Key signature: Edorian
Submitted on August 18th 2004 by Miss Lonelyhearts.
This tune has been added to 93 tunebooks.
Also known as The Old Grey Cat, The Smuggler's.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Old Grey Cat
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|:b2 e2 E3 F|GFGA BABc|d2 d2 D3 E|FAdB AFED|
E2 e2 E3 F|GFGA BABc|dcBA BAGF|E4 e2 z2:|
|:B2 e2 e3 d|Bdef gfed|A2 d2 d3 B|ABde fedf|
e2 B2 g2 B2|a2 B2 b3 a|gfed BABd|e4 e2 z2:|
The Old Grey Cat
We used to play this tune at our session, a favorite of one of our whistle players who travelled 70 miles one way to make our session. He's been busy lately and not making the trip, so the tune fell off our radar. Just last month, another whistler showed up, and this was in his bag of tunes, so we've resurrected it.
Works well slow or up tempo. On fiddle, I hold both the high b and the e of the opening bar with my fourth finger, making it easier to get across the strings to the low E. It's also nice to double up the high e in the last bar of each part with the open e string and fourth finger on the 2nd string e for a fuller sound.
Background info on the tune would be much appreciated.
# Posted on August 18th 2004 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Scottish - Kerr's Merry Melodies?
If my brain isn't misfiring. It is a popular contra dance tune all across North America, where they do that sort of dancin'...
# Posted on August 18th 2004 by ceolachan
Yep, it really starts on that high b. I've heard other versions that start on the e, but I like the prickly, annoyed-cat feel the high b gives....
# Posted on August 18th 2004 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Goes with...
Can I recommend Leggat's Reel as a partner for the old grey cat. I remember George Faux playing this set on an excellent cassette.
# Posted on August 18th 2004 by Llanman
Never heard of Leggat's...how's it go?
# Posted on August 18th 2004 by Miss Lonelyhearts
Sorry - I should have said legget's reel not leggat's reel - also known as The Boys of Ballycastle which is in the database
# Posted on August 20th 2004 by Llanman
there's a well established accordian set that goes from this into flowers of edinburgh and back again. great for the dancers.
# Posted on August 21st 2004 by Dont
A.k.a. The Smuggler's reel
The transcription below is the version we play at the Cape Town session. It's nearly like the version recorded by Mary Custy, who plays it a semi-tone up in F dorian.
X:1
T:Smuggler's Reel, The
R:reel
K:Edor
e2e2 E3F|GFGA BABc|d2d2 D3E|ADFA dA (3Bcd|
e2e2 E3F|GFGA BABc|dBcA BAFG|~E3D E4:|
|:Beed ~e3f|geaf gfed|Bddc d3e|fdaf gfed|
eB~B2 gB~B2|aB~B2 bB~B2|gfed BA (3Bcd|egfd e4:|
# Posted on December 6th 2004 by Q
3 X "The Flowers of Edinburgh" || 3 X "The Old Grey Cat" ||
W.F. Cameron recorded this set, referred to previously by 'Dont', sometime in 1910, London, the track/recording merely called "Flowers of Edinburgh". Topic records did a compilation, also available in CD, TSCD601, called "Melodeon Greats: A Collection of Melodeon Masterpieces", recommended, and this particular recording is track 2 of that compilation, with "The Old Grey Cat" beginning:
|: e2 e2 E3 F | ~
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by ceolachan
"The Old Grey Cat" ~ scratchin' up the furniture
|: B^d |
"Em" e2 e2 E3 F | GFGA B^ABc | "D" d2 d2 D3 E | FAdB AFE^D |
"Em" E2 e2 E3 F | G3 A B^ABc | "D" dcBA BAGF | "Em" G2 E2 E2 :|
|: (3FGA |
"Em" B2 e2 e3 d | (3Bcd ef gfed | "D" A d3 d2 B2 | ABde fedB |
"Em" e2 B2 "G" g2 B2 | "A" a2 B2 "B7" b3 a | "Em" gfed "B7" B^AB^d | "Em" e4 e2 :|
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by ceolachan
I remember a man called Tammy Blackhall who lived in or near Falkirk, a melodeon player, and I associate him somehow with this tune though I can't precisely remember him playing it. As I was a beginner on box at the time I didn't play the tune, which is difficult - certainly in the "Kerr's Merry Melodies" setting, one that is different from the sheet music. I'll have to look out my Kerr tunebooks and find and try this one again.
# Posted on September 8th 2006 by nicholas