Stan Hugill - the real words?

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:01 PM

One of my friends has re-constituted some of his songs cos Stan Hugill normally used words that rhymed with the offensive word & as someone said, the air was blue!

I'll send this thread to him

sandra

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 06:52 PM

As the "Unpublished Shanties" thread reveals, the official word on the subject is that the manuscript in question does not exist. One hopes otherwise.

The "Drunken Sailor" book has some attractive 19th century illustrations and some informative notes, but none of the texts are Hugill's. All the versions appear to be "post-revival.".

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 05:39 PM

I have just realised as a result of the above that I was suspicious of the formalistic incrementalisation of "Drunken Sailor" which made it sound like a VIctorian music-hall song rather than a true forebitter (it is not in shanty format).

Way to go, Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: GUEST,Michael in Swansea
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 05:28 PM

Try to get a copy of "What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor" which is unexpurdgated. You may not like what you read, but the words are there. Chanty Cabin had a few copies a while back, don't know if they've any left.
Just realised I'm back as a guest.
Mike

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:20 PM

Richard-

Some day Stan's original versions will see the light again, I'm sure. I'm sure it's something that will be discussed at the 100th birthday commemoration that's being held in Liverpool this November.

Try the contact at Stan's website.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Old Grizzly
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:58 PM

Many moons ago I spoke to Stan (and ended up sliding down the bar with him) and in the course of the conversation he said he had comprehensive written records of all the 'untouched' versions which he might release 'when the time was right'

I should love to see these, if only to see just how many of my guesses were right :o)

I suspect there would be few venues where they could be sung in these
'enlightened' politically correct times.

Dave

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Bill D
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:29 PM

There were a couple threads on this earlier....there are a couple of late night recordings of 'some' songs done at Mystic, but they are the property OF Mystic, and there are no known plans to make them public. I know someone who has a copy, as he was doing the recording, and he says I can come listen, but that HE will not make copies.

G. Legman would be, indeed, the most likely source for words, if he has them, but he died in 1999.....I have no idea who controls his archives.

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:22 PM

Dunno, but I do know that he sent a whole load of 'real words' to the American folklorist, Gershon Legman. So perhaps Legman would be a good place to start.

Hugill did a booking at the Trawler on Liverpool Dock Rd. one night back in the 1960s. Whether he'd had a few or not, I don't know, but he came out with some of the 'real words'. The air in there was purple for weeks afterwards

Subject: Stan Hugill - the real words?
From: stormalong
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:16 PM

Stan Hugill's 'Shanties from the Seven Seas' (first published 1961) must be the most authoritative source generally available on its subject, but anyone reading this today must be frustrated by the wholesale bowdlerisation to which he admitted. Did he leave any sources in the public domain with the real words?

Richard