Show #25: BOB CAREY formerly of The Tarriers
Show #2 of 2
Full Audio & Transcript
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The following interview with Bob Carey, formerly of The Tarriers was broadcast January 21 & 25, 1964 from New York City on worldwide short-wave radio. This historic radio interview was transmitted from the studios of Radio New York Worldwide on the show Folk Music Worldwide hosted by newsman Alan Wasser. This is show #2 of 2 with Bob Carey. The first interview can be found here.
Featuring folk songs by The Tarriers, "The Banana Boat Song"; "Tom Dooley"; "Jordan's River"; and "Seven Daffodils". Transcript includes full song lyrics.
Listen to the Show 
(24:43)
Transcript:
MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): Here is Radio New York Folk Music Worldwide, a program devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world. Showcasing the top performers and authorities in the field. Now your host for Folk Music Worldwide, Alan Wasser.
ALAN WASSER (HOST): Hello and welcome again to Folk Music Worldwide. With us again is Bob Carey of The Tarriers. He was in for the last show we did.
On that last show, we played all music from the new record that Bob's coming out with by himself. When we finished, we realized we hadn't had any time to play any of the music that he had been doing with The Tarriers, a group he was, well I guess, a lead singer of for quite a while until he left them.
So I talked him into coming back again and doing another show all based on Tarriers music. Bob, perhaps you might want to start off the interview by telling our listeners how The Tarriers really got their start.
BOB CAREY (GUEST): The Tarriers really got their start with a hit record, believe it or not.
ALAN: That's the best possible way to get a start.
BOB CAREY: Yeah. The Song was called "The Banana Boat Song", not to be confused with Belafonte's "Day-O". They're two different songs about the same idea but they are two different songs.
Our song, "The Banana Boat Song", took off first, and Belafonte's "Day-O" came after our song, and that started The Tarriers off with Erik Darling, and Alan Arkin, and myself.
ALAN: Well, it would seem highly appropriate and thoroughly contrived that we happen to have "The Banana Boat Song" on the turntable and ready to go now. So, here is The Tarriers with their first big hit record, "The Banana Boat Song".
[Song Performance: "The Banana Boat Song", The Tarriers]
Lyrics:
Hill and gully rider
Hill and gully
Hill and gully rider
Hill and gullyHill and gully rider
Hill and gully
Hill and gully rider
Hill and gullyDay-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go home
Day-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go homeWell, I load de banana boats all night long
Day de light and I wanna go home
Hey, all of the workmen sing this song
Day de light and I wanna go homeDay-o, day-o,
Day de light
And I wanna go home
Day-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go homeWell, I sleep by sun
And I work by moon
Day de light and I wanna go homeI hope to tell you when I get some money
Gonna quit so soon
Day de light and I wanna go homeDay-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go home
Day-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go homeDay-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go home
Day-o, day-o
Sing me
Day de light
And I wanna go homeWell, I pack up all my things and I'll go to sea
Day de light and I wanna go homeOh, den de bananas see the last of me
Day de light and I wanna go home
Sing meDay-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go home
Day-o, day-o
Day de light
And I wanna go homeHill and gully rider
Hill and gully
Hill and gully rider
Hill and gully
Hill and gully rider
Hill and gully.
(end of music)
ALAN: "The Banana Boat" song done by The Tarriers, their first big hit. Bob, now, that's not you on the lead in that song, right?
BOB CAREY: No, I'm singing way up top there and I'll never hit those notes again. Never in a million years.
ALAN: Who is leading? Alan Arkin?
BOB CAREY: Alan Arkin, yes.
ALAN: And who is the banjo?
BOB CAREY: Erik Darling and he's singing second tenor.
ALAN: Now, at that time that was the three of you.
BOB CAREY: That was the three of us, yes.
ALAN: The group later changed personnel...
BOB CAREY: Oh, it changed a lot. I was going to say "a heck of a lot."
ALAN: Don't say "a heck of a lot." We're not allowed to say that on the air.
BOB CAREY: Okay, yeah, it did change. Erik left …Eric left and joined The Weavers, and we asked Weissberg, Eric Weissberg to come in and join us, and then there was Clarence Cooper, myself and Eric Weissberg, and after that, there were more changes. Marshall Brickman came into the group and made it a quartet instead of a trio. Then I left The Tarriers, so now they're remaining a trio.
ALAN: Now with...
BOB CAREY: With none of the original. With Clarence Cooper, Eric Weissberg, and Marshall Brickman.
ALAN: In other words, totally new...
BOB CAREY: Totally different, totally new.
ALAN: Well, let's go back and hear them before we lose them completely. Why don't we here one more song from that first record. By the way, that Banana Boat Song was on Glory Records album.
BOB CAREY: Yes. Glory Records.
ALAN: What was the title of that?
BOB CAREY: It was called "The Tarriers". It was a... it came out right after "The Banana Boat Song", and the company just put it out called The Tarriers on Glory Records.
ALAN: Would you recommend one other song from that first record, that first album of The Tarriers that we might want to hear?
BOB CAREY: Yeah. I think it's sort of a little historical interest that we can have right now. A song called "Tom Dooley", which we recorded back in 1957, a couple of years ago.
The Kingston Trio, … and "Tom Dooley" started The Kingston Trio ... They came out with a record called "Tom Dooley", and that was the start of The Kingston trio. And our "Tom Dooley" was recorded at least four years before they recorded it.
ALAN: Well, let's hear then the original "Tom Dooley", by The Tarriers. Well, not the original because I guess it goes back several hundred years. The Tarriers’ record that beat the Kingston Trio. "Tom Dooley".
[Song Performance: "Tom Dooley", The Tarriers]
Lyrics:
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to dieI met her on the mountain, there I took her life
Met her on the mountain, stabbed her with my knifeHang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to dieThis time tomorrow I reckon where I'll be
Hadn't-a been for Sheriff Grayson I'd be in TennesseeHang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to dieThis time tomorrow I reckon where I'll be
Down in some lonesome valley hangin' from a white oak treeHang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to dieHang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to dieHang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die.
(end of music)
ALAN: Is "Tom Dooley" really a true story, Bob?
BOB CAREY: I looked it up in couple of books, and the name was Tom Dula, D-U-L-A, and he was a man, he was a Negro man being chased by the law for a murder he was supposed to have committed. And this is a true story.
ALAN: Where did it take place?
BOB CAREY: In The West Virginia Hills. Hills are in West Virginia, oh gee whiz, I couldn't tell exactly, but it's in that hill area down there, in the mountains.
ALAN: Well, on this recording we just heard, you are doing the lead.
BOB CAREY: Yes, I am.
ALAN: And this one still had Alan Arkin and...
BOB CAREY: And Erik Darling on it. Yes.
ALAN: Now, the next recording you made, as I understand, was with Atlantic Records.
BOB CAREY: Yes, it was.
ALAN: Now, by that time, had the group started to change?
BOB CAREY: Yes. [laughter] We were very lucky. On the merits of the Banana Boat Song, we were invited to Europe and we played in Paris and Switzerland and Germany and in England.
And while we were in Europe, Alan Arkin decided that he wanted to leave, and so we replaced Alan with Clarence Cooper. When we got back to the States, The Tarriers were connected with a Calypso era, even though we only knew about two or three songs. We were the Calypso act that we were headlining Calypso shows, and it was completely ridiculous.
Eric Darling then left the Tarriers to join The Weavers when Seeger left The Weavers. Eric Darling was asked, we were handled by the same manger, and he was asked to come in and fill in for The Weavers. They had a lot of concert dates, and Erik left The Tarriers and joined The Weavers.
ALAN: Let me interrupt just for one second. Some of our listeners may know the old-time ones. That theme music you hear at the opening and closing of the show every week is The Weavers with Pete Seeger before he left and Erik Darling took over. So it is a kind of transition of personalities in groups is quite common.
BOB CAREY: Yes, it is. On the Atlantic record, we have Eric Weissberg, who is a Juilliard student and is major at Juilliard. Juilliard is a very fine music school here in New York City.
He was a bass player, believe it or not, and the banjo was just sort of a side hobby to him, but he really can play the banjo pretty well. And myself, Eric, and Clarence Cooper are on this Atlantic Record.
ALAN: Well, why don't we take a listen to one of the songs on that Atlantic Record and get an idea of how The Tarriers sounded after that first set of changes. What would be a good sample song?
BOB CAREY: "Jordan's River". It's a nice up-tempo spiritual-type song. I think you'll enjoy it.
ALAN: All right. Let's hear "Jordan's River" as done by the second edition of The Tarriers.
[Song Performance: "Jordan's River", The Tarriers]
Lyrics:
We are crossing Jordan's River
I want my crown, my golden crown
Yes, we are crossing Jordan's River
Give me my crown, my golden crownJordan River is chilly and cold
It chills the body, but not the soul
We are crossing Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crownNow, when I get to Heaven
I'm going to sit down on my golden throne
Well, when I get to Heaven
I'm going to sit down on my golden throneJordan River is chilly and cold
It chills the body, but not the soul
We are crossing Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crownWe are climbing Jacob's ladder
I want my crown, my golden crown
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
I want my crown, my golden crownJordan River is chilly and cold
Chills the body, but not the soul
We are crossing that Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crownAll you sinners, get together
and follow me, yeah, follow me
All you sinners, men and women, get together
and follow me, and follow meJordan River is chilly and cold
It chills the body but not the soul
We are crossing Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crownWe are crossing Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crown
We are crossing that Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crownJordan River is chilly and cold
It chills the body but not the soul
We are crossing Jordan River
I want my crown, my golden crown
(end of music)
ALAN: "Jordan's River". Done by The Tarriers. I like that.
BOB CAREY: Yeah. It's a nice song.
ALAN: That's a great one. Well, if we're going to get in a commercial here...
BOB CAREY: Please do.
ALAN: Yeah. Why don't we take a break for it at the moment? We'll be right back with Bob Carey on Folk Music Worldwide in just one moment.
[Pause for Commercial Break]
ALAN: All right. This is Alan Wasser again, back on Folk Music Worldwide with Bob Carey of The Tarriers.
Bob, let me take a break here just for a moment to make another request that our listeners write in. The only way we can prove to anybody who cares that there is anyone out there listening is by showing the mail we get. We get quite a bit but nowhere near enough.
So please, just sit down and write us a little letter saying you heard Folk Music Worldwide and tell us whether you like it or not, what you'd like to hear on it, any changes you'd suggest. Less of the silly conversation or more good music or something, or more silly conversation and less good music, depending on your point of view.
Send a letter in to me, Alan Wasser, or just to the show, Folk Music Worldwide, at Radio New York Worldwide, 4 West 58th Street, New York 19, New York. If you missed that address, Mel Bernam will give it to you again at the very end of the show. So have your pencil and paper ready because I know you want to write in.
Bob, that comment, - I think our conversation has been a little bit on a silly side so far, and why don't we go back to a nice... music is the best part of the show. So why don't we do more music? What would you recommend for another record from that album?
BOB CAREY: I'd like to do sort of a ballad now. This ballad is called "Seven Daffodils", and Lee Hays of The Weavers wrote this song in conjunction with his sister.
His sister lives down in Arkansas somewhere and she's a very, very funny woman. She likes to write poetry and she likes to write songs, and Lee and his sister got together and wrote this very, very beautiful song called "Seven Daffodils".
[Song Performance: "Seven Daffodils", The Tarriers]
Lyrics:
I do not have a mansion, and I haven't any land,
Not even one dollar to crinkle in my hand.
And I can show you morning on a thousand hills,
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.I do not have a fortune to buy you pretty things,
But I can weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings,
And I can show you morning on a thousand hills,
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.Seven golden daffodils, all shining in the sun,
To light the way of evening, when our day is done.
And I will give you music, and a crust of bread,
A pillow of piny boughs to rest your head.
I will give you music, and a crust of bread,
A pillow of piny boughs to rest your head.I do not have a fortune, I haven't any land
Not even one dollar to crinkle in my hand.
but I can show you morning on a thousand hills,
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.
I'll kiss you and give you seven daffodils.
Seven daffodils.
(end of music)
ALAN: Bob, that's a lovely song to end on.
BOB CAREY: Thank you.
ALAN: That's really great.
BOB CAREY: It's a pretty song, Alan.
ALAN: Just before we finish, I want to establish something the people who heard our last show will remember, that Bob Carey has now left The Tarriers and is now on his own. Bob, what are you going to be doing now?
BOB CAREY: Well, Alan, next week, I'll be going up to Toronto, up to a club up in Toronto, Canada. It's a long trip and I'm looking forward to it. Then I'm going out to Cleveland, Ohio, a club out in Cleveland, and probably out to Chicago area.
ALAN: Well, fine. Any of our listeners have a chance. Why don't you try and catch Bob Carey if he comes in to your area? And until next week, this has been Folk Music Worldwide, Alan Wasser.
MEL BERNAM (ANNOUNCER): This has been Folk Music Worldwide. Devoted to the best in folk music throughout the world, spotlighting top performers and authorities in the field. If you have any suggestions, requests or comments, why not write in to Folk Music Worldwide, Radio New York, WRUL, New York City 19, USA.
This has been a Music Worldwide presentation of Radio New York Worldwide.
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