Back to camp for this rather saucy little number and Jon says, “A peculiar music-hall number only sung at FSCs as far as I know.”
There’s clearly more to these camps than I thought, although in fairness some of the bolder choices have come from that fireside setting. I don’t know whether this could perhaps be called topical, given the current interest in the burlesque. I can’t offer any links for this, should you wish to research the revival of interest in Queenie’s trade that will be up to you. Suffice to say that this one raised a chuckle with its church bell dénouement. I wonder how old this song is. You can buy the February digital album now from all good download stores.
Jon says, “Fay recorded this on Looking Glass. She found it in the Huddleston collection.”
It doesn’t seem to have much of a life beyond Jon and Fay as far as I can tell, so please advise if you know differently, but there seems to be nowt on Mudcat and only Fay’s version at Mainly Norfolk. It’s a simple if somewhat oblique little song that seems to demand actions to go with it, like some sort of children’s game, although not one I can recall. Any additional information will be appreciated.
You can buy the February digital album now from all good download stores.
Jon simply says, “Norma Waterson totally owns this song for me, but it’s gotta be done.”
You’ll find Norma’s version on that first Waterson:Carthy album and you can read all about that at Mainly Norfolk. You’ll note that it’s from Cape Breton and there are some useful notes concerning locations and bits and pieces. There seems to be a lingering question about brochans, which I always thought were some sort of oat cake, but I can’t claim particular expertise on the subject and would appreciate confirmation or otherwise. Start here on Mudcat and the thread suggests shoes rather than cakes, although I have an idea that both are right, it’s just that I think cakes or rolls or food is what’s being requested. There are various links off, but I was also immediately aware of the verse floating in from Peggy Gordon, which we had back on 9th January, although it’s now a cask of brandy rather than just a glass. Mind you it does all seems bit grim, grimy and depressing made all the more mournful by the concertina. Whilst I particularly like Martin’s guitar on Norma’s version, I really like the way Jon delivers this one. I’m right there under a leaden pall of a sky with the relentless wind cutting like a knife.
You can buy the February digital album now from all good download stores.
Jon refers to a legendary Irish combo here saying, “Possibly the folk album that made the biggest impression on me as a teenager was Planxty’s Cold Blow And The Rainy Night it even inspired me to try to learn the Uileann pipes. There are a fair few English songs in the Planxty repertoire – I think this is one, but I’m not 100% sure.”
With both Christy Moore and Paul Brady passing through the ranks, Planxty are without doubt a hugely important band and this is the title track of their third LP from 74, the year when the latter stepped into the formers shoes. Notes on the CD version reveal that Christy learnt this from one Mike Harding of Crumpsall, Manchester. A version of this is of course a highlight of the first CD from The Imagined Village, but the tune’s somewhat different. Martin Carthy, with and without Steeleye has recorded this, as has daughter Eliza and you can read more about that at Mainly Norfolk. As to origins, well it’s fair to say that Mudcat, erm, muddies the waters somewhat. Inevitably it’s part of a family of similarly themed songs that seems to be popular on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall. It seems sensible to call this version English, however, given Planxty’s accredited source and the soldier as the protagonist is another signature. Oddly no one suggests an Irish version and even Planxty imported it, which given the numerous versions, even Burns had a go at improving it, seems odd. Maybe I’m just missing something, so if you know better please let us know. Personally I love the I.V. version of this and that album in general, but this is great. There’s a jauntiness in the tune that favours the soldier, if you know what I mean, although this is another of those moral fables about the perils of persuasion. Young maidens – you have been warned!
You can buy the February digital album now from all good download stores.
Thanks for visiting A Folk Song A Day. Here you can browse the 365 songs that Jon Boden recorded in a mammoth project back in 2010-2011 along with introductions to each song written by Simon Holland and many comments from followers of the original project.
If you are looking for a particular song you can use the search box to your left, or you can view an alphabetical list of all 365 songs here. Monthly albums are available to download from iTunes and Amazon. You can follow daily postings of the songs on Twitter and Facebook.
The aim of the project was to provide a resource for anyone interested in taking up social folk singing. Let us know how you get on!
