Johnny Cope

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:05 pm

....Ryth Buzzy (sp?)

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:59 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:....Ryth Buzzy (sp?)

Well, it's "Ruth" in English.

Ruth Buzzi. That's me - a female curmudgeon.

Susan

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:02 am

So, uh, Susan....thinking about taking the step into the dark side? Hmmmm? You know you want to. It'll be loads of fun with plenty of 'friendly' pipers on this page to chat with and help you out.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:09 am

My introduction to the Uilleann Pipes were the chieftains, #7 to be precise. But Planxty's 'Cold Blow and the Rainy Night' pushed me over the edge....and I've have been falling ever since...I sure hope it doesn't hurt when I land!

Johnny Cope absolutely mesmerized me when I first heard it. But as I didn't have a set of UPs at the time, I had to learn it on the GHB, in addition to the fiddle and whistle. Even though those instruments satisfied some of the itch, they couldn't scratch all of it. Johnny Cope is next on my list of hornpipes to learn....right after the Belfast (...and faster) Hornpipe.

wolvy · Post by **wolvy** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:28 am

Yes I agree. Liam's playing on Johnny Cope is hypnotic.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:34 am

I first heard it back in 1984-5 (I think...), and it hasn't lost its effect on me yet. In fact, that entire album seems to get better each time I grace my turntable with it.

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:46 am

I fell in love with the LOF rendition also, but I never got around to learning the tune until ( I think ) Mick O'Brien did a whistle version on May Morning Dew. It's a fairly obscure tune around these parts.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:12 am

Johnny Cope has always been one of the most sastisying pipe tunes. I first learned it from the playing of O'Flynn and could never let it rest.

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:21 am

Yeah it's obscure. That's not a bad thing though. Try playing this little beauty at a session and see how long it takes for everyone to get up and go to the bar. Best leave it for solo performances or as a party piece. I like the tune very well but it has its place. In the right circumstances and with the right audience it can be magic.

feadogin · Post by **feadogin** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:19 am

It's actually played regularly at a session here in S.F. I don't know what that says about the people here...

I believe Ronan Browne also plays it on a Cran recording..."Music From the Edge of the World" or something like that.

Does anyone know what the song lyrics are about? Was it an actual historical event?

Justine

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 4:51 am

Yes, it is based on an historical event....gotta go check my Scottish History books to get the details...hang on.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 5:01 am

Ah, yes. The battle of Prestopans, 21st Setember, 1745. Sir John Cope's government forces were soundly beaten within 5 minutes by the Highland army... at roughly 6:40am or so. Pretty quick work lads.

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 8:26 am

feadogin wrote:It's actually played regularly at a session here in S.F. I don't know what that says about the people here...

It doesn't say anything bad about them at all

If they like the tune and try to do it some justice, good for them.

Ronan can play whatever he likes on his CDs, I'm sure his version of Johnny Cope is top shelf.

As for playing this tune in a rough and tumble south side Chicago session? Maybe that's not the best time, there's a lot of music going on there that has nothing to do with General Cope.

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 5:57 pm

On the website of the Paris Uilleann Pipe Club, someone already mentioned, among a lot of other tunes, you can find on this page a score ("partition" in french) and two MP3 of Johnny Cope (D and B versions) played by Marc Guilloux.

Q · Post by Q » Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:31 am

I first heard this tune played by Mick O'Brien on an A whistle (with piano, bizarrely), and was so enthralled by it that I spent the better part of a month learning it (yes a month... my ear wasn't very good at the time).

When my wooden flute arrived in April, it was the first tune I imported from the whistle, and even though I cringe and shudder when I hear its wonky rhythm and mutant groove I can't help but remember that I was damn proud of meself when I made this recording for the Mighty Craic project:

http://www.tiscali.co.za/ente/johnnycope.mp3

Feel free to point and laugh

Thanks mightily for this thread, btw. I've lost count of the number of times I've argued with fellow sessioneers about this tune, its history and its different incarnations.

"It's Johnny Cope, I tells yer" - "No, it bloody well ain't! Johnny Cope is a traditional Scottish song about a craven Anglic general, and that ain't it!"
- "Actually, it's a song by Planxty, so it must be Irish" - "No, you're all wrong, it's a hornpipe in A" - "A? No it ruddy well isn't, it's in D"

etc.

Oral traditions, eh?