Denis Doody’s polka

I learned this rockin’ polka from the Donal Lunny live album where it is played in a set before The Tolka Polka:

https://thesession.org/tunes/1251

Unfortunately, I don’t have the track listing of that album any more so if somebody could post it to the recordings section, that would be much appreciated.

I’ve shown the tune here with a couple of ideas for variation. The first time that B note comes around, I’ve shown it being played low and the second time, high. Play around with this and find the one you prefer.

The second part is pretty weird. It has those long F#s that cross bars. You’ll probably need to hear the tune being played to really “get” how it works.

As with so many polkas and slides, it’s simply named after a person. It seems that half the polkas and slides I know are named after people or places in Cork and Kerry. Hence, all the Dennis Murphy’s, Leary’s, Egan’s, Ballydesmonds,Newmarkets, etc.

I guess all the imaginative names were handed out to the jigs and reels. 😉

I was hoping someone would post this.

Has anyone else experienced a really weird effect when listening to this tune as recorded on Lunny’s album? I find that I can hear it in 2 completely different ways because of the syncopated rhythm. The other way I can get myself to hear it (with a few seconds of concentration) is “shunted” on a beat, something like this:

F/G/|:EF/E/ DB,|EE z/GF/G/|(3AFD (3DEF|GA/c/ B/A/G|
EF/E/ DB,|EE z/F/G|AB/c/ B/AG|1 Fd FG:|2 Fd zB||
ee/f/ e/d/B|ee/f/ e/d/B|de f2|ge f2|
gf ge|Bc/B/ AB|zE E/F/G|1 AB zB:|2 AB/c/ B/A/||

I actually love the tune whichever way, and listen to it differently depending on my mood. Has anyone else ever had this effect before?

X: 1
T: Dennis Doody’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Emin
|:GE E/F/E/D/|GE EG|F/G/A/F/ D>E|FG A/B/A|
|GE E/F/E/D/|GE EF|GA BA|1 GF dF:|2 GF d2||
|:Be e/f/e/d/|Be e/f/e/d/|Be e(f|f)g e(f|
|f)g fg|eB BA|B2 E>F|GA B2:|

As far as I remember - there are two melodies, going in parallel, so that it is - two ways of listening =)

X: 1
T: The Glen Cottage Polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
Tr: D!J!F!
R: polka
K: E dorian
GE ||: E/F/E/D/ B,E | E2 F/G/F/E/ | D>E FG | AB/A/ GE |
| E/F/E/D/ B,E | E>F GA | B2 GF |1 D2 GE :||2 D2 Be
||: e/f/e/d/ Be | e>d B/c/d | ef g2 | ef g2 |
| fg/f/ eB | BA AB | E>F GA |1 B>^A Be |2 B/c/B/A/ GE ||

# Posted on October 9th 2008 by D.J.F.

The transcription above can be modified like this:

T: The Glen Cottage Polka
S: Kevin Burke
Z: D.J.F.
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: E dorian
GE |: E/F/E/D/ B,E | E2 F/G/F/E/ | D>E FG | AB/A/ GE |
E/F/E/D/ B,E | E>F GA | B2 GF |1 D2 GE :|2 D2 Be ||
|: e/f/e/d/ Be | e>d B/c/d | ef g2 | ef g2 |
fg/f/ eB | BA AB | E>F GA |1 B>^A Be :|2 B/c/B/A/ GE ||

Are you taking the p*ss slainte?

You have a go at me saying my transcription is far from perfect and that I should think before I type yet you go and post your transcription that is the same? Give me a break.

Surely the gist of the tune was found in my original transcription, far from perfect was an innacurate statement for you to make, I was expecting something a lot more accurate from you, slainte, like with rolls and double stopping and stuff in. But all you’ve done is change a few bar lines and put Kevin Burke on it

Don’t expect any more comment from me, D.J.F. I’m busy. Just be quiet, please.

This tune is closely allied to St Patrick was a gentleman:
https://thesession.org/tunes/2116
It existed in many versions popular in the American, British, French Navies.

The Green Cottage: https://thesession.org/tunes/559

Here are the words of the French song, allegedly written by one armless Henry James, simple deck hand!

Dans mon sac de matelot,
J’ai mis tout ce que j’avais de plus beau
Souvenirs de tous pays,
Bouteille de rhum et de whisky
Une montre et elle ne marche pas,
Ma pipe et mon tabac
J’y ai mis l’harmonica,
Qu’j’avais acheté à Malaga.

Chorus:
Avec mon harmonica
Je souffle, la voilà
L’harmonica, l’harmonica
Pour la gigue et la polka
Ecoutez çà les gars
Faut faire de l’harmonica.

Il m’accompagne partout,
Une chanson prête à chaque trou
Il sait des tas de refrains,
Dont les plus beaux sont de marins
A bord pendant les quarts à bord,
Il fait rêver les gars
Il leur parle de la terre,
De la mer et de leurs amours.

Du temps où j’étais pas manchot,
Je faisais l’amour dans les pays chauds
A une sombre beauté,
Qui ne voulait pas se laisser tenter
Sa peau et son corps étaient noirs,
Mais elle ne voulait rien savoir
Je lui dit que j’étais matelot,
Elle a crié “je suis perdue!”

Celui qu’a composé la chanson,
C’est Henri Jacques matelot de pont
Si elle est à votre goût les gars,
Faut lui payer un coup
Avec sa gueule de trafiquant,
Faut lui rincer les dents
Offrez-lui un pot de tafia,
Je vous jure bien qu’il le boira.

sounds bites:
http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/french/harmonca.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Ud5H-u4UM

play video

Must be closely related to this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-fPx8UIsas

play video

Setting from Open House.

This has traditional roots, with the melody using strathspey timing and titled “Alister McAlister,” printed in John McLachlan - Piper’s Assistant (1854, No. 22, pp. 12-13). In other words, no copyright worries.

Here is that clip from Donal Lunny (and others) of Dennis Doody’s followed by the Tolka Polka:
https://youtu.be/FMJkxbjzgHg

play video

my transcription of Donal Lunny’s version

Soo this separate version-entry of The Green Cottage #1 exists only because Donal Lunny made a memorable arrangement of it. Denis Doody himself recorded it as “The Green Cottage No. 1”, and he played the second part the same note for note (they didn’t even come up with the slurs 😀)

However, Denis Doody wasn’t the only one playing this distinct version of the Green/Glin/Glen Cottage, with the repetitive second part. I guess the best way would be to cross-link the two pages, since they probably won’t be merged, and add relevant ABCs to both.

The Green Cottage No. 1:
https://thesession.org/tunes/559

Denis Doody’s own version of The Green Cottage polka from his 1978 LP, which must have fascinated Donal Lunny & Co. A little nuance that didn’t make it to the ABC is that he added G/F/E instead of GE at the start of the tune when repeating part A.

Fun fact, since Denis apparently recorded that LP on a B/C accordion while playing in C#/D style, the “D-box” fingering for him must’ve been that of F# minor. Someone might double-check me on that, but to me the second polka in the set (in G) clearly sounds as if it’s played in A major fingering.

Julia Clifford and Billy Clifford recorded a similar version of The Green Cottage in the extreme key of A on their Ceol as Sliabh Luachra LP. Watch out for these high “c”s!

https://thesession.org/tunes/559#setting42836

as played by my band sláinte

in A, for Flute

Now there’s a phrase I’ve never heard before.