Anthology of American Folk Music
Volume 1: Ballads, Track 12
PEG AND AWL
The Carolina Tar Heels 
Recorded Atlanta, GA: October 14, 1928
Clarence "Tom" Ashley, vocal and guitar; Doc Walsh, banjo; Garley Foster, vocal, harmonica and guitar
Originally released on Victor 40007A
(alternate title: In the Year of Eighteen and One)
The Carolina Tar Heels (Doc Walsh (1901-1967), Clarence Ashley (1895-1967), and Garley Foster (1905-1968) recorded for Victor between 1927 and 1929. Gwen Foster was in the original group, but was replaced by Garley Foster (no relation) in 1928. One of the few string bands that did not include a fiddle, the Tar Heels were an entertaining group that mixed humor with their music. A poster for one of their performances listed Doc Walsh as "The Banjo King of the Carolinas" and Garley Foster as "The Human Bird," since part of their stage show included Foster's bird imitations.
Clarence Ashley (tracks 3, 57), who played with the group during 1928-1929, came from a medicine show background (for more information on him see track 3). The Carolina Tar Heels stopped recording in 1932, after which Walsh worked in poultry and auto parts businesses and Foster worked as a carpenter. They were rediscovered by old-time music fans in 1961 and in 1964 recorded an album for the Folk Legacy label (FL 24), on which they were joined by Walsh's son Drake.
"Peg and Awl" dates back to the Industrial Revolution and deals with workers being displaced by automation.
FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY THE CAROLINA TAR HEELS: see Can't You Remember the Carolina Tar Heels (BF 15507c; Look Who's Coming: The Original Carolina Tar Heels (OH 113a); a later version of the group as The Carolina Tar Heels (FL 24a); and the collections Doggone Country (CMH 6273a); Collection of Mountain Songs (CTY 504a); Collection of Mountain Blues (CTY 511a); Ragtime #2: The Country (SFW CD RBF18c); Songs of Love, Courtship and Marriage (LC LBC 2a); Songs of Childhood (LC LBC 13a); Old Time Southern Dance Music: The String Bands (OT 101a); and The Railroad in Folk Song (RCA 532a).
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE CAROLINA TAR HEELS: see the liner notes to their Folk Legacy recording (LF 24).
OTHER RECORDED VERSIONS INCLUDE:
Traditional American Folk: as Peg and Awl: Lawrence Older (FL 15a); Hobart Smith (FL 17a).
Folksong revival: as Peg and Awl: Bruce Hutton (MMC 9040d); Pete Seeger (SFW CD 40058c).
Country/String Band: as Peg and Awl: Clarence Ashley (SF 40029c); Kelly Harrell (OK 40544b); Clint Howard and Fred Price (RND 0009a); J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers (RR 191a); Wade and Julia Manier (JA 0065c).
Cajun: as Peg and Awl:The Possum Trot String Band (Swallow 2005a).
British: as The Long Peg and Awl: Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (ARG 67a).
