately, I don't have the 1967 version by the Browns, the folks who hit it big with The Three Bells.  I thought I did, and I'm annoyed to discover I do not.

Pictures from Life's Other Side, a.k.a. Pictures from Life's Other Side goes back at least as far as 1898.  It's the kind of socially-conscious song common in the late 1800s--evangelical Christianity was a socially progressive thing in those days.  Not to give any "seculars" a heart attack, but it's true.  Having said that, despite its message that we should watch out for those who have fallen by the way (the "mighty gallery of pictures" line has no equal in pop song history--none), Pictures was turned into a gospel number--it didn't start as one.  I don't consider this a folk song--it doesn't sound like one--though given the weirdness of song publishing then and now, more than one version may well have found its way into print, each one copyrighted, for what copyrights were worth once the major labels started scouting for "folk" talent.  Suddenly, A.P. Carter's name was on recently published gospel material, and, even across the many decades, I feel for the real authors.




Click here to hear: Fields on Fire-athon



He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--Smith's Sacred Singers, 1927
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--Carl Story  and his Rambling Mountaineers, 1960
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--The Lewis Family, 1976
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--Bill Monroe, 1954
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--The Country Gentlemen, 1971
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--The Chuck Wagon Gang, 1986
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--Kitty Wells, 1959
He Will Set Your Fields on Fire--The Boone Family, 1973
Pictures from Life's Other Side (Vaughn)--Smith's Sacred Singers, 1926
A Picture from Life's Other Side--Bradley Kincaid, 1932
A Picture from Life's Other Side--Carl Story
A Picture from Life's Other Side--G.M. Farley and the Foggy River Boys, 1963


Lee

12 comments:

Ernie said...

Curious, very curious. Are you researching this history online, or do you have a stack of old hymnals at your disposal?

Buster said...

Fascinating material - thanks!

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Ernie--Both. I have three bookcases overflowing with songbooks and hymnals.

Buster--Hope you enjoy! I love that Pat Boone and his family did this one, along with all the others.

Buster said...

Great, GREAT collection, particularly of Fields on Fire. I didn't think I would enjoy eight versions, but I did! Wonderful transfers, as always.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Thanks! Yes, I think I could sit for an entire concert of "Fields on Fire"--different acts, of course. I love hearing the different treatments of "Pictures," too, because it's kind of a sentimental saloon waltz, tune-wise, but if done correctly, it certainly sounds like a gospel number. I've uncovered at least three different melodies for "Pictures," but I tend to feel it had an original version. And I'd love to know where that author got the 1902 date of composition for "Fields." It's possible, but some of its features suggest the 1920s, to me.

Leah.S said...

Hello, My name is Leah Stewart, daughter of Leta(Ballew)Stewart and great grandaughter of the late Homer Ballew. According to my 94 yr old grandpa Charles L Ballew who is sitting her next to me...His father Homer Ballew wrote the song he 'will set your fields on fire' when he was a young boy in the late 20's.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Leah,

Thank you very much for that information! It's wonderful to hear from the great granddaughter of Homer Ballew. And please thank your grandfather for this priceless information. A reader sent me a scan of the song from a 1925 songbook called "Winning Praise," which was published by the Sebren Music Company in Asheville NC. I put the images up at my other blog--here's the link: http://mypwhaetext.blogspot.com/2021/01/he-will-set-your-fields-on-fire-1925.html

As you can see, the copyright date is 1925, and a "H.W. Ballew" is co-credited--that must be Homer. I assume Homer wrote the words? Can you ask your grandfather?

I'm very grateful for this information! Thank you so much!

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Leah,

And please let your grandfather know that his father's song is still loved by gospel music fans everywhere. It's a priceless gem--one of the all time greats. Again, a million thanks.

Leah.S said...

Hello again and thank you for your prompt response. He will set your fields on fire written by H.M (Homer) Ballew is a clearly a song of our time.. Out of 10 children my grandfather Charles Ballew, 2nd generation song writer, is the last standing of Homer's 10 children. MY Grandfather is now 94 years old and would like nothing more than to share his dads song on a local radio station or more than that a local news broadcast. This is his legacy before he goes if there is a way u can help us to do this we would appreciate it. Time is of relivance

Leah.S said...

Hello again and thank you for your prompt response. He will set your fields on fire written by H.M (Homer) Ballew is a clearly a song of our time.. Out of 10 children my grandfather Charles Ballew, 2nd generation song writer, is the last standing of Homer's 10 children. MY Grandfather is now 94 years old and would like nothing more than to share his dads song on a local radio station or more than that a local news broadcast. This is his legacy before he goes if there is a way u can help us to do this we would appreciate it. Time is of relivance

Leah.S said...

Yes Homer Milton Ballew aka H.M Ballew wrote the song He will set your fields on fire. He son Charles Ballew is the last of 10 children of Homer Ballew. He would like to some how have his dads song and story on the local news or local radio station. We don't know exactly how to do that and would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you so much for your kind words.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Hi, Leah.

Sorry for my late reply, and thanks again for sharing the info. The only thing that occurs to me would be to contact your local news station(s) and paper directly and tell them the background. It's such a famous song that I would think they'd want to do it as a special interest story. I was waiting to see if anyone more knowledgeable than me would chime in, but no one has. But I think if you related your grandfather's connection to the song, it would at least make for a very nice local piece. Again, sorry for my late answer--I've been busy away from the blog the past week or so. Best of luck.