Nic Jones From The Devil To A Stranger Rar

10 min readJun 1, 2021

Subject: RE: From the Devil to a Stranger (Nic Jones LP) From: Steve Shaw Date: 06 Jun 20–06:49 AM It’s one of those that has been long-entrapped by Dave Bulmer, and, more latterly (presumably), by his heirs.

The all acoustic “Penguin Eggs,” the final album from British folk musician Nic Jones (Jones was never able to play after being in a car crash in 1982, two years after this record’s release), is a collection of mostly traditional British and Irish folk songs that is a warm, honest and beautiful record whose charms simply transcend time.
Trailer also issued his following albums Nic Jones (1971) and the much later Noah Ark’s Trap (1977) and From the Devil a Stranger (1978), while throughout the decade, Jones had established himself as one of the British folk revival’s most acclaimed artists, and one of the scene’s most sought after solo performers.

>Nic Jones >Songs >The Green Mossy Banks of the Lea

[Roud 987 ; Laws O15 ; Ballad Index LO15 ; VWML GB/7a/4C ; Bodleian Roud 987 ; Wiltshire 327 , 1085 ; trad.]

Emily Sparkes sang a fragment of Green Mossy Banks of the Leain a recording made in Rattlesden in 1958/59 on the 1993 Veteran anthologyof traditional music making from Mid-Suffolk,Many a Good Horseman.John Howson commented:

Another courting ballad, which seems to have originated in the 1820s and aspublished by many broadside printers. It was often noted down in England,North America and Ireland but rarely in Scotland. In East Anglia it wascollected widely by Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth and E.J. Moeran.In Norfolk it was noted from James Landamore at Wroxham (1910),George Locke at Rollesby (1910), Walter Gales at Sutton (1921)and a recording was made of Harry Cox of Catfield singing the song which can beheard on The Bonny Labouring Boy(1967). In Cambridgeshire, Cecil Sharp got it from Tom Ison at Ely (1911)and in Essex a Mr Bloomfield sang it to Vaughan Williams at Herongate (1904)and Fred Hamer recorded it from Harry Green of Tilty (1967). The latterfeatured on the cassette VT135, which will eventually be re-released on CD.In Suffolk the only other recording is that of Jumbo Brightwell on the nowdeleted LPSongs from the Eel’s Foot(1975).

Tom Willett sang another fragment of Green Mossy Banks of the Leeto Ken Stubbs in ca. 1960. This recording was included in 2013 on theWillett Family’s Forest Tracks anthology,A-Swinging Down the Lane,and on their Musical Traditions anthologyAdieu to Old England.Rod Stradling commented in the latter’s booklet:

Except for two Irish and a handful of North American sightings, this is anEnglish song with 153 Roud entries, including 30 sound recordings. Thereseems to be a difference of opinion among scholars as to whether the songis Irish or English in origin, and to whether the river is the Lea or Lee.It has certainly been sung in both countries; Lucy Broadwood described it as“astonishingly popular among country singers”.One Canadian version titles it The American Stranger,from its first line — but that’s a different song (Roud 1081).

Harry Brazil sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leain his caravan in Gloucester to Peter Shepheard on 1 October 1967.And Danny Brazil sang it Staverton, Gloucestershire to Gwilym Davies on 30 September 1977. Both recordings were included in 2007on the Brazil Family’s Musical Tradition anthologyDown By the Old Riverside.

Harry Cox sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leain a recording made by Sheila Park in 1967 that was included in 2000 on hisTopic anthology of traditional songs and tunes from a Norfolk farm worker,The Bonny Labouring Boy.Steve Roud commented in the CD’s booklet:

Nic Jones From The Devil To A Stranger Rar

Nic jones from the devil to a stranger rare

A popular song with English singers, where over thirty traditional versionsare known to have been collected, and also in Canada, but few in the UnitedStates. Many of the 19th century broadsides produced printed versions, and itwould seem to have originated in the 1820s. It has a rather uneventfulstory-line, in which the lover has plenty of money so the parent does notobject, and texts do not vary a great deal from version to version.

A third Harry, Harry Green of Tilty, sang Green Mossy Banks of the Leain a 1967 Fred Hamer recording that was included in 2010 on the Veteran CDof traditional singers from Essex,The Fox & the Hare.John Howson commented:

This is a fragment of a ballad Harry remembered being sung in the Bell atGreat Easton, by visiting steam engine drivers who were working on the harvest.It seems to date back to the 1820s and became popular in England, North Americaand Ireland where it is suggested that it originated. In the eastern counties,during the early twentieth century, collectors such as Ralph Vaughan Williams,George Butterworth, E.J Moeran and Cecil Sharp found it widely sung. In Essexa Mr Broomfield of Herongate, near East Horndon, sang it to Vaughan Williams in1904. Other recordings from East Anglia include Harry Cox of Catfield, Norfolk,with a much fuller version, and a two verse fragment from Emily Sparkes ofRattlesden, Suffolk.

Jumbo Brightwell sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leain 1975 on his Topic LP of traditional songs and ballads from Suffolk,Songs from the Eel’s Foot.

Vin Garbutt sang Green Mossy Banks of the Leaon his 1976 Trailer albumKing Gooden.

Frank Hinchliffe sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leaat his home in July 1976 in a recording by Mike Yates and Ruairidh &Alvina Greig. This was issued in 1977 on his Topic LPIn Sheffield Park: Traditional Songs from South Yorkshireand in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology of song and music from theMike Yates Collection,Up in the North and Down in the South.

Nic Jones sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leaon his 1978 Transatlantic albumFrom the Devil to a Stranger.

Mick Bisiker sang Mossy Green Banks of the Leain 1991 on his Fellside CDHome Again.

Steve Turner sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leaon his 2016 Tradition Bearers CDSpirit of the Game.He noted:

I took a liking to the blissful and idyllic sentiments expressed in thissong. It just about sums up what would happen in an ideal world. The initial courtship goes perfectly to plan, however then comes the logisticalproblem of deciding to build a mansion to accommodate the happy couple, whichmight have been the done thing in those days, and it is accomplished withoutany hitches or cowboy builders or further comment and does not seem to bein any way out of the ordinary! The song has travelled across the Atlanticand back and is sung to several different tunes. This one is another variant,and a cousin of theBanks of the Bann.

John Kirkpatrick sang The Green Mossy Banks of the Leaon his 2017 Fledg’ling CDCoat-Tails Flying,where he noted:

George Butterworth noted this down in 1908 from Mr Lockly, theeighty-year-old sexton at High Ercall in Shropshire. I first came across itin a selection of the collector’s songs called The Ploughboy’s Glory,edited by Michael Dawney and published by the EFDSS in 1977. It is alsoincluded inThe New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs,edited by Steve Roud and Julia Bishop in 2012.

As a traditional song it has turned up on the lips of no end of singers,as well as frequently appearing on printed ballad sheets. The words don’t varyenormously from singer to singer, but the tunes certainly do and are nearlyalways different. On referring back to the source material, I see that I haveunwittingly pushed the tune some distance away from the way I found it, but theglorious slithering from minor to major and back again is there in the original.

Considering the fact that versions of this song have turned up all over theSouthern half of England, it’s interesting to note that the country has onlyone River Lee. The source is near Luton in Bedfordshire, and it runssouth-eastwards through Hertfordshire, Essex and East London till it joins theThames near the Blackwall Tunnel. By which time, one imagines, green mossybanks are in very short supply. There is a River Lee in County Cork in Ireland,which may well beast greener and mossier banks, but the song is more or lessunknown over there.

High Ercall (pronounced Arkle) is seven miles north of Shrewsbury.It was previously known as Ercall Magna, and although there is no equivalentLow Ercall, there is Child’s Ercall, previously known as Ercall Parva, andLittle Ercall, six miles away. Both places are mentioned on the Domesday Book.High Ercall is obviously a hotbed of musical activity, as there is an accountof the locals dancing very long complicated dances there on the village greenin 1686.

Compare to thisBanks of the Bannas sung by A.L. Lloyd onThe Best of A.L. Lloydand by Shirley Collins onNo Roses.

Lyrics

Emily Sparkes sings Green Mossy Banks of Lea

When presently up came a farmer,
I plucked up my spirits once more.
Said I, ‘Sir is this your fair daughter?
This beautiful girl I adore.

“Ten thousand a year is my fortune —
A lady your daughter shall be,
And ride in a carriage and horses,
On the green mossy banks of the lea.”

Harry Green sings Green Mossy Banks of the Lea

It’s first in this country a ranger, (stranger?)
Curiosity caused me for to roam,
And there I beheld a fair damsel,
And I wished in my heart she was mine.

How I waited until up came her father,
Plucked up my spirits once more,
Saying, “If this be your daughter Matilda,
She’s the beautifulest girl I adore.

“Ten thousand a year is my fortune,
And a lady your daughter shall be,
She shall ride on that carriage and horses,
On the Green Mossy Banks of the Lea.”

Nic Jones sings The Green Mossy Banks of the Lea

When first in this country a stranger
Curiosity caused me to roam;
Over Europe I resolved to be a ranger
When I left Philadelphia, my home.

We quickly sailed over to England
Where forms of great beauty do shine;
And there I espied a young woman
And I wished in my heart that she was mine.

Oh it’s there I did spy this young woman,
She appeared like some goddess to me.
As she rose from the reeds by the water
On the green mossy banks of the Lea.

I stepped up and wished her good morning
And her cheeks, well, they did blush like the rose.
Says I, “How the river looks charming
And your guardian I’ll be if you choose.”

Says she, “Sir, I ne’er want a guardian;
Young man, you are a stranger to me.
And yonder’s my father a-coming
O’er the green mossy banks of the Lea.”

Well I waited until up come her father,
Saying, “Your daughter, a lady she’ll be.
She’ll ride in a carriage and horses
O’er the green mossy banks of the Lea.”

They invited me home to their cottage
And soon after this lady she was mine;
And there I built a fine castle
In grandeur and splendour to shine.

So now this American stranger,
All pastime and leisure he can see.
He can live with his gentle young woman
On the green mossy banks of the Lea.

So it’s all you young women, attention,
No matter how poor you may be:
Just you think on that gentle young woman
On the green mossy banks of the Lea.