Transcription Mystery Disc #209

This is an 8-inch, metal-core Duodisc brand acetate recording disc. Both sides are recorded, but only one side is labeled. The markings are in pencil and cursive. I think it reads "Tumble Weeds, Buch + Rory, Dutch Band"  On the sleeve in more of the same script is the name Earl B. I believe Earl is the recording engineer. I also note that Earl didn't quote get the blank centered so it has a little wow to it. I can't guarantee the sleeve and the disc belong together but the similar handwriting makes that a fair bet.

 When the recording opens you can hear Earl say "And we're rolling..."  The volume slowly fades up and you can clearly hear  Butch and Rory singing in harmony with an acoustic guitar singing the song "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." The song was first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1940 but this sounds more like the Sons of the Pioneers version in 1940. That's a pretty pedestrian find... but not the next track.

Buch + Rory Dutch Band


But the second track is amazing. I've never heard anything like it before. It opens with fast quarter-notes arranged like walking bass on an acoustic guitar. In the background you can hear people. Instead of that breaking into a country song, the crowd, at least 5 people break in singing nonsense and banging on trashcans. I can hear a banjo and a violin being miss-used... people shout, stomp, clap, talk among themselves, a woman "sings" the melody from the old "Snake Charmer" song, (which turns out to actually be American in origin... more here.) But it's chaos until the groove runs out.There is nothing "Dutch" about this band.  If you want to get to the noisy bit skip ahead to 2:00!