An outstanding 1953 recording by Peter Kennedy, of the famous Scots tinker folksinger, marks the very first time that she started to remember the "Muckle Ballads" such as MY SON DAVID (or EDWARD), as well as children's songs and stories from her youth. Here Jeannie also talks about her family and her early life as a traveller. This record, made at the start of her encounter with the Folk Revival, was released as a memorial tribute, in 1975, the year of her death.

1. MY SON, DAVID - talk bef & aft - 3'05"

2. THE LOCH OF SHALLIN - talk bef & aft - 1'53"

3. NEVER WED A' OLD MAN - talk bef & aft - 2'45"

4. GO AWAY FROM MY WINDOW - talk bef - 1'10"

5. ANDREW LAMMIE - story - ballad recited - tune hummed - 8'10"

6. Cumulative type story: THE OLD WITCH WOMAN - 4'11"

7. WE'RE A BLIN' DRUNK AND A JOLLY MAN'S FU' - 0'27"

8. TAK THE BUCKLES FRAE YOUR SHEEN, BONNY LASSIE-O - 1'09"

9. MAGGIE, MAGGIE, COME AND KISS YOUR SANDY - 0'22"

10. RUB-A-DUB-DUB - 1.01"

11. FLASHY DASHY PETTICOATS - 0'19"

12. EENST UPON A TIME - 0'24"

13. THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN - 0'11"

14. EENTY PEENTY (Counting out rhyme) - 0'20"

15. MY DADDY WOULDNA BUY ME A BIG BOW-WOW - 0'18"

16. THE CUCKOO'S NEST (repeated) - 1'44"

17. THE BONNY WEE HIGHLAND MAN - 0.15"

18. SUSAN PYATT (LORD BATEMAN) - 2 verses - 1'13"

19. Talk about her family and her early life as a traveller - 11'35"

20. THE OVERGATE - talk bef - 2'05"

21. THE FAIR O' BALNAFANNEN - talk bef - 3'00"

22. THE FOUR MARIES - 1'40"

23. LORD LOVAT - first verse - story - last verse - 2'50"

24. THE MOON SHINED ON MY BED LAST NIGHT - talk bef & aft - 4'37"

25. WHAT A VOICE - talk bef - 4'27"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy in London 1953. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975.

The news of Jeannie's death on the 13th. March, 1975, brought this tribute from Alan Lomax, who, following her discovery by Hamish Henderson, brought her to London in 1953 for a television appearance on THE BALLAD-HUNTER series (directed by David Attenborough) "Jeannie was one of the elect, one of the angels of folksong, that have kept the tradition alive and burning across all time. Jeannie was one of the great ones. She had the refined mouth and the powerful throat that's typical of the great singer; out of it came trumpet- notes, appropriate to the big ballad, and soft flute-like tones suited to the sweet randy love-songs..."

FT-186 THE GIPSY LADY (More Classic Ballads from Jeannie)

FT-187 SILLY JOHN & THE FACTOR (More talk about her life & folktales)