Comments on: Jordan Is A Hard Road

By: Diana

Diana — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:23:36 +0000

@Linda: I misinformed you the other day – it was Leeds not Buxton. A bit of a difference isn’t it?

By: Muzza(NW Surrey-UK)

Muzza(NW Surrey-UK) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 07:50:46 +0000

Captivated again by the dancin’ doll (see Aug 28 2011-7:41am)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5fs0qvLtLc

By: Diana

Diana — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 07:18:18 +0000

I am more used to Bellowhead’s version of this but Jon solo does an excellent job.

Thanks Pewter for your link – I shall catch up with it later. There should be some great songs on the album “Lillibulero” for one. A r4ally lively version.

By: Pewter

Pewter — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 07:03:59 +0000

Speaking of Bellowhead – Mike Harding started his show on Wednesday with Roll The Woodpile Down from the new album; thanks Mike for the sneak preview! Still available to hear on the BBC iPlayer everyone….

By: muzza(s.e.England)

muzza(s.e.England) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:41:36 +0000

Wow Janey….indebted to you for the link to Royer’s one man band..
what a talent (mechanic/inventor/musician/singer!………
and I’ve gotta make me a “dancin’ doll”….so cute.

By: Jane Ramsden

Jane Ramsden — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:08:17 +0000

I’m off to a couple of Square Chapel gigs soon, so here’s a YouTube vid of Robin Williamson covering ‘Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel,’ then straight into ‘Smoke Shovelling Song.’ ‘Incredible’ seems to be an appropriate description!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHbn4jj2GQY

Perhaps not quite so incredible though as this one-man-band version by Eric Royer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5fs0qvLtLc

This is the Bellowhead version live on Jules Holland in 2006. Enjoyed it more than the stripped out version!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5t6S7ujK0w

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:37:44 +0000

I’ve heard a version of ‘Jordan Is A Hard Road’ by Robin Williamson on a live album, The Old Fangled Tone, recorded with a brass band at the Square Chapel in Halifax in 1999.

By: Jo Breeze

Jo Breeze — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:09:32 +0000

More about Jordan is a Hard Road from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
There are 13 records of Jordan is a Hard Road in the Library, many with the title in dialect, and mostly collected from the USA.
http://tinyurl.com/jordanroad1
We used the Roud number to cross reference against different titles for the song. When searched on Roud No. 12153, there are 20 records, with no versions registered as collected anywhere outside the USA.
http://tinyurl.com/jordanroad2
If you wish to see more detail on each record, change the ‘output’ to ‘record’ and press ‘submit query’.
There are no records of the song in the Take 6 collection.
We use the Roud index and the Take 6 online collections in the search for information on Jon’s selections.
For more information, or to carry out your own search for songs, please visit http://www.efdss.org/front/access-the-library-online/access-the-library-online/115
If you need any help accessing the library online or have any questions, please contact the VWML on 020 7485 2206 or library@efdss.org.

By: Shelley

Shelley — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:10:16 +0000

Considering how many of us are used to the “big band” Bellowhead version of this song, when there is all sorts going on, it’s interesting to hear the song completely stripped down. I’ve worked out all the words now too which is great!

By: Jane Ramsden

Jane Ramsden — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:32:05 +0000

Very well sung, Jon, with good resonance on the salient line, but I’m not keen on the song! Or more accurately, with the exception of the salient line, the tune… but I have no talent to write another!