American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1948 Artist/Collector: Charles P. Mountford Label Information: Australian Broadcasting Commission Media Type: 78rpm albums Year: Recorded 1948, Released 1949 Availability: Out of print Notes: This is a collection of 9 records (78 rpm) of Australian Aboriginal music and ceremony. These were recorded in the Northern Territory in 1948, probably as part of The American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (1948). Charles P. Mountford writes in the records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land Volume 1, that he recorded "electronically", songs associated with bark paintings (p. 20). Notes on the songs were written by hand and some are very difficult to read leading to inaccuracies in the notes. Please note that Record 1 (sides 1-2), Record 7 (sides 13-14) and Record 10 (sides 19-20) are missing or were never pressed.

Track Number	Track Title	Track Time	Notes
01	Sea chant rhythm	N/A	Side 1, Cut 1. Song meaning unknown. Didgeridoo and sticks
02	Love song	N/A	Side 1, Cut 2. Women speaking of lover with didgeridoo
03	Campfire or sweetheart song	N/A	Side 2, Cut 1. Songman joined by others
04	Sea Song by Jiwadya Tribe	N/A	Side 2, Cut 2. Voice in time with didgeridoo but sticks independent
05	Long call mourning ceremony, grave posts	0:01:57	Side 3, Cut 1. Wonderful rhythm
06	Ritual mourning song for the dead	0:01:21	Side 3, Cut 2.
07	Women mourning song protests low to dead husband	0:00:35	Side 3, Cut 3. Giggle normal part of song
08	Mourning song	0:01:27	Side 4, Cut 1. Beautiful rhythm
09	Burning ceremony to free spirit	0:01:32	Side 4, Cut 2. With didgeridoo
10	Aboriginal drum with didgeridoo and sticks	0:02:32	Side 5, Cut 1.
11	Ritual rhythm	0:00:52	Side 5, Cut 2.
12	Sacred ceremony	0:00:39	Side 6, Cut 1.
13	Call song ceremonial	0:00:54	Side 6, Cut 2.
14	Mother song	0:00:32	Side 6, Cut 3. First time balnooknook (drum) recorded
15	Song to give power to dancers to leave sacred ground	0:00:27	Side 6, Cut 4. (with didjeridu?)
16	Love song	0:00:45	Side 7, Cut 1. Love dances, love song. Women and men have separate fires
17	A man is so heard complimenting his friends	0:00:51	Side 7, Cut 2. Clacking is made by boomerangs
18	Love dances	0:00:31	Side 7, Cut 3.
19	Love dances	0:00:39	Side 7, Cut 4.
20	Love dances	0:00:44	Side 8, Cut 1.
21	Love dances	0:00:27	Side 8, Cut 2.
22	Love dances	0:00:30	Side 8, Cut 3.
23	Love dances	0:00:28	Side 8, Cut 4.
24	Love dances	0:01:02	Side 8, Cut 5.
25	Unknown	0:01:11	Side 9, Cut 1.
26	Unknown	0:01:07	Side 9, Cut 2.
27	Unknown	0:00:47	Side 9, Cut 3.
28	Love songs	0:01:25	Side 10, Cut 1.
29	Love songs	0:01:08	Side 10, Cut 2.
30	Love songs	0:01:17	Side 10, Cut 3.
31	Love songs	0:03:15	Side 11, Cut 1. Song without dancing
32	Love song with humming and trill (possum)	0:00:42	Side 12, Cut 1.
33	Love song with humming and trill (possum)	0:02:07	Side 12, Cut 2.
34	Hero song	0:00:51	Side 12, Cut 3.
35	Didgeridoo accompaniments - Hawk Song	0:00:49	Side 15, Cut 1. (illegible) Hawk Song
36	Sacred song	0:02:46	Side 15, Cut 2.
37	Water songs and Cloud songs	0:04:01	Side 16, Cut 1.
38	Unknown	0:00:26	Side 17, Cut 1.
39	Unknown	0:02:03	Side 17, Cut 2. (with didjeridu)
40	Unknown	0:00:54	Side 17, Cut 3. (with didjeridu)
41	Unknown	0:02:52	Side 18, Cut 1. (with didjeridu)
42	Unknown	0:00:36	Side 18, Cut 2. Track is faulty as recorded
43	Song by Masek (illegible) given to him by snake	0:01:10	Side 21, Cut 1. (with didjeridu)
44	Song by Masek (illegible) given to him by snake	0:01:21	Side 21, Cut 2. (with didjeridu)
45	Another song by Masek	0:01:41	Side 22, Cut 1. (with didjeridu)
46	Another song by Masek	0:00:51	Side 22, Cut 2.
47	Bird life on a swamp in Arnhem Land	0:03:11	Side 23, Cut 1.
48	An Australian jungle awaking	0:00:40	Side 24, Cut 1.
49	An Australian jungle awaking	0:01:29	Side 24, Cut 2.
50	An Australian jungle awaking	0:01:00	Side 24, Cut 3.