song id

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

Played this one with a short lived incarnation of one of my bands. The tune stuck with me (probably because it had a long, sweet mandolin kick off). Haven't located the lyrics online yet so I must not have the title.
First line is "Sitting alone in the moonlight...."
Title? Written/performed by? Date?
thanks

rasa

[mandopete]

Just a guess here, but is the the title "Sitting Alone In The Moonlight" by Bill Monroe?

From the MCA 4-disc set discography:

Sitting Alone In The Moonlight (Decca 301780)

Recorded in Nashville - January 19, 1954

Bill Monroe - Mandolin, Lead Vocal
Jimmy Martin #Guitar, Lead Vocal
Rudy Lyle - Banjo
Ernie Newton - Bass
Charlie Cline - Fiddle
Grady Martin - Guitar

Sitting alone in the moonlight
Thinking of the days gone by
Wondering about my darling
I can still hear her saying goodbye

# Oh the moon grows pale as I sit here
# Each little star seems to whisper and say
# Your sweetheart has found another
# And now she's far far away

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

Thanks mandopete, that's probably it. I hadn't checked Mr. Monroe's songs, as I had never heard him do it, and it didn't quite seem like one of his, but oh, well. I did check Mr. Martin's and others but to no avail. The banjo player who brought it with him that night did a couple of verses (A part) and a B part (or chorus). I should be able to get it together from this point! It will be really nice to hear the real thing.

rasa

edit: regarding song arrangement/rearrangement - Often I am not willing to do a song if my band rearranges beyond what I think is the spirit with which it was intended. This conservative streak can and does vary, but esp. some (not necessarily all!) of Mr. Monroe's tunes should not suffer such a fate.

[mandopete]

The most remarkable thing about this song is that there is a bit of an odd chord change in the first part. #The song starts on a G and goes to an F# and then back to a G and then to G7 on the first line.

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

That's what I liked about it, and probably why I didn't think it was a Monroe song. I'll probably be horrified at how different my 16 measure kick off was from Mr. Monroe's. (And after I was so pleased with it!)

rasa

[Moose]

...now THERE(!) was a Bluegrass BAND!!

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

OK Moose. But was it really bluegrass?

[Moose]

..the fish ain't bite'n TODAY! - (hee... hee..).

[mandopete]

Yeah Moose, how on earth could that be a bluegrass band without a cow-bell!



One thing I have always wondered/thought about with this song and the odd chord change. #I wonder if Monroe really wanted a D+ chord instead of F# major? #In many ways D+ (aumented fifth or A# in this case) makes a little more musical sense as a tonic to dominant and back to tonic chord sequence. #The A# in the D+ retains what is the 3rd of F# major chord and you still have the F# (you know, 2 outta 3 ain't bad!).

I discovered this quite by accident one day while noddling with this tune. #I thought the G to F# may have been Monroe's somewhat (no disrespect intended) limited understanding of harmony.

Anyway, thought I would just put it out there...

[Moose]

Wellll, now, jus' throw-it-out... hee.. hee..

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

That's interesting, mandopete.
I hear the melody there as B, to Bb, to B, then down to G. #which would account for the A#. But the D+ would have a C rather than a C# (in the F# chord) which is quite a different sound. Also more efficient to drop to the F#, as if that were a factor with Mr. Monroe's skills. And yet it's amazing how many of the masters were/are totally into efficiency.

rasa

[mandopete]

But the D+ would have a C rather than a C# (in the F# chord) which is quite a different sound.

Actually D+ does not have a C note in it - the chord is spelled D-F#-A#. #Bb = A# as well and since the song is in a sharp key (G major) it's generally accepted practice to use the enharmonic spelling of the sharp key.

(sorry all of the threads about Berklee brought my mind back to Harmony 101)

It's interesting to me that you equate the G to F# chord sequence to "effiency", that may be a strong component of the way Monroe viewed harmony. #Another thing he would do would be to play notes from the root chord (in this case G) over the IV (in this case D) chord. #It's a real signature sound of his and I've never really understood why he did this (but it works).

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

Thanks mandopete, I was wrongly thinking of the aug7, which does have the C in it.

rasa