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Oh, The Wind And Rain
Composer: Traditional

Oh The Wind And Rain was performed by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and by the Jerry Garcia/John Kahn duo in the late 1980's. Bob Weir played on the song on one occasion with Garcia and Kahn in March 1989. It was also played by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in the early 1990's. In total it was performed around a dozen times by Garcia groups. The song was also played by Phil Lesh & Friends.

The version appearing on the JGAB CD Almost Acoustic has the title Oh, The Wind and Rain, on the Garcia Grisman CD Shady Grove the title is Dreadful Wind And Rain. Other recordings that use the "Wind And Rain" title are often just called The Wind And Rain.

The Wind And Rain is one strand of a family of songs more commonly known as The Two Sisters or in early Scottish versions as The Twa Sisters. Other titles that occur are: Binnorie; The Bonnie Milldams of Binnorie; Minorie; The Cruel Sister; The Swan Swims So Bonnie O; Rollin' A-Rollin'; Old Man In The North Country; The Miller's Daughter; There Was An Old Miller; There Was An Old Lord; The Bows Of London; Sister Dear Sister and others. There is substantial variation in the lyrics and melody of these various songs in collected and recorded versions. The main theme is often, but not always, that of one sister drowning another.

The earliest documented version appears to be that published on a broadside in 1656 as The Miller and the King's Daughter. The ballad also appears in Scandinavia and it is possible that it originated in Norway in the 16th or 17th century. The Two Sisters is ballad no. 10 in Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads which collects together 21 versions of the lyrics.

Martin Carthy commented on his version, The Bows Of London, in the liner notes of Life and Limb;

Ever since I heard Jody Stecher sing a luminous song called The Wind and the Rain - a version of The Two Sisters - I have wanted to sing it. Its overwhelming feature is its concentration on that aspect of the story dealing with the building from the murder victim's remains of a fiddle which then takes on a life of its own and ultimately unmasks the murderer.


Jerry Garcia recordings

info Almost Acoustic, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 1988
info Shady Grove, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, 1996
info Shady Grove: Deluxe Edition, Garcia/Grisman, 2020

Transcriptions of the guitar and mandolin solos for the Garcia/Grisman recording of the song are included in two songbooks:

info Shady Grove Acoustic Guitar Solos, Jerry Garcia, 2002
info Shady Grove Mandolin Solos, David Grisman, 2002

Other recordings

As Wind and Rain, Oh, The Wind and Rain, Dreadful Wind and Rain or similar

info Simple Gifts, George and Gerry Armstrong, 1961
info Country Songs and Tunes with Autoharp, Kilby Snow, 1969
no info Gentle Art, Evelyne Beers, 196?
no info Stolen Love, Red Clay Ramblers, 1975
info 1st Annual Brandywine Mountain Music Convention, Various Artists (Kilby Snow), 1975
info Going Up the Mountain, Jody Stecher, 1977
no info Days of Forty Nine, Jeff Warner and Jeff Davis, 1977
no info Hard Times, The Red Clay Ramblers, 1981
no info All in the Family, Williams Family, 1986
no info Round One, Round Town Girls, 198?
info Solo: Oldtime Country Music, Mike Seeger, 1991
info Songcatcher, Various Artists (Gillian Welch), 2001
no info The Wheel of the Year: Thirty Years with The Armstrong Family, The Armstrong Family, 1992
no info Stage By Stage, Iain MacKintosh and Brian McNeill, 1995
info Sing It Yourself!, Laura Boosinger, 1996
no info Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition, Various Artists (Dan Tate), 1997
info Going Up the Mountain: The Classic First Recordings, Jody Stecher, 1999
info Oh, The Wind and Rain, Jody Stecher, 1999
no info Live and Kicking, Brian McNeill & Iain MacKintosh, 2000
no info Divine River, X-Angels, 2000
info Acoustic Disc 100% Handmade Music, Vol. 5, Various Artists (Jody Stecher), 2000
no info Freak Mountain Ramblers, Freak Mountain Ramblers, 2001
info 3/13/98 Cedar Cultural Centre, The Big Wu, 2002
info Images of Women, Robin Greenstein, 2002
no info Younger Than the Sun, Susan Hamlin, 2002
no info Cowslinger Deluxe, Cowslingers, 2004
no info Always, June Tabor, 2005
no info Local Ground, Altan, 2005
no info Come Dance & Sing, Celtibillies, 2005
no info Buds Of The Brier, Un-Reconstructed, 2006
info Shaken by a Low Sound, Crooked Still, 2006
info Old Time Music Collection, Vol 2, Various Artists, 20??

As Two Sisters, Twa Sisters, Twin Sisters or similar

no info Bradley Kincaid, 1928 (Supertone 9212)
no info Folk Songs, Richard Dyer-Bennet, 1953
no info The Faulse Lady, Andrew Rowan Summers, 1954
info North Carolina Ballads, Artus Moser, 1955
info Folk Ballads of the English-Speaking World, Paul Clayton, 1956
no info Songs of a New York Lumberjack, Ellen Stekert, 1958
no info Missouri Folk Songs, Loman Cansler, 1959
no info Anglo-American Ballads, Various Artists (Horton Barker), 195?
no info Richard Dyer-Bennet, Vol. 9, Richard Dyer-Bennet, 1960
info A Treasure Chest of American Folk Song, Ed McCurdy, 1961
no info Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads 1, Various Artists (John Strachan), 1961
no info Rosalie's Songbag, Rosalie Sorrels, 1963
no info Traditional Music of Beech Mountain, NC, Vol I, Various Artists (Lee Monroe Presnell), 1964
no info The Mountain Dulcimer: How to Make It and Play It, Howie Mitchell, 1965
no info American Folksongs For Banjo, Peggy Seeger, 196?
no info Sara Grey, Sara Grey, 1970
no info Lovely in the Water, Frankie Armstrong, 1972
no info The Waters of Sweet Sorrow, Midwinter, 1973
no info The Muckle Sangs: Classic Scottish Ballads, Various Artists (Betsy Whyte), 1975
no info Muckram Wakes, Muckram Wakes, 1976
no info In the Middle of the Tune, Tom Gilfellon, 1976
no info Out of Season, Out of Rhyme, Pete & Chris Coe, 1976
no info Dulaman, Clannad, 1976
no info Blood & Roses Vol. 5, Peggy Seeger, 1979
no info Pyewackett, Pyewackett, 1981
info Down South, Doc Watson, 1984
info O Love Is Teasin' (Anglo-American Mountain Balladry), Various Artists (Ed McCurdy), 1985
no info The Colour of Amber, Anita Best & Pamela Morgan, 1991
info High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina, Various Artists (Sidney Myers), 1995
no info Trad, Bad and Dangerous, ,Betsy McGovern, 1996
no info Hearth and Fire, Anne Price, 1997
no info In a Lifetime: The Ultimate Collection, Clannad, 1997
no info The Ultimate Collection, Clannad, 1997
no info The Celtic Voice, Clannad, 1997
no info An Diolaim: Folk Roots of One of Ireland's Groups, Clannad, 1998
no info Wood-Wilson-Carthy, Wood, Wilson & Carthy, 1999
no info Would You Like Kilts with That?, Lalla Rookh, 1999
no info Anglo-American Ballads, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Horton Baker), 1999
no info Live from Vermont, Gypsy Reel, 2000
no info In My Prime, Niamh Parsons, 2000
no info Cloudberry Day: Scots Songs And Ballads, Alison McMorland, 2000
no info Naked Voice, Elspeth Cowie, 2000
no info Classic Ballads of Britain and Ireland, Vol. 1, Various Artists (John Strachan and Dorothy Fourbister), 2000
no info Nothing Seems Better to Me: The Music of Frank Proffitt and North Carolina, Various Artists (Lee Monroe Presnell), 2000
no info The Essential, Clannad, 2001
no info Soldiers and Dreams, Aiofe Clancy, 2001
no info And Then I'm Going Home, Atwater-Donnelly, 2001
no info Drawn from the Well, Kate MacLeod & Kat Eggleston, 2002
no info Sailors Alphabet, Tramps & Hawkers, 2003
no info Sweet England, Jim Moray, 2003
no info Blue Morning Glory, Molly Andrews, 2003
no info Different Tongues, Brian Peters, 2003
no info Out of Bed, Witches of Elswick, 2003
no info Beginner's Guide to Folk Music, Various Artists (Clannad), 2003
no info American Folk-Blues Train: Alan Lomax Field and Studio Recordings, Various Artists (Alan Lomax, Peggy Seeger and Guy Carawan), 2003
no info Every Sound Below, Tim Eriksen, 2004
no info Telfer's Cows: Folk Ballads from Scotland, Andrew Calhoun, 2004
no info Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, Tom Waits, 2006

As Two Brothers, Twa Brothers or similar

no info The Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads, Various Artists (Lucy Stewart), 1961
no info Ballads and Songs of Tradition from the Folk Legacy Archives, Various Artists (Jeannie Robertson), 2000

As Binnorie, Minorie or similar

info The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: The Child Ballads, Volume I, Ewan MacColl & A.L. Lloyd, 1956
no info Great Scottish Ballads, Rory and Alex McEwen, 1956
info Ballads Reliques: Early English Ballads, Hermes Nye, 1957
no info Chorus from the Gallows, Ewan MacColl, 1959?
info A Prospect of Scotland: Topic Sampler No 5, Various Artists (Ewan McColl), 1966
info The Long Harvest: Record One, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, 1967
no info The Bonnie Mill Dams, The Clutha, 1977
info Custer LaRue Sings The Daemon Lover, Custer LaRue with the Baltimore Consort, 1993
no info The Real MacColl, Ewan MacColl, 1993
no info Salva Nos (Save Us), The Mediaeval Baebes, 1998
no info Mysterious Heart, Moonstone Minstrel, 2001
no info Allan Water, Tom Spiers, 2001
no info Songs from Aberdeenshire: The Alan Lomax Portait Series, John Strachan, 2002
no info I Little Thocht My Love Wid Leave Me, Norman Kennedy, 2004
no info Binnorrie, Elizabeth Stewart, 2005?

As The Cruel Sister

info Cruel Sister, Pentangle, 1970
no info History Book, Pentangle, 1972
no info Northwest Folklife Festival, Various Artists (Highwater String Band), 1977
no info Outstack, Steve Turner, 1979
info Essential, Vol. 1, Pentangle, 1986
info A Maid That's Deep in Love, Pentangle, 1987
no info Renaissance Fare, Tania Opland, 1987
no info Banjo Pickin' Girl, Lesley Schatz, 1994
no info Live 1994, Pentangle, 1995
no info Close to the Bone, Old Blind Dogs, 1997
no info The Haunting, Clandestine, 1997
info Light Flight, Pentangle, 1997
no info Women of Ireland, Ceoltoiri Celtic Ensemble, 1998
no info Mud Water Dance, Tears for Beers, 1999
no info Live, Old Blind Dogs, 1999
no info Choice Fare, Tania Opland with Mike Freeman, 2000
no info On the Fly, Natterjack, 2000
no info Space Lullabies and Other Fantasmagore, Ekova, 2001
info Light Flight: The Anthology, Pentangle, 2002
no info Far in the Mountains, Vols 1 & 2 Various Artists (Eunice Yeatts MacAlexander), 2002
no info At the Little Theatre, Jacqui McShee's Pentangle, 2003
no info Pentangling: The Collection, Pentangle, 2004
no info Passe Avant / At the Little Theatre, Jacqui McShee's Pentangle, 2005
no info Easy Sunrise, Ygdrassil, 2006
no info The Harper's Dream, Sea Raven, 2006
no info Cruel Sister, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, 2006
info The Time Has Come, Pentangle, 2007
no info One More Road & Live 1994, Pentangle, 2007
no info Celtic Tapestry: Contemporary & Traditional, Various Artists (Ceoltoiri Celtic Ensemble), 2007
no info Valivann, Kerstin Blodig, 2009

As The Wicked Sister

no info Silver Sea, Méav, 2003

As There Was An Old Lord or similar

info British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2, Jean Ritchie, 1960
info Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition, Jean Ritchie, 1961
info The Long Harvest: Record One, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, 1967

As The Bows of London

info Life and Limb, Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick, 1991
info The Carthy Chronicles: A Journey Through the Folk Revival, Martin Carthy, 2001
no info Definitive Collection, Martin Carthy, 2002

As Rollin' A-Rollin'

no info High on a Mountain, Kevin Roth, 1983
no info Golden Ring: A Gathering of Friends For Making Music, 1996

As The Swan Swims So Bonnie O

no info Lucy Stewart: Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1: Child Ballads, Lucy Stewart, 1961
info The Long Harvest: Record One, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, 1967
no info Belt Wi' Colours Three, Alison McMorland, 1977
no info Rambling Robin, Pete Castle, 1982

As Old Man in the Old Country

no info Ozark Folksongs, Various Artists (Charles Ingenthron), 2001

As Peter And I

info The Long Harvest: Record One, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, 1967

 
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