Goodbye Tony, hello Neil

Tony Bennett in the 1960s

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session it was great to invite Neil on his first visit. He came in just as Geoff was finishing the first round and so was straight in to sing. To his credit he didn't flinch and simply asked if we wanted a happy song or a sad one. He contributed to another great evening and we hope to see him again very soon.

Colin as MC started the singing, and noting the recent death of jazz singer Tony Bennett gave us one from his repertoire: Anything goes (Cole Porter).

In a similar musical vein Sue sang Everything stops for tea, written by Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart and Maurice Sigler. Both of these first two songs were new to the Dragon database, though of course not necessarily entirely new to the club.

Bob's first song of the evening was Gordon Lightfoot's Early Morning Rain.

Simon brought us a more sombre tone with Peat bog soldiers, written by prisoners in the Börgermoor Nazi moorland labour camp in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Denny sang the Scottish love ballad, Broom of the Cowdenknowes (roud 92, child 217). Paul called his song old, but finally admitted that Cyril Tawney's Grey funnel line was slightly younger than his own years.

Geoff was singing Ralph McTell's Streets of London as Neil walked into the room. Barely catching a breath, Neil gave us The rebel soldier, which is seems is a precursor to songs such as Jack o' Diamonds and Rye whiskey. All these songs are under 259 in the roud index. While Rye whiskey was already in the database, The rebel soldier was a new entry.

And so we completed the first circuit of the room.

Tradition is that I mention all the songs of a newcomer to the club, Neil in this case:

• The most laementable ballade of Edward the Young (Daniel Kahn) - new to the database
• Tiny notes (Sean Cooney) - new to the database
• Oh Shenandoah (roud 324) - bizarrely, new to the database (it must previously have escaped)

A little more about Neil later in this report.

Sue sang another "new" song: The ugly bug ball written by brothers Robert B Sherman and Richard M Sherman. It was written for the Disney film Summer Magic in which it was sung by Burl Ives. At first, Walt Disney didn't care for "Ugly Bug Ball", but Robert Sherman explained that to bugs, other bugs were not ugly even if they looked ugly to us, beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Disney liked the idea and the song went on to become one of the most popular songs of the year.

It fell to Neil to close the evening which he did with Picture in a frame (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan) which was alos the final new entry into the database for the evening.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)

Songwriters

Dave Sudbury and the King of Rome

Usual MC, Colin wasn't present for last week's Dragon Folk Club session, so Simon filled in and was joined by a perfectly adequate group of four other singers, including Sean who hadn't visited since 2015 when we were meeting at The New Inn, Westerleigh. His long absence is mainly due to morris dancing duties; apparently last night they were neither practicing nor "dancing out".

Simon kicked things off with Dave Sudbury's King of Rome.

Rob followed up with an explanation that he once sang The two sisters (roud 8, child 10) only to have an audience member suggest afterwards that whoever wrote it might have made it shorter. Rob had to admit that it was quite long and so wrote the song he performed for us: The magic lute (Rob Winder).

Sean said he always starts off with something traditional when he visits a new place so he gave us Down by Blackwaterside (roud 564, laws P18). This song was new to the Dragon database, though as usual that doesn't necessarily mean it was new to the club.

Paul's first of the evening was Waking dreams (roud 22620) and Denny's was The collier laddie (roud 3787), another new song for the database.

And so ended the first round of singing. We definitely found it good to chat (and why not), so the total number of songs sung only amounted to 24, but it was nevertheless a worthwhile and pleasant evening.

Rob was next to add to the new songs for the database with Jimmy Driftwood's He had a long chain on. For anyone wondering about Driftwood, it may help to know that he also wrote the more famous Battle of New Orleans (roud 17913), made famous by Johnny Horton. It was also Rob adding to the database with The four-loom weaver (roud 937).

Sean sang two of his own songs. Coat of blue (Sean Cusack) is inspired by the fact that Sean believes that his Irish ancestors may have fought on both sides at the Battle of Waterloo. Cradle to grave is a song about the NHS. Sean penned this song at a songwriting workshop led by Nancy Kerr. Sean was pleased not only because Nancy seemed to appreciate his song, but because on leaving the workshop he heard two of the other attendees discussing it. I'm afraid these two songs are missing from the playlist linked below.

The final new addition of the evening for the database (both of Sean's songs were also in that number) was Rocky road (Peter Yarrow, Noel Stookey). Rob thought it was a children's song, and indeed it seems it may have originated as an African-American children's playground song, but it had probably travelled via Green green rocky road (roud 15657).

Simon knew there was just time for one song to finish the evening when it came to Paul's turn. Not wanting to cause any arguments he invited Paul and Denny to decide between them who should sing. The equitable solution was that they sang alternate verses of When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford) with the assembled throng assisting when it came to the chorus.

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 5 of whom 5 performed)

A mixed bag - some controversial?

Kitty Cheatham

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session saw a good turnout of six regulars sing a wide variety of songs, some from their regular repertoires, some not and seven not previously recorded in "the database".

Colin as MC asked Bob to start the evening. He gave us Jes' like John (roud 12109), a traditional African-American spiritual hymn which was first recorded by Kitty Cheatham in 1916.

Sue's first was Ukulele, written by Guy Snape as a parody of Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah.

Colin followed Bob down the spiritual route with Jordan is a hard road to travel (roud 12153 - Dan Emmet) although it was written for an 1853 blackface minstrel show. Emmet founded the first troupe in the blackface minstrel tradition, the Virginia Minstrels. Blackface minstrels are one of those things which many people may recoil from these days, but they are a historical fact and in any case many of the songs have since moved on from that environment. In this case the song was recorded in 1927 by Uncle Dave Macon, an early Grand Ole Opry star. The song was later included on the Smithsonian Institution's Folkways collection, Classic Country Music: A Smithsonian Collection. Peter, Paul and Mary sing this song on their Moving album in 1963 as "Old Coat".

Denny sang of Good English ale (roud 1512), mentioning "fatty bacon" among other foods. This later led Simon to sing Buttercup Joe (roud 1635): "Those nobby swells they laugh and chaff to see I eat fat bacon".

Paul's contribution to the first round was Cicely Fox-Smith's First World War poem Homeward to the familiar tune by Sarah Morgan. Simon suggested Paul might like to listen to our friend Tom's parody of the song, Home lass home.

With the first round out of the way Colin's next contribution was Don't let me be misunderstood. Although written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for Nina Simone, I suspect that Colin was thinking of The Animals' hit version from 1965. In any case this was a new song for the Dragon database.

It was also Colin who introduced another new song to the database with something by one of his favourite bands, and a fairly local one as well: Stackridge. The song on this occasion was Marzo Plod (James Warren).

As usual there were a few minor themes that developed during the evening. Sue gave us Sting's Fields of gold, and it was her partner Bob who brought out You've got gold (John Prine, Keith Sykes), another song new to the database.

Paul helpfully provides the roud numbers for some of the songs he or Denny sings. This led Simon to sing The handweaver and the factory maid (roud 17771) simply because it's the only one whose roud number he knows off the top of his head. Paul noticed that Simon's next song, Nancy Whisky (roud 883) was also about a weaver. Denny was interested that the character in the song had some potential similarities to her sister who is a weaver, appreciates whisky and lives in Carleton, Lancashire (not Calton, Glasgow as in the song). I hope though that she doesn't emulate the song in drunkenness.

Paul was a little premature singing Dave Webber's The parting song in that it was not yet the end of the evening. This again was a new song to the Dragon database.

The final song new to the database this week was Donovan's Mellow yellow sung on this occasion by Colin. There are apparently two theories about the background to this song: it could relate to a later debunked idea that smoking banana skins could have hallucinogenic effects, or far more likely, as apparently stated by the Donovan, it could allude to a sex toy which he had seen advertised.

There were two songs sung in the evening which do not appear in the usual YouTube playlist linked below. Both were written and sung by Sue: her autobiographical version of The house of the Rising Sun, and Recycled teenager which is about people of a certain age at ukulele jams.

Simon finished off the evening with Claudy banks (roud 266, laws N40).

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 6 performed)

New friends and old

Terry C a few years ago
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Once again your usual scribe wasn't at the Dragon Folk Session last week, but it was great to hear that our old friend Terry C made an appearance for the first time in a long time. Also great to hear was that it was the first visit by Stuart and Carrie who both play the guitar and the ukulele.

Stuart and Carrie were straight in at the deep end, starting the session with Fresh as a sweet Sunday morning (Bert Jansch) and Waiting around to die (Townes Van Zandt).

Bob sang Merle Haggard's White line fever which Sue followed that with Ain't misbehavin' (Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Harry Brooks).

Terry C's long-hoped-for return to the club started with Jim Moreland's What happened to the ponies. Sorry, there's no YouTube video in the playlist of this lovely song and even an article I have linked before about Jim has disappeared from the Sunderland Echo website.

On easier ground for this report writer, Colin went to Newfoundland for I'se the b'y (roud 4432).

Denny sang Broom of the Cowdenknowes (roud 92). The linked recording, made by Terry H, is of the club's late friend Ray.

Paul finished the first round with Keith Marsden's Bring us a barrel.

It is tradition that I mention all the songs sung by newcomers Stuart and Carrie. Their remaining offerings were:

• Bring me a boat (Kate Rusby, Phil Cunningham)
• Don't let the sun catch you crying (Gerry Marsden, Freddie Marsden, Les Chadwick, Les Maguire)
• Nine hundred miles (roud 4959)
• The rambling Irishman (roud 3572)
• Spancil Hill (roud 22062 - Michael Considine)
• Don't want to know (John Martyn)
• Long black veil (roud 18510 - Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin)
• Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

There were lots of songs sung during the evening that are new to the Dragon database (though not necessarily new to the club). Some of these have already been mentioned, but the remainder are listed here:

• Sue - Love of the common people (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins)
• Colin - Drinking with Rosie (Richard Digance)
• Terry C - Soap, starch and candles (V56772) - not in the playlist linked below
• Colin - Down on the corner (John Forgerty)
• Bob and Sue - Blue eyes crying in the rain (Fred Rose)
• Bob and Sue - Blackpool Belle (Howard Broadbent, Jimmy Smith)
• Colin - My friend the sun (Roger Chapman, Charlie Whitney)
• Paul - Rufford Park poachers (roud 1759)
• Terry - Goodbye my old friend (Mike Denver)

After all that excitement it feel to Colin to complete the evening with Peter Bellamy's Sweet ladies of Plymouth from his folk opera "The Transports".

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 8 performed)