Baton Rose: Banjos and Washboards and Fiddles, oh my!

[Creeper Jen]

Hey!  As this board is still relatively newish (at least in this incarnation), and I'm sort of a tertiary, I feel a little funny about starting a topic.  It's sort of like I'm afraid Nellie's going to give me a shove and tell me she wants to play "Ring Around the Rosie" instead of "Uncle John."  But here goes...

 

The last episode I got to watch in toto was "To See the World," the one where Johnny Johnson tags along with Mr. Edwards, and Mr. E. forgoes his Winchester '73 in order to buy out Miss Mimi and get Johnny to go back to Walnut Grove.  I was struck by how funny and ham-fisted and obvious some of David Rose's musical cues and themes are - and I mean that as a compliment, in general.  Does anyone know how he wrote scores for the shows?  Do they sit down with the finished show and a piano and just crank something out, and then dash it off to the orchestra for recording?  I realize we hear some of the same themes over and over again, but I wouldn't know what to call them or how to describe them ("you know, that one theme that goes doo-da-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo-dooooo?  Yeah, THAT one.").

 

But there was this one he used whenever something sneaky or underhanded, but still comical was happening.  I can hear it in my head, but I can't point to a specific scene where it was used.  Then there was the one whenever there was a working/thinking very hard montage, the same one that played from the music box Laura stole from Nellie (dum-DUM-dum-dum-DUM-dum).  Or whenever they wanted to show how homespun or countrified someone was he would use a wailing harmonica - like when we sue Luke Simms' bare feet, or when Laura dirties up and dons a gunny sack in order to try and get someone to buy their luh-rin-guddis medicine.  And then whenever there was a fancy lady on the make he would use a variation on his famous "The Stripper" composition.  

You guys know what I mean?  Anybody got any other favorite moments of musical mayhem from the show?

[babyhouseman]

On TWOP, they would call Michael Landon playing the violin "pit fiddling".

[DoughGirl]

One that I like is after Nelly and Laura have the mud fight over Laura's teaching exam. Nellie is sitting there covered in mud watching Laura drive away with Almanzo and they play a jazzed up strain of "Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie".

Edited because is it Nelly or Nellie?

Edited May 9, 2014 by DoughGirl

[jird]

I love how whom things weren't going well for Mr. Edwards, they'd play a slow, sad version of "Old Dan Tucker."

[DoughGirl]

They even played a slow version of Old Dan Tucker during his wedding ceremony.

[spidermiss2426]

And a fast version of old dan tucker for humor and glee.

[oceanblue]

And a really soft version when his pecker went on the fritz.  

[Wilowy]

It's Nellie, based on the restaurant sign. 

 

Just watched the first four episodes! Love Country Girls, and Mr. Edwards Homecoming. He always perks up the place. Loved them partying around the fire at the Ingall's place, and Pa on that fiddle. 

 

"Get out the way, for ol Dan Tucker..."

[Rhondinella]

I love how whom things weren't going well for Mr. Edwards, they'd play a slow, sad version of "Old Dan Tucker."

 

 

I just love when characters have theme songs in general.  

[DoughGirl]

And a really soft version when his pecker went on the fritz.

I don't even want to think about that.

[oceanblue]

There was a whole episode about it.  Ostensibly the issue was that he couldn't walk, but turns out that wasn't it.  

[DoughGirl]

Is that the one where the tree falls on him and he tried to kill himself while on the hunting trip with Charles?

I never picked up on anything but him being depressed about not being able to walk. Probably because, like I said, I don't want to even think about it.

[oceanblue]

It wasn't that he couldn't walk, it's that he couldn't "walk".  This crack team of twop viewers read between the lines and determined that Mr. Edwards was really concerned about Little Isaiah.

[Winipo75]

Old Dan Tucker (in its various moods) was a standard on this show. I was trying to think of some other memorable ditties and came up with the following:

 

Go Tell it on the Mountain (sung incessantly by that blind kid in the episode where Hester Sue gets married). 

 

There's a horseshoe hung over the DOOR

It will bring you good luck ever MORE!

(Sung by the Mline School Choir, with Mary singing bass, Adam singing tenor, and all the little mline kids joining right in there)

 

Bringing in the Sheaves (or Sheep or Sheets)

 

Onward Christian Soldiers (Ker-blewy!)

 

There must have been more. I know Hester Sue was always busting out a spiritual. June Carter Cash sang something in an episode (although that hussy Mrs. Foster tried to take credit for it!)

[SillySpookyGirl]

When I saw the word "washboards" in the title of this thread, my mind immediately went to ML's abs which were on display as much as possible.

[Zanzibar]

My college-age daughter is a violinist.  She cannot stand to watch Michael Landon play the fiddle.  Whenever I happen to catch an episode of Michael mangling the fiddle, I tape a snippet and send it to her.  Comedy gold.

[Rhondinella]

My college-age daughter is a violinist.  She cannot stand to watch Michael Landon play the fiddle

 

 

Oh my gosh, yes!!!  I have been a violinist since I was 8, and his "playing" is the fakest I've ever seen.  It's like he didn't even bother to figure out how you actually hold the instrument or the bow, and don't get me started on making what the bow is doing match the music!

[smittykins]

Oh my gosh, yes!!!  I have been a violinist since I was 8, and his "playing" is the fakest I've ever seen.  It's like he didn't even bother to figure out how you actually hold the instrument or the bow, and don't get me started on making what the bow is doing match the music!

That's why, on TWoP, we called it "pitfidding,"

[BatmanBeatles]

Sometimes the fiddle is against his belly.