Chicken Reel
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legacy / American
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Joseph M. Daly
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Chicken Reel" is a dance tune. It was composed and published in 1910 by Joseph M.<br> Daly (1883–1968), with copyright registered on October 7. Joseph Mittenthal added lyrics<br> three months later, and the texted version was copyrighted on January 12, 1911.<br> Along with "Turkey in the Straw," "Chicken Reel" is probably one of the best-known<br> poultry-related folk tunes. It is frequently found in early animated cartoons as a<br> catchy tune used to represent farmyard activity or a gathering of fowl. Originally<br> composed as a novelty song, it has since passed into modern folk tradition. Today,<br> the tune is usually played without the words, which would often have been sung in the<br> minstrel style (in stereotyped faux African-American vernacular). <br> "Chicken Reel" was made popular again years later by Les Paul who recorded the song as a<br> catchy instrumental, whimsically mimicking chicken sounds on his guitar. <br> "Chicken Reel" was arranged for symphony orchestra by Leroy Anderson; his arrangement was<br> recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1992. <br> Fiddlers seem to like chicken tunes. It's easy to make chicken sounds with a scrape of the<br> bow. Most serious fiddlers consider this cheap theatrics. This tune has no sound effects;<br> it's just a straight-up pretty easy tune.<br> Other poultry tunes in this collection are:<br> Cluck Old Hen<br> Cluckin' Hen<br> Turkey in the Straw.<br>
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