“Ragtime Annie” is an old-time fiddle song recorded by Eck Robertson that was released in 1923. This song contains no lyrics, making its sole focus on the fiddle. The song was recorded in Robertson’s first recording session at Victor Talking Machine Co. in 1922 in New York City.
Alexander (Eck) Robertson
Alexander (Eck) Robertson was born in Arkansas in 1887 but grew up in Panhandle, Texas in a small town outside Amarillo. He started playing the fiddle at 5 years old and left home at 16 to pursue a musical career. His fiddling legacy is renowned in Texas. He was inducted into the Texas Fiddler’s Frolics Hall of Fame in 1983 and is known as a legendary fiddler.
When the album was recorded in 1922, it was the first country music record that was produced for commercial release. He and a fellow musician Henry C. Gilliland traveled to New York hoping to convince Victor Talking Machine Co. to let them produce records, despite no record company ever showing even the slightest interest in recording old-time fiddle music. They were introduced to the label by Gilliland’s friend Martin W. Littleton, who worked for the company. The pair showed up unannounced in cowboy outfits and Eck played a version of one of his later hits “Sallie Gooden” for some employees. They were called in to make a test record the next day, and the day after that Eck returned alone and recorded “Ragtime Annie” and several other tunes.
Old-Time Fiddle Music
“Ragtime Annie” is an example of what’s known as old-time fiddle music, but with a Texan twist. When Europeans were first settling in North America, they brought the violin, or fiddle, with them. The main distinction between the two instruments is their play style. Violins are associated with classical music while fiddles are associated with dance music. The fiddle remained widely popular as those original territories expanded into the Appalachian Mountains and out West because it was light and portable. Old-time fiddle music is a type of lively dance music, with heavy roots in folk traditions.
Old-time fiddle music is an Anglo-American musical style that became popular in Texas in the 20th century. As Anglos moved west and into Texas during the 19th century, they brought this fiddle tradition with them, and although their music was rooted in the folk traditions of the Appalachian style, Texan old-time fiddle music has its own unique twist. They focus on the down bow stroke, which results in a very articulate, rich sound embellished with slurs, slides, double stops, and octave shifts. This Texan spin comes out of the decline of square dancing. Texan fiddling also contains improvisations, which is the act of straying from a written melody and creating something new but similar on the spot.
It is unknown if “Ragtime Annie” is an original tune by Eck Robertson. Current rumors indicate that it was first heard played by Texas fiddlers around 1900-1910. It is also suggested that it may stem from a piano piece known as “Raggedy Ann Rag,” but there is no firm source to confirm that. Eck’s version is the earliest documented version of the song.
“Ragtime Annie” features less Texan-ness than the old-time fiddle music that followed, since Eck Robertson’s style leaned more towards the traditional Appalachian style. However, his influence and career sparked the growth of fiddle music in Texas in the 20th century, making it a key part of Texan music history.
Sources
Corcoran, Michael, and Sarah Thurmond. “A Century of Recorded Country Music Started With Texas Fiddler Eck Robertson.” Texas Highways, 30 June 2022, https://texashighways.com/travel-news/a-century-of-recorded-country-music-started-with-texas-fiddler-eck-robertson/. Accessed 12 February 2023.
“Eck Robertson- 1922.” Bluegrass Messengers, http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/eck-robertson–1922.aspx. Accessed 12 February 2023.
Erbsen, Wayne. “Arkansaw Traveler/Sallie Gooden.” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/ArkansawTraveler.pdf. Accessed 19 February 2023.
“Ragtime Annie (1) – Traditional Tune Archive.” The Traditional Tune Archive, https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Ragtime_Annie_(1). Accessed 19 February 2023.
“Robertson, Alexander [Eck] (1887–1975).” TSHA, 10 August 2022, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/robertson-alexander-eck. Accessed 12 February 2023.
Sabatella, Matthew. “Old-Time Appalachian Fiddle Tunes: About the Genre.” Ballad of America, 25 January 2023, https://balladofamerica.org/old-time-appalachian-fiddle-tune/. Accessed 12 February 2023.“Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.” Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association, http://www.totfa.org/about/stories/texas_fiddle.htm. Accessed 12 February 2023.
