Red Wing's children

It is about this time (well usually about 2 weeks ago) in the semester that I see a shiny new research area, go to my esteemed advisor, and ask him if I can change my research topic for whatever class of his I'm enrolled in that particular iteration.  I really didn't have that this semester (perhaps constricted subject areas?)  But I did find a shiny new topic, and knowing that 1) I can post my limited findings here, 2) it can be addressed in the [hopefully] forthcoming dissertation, and 3) I did mention parts of this in my Music Appreciation class today, made it easier to not focus upon for too long (and essentially this helps get it out of my system for the moment).

Recently I've asked myself multiple times a question (I'm sure others ask this): What does it take to make a song become a "traditional" "folk" tune. 

We see Stephen Foster tunes adopted by American roots musicians all the time now (link to my favorite Foster tune, favorite arrangement).  So how long do we have to wait before a tune becomes traditional, so engrained the American musical ear that it is known by all as being from our folk?  I proposed to my class today that Tin Pan Alley tunes are beginning to reach that level of ubiquity that they will soon be categorized as not just those old songs from the 1900s/10s/20s, but the era in which they were written will soon all but disappears.  I have one work to substantiate my claim.

I'm fascinated by the various incarnations of a tune by Kerry Mills entitled "Red Wing," one of the most popular Tin Pan Alley tunes of 1907.  (Go here for: sheet music, wax cylinder from 1907, piano roll- scroll down to bottom of page.)

I have utilized this work as part of my Indianist studies and plan to research it more extensively for my [hopefully] dissertation topic of Native American themes in early 20th century popular musical mediums.  I've always been a fan of the song; it seems to be engrained in my musical memory for as long as I can remember.  And most of the time, when I play the work for people, they immediately know the tune.  Music majors have some familiarity with it, as do undergraduate freshmen (at least 10 out of 25 acknowledged they knew this tune today).  So the question then is why?!   

Yesterday morning, as I was getting ready to head to campus, I heard the chorus of "Red Wing" playing on the local ice cream truck.  I nearly had a coronary because I had no idea it was that common- I've never heard it before in that context.
 

So I have begun a search for the "children" of Red Wing, the next generation of this tune.  Who's playing it, in what style, in what environment.

A youtube search can illuminate countless versions of this song. 

Below, I'm hyperlinking some of the more intriguing "covers" I've uncovered.

I initially found these two versions on my first research pass- original method of delivery and common delivery today.

But here are some of the other more interesting other versions:

a grandmother performing one arrangement

"Concert roller organ"

Chet Atkins

on the Laurence Welk show

Carousel recording (half way down page as "Pretty Red Wing")

Ice Cream truck (click on the title "Melted Drumstick Melancholy"-- not the version though I heard yesterday)

You can find countless more performances on youtube by a wide variety of musicians in tons of combinations of banjo, hammer dulcimer, guitar, piano, etc etc.  I like how many of them state that this is an "old western fiddle tune" from the 1880s-1890s.  They say so matter of factly.  Sorry people.  First copyright (as far as I can tell) is 1907. 

Also, it appears that Woody Guthrie utilized the tune for contrafacta- Red Wing became the Union Maid song (which also explains why many western swing performers have changed her to be a "union maid" and not "indian maid"- I thought it just was to give an air of Civil War nostalgia).

I think there's a lot more "unpacking" to be done.  Many more incarnates to run across.  Anyone heard of other versions they particularly enjoyed?