Notes and Quotes: "Rock Island Line"

Donegan: It was intended to be an instrumental album, but then it was felt that the album should include a vocal for variety. The producer thought so little of the idea that he went for a cup of tea while it was being recorded. I was paid £3.10s., which was the standard session fee, for recording "Rock Island Line," but it did give me a career. (Leigh 1992: 3)

Donegan (on taking credit for songs like "Rock Island Line"): " . . . [I]n most cases I made effective changes. I rewrote lyrics and changed the chords in the choruses. "Bring a Little Water, Sylvie" didn't even have a chorus! One, being a British youth, there was no way I could do the same thing as an old American drunk. Two, my purpose was to get the English public interested in folk songs. Before me, an audience would boo you for singing folk songs because the songs were from outside their experience. They didn't understand them. I picked out songs that were easy to assimilate and I changed what I thought was necessary. (Leigh 1992: 4)

Melody Maker (11): "The choice of 'Rock Island Line' was a curious one. The Ledbetter disc was known to most jazz collectors and, in this country, George Melly had recorded it a couple of years before" (19 May 1956).

Donegan: "We were always a very professional group but the songs were so simple that this encouraged the kids. Any kid could knock them out with three chords on a guitar and someone could bang a suitcase for drums." (Leigh 1992: 4)

Donegan: "I do hate it when somebody just copies something. I hate impressionists because they make their living out of someone else's creations. They find it difficult to do me because my energy level's so high." (Leigh 1992: 5-6)