Songs and stories

The bellringers (Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was songs and stories at the Dragon Folk Club session last week thanks to our occasional visiting story-teller Jane. It was great to see, and hear, her. 

I'm not aware of an official theme this Friday, so bring whatever songs, tune, stories or other types of performance you wish, maybe forming your own personal theme, but that's definitely not a requirement.

Colin, our regular MC, starting things off with Steve Knightley's Tall ships. Simon gave a first outing to is version of The lish young buy-a-broom (roud 1865).

Paul found Somewhere to begin (T R Ritchie) and Denny looked for her Young banker (roud 3321).

Steve sung about William Stone (Graeme Miles) before Jane gave us the first of her stories to finish off the initial rotation. Jane's story, called Sammy (* Jane), was a true one about a rook which her mother rescued and which then coexisted for some time, happily it seems, with the family's car and bull terrier dog. I won't let on the direction of the story for fear of spoiling it if Jane tells it to you.

All of Jane's performances were new to the Dragon database, probably because we hadn't heard them before, but even if we had I haven't previously recorded many of then, so who knows?

• Being on my own (Jane) - a poem about the fact that she likes her own company
• Jane's school friend Nick (Jane) - about a school friend who was an ornithologist with whom she had some adventures, and who had a tendency to appear at unexpected times.
• A lament for a bath (Jane) - a poem for a friend who is no longer able to enjoy her beloved bath times.
• The last elephant - a story about the last elephant and its keeper, perhaps triggered by Paul's singing of The last of the great whales (Louis/Louisa Killen).
• The flatmate - a joke in the form of a story about a young man, his female flatmate and his mother. 

The only song of the evening new to the Dragon database - but certainly sing at the club before the database was created - was Paul's John Kanaka (roud 8238), the penultimate performance of the evening.

Denny finished off the session with The bellringing (roud 1515).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though not always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Follow my leader or be miserable

The Jacobite about to leave Mallaig station
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session we were back to being quorate, and there was no official theme in sight. Two things emerged though. Simon tried to follow Colin thematically on each of his turns, and Paul tried to out-miserable our resident blues-man, Bob, while others joined in that pursuit from time to time.

Colin, back as MC after a short break, started us off with Pete Budd's Somerset born and proud (*). It was the only new song for the Dragon database this week - though definitely previously sung at the club in May 2014 if at no other time. Simon took us in a southerly direction to Dorset for The Yetties' version of Buttercup Joe (roud 1635).

Denny's first song of the evening was Linden Lea (William Barnes, Ralph Vaughan Williams) and Paul gave us Somewhere to begin (T R Ritchie).

Bob said he had wondered how Gram Parsons' Luxury liner could be made of just 40 tons of steel until he realised it referred to a railway (railroad) locomotive rather than to a great ship.

Sue completed the first rotation with The whistling gypsy (roud 1, child 200 - Leo Maguire).

When Colin sang If (David Gates) Simon responded with another love song albeit unrequited and slightly creepy: Elusive butterfly (Bob Lind). Simon pointed out that in the early 1980s Paul Gambaccini declared on BBC Radio that Telly Savalas' version of If was the UK number one hit with the shortest title and Simon thought the record probably stood. Wikipedia says that "In the U.S., Bread's tune was the shortest song title to become a top ten hit until 1993, when Prince hit No. 7 with 7, later matched by Britney Spears' No. 1 hit 3 in 2009." Given that 7 only reached #27 in the UK and 3 only reached #7 I would suggest that Gambaccini's statement probably still holds. In the same broadcast the song San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) written by John Phillips and recorded by Scott McKenzie was said to be the longest UK #1 title. It would be much more difficult to prove whether or not that still holds. I know, this story is the antithesis of folk, but I think it's interesting if trivial and very nerdy.

Paul's first attempt at out-miserabling Bob was with The last of the great whales (Louis/Louisa Killen) to which Bob's riposte was Leon Payne's Lost highway.

Colin lightened the mood with Just kidding (# Miles Wootton, Fred Wedlock) which unfortunately cannot be linked so you can't experience the joys of clingfilm over the loo. Simon's answer to that was bed bugs eating paper off the wall in Down our street.

When Bob sang Orange Blossom Special (roud 17742 - Ervin T Rouse) he suggested there were no songs about British trains. The list, like a head of steam, started building: Last train (Stanley Accrington), Children of the train by our own Mike Starkey (not his tune in the linked video), Railway station song by Steve Andisaw (definitely worth a listen), ... To prove the point Sue sang Blackpool Belle (Howard Broadbent, Jimmy Smith).

Colin took an eco and sligtly miserable turn with Leave them a flower (Wally Whyton) and Simon followed him down the path of (anti) environmental destruction with Brian Bedford's This is the way the world ends.

Denny's contribution to the miserable theme was Ron Angel's The chemical worker's song about life inside ICI's Billingham factory and Paul continued with the negative side of industry, remembering the Aberfan disaster with Close the coalhouse door (Alex Glasgow). Maybe Bob had had enough of the misery since he added Blues stay away from me (Alton Delmore, Rabon Delmore, Henry B Glover, Wayne Raney).

Colin sang of the trials of Wreck of the Ragamuffin (roud 10466 - John J. Stamford) so Simon followed that with the tragic end of The Bergen (Jez Lowe) which our own Derek Brinkley once claimed to be the only song written about Seaton Carew where the crewmen were buried.

Paul dredged the depths of misery with Hanging Johnny (roud 2625) and Bob made his last offering another railroad ditty: Golden Rocket (Hank Snow).

Sue finished off the session in good spirits and with High hopes (Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and songs not to be found in the playlist linked from "a selection" are marked with a hash (#).

All Fools 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session turned into an event to mark a slightly belated April Fool's day with mirth, fun and nonsense. It was particularly good to mark it with a respectably large crowd. This Friday's session will have no theme, so the pressure is off and with the expected absence of a few regulars you are particularly encouraged to come along for a low-key, low-pressure opportunity to try performing your party pieces, or if you don't fancy that to see what we are going to perform. You are very welcome to join in the banter and a hopefully a chorus or two.

Back to last week, Colin, in the chair as MC, started us off with a marker of April fools (* Rob Carlson). That asterisk indicates a song that is new to the Dragon database though not necessarily a first appearance at the club since the database only goes back a fraction of the club's history which spans well over 50 years. The database is even incomplete and inclined to errors over its restricted period.

The YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below is also incomplete, and more so this week than usually, mostly for good reason. Performances not to be found there will be marked with a hash (#). The playlist acknowledges 30 performances, but we had a total of 37 during the evening.

It was good to see occasional visitor Roger S, and his first song of the session was his own Ukrainian lament (*# Roger Stanleigh).

Simon was first in with a comedy song, which was Richard Stilgoe's The transplant squad.

Steve came in with what some consider "folk cheese": The fields of Athenry (Pete St John), and he was followed by Jane with one of her stories; this time about some stolen doughnuts (#).

Denny told us about Albert's return (Marriott Edgar) and Paul gave us Somewhere to begin (T R Ritchie).

Sue's first song was Eric Idle's Always look on the bright side of life from The Life of Brian, and Bob brought the first rotation to a close with The same thing happened to me (John Prine, Gary Nicholson).

I was sure that Denny had previously sung The lightning tree (* Francis Essex) which some of us remembered as the theme tune to the ITV children's drama Follyfoot. However, the database had no record of it, so either I'm mistaken, or it was another omission from its vault; well it is no longer.

Roger sang us another of his own compositions which he entitled Expectation (*# Roger Stanleigh).

Jane's next story was entitled Chocolate (#) and was about a soldier who liked the sweet stuff considerably more than he liked being a soldier.

Colin entered the realms of "one song to the tune of another" with Your Baby 'as Gorn Dahn the Plug'ole (Jack Spade - a pseudonym of Elton Box, Desmond Cox and Lewis Ilda [aka Irwin Dash]) to the tune of My bonnie lies over the ocean (roud 1422).

There is a previous record of Devil woman (Terry Britten, Christine Authors) being sung by an unknown attendee at the club (maybe someone who happened to wander in from the bar?), but Roger's rendition of Devil Woman (* Marty Robbins) seems to have been a debut for that song of the same name.

Jane Followed Steve's singing of When Adam was first created (roud 728) with her own unexpected story of how Adam and Eve may have been created (#).

Denny proudly displayed her footwear while singing These boots are made for walking (* Lee Hazlewood).

Roger's last song of the evening was Ned Miller's Do what you do do well from 1965.

After everyone had sung, recited, read or told four performances, Colin sang the final song which appropriately was One more song (Jimmy Monthieth-Towler, Val Monthieth-Towler).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)

From Pook's Hill to the Hills of Shiloh

View from Cleeve Hill,
the highest in the Cotswolds
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had no theme and the offerings were as eclectic as you would expect and hope for. It was good to see Stuart and Carrie return and they may almost now be turning into regulars, which is great.

This Friday's session will again have no official theme, but after my slightly premature suggestion last week, this Sunday really is Mothering Sunday, so songs about Mums or the Mother Church may be appropriate.

I have an apology to make to Stuart, although he seemed amused so maybe it's not so bad. Three weeks ago I was not present, so it was more difficult to check my facts, and I credited Bryson City not incorrectly to Daniel Babin, but in fact Stuart sang Bryson City Blues (*), the only song so far that he has written himself (no link to a video I'm afraid).

That asterisk indicating a song new to the Dragon database comes out immediately for the song with which Stuart and Carrie started the evening: Oak, ash and thorn (*) with words from the poem "A Tree Song" in Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and music by kiplingologist Peter Bellamy.

The same duo continued with The Beatles' Norwegian wood (John Lennon, Paul McCartney).

Colin provided the main challenge of the evening for your scribe. The Labourers' Union is the one song I didn't find on YouTube and therefore the only one not included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below.

Colin had reported the week before on the health of our friend Tom Mossman, so Simon thought to bring out Tom's own Lasso the Moon, written in consultation with our late friend Ray Croll.

Denny, having sung herself out of Irish songs at the previous week's St Patrick's Day session, had realised she knew at least one more and therefore gave us The rose of Tralee (* roud 1978) which we can credit either to English writer Edward Mordaunt Spencer (words) and English composer Charles William Glover (music), or to William Pembroke Mulchinock, depending on which story we believe.

Paul brought the first rotation to an end with Somewhere to begin (* T R Ritchie).

Stuart and Carrie introduced us to The Hills of Shiloh (* Shel Silverstein, Jim Friedman), introduced to them by Martin Simpson's version, who in turn acquired it from his collaboration with June Tabor. They also made the "additions to the database" list for the week with Sandy Denny's Who knows where the time goes (*).

Colin also entered the database with Ewan MacColl's The Trafford Road Ballad (*) which was written in 1948 for "Landscape With Chimneys", a play dealing with life in Salford. It is told from the perspective of a WWII veteran who expresses his disdain for needless warfare and death. The melody is based on the 1870's Irish ballad, "Spancil Hill".

Carrie announced that she was singing 10,000 miles (*) from the repertoire of Mary Chapin Carpenter. This is an alternative name for Fare thee well (roud 422).

And so it was also Carrie who gave us our last "new" song of the evening with Stevie Nicks' Dreams (*) and a fine performance it was too. It wasn't the first song of the evening to have everyone singing along.

The final song of the evening came from Stuart and Carrie with Dink's song. Stuart told how John Lomax, on his way to collect and record songs near Huston when, passing over a bridge on the Brazos River he heard a black woman singing a song while washing her husband's clothes in a tent camp of migratory levee-builders. He was so impressed that he stopped and recorded her. Her name was Dink. He decided to come back and hear more songs from her another day, but on his return she had already died.

Cyril Tawney, while serving in the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Indefatigable, found the song in the Lomaxes' book American Ballads and Folk Songs. He was struck by the first verse, and incorporated it into the second verse of his song about the navy, The Grey Funnel Line.

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

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