Between the war of 1812 and the American Civil War, the methods of transporting cargo over the sea shifted from oversized, slow sailing “barks” to smaller, much faster clipper ships. This evolution marked an interesting marriage between man and ship. In the years leading up to the invention of the steam engine, sailors had all but perfected the art of sailing. The American clipper was mankind’s perfection of harnessing wind for commerce.
Because those involved with developing these ships, and the techniques to sail them, were so engrossed in what they were doing, there is little documentation of how it was done. The streamlining of the vessels to sail faster is only one part of the story. Sea shanties, and their use to conduct the daily activities necessary to keep these ships sailing faster, are the other untold story.
In 1975, Steven Spielberg directed the summer blockbuster Jaws, based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel of the same name. In the film, Robert Shaw plays the role of a shark hunter named Quint, quite possibly the finest character to be created for the silver screen. In the scene just prior to Quint, Chiefy, and Mr. Hooper heading to sea to get “the head, the tail, the whole damn thing,” Mr. Hooper is loading his “anti-shark cage” onto The Orca and Quint says; “You go inside the cage, cage goes in the water, sharks in the water?, our shark?……Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish Lades, farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain for we’ve received orders for to sail back to Boston, never amore shall we see you again.”
In November of 2002, in a three family tenement on Jewett Street in Providence, RI, I heard the song Spanish Ladies for the first time while watching the film “Jaws” on television. At that moment, I discovered a musical history that was a genuine to New England--something I had been in search of for years.
In December of 2003 Seth Forden joined in on bass guitar and vocal harmony. In the fall of 2004, Ed Wenzl came aboard as drummer. Paul Dube began playing accordion in 2006 shortly before we recorded “Live at Jake’s” at Jake’s Bar and Grill on Richmond Street in Providence, RI. In late summer of 2007, Eric Wohgemuth joined in on banjo and Jonathan Cannon on fiddle.
In December 2007 we recorded Four Year's before the mast at Liberty and Union recording studios. Shorty before the release, James Toomey relieved first mate Ed on drums and in the summer of 2008 Michael Bilodeau joined on bass.
The mission of Sharks Come Cruisin’ is to shed light on these forgotten songs, to remind us of a day when music and work went hand and hand, and most importantly, to bring people together to holler, shout, and sing along to songs of drinking and sinking.
Mark Lambert
Sharks Come Cruisin’
