Riley and Spencer

Andy Cohen - vocal and acoustic guitar

For more information on the origin of this song, go here:

https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Raleigh_and_Spencer

notes from Andy Cohen

This song goes under a batch of different names by different players. Riley translates to Raleigh, NC. I learned it off a Rounder record of Fields Ward, son of Crockett, nephew of Wade. The three together were the original Bogtrotters, and Fields himself was something of folklorist-without-portfolio locally. Having recorded a ballad or three for the Library Of Congress, he became interested in the process, including sometimes across the tracks. A number of different modern Old TIme and Bluegrass players have done it over the years. As much as possible, I tried to imagine Fields at the still where he learned it, soaking it in.