Sam Shackleton, "Cuckoo Bird," // GemsOnVHS™

When I was planning my second recording trip to Scotland, I knew I had to meet some local musicians who could well represent their culture. I was following in the footsteps of greats after all, like Alan Lomax, who spent a good deal of time in the far North recording folk songs. Some of you might have seen the first video from this Scottish series, with the incredible ballad singer Iona Fyfe ( • Iona Fyfe, "Mill o' Ti... ). Another traditional musician I reached out to was Sam Shackleton, (allegedly related to the notable Artic explorer, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_...) or Sorley, if you prefer the Gaelic spelling. Sam, a student of traditional music, Scottish culture, history and the Gaelic language invited us with open arms into his home in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and showed us a night on the town i'll never forget. We drank our fair share of pints, caught some incredible sessions packed into pubs the size of American closets, and talked of Scottish independence late into the night.
Sam has been deep in traditional study at University the past couple years, and busking on the streets of Edinburgh. You can always tell a busker from a studio musician, I like to think. Buskers are louder, more emotive, a throwback to a time of traveling Bards, before amplification. You have only moments to impress a passerby for tips, and it forces you to hone your craft. Sorley lives up to his moniker, "the Bard", and puts on a show. This won't be the last time we meet, as I hope to return to Scotland for more recording, and Sam is keen to visit the Appalachian mountains hes heard so much about, where so many of his ancestors (and ours!) emigrated.
This song is a perfect example of the cross-Atlantic trade in culture, and you can learn more about it here
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuc...)
Find more of Sam's music here;
www.samshackleton.com/links
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GemsOnVHS is a long running series of intimate, off-stage performances by songwriters we love.
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[@Brigand88]

This man looks like he just got drafted for WW2

[@blaisegirl420]

🤣 this is too accurate but it works

[@midwesternwelds1197]

Ok this is hilarious but I’m pissed that I didn’t notice before hand

[@rodolfojar9972]

for a moment when i saw the photo of the video i believe it was an old video..

[@scoursey]

Is there tab for this version? I love it!

[@ImTakinMeFishin]

Class only seems to have died a long time ago.

[@Orourkebanjo]

I’m an American banjo player and this guy is great. I love how no two people play this song the same.

[@Townes.VanZandt]

Right. That what good folk is to me, people telling it their own way.

[@hosank]

I’m a Canadian who doesn't play the banjo 🪕 and I concur, this guy is still great

[@rxgueplanet]

He slayed that thang

[@jacksonparrish224]

Trying to play it now, and its completely different

[@alfonso.toribio]

True!!!! Banjo player from Spain here. So old and so many different interpretations of it.

[@bsan8650]

One of the best renditions I've heard of this song, I keep coming back to it almost weekly.

[@DynasticBroom]

Daily for me

[@ML69898]

I've heard that The Cuckoo is a super old song, like at least 800 years old with the lyrics unsurprisingly being changed. "Gonna build me a log cabin to see Willy as she goes passing by." Was originally "castle" instead of "log cabin" and "Willy" being William The Conquerer who took the English throne in 1066 AD. If true, pretty cool if you ask me.

[@galaxyanimal]

Well, the verse about seeing Willy, as well as the verse about Jack o' Diamonds & probably some others, are floating verses, which means that they pop up in various different songs. Whether or not "Willy" refers to Wm. the Conqueror, that still doesn't necessarily mean that that verse originated in this song.

[@waylonhurt958]

A lot of these songs are very old pretty Polly is from the 1600s

[@kenny6920]

Willy in the modern version refers to the feds I'm pretty sure- need that cabin way up to see em coming for you and your still

[@YorkyOne]

@@galaxyanimal Yes, floating verses that are radically different from the various English originals. And the above poster is just repeating the Wm the Conqueror and 800 years old twaddle posted elsewhere.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

@@galaxyanimal Actually, what I think is happening is that there appears to be some confusion between this song and 'Sumer is a cumin in' which really is old (1200's) and which is also known as the 'Cuckoo Song'.

[@trentlytle7289]

I think I finally figured out how to play this! This is one of those tunes that inspired me to learn clawhammer banjo this year, and nobody seems to play it the same way. Go half a step down from G-Modal, stay on 13,22,32/33,43 for fretting and practice galax rolls.

[@vflrockytop]

I'm a southern Appalachian American i grew up to my grandfather clawing the banjo to these classic tunes.

[@chrislackey2170]

I never thought I’d find a version of the song I like better then Willie Watson’s

[@KJAY2THOUSAND]

@@chrislackey2170 woah woah woah.. Willie Watson also sang this? Idk if he’ll top it in my books but his vibrato and singing voice is legendary

[@Pine_01]

A lot of Scottish settled in Appalachia

[@jeffreyhoward6319]

A lot of the music from Appalachia comes from the Ulster Scots (or Scots Irish) who settled there. I grew up in the foothills of the Allegheny mountains in West Virginia and I heard these songs all my life. Thank you so much for sharing your music with us,

[@Coompie621]

I can't stop listening to this!!!

[@kelaine9023]

Me too, ha!

[@DougFLTRX]

MORE OF THIS GUY, PLEASE!

[@alexanderedward74]

A Sports Direct mug is the most British thing I've seen on Gems On VHS

[@renorukus666]

This version of the song is just too good. I keep returning to listen to it.

[@GemsOnVHS]

Hey y’all, this field recording is now available to stream on our spotify. Check it out here: open.spotify.com/track/3AiwyKx5WbrXvxBmF6GrxS?si=6281b080def6479a Be sure to give us a follow on there so you’ll be the first to know when we release more. Also, we have "Cuckoo Bird" and other Sam Shackleton favorites available for download on our Bandcamp page: gemssamshackleton.bandcamp.com/ Sam's got big plans, so follow him on Instagram to keep up, instagram.com/sorleythebard/ Follow GemsOnVHS on Instagram as we explore where music's going and where it's been, instagram.com/gemsonvhs/

[@groomedtodie]

Pin this!

[@tolvaer]

As someone from Georgia Appalachia, this is a sweet surprise to hear someone from Scotland sing like this

[@ando5899]

You are of us, though you do not remember.

[@CraigStCyrPlus]

Shouldn't be!

[@HiNinqi]

My fave sung version of this song

[@Automedon2]

I'd like to live next door to this guy so I could hear him practice

[@JustSomeYTuser]

apartments like these in Edinburgh are pretty expensive

[@jacklandismusic]

Major Ewan MacColl vibes from this guy. Good shit. And that voice is insanely cool!

[@swing-o-gram]

One hella talent. Wish him all the best in his career (and hope to see more!) :)

[@derekhodge2289]

Love that raking style, so smooth.

[@barrystevens7195]

Hey it’s funny the famous explorer Shackleton made sure to always pack his banjo, there’s also a banjo company in Norwich, UK who use the name Shackleton on their banjos! Great playing, love this

[@TimeTravelinHendrix]

Oh man that is good. What a tough song. His roles are incredible.

[@banjopete]

TimeTravelinHendrix , Rolls, and he doesn’t roll, it’s claw hammer.

[@buddysyst3m]

Came here to say rolls as well, but I'm surprised you dont consider those rolls. Clawhammer as it may be, it's hard to call that riff in the chorus anything but a roll. Would your criteria from a roll require multiple fingers plucking as opposed to one finger...well... rolling over the strings?

[@JauntyWhale]

@@buddysyst3m Less of a roll, more of a scrape.

[@buddysyst3m]

@@JauntyWhale good answer. I'd accept that.

[@DougFLTRX]

This version is badass. I've played this at least a couple hundred times in a month now

[@BrentVanHyfte]

I have been listening to this all week. Can't get enough. Always quality here on GemOnVHS.

[@BrentVanHyfte]

Still can't get enough...

[@davfive]

This is great stuff and love GemsOnVHS for getting me here.

[@robertmccluskey7757]

How on earth do you have a 6 day old comment on a video published 30 minutes ago

[@adamosullivan5839]

@@robertmccluskey7757 Patreon subscribers get to view video's earlier than the rest of us plebs.

[@blomkoal4766]

Shit, this is one of the best videos on this channel! World class, I will put this on replay for days.

[@blomkoal4766]

Came to correct myself. I did not put this on replay for days but for months.

[@devilaces]

Gets me right in my banjo feels.

[@offair5513]

This song is a gem and rare to find people even know this song exists

[@Rwfinsanantonio]

Hot damn this song got me grooving

[@E6EN]

I sing this same song and we still play music with the same sound here. I have to come to Scotland & Ireland. My people harken me

[@bluesageful]

Been listening to this song all my life. One of my favorites. And AMAZING version! I follow Appalachian ballads. Which of course most started over there. It interesting to see each person's bent. And you did an amazing job!

[@lew-e]

I always want to learn to play the banjo. This guy makes me want to play it even more. This is Good

[@joeyfultz9937]

This is so good

[@CT_Irvine_Music]

Savage version! I used to play this with a buddy of mine, hopefully we'll all be back playing at gigs soon :)

[@bobbydazzler1209]

This is in my top 10 tracks of all time and I DJ progressive house music and techno.

[@Thekidfromcalifornia2.0]

Coco bird it one of all time favorite folk songs and oh boy did he do it justice.

[@adifferentbanjoguy9603]

He's playing in standard when this song is usually played in sawmill... And that fancy slide thing... I think I'm gonna have to re-teach myself!

[@rongplanet]

Wow! Great voice, great singing, really great all round performance.

[@cornontherob1225]

Insane. I gotta learn this.

[@scott236]

This is great stuff! This southern American approves!

[@lukerice69]

Good on him for saying Appalachia correctly. It always does my heart good hearing someone pronounce it well

[@Each-Uisge]

Can say it either way. My family has been in Northern Appalachia since the 1700s and they all say it with the "sh" sound.

[@seancrutcher525]

Damn good version of cuckoo bird my friend

[@chrismarty406]

Just the best cover of this piece of history great man!

[@erniegutierrez1942]

Sam... if you read this you have an awesome take on this! Your style is it's own is damn cool !!! You need to come to Appalachia where you'd be so welcome I'm sure brother!!!

[@badboybootz8]

This music is like candy for my ears

[@andrewp8284]

This is absolutely amazing. Intoxicating!

[@TheWrxrally]

I really love the way this guy plays. So much rhythm!

[@FuxiaSue]

Brilliant! What a voice!

[@forgottentraveller5736]

I listen to this at least once a day if not more

[@masonmichael6656]

That outro kicks ass. Skills, man!!

[@RaisedbyaWildPackofCigarettes]

I have listened to this so many times now. It has literally been months since I went to work without listening to this or having worn out my legs from keeping a beat. So genuine.

[@GemsOnVHS]

More with Sam is on the way. Just got back from a whole month with him in Scotland!

[@RaisedbyaWildPackofCigarettes]

@@GemsOnVHS One of my own personal goals in life is to be able to play around folks so I can finally have my own sit down with y'all. Until then, other than the tiny capo, is he in standard double C? I just can't make my banjo produce the same sound.

[@cedarriver]

Love it! Lyrics below, chords are F#m and E all the way through, or, If you hate barree, Em and Dm with Capo 2 [Verse 1] Oh the cuckoo is a pretty bird Well she warbles when she flies But I never caught a cuckoo Til the 4th day of July [Verse 2] I'm gonna build me a log cabin On a mountain, oh, so high So I can see Willie Where then he goes on by [Verse 3] Well I played cards down in England And I played cards down in Spain Well I bet you ten dollars That I beat you, oh, next game [Verse 4] Jack of diamonds, jack of diamonds And I know you from old And you robbed my poor pockets Of my silver and my gold [Verse 5] Well your horses ain't hungry And now they won't eat your hay I'm gonna ride on a little further Go to meet them on my way [Verse 6] Well the cuckoo is a pretty bird Well she warbles when she flies But I never caught a cuckoo Til the 4th day of July

[@davyjones2994]

Cedar River thank you

[@jakesingleton6268]

Would you call this a clawhammer style? Or something else?

[@McGby128]

@@jakesingleton6268 yes, this is clawhammer

[@SirShakeJunt]

@@jakesingleton6268 Interesting right hand style though, it's definitely different than most clawhammer styles

[@TimeTravelinHendrix]

is it played in standard g tuning?

[@MrVeritasAQ]

Great video. Love that song. Thanks for sharing!

[@cameronmcisaac633]

One of my favourite renditions

[@bycarolbarber]

Love this song!!!! Banjo too 💖

[@lonesomelou4188]

Nice rendition, Bud. The side comments were an authentic touch that some old blues guys would do. You made it your own. Thanks for the performance.

[@sartainja]

That song is old as dirt but a damn good one.

[@westonf3216]

It's nice to hear names like Alex Lomax. Such an amazing dream and glad to see his aspirations live on!

[@grouseman1994]

I’ve watched this dozens of times over the year mostly on my way to grouse covers dogs loaded down coffee in hand chasing prairie birds. Just a fantastic song that has held its weight for me over and over sounds great. Well done sir. I tip my hat to you. Wish I wrote this a while ago hope you get to see this and know some dog trainer in Iowa travels the country with your song in his playlist chasing birds of an older time.

[@GemsOnVHS]

That is awesome!

[@grouseman1994]

Update shot a new species of grouse I haven’t hunted before and I was listening to this song cruising the sand hills and prairies of Nebraska on the hunt for sharptail grouse and the new species for me prairie chicken! Ruffed grouse camp was a success we got on a ton of birds and put a couple down in the process keep ripping the banjo Sam!

[@dakotacapps7829]

This one caught me by surprise

[@tylerroney]

Waiting for this on Spotify. Come on y'all.

[@forgottentraveller5736]

"Your horses ain't hungry, and they won't eat your hay" -biggest roast of the millennium 🙏😎🙏

[@miguelmarquez4192]

:17 its neat when you can see someone is truly a kind soul.

[@derrickcompher3624]

I love this version of this song

[@EvertfromNederland]

Love how you play this dude. good on ya nice job sir.

[@grouseman1994]

Almost two years later and still my favorite song chasing birds 🤙🤙🤙

[@bl00dshade07]

Rory Gallagher, one of Ireland's great musicians (and for my money, our greatest), does a lovely version of this too. Fair play to Sam, he did it justice!

[@federicoperez4373]

This versión Is much better than gallagers if you ask me

[@grouseman1994]

Seen 7 states since hearing this cut absolutely still flawless

[@kelaine9023]

This is brilliant!

[@sixthgatebass]

love that rake thing he does

[@natalimenacher1981]

He looks absolutely flawless ❤️

[@samuelleake9213]

Yes! You killed that, what a talent

[@batzpfsaddict2806]

Great version

[@johndunnahoo9234]

Wow that Cuckoo is a pretty bird for sure great song and performance Sir.

[@andysemitic4456]

Best version of this song I ever seen

[@lynnettereede6887]

A Sister from NYC... Chill bumps! Young Man! Slainte!

[@dulcierosebuffey3230]

Love this guy! I wanna meet him! I love the way you whoop boy! X

[@DieselBarks]

Excellent observations about buskers.

[@grouseman1994]

What a great sound. I wish I knew more about music so I could give a better compliment but god damn dude. That's the right sound 🤙🤙

[@jacquelinehaywood6952]

First heard oliver swain sing this song with kendal Carson on fiddle and loved it ever since. Had no idea it may have originated from bonny Scotland. Excellent version, well done. Love from UK, east coast.

[@RichardRuth]

Well, it was at least played their but can a case be made for it originating there?

[@YorkyOne]

@@RichardRuth No, because it is a traditional English folk song.

[@curtisshaw5965]

I love that little break he does twice through the song

[@banjopete]

Love the scrapes, class.

[@seabud6408]

Great playing, singing, performance. Good luck with your career.

[@Woodwalker219]

Thats awesome!!! Thanks

[@stevebardill5784]

This song taught me how to get started to learn the geitar .......good job man

[@WestboundCityTrain]

Sick bro!

[@sabrinaandbenji1390]

Wow so inspiring!

[@jacquelinehaywood6952]

Love this

[@magicstuff505]

i would love this on spotify

[@MarkWYoung-ky4uc]

Great job my Scottish friend. greetings from North Carolina!

[@sirjamesturner7246]

This song makes you want to run moonshine lol

[@jgarber1]

Great cover. Well done

[@Drakonak]

The instant switch from a Scottish accent to a Southern drawl was incredible

[@westoniii]

There are similarities

[@mattpilcher9413]

Straight fire right there.

[@Bootscootinaly]

Lordy this man & his banjo pickin just gets me 🫠

[@FaustLiber]

The boys Scottish but got the fingers and mind of southerner I swear

[@alexandercanella4479]

It's the banjo. If he would have played this with traditional Scottish folk instruments, it wouldnt have been the same.

[@FaustLiber]

@@bouch2442 that's incorrect, I play banjo. The origin of the first banjos were African. The modern day banjos as the one he is playing were invented by Joel Sweeney In America. The style of playing he is doing is picking with rolls which was invented by Earl Skruggs in 1924 (American) jofflowson.com/banjo-for-complete-beginners/history-of-the-banjo#:~:text=Joel%20Sweeney%20was%20the%20first,people%20question%20these%20claims%20nowadays.

[@alexandercanella4479]

@@bouch2442 no it's not. Its african then made it's way to North america, then it went back with Irish immigrants when they went back to Ireland.

[@Townes.VanZandt]

@@bouch2442 I thought the same as you, good on ya tho. Anyone here enjoying this is music is good people! Enjoy it!!

[@galaxyanimal]

I think that you've got it backwards: southerners have the fingers & minds of scotsmen because they're part scottish.

[@monalisa11]

I come back to this video quite often

[@GemsOnVHS]

have you seen the new ones we've done with Sam?

[@tommylumberjack]

Sammy boi, or shall I say good old Sorley?! :D I just bought a banjo myself and omly once you make much sense of the instrument I realise some of the talent you hold brother! Hope you're well, and please let's jamm soon! One love.

[@jvcourtney1992]

We need more!

[@GemsOnVHS]

more is coming. planning a whole scotland trip sometime soon.

[@TheInsaneDodo]

Very nice!

[@marshallmarvin1369]

Good stuff

[@otisblevins9194]

excellent