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Going Home With You

Melodies From Scotland

Loose Gravel

Biography

"Paul Campbell" is a songwriting pseudonym employed by the original members of the folk group the Weavers -- Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert -- during the first phase of their career, 1948-1953. According to song publishing convention, it was possible to acquire the copyright on an old folk song either by claiming to have "arranged" it or simply by putting down one's own name as the songwriter; often, of course, in what was called "the folk process," performers really did add their own arranging and melodic ideas, as well as new lyrics to create what were arguably distinct compositions only based on the old songs. For example, the Weavers' hit "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," credited to Paul Campbell and Joel Newman, was based on the tune of an old Irish folk song that had been adapted earlier by their friend Leadbelly (who is the pseudonymous "Joel Newman"), but they wrote an entirely new set of lyrics. The result was a success not only for the Weavers in their Decca Records recording, but also in a later cover by Jimmie Rodgers. Other songs credited to Paul Campbell include "Wimoweh," another Weavers hit based on a South African tune by Solomon Linda, later adapted into the Tokens' hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George Weiss (who claimed the song for themselves without reference to Linda, much less "Paul Campbell").