Rabbit Where’s Your Mammy- Version 1

Rabbit, Where's Your Mammy? 

Rabbit Where's Your Mammy?/See also: Little Rabbit Where's Your Mammy?/LITTLE RABBIT/See also JOHN BROWN’S DREAM

Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina.

ARTIST: From Kuntz

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes

DATE: 1800's "John Brown's Dream" was recorded in 1927 by Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (with calls by Ben Jarrell). The first recording was in 1924 by Fiddlin' Powers and Family. First recorded as "Little Rabbit" by Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers in 1931.

RECORDING INFO: Rounder 0032, Buddy Thomas (Northeast Ky.) "Kitty Puss: Old Time Fiddle Music From Kentucky." County 524, "Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters: 1927 Recordings" (the fiddler for this band is Ben Jarrell). County 713, Cockerham, Jenkins and Jarrell "Down to the Cider Mill." County CD2702, Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham - “Tommy and Fred: Best Fiddle-Banjo Duets” (1992). County CO-CD-2711, Kirk Sutphin - "Old Roots and New Branches" (1994). Document DOCD-8023, Da Costa Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters (reissue). Folkways FA 2492, New Lost City Ramblers "String Band Instrumentals" (1964). Folkways FTS 31041, New Lost City Ramblers "Across the Great Divide." Kicking Mule 203, Art Rosenbaum "The Art of the Mountain Banjo." Marimac 9038, Dan Gellert & Brad Leftwich - "A Moment in Time." Roane Records RR-101, “Cedar Point String Band” (Franklin George et al. Appears as “Harv Brown’s Dream”). “Silvertone 5183B (78 RPPM), Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (1927). Tennvale 003, Pete Parish "Clawhammer Banjo." Tradition Records TLP1007, Hobart Smith "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians" (1956). Jim Taylor – “The Civil War Collection” (1996). Jim Taylor – “The Civil War Album” (1996. Learned from Sheila Adams who had it from Tommy Jarrell and Scot Ainsley). Austen, Seth; and Madeline MacNeil. Ye Banks and Braes, Roots and Branches RBR 002, LP (1981), trk# B.03d; Baugus, Riley (Alvin). Life of Riley, Yodel-Ay-Hee 038, CD (2001), trk# 3; Blevins, G.. Thede, Marion (ed.) / The Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p 53 [1930s] (Give the Fiddler a Dram); Boiled Buzzards. Fine Dining, Marimac 9043, Cas (1991), trk# A.03; 5. Bradley, Hank. Tenino Old Time Music Festival. 1975 - 1976 - 1977, Voyager VRLP 321-S, LP (1978), trk# A.09; 8. Cockerham, Fred. Clawhammer Banjo, County CD 2716/701, CD/ (2002/1966), trk# 9 [1964/10] (Pretty Little Girl); Cockerham, Jarrell and Jenkins. Down to the Cider Mill, County 713, LP (1968), trk# 7; Creed, Kyle; and Fred Cockerham. 1st Annual Brandywine Mountain Music Convention, Heritage (Galax) 006, LP (1975), trk# 9; Crooked Road. Generations, Spencer, CD (2004), trk# 18a; 13. Dry Hill Draggers. 52nd Annual Old Fiddlers Convention Galax, Va 1987, Heritage (Galax) 704, LP (1988), trk# 1; Flat Mountain Girls. Honey Take Your Whiskers Off, Flat Mountain Flat S002, CD (2005), trk# 9; Gellert, Dan; and Brad Leftwich. Moment in Time, Marimac 9038, Cas (1993), trk# A.04; Haas, Brittany. Brittany Haas, Ook CD 001, CD (2004), trk# 13; Heartbeats. Living Black and White, Marimac 9048, Cas (1991), trk# 1; Herald Angels. You've Been a Friend to Me, Herald Angels HA1001, Cas (1994), trk# 3 (Brown's Dream); Holt, Bob. Got a Little Home to Go To, Rounder 0432, CD (1999), trk# 5; Jarrell, Tommy; and Kyle Creed. June Apple, Mountain 302, LP (1972), trk# 8; Jarrell, Tommy. Clawhammer Banjo. Vol 2 [More Clawhammer Banjo], County CD 2717/717, LP (2003/1969), trk# 7; Juggernaut String Band. Greasy Coat, Wildbeest WB 004, LP (198?), trk# 12; Leftwich, Brad. Tribute to Tommy Jarrell, Heritage (Galax) 063, LP (1986), trk# 12; Mates, Tony. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p 94 ; Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Sunday at the Mill, Lark LRLP 3094, LP (1980), trk# A.03; New Lost City Ramblers. String Band Instrumentals, Folkways FA 2492, LP (1964), trk# A.07 New Lost City Ramblers. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p148; Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). Relics and Treasures, June Appal JA 0049, LP (1985), trk# 1 (Brown's Dream); Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). 100 Years Farther On, June Appal JA 0064C, Cas (199?), trk# 7 (Brown's Dream); Pine River Boys with Maybelle. Wild Hog in the Woods, Heritage (Galax) 021 (XXI), LP (1978), trk# B.05; Robic, A; and the Exertions. Old Time Music Dance Party, Flying Fish FF-415, LP (1987), trk# 6c; Rosenbaum, Art (Arthur). Art of the Mountain Banjo, Kicking Mule KM 203, LP (1975), trk# 2.01; Smith, Hobart. Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians, Tradition TR 1007, LP (196?), trk# 9 [1956/07ca]; Smith, Hobart. Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), trk# 1.26 [1959/07ca] (John Brown) ; Smith, Hobart. In Sacred Trust. 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes, Smithsonian SFWCD 40141, CD (2005), 6 [1963/10]; Smith, Ralph Lee. Dulcimer; More Old-Time and Traditional Music, Skyline DD-106, LP (1975), trk# 1; Smokey Valley Boys. Smokey Valley Boys, Rounder 0029, LP (1974), trk# 12; Sutphin, Kirk. Old Roots and New Branches, County CD 2711, CD (1994), trk# 2; Sutphin, Kirk. Masters of the Banjo, Arhoolie CD 421, CD (1994), trk# 4 [1993/11/12]; Woltz, DaCosta;'s Southern Broadcasters. DaCosta Woltz's Southern Broadcasters, County 524, LP (1972), trk# A.01 [1927/05ca]

RECORDING INFO- Little Rabbit: Clarke, Greg. Solo, Clarke GC 1001, CD (2005), trk# 2b; Greene, Richard. Duets, Rounder 0075, LP (1977), trk# 7; Hall, Kenny; and the Sweets Mill String Band. Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band, Vol. 2, Bay 103, LP (1973), trk# 1; High Strung. High Strung, Loose Noose ASM-489, LP (1981), trk# A.04c; Mabus, Joel. Clawhammer, Fossil 491C, Cas (1991), trk# 12; Michael, Walt; & McCreesh, Tom. Dance Like a Wave on the Sea, Front Hall FHR-017, LP (1978), trk# B.03; Old Scratch Band. Old Scratch Band, California Condor CCLP-2, LP (197?), trk# B.04; Paley, Tom. Hard Luck Papa. Old Time Picking Styles & Techniques, Kicking Mule KM 201, LP (1976), trk# 3; Pickin' Around the Cookstove. Pickin' Around the Cookstove, Rounder 0040, LP (1975), trk# 3; Smith, Hobart. Southern Journey. Vol. 6: Sheep, Sheep, Don'tcha Know the Road, Rounder 1706, CD (1997), trk# 3 [1960/04/28] (Devil's Dream); Welling, William B. (Will). Welling, William B. / Welling's Hartford Tunebook, Welling, Fol (1974), p 3a; Whiskey Creek String Band. On the Rocks, Farmers MF 105, LP (1978), trk# B.01

RELATED TO: “Pretty Little Gal,” "Pretty Little Miss," “Johnny Bring the Jug Around the Hill,” "Little Rabbit,” “Red Steer,” ” “Table Mountain Road,” “Stillhouse Branch," “Rabbit Where's Your Mammy?” “Stillhouse Branch”

OTHER NAMES: “Brownlow’s Dream,” "Brown's Dream," “Brownstream,” "Herve Brown's Dream," “Stillhouse Branch,” “Jeff Davis' Dream.”

SOURCES: Sources for lyrics Ceolas; New Lost City Ramblers [Brody]; Kevin Wimmer [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 148. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; pg. 126. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 111. Carlin, Bob. Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p 85a; Cockerham, Fred. Rosenbaum, Art / Old-Time Mountain Banjo, Oak, sof (1968), p62 (Pretty Little Miss); Curley, Clyde. Songer, Susan; & Clyde Curley (eds.) / Portland Collection. Contra..., Portland Collection, Fol (1997), p111; Rosenbaum, Art (Arthur). Rosenbaum, Art / Art of the Mountain Banjo, Centerstream, Fol (1981), p48; Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Appalachian Fiddle, Oak, sof (1973), p66 (Brown's Dream); Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Clawhammer Banjo, Oak, sof (1974), p58 (Brown's Dream); MacNeil, Madeline. Dulcimer Player News, Dulcimer Player News, Ser, 6/3, p21(1980)

SOURCES- Little Rabbit: Brody, David (ed.) / Guitar Pickers Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1984), p 95; Brody, David. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p171; Burke, John. Burke, John / Book of Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Banjo, Amsco, sof (1968), p40; Kaufman, Alan. Kaufman, Alan / Beginning Old-time Fiddle, Oak, sof (1977), p62; Sapoznik, Hank (Henry). Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p 96; Silberberg, Gene. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p115;

NOTES: "Rabbit Where's Yer Mammy" is one of a family of tunes that includes "Brown's Dream,” “Brownstream,” “Herve Brown’s Dream,” “Jimmy Johnson Pass That Jug Around the Hill,” “John Brown's Dream,” ” “Pretty Little Gal ,” “Table Mountain Road” and others.

Kuntz give the following info:

RABBIT, WHERE'S YOUR MAMMY? [1]  AKA and see "Little Rabbit." Old-Time, Breakdown. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Source for notated version: Stuart Williams [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; pg. 192.

RABBIT WHERE'S YOUR MAMMY [2]. AKA and see "Walk Along John to Kansas." USA, Arizona. A Major. AEae tuning. AABB. Some similarities to versions #1 and #3. Source for notated version: Kenner Kartchner (Arizona) via Larry Shumway [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; pg. 193.

RABBIT WHERE'S YOUR MAMMY [3]. Old-Time, Breakdown. D Major. Standard tuning. AABBCC. Some similarities to versions #1 and #2. The version printed in Fiddler Magazine is a contest-fiddling version by Hollis Taylor. Source for notated version: Jimmy Don Bates [Phillips]. Fiddler Magazine, vol. 14, No. 4, 2007; pgs. 32-33. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; pg. 192. Rounder 0437, Noel Scott  – “Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks, vol. 3: Down in the Border Counties.”

Here are the lyrics to Little Rabbit from Kuntz:

Little Rabbit where's your mammy?
Little Rabbit where's your mammy?
I want to see your mammy,
Tell me rabbit where's your mammy?