Origins: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)

Subject: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Barry Finn
Date: 15 Jun 99 - 10:28 PM

Heard this over the weekend at Mystic. Peter Bellamy put music to Kipling's Frankie's Trade. It seems that Frankie was taught the ropes of being a sailor by taking all that the North Sea dished out at him. The chorus seems to go something like (1st part) All Along The Sand & (2nd part) All Along The Shore & maybe it ends with a line like All Around The Horn. There's also a line line He Ran Me Down With A Three Reefed Sail & He Ran Me Down With Canvas Full. It was credited to Kipling but I went to a number of Kipling sites & couldn't find anything. Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 12:30 AM

Hi, Barry, I just did a quick check and found a cd/cassette at Folk Legacy which is the "Songs of Kipling" and has "Frankie's Trade" on it.

I have a bunch of Kipling downstairs. I'll check tomorrow to see if I can find that poem. Failing that, I'll ask my dad; he knows most of Kipling by heart.

katlaughing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dani
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 09:43 AM

Now that you've mentioned Kipling....

It's not music, but a story I've been trying to track down for the LONGEST time. Do any of you Kipling fans know anything about The White Seal? I've got a children's Disney-esque version of it that SAYS it's by Rudyard, but it's very different stuff. And if it's truly his, I'd love to find a better copy of the full story.

Viva La Mudcat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 05:54 PM

The White Seal is one of the stories in "The Jungle Book" - that's the original, not the Disney.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 07:53 PM

I was going to post the words to you but something really weird got in my machine. It is now much tooo late. Will post tomorrow if no-one else has.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 09:20 PM

I just called my dad, who is an expert on Kipling, having been raised by recitation and copious quotes of him, from the time he was born. He says Frankie's Trade would be about Sir francis Drake, so perhaps now we can find something in a book or at one of the websites. I'll go look.

Katlaughing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 09:36 PM

Here's a link to the original of the "White Seal" Kipling's White Seal

More later, I hope!

Subject: Lyr Add: FRANKIE'S TRADE (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Matthew B.
Date: 16 Jun 99 - 10:55 PM

Yes, it is a truly great song, but you've never really heard it until you've heard it sung by Ken Shatz and Alison Kelly of NexTradition.

Frankie's Trade

Old Horn to All Atlantic said:
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
Now where did Frankie learn his trade?
For he ran me down with three reef mains'l
  (All round the Horn!)

Atlantic answered: " Not from me!
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
You'd better ask the cold North Sea,
For he ran me down under full plain canvas"
  (All round the Horn!)

The North Sea answered, "He's my man!"
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
For he came to me when he began
It was Frankie Drake in an open coaster
  (All round the Sands!)

I caught him young and I used him sore,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
So you never shall startle Frankie more,
Without capsizing Earth and her waters.
  (All round the Sands!)

I did not favor him at all
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
I made him pull and I made him haul?
And stand his trick with the common sailors.
  (All round the Sands!)

I froze him stiff and I fogged him blind,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
And kicked him home with his road to find
By what he could see in a three-day snow-storm.
  (All round the Sands!)

I learned him his trade o' winter nights,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
'Twixt Mardyk Fort and Dunkirk lights,
On a five-knot tide with the forts a-firing.
  (All round the Sands!)

Before his beard began to shoot,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
I showed him the length of the Spaniard's foot
And I reckon he clapped the boot on it later.
  (All round the Sands!)

If there's a risk which you can make,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
That's worse than he was used to take
Nigh every week in the way of his business;
  (All round the Sands!)

If there's a trick that you can try,
  (O-hay O! To me O!)
Which he hasn't met in time gone by,
Not once or twice, but ten times over;
  (All round the Sands!)

If you can teach him aught that's new
  (A-hay O! To me O!)
I'll give you Bruges and Niewport too,
And the ten tall churches that stand between 'em!
  (All round the Sands!)

O, Storm along, my gallant Captains!
  (All round the Horn!)
^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 12:11 AM

This is really a puzzler. My dad remembers this poem, but not the name. I took some of the words and listed them in a concordance, supposedly of everythng he wrote, at a website and, so far, keep coming up with a blank. No "Frankie's", "Dunkirk", "Mardyk Fort".....could it be the song paraphrases a poem of his.

I really love Kipling's works, so am just as curious, if not more, as Barry to figure it out.

Thanks for the words of the song, though, Matthew B.

katlaughing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Barry Finn
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 01:26 AM

Matthew B. thanks a million for putting it together for me. And yes you're right about Ken & Allison, hearing them sing a song is like hearing it anew. Got to do a good bit of singing with them both this past weekend, it's always a great time with them.

Katlaughting, sometimes I'm just to close to see my nose. The line "It was Frankie Drake in an open coaster" should've rug bells announcing the Frankie was Sir Francis.

Thank You All, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 02:52 AM

Frankie's Trade accompanies a story called "Simple Simon" in "Rewards and Fairies", about using fireships against the Armada.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 08:13 AM

Here's a good place to look for Kipling. It's not there under that title, though.

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 08:26 AM

I've used Steve's link and searched for the opening phrase, and it isn't there: it is in my "Rewards and Fairies", though... very odd. I'll check in my"Definitive Verse" tonight.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dani
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 09:34 AM

Bless you, Katlaughing. A mystery solved. I've had two editions of Jungle Book, neither of which included this story~ now I can search with greater authority!!

I've loved Kipling (with a wink to Churchill) ever since I stumbled upon a gorgeous and very old book of his poems at a book sale. It is still a most prized possession, the concents of which have graced many solemn occasions. I think I can understand your Dad's interest.

Subject: re: Frankie's Trade
From: Wally Macnow - Camsco Music
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 02:58 PM

It's also on Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman's CD "Together Solo"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:22 PM

Checked two books of poems, the Definitive and a Complete Poems with a foreword by M M Kaye, and it's in both. There may be differences betwen editions of things on either side of All Atlantic.

I tried Katlaughing's link, and got to a blank concordance. What am I doing wrong?

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:36 PM

Here's one I found Kipling's White Seal

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dave Swan
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:40 PM

So...Through a strange warp in time-space, or whatever it takes to set up the story, W. Shakespeare and R.Kipling arrive simultaneously at the pearly gates. Peter explains that there's only room for one additional poet at the time and a competition will have to take place. "Gentlemen," says the gatekeeper, "I'll have to hear a quatrain ending in Timbuktu"

"Mr. Shakespeare, you are first."

"A moment" says the bard, stroking his whiskers," while I choose my rhymes." Shakespeare clears his throat.

"As I lay on shifting sands and dreamed of distant, far off lands, A caravan hove into view, Its destination Timbuktu"

Even Kipling is impressed as he takes a swig of his celestial beer and wipes his mouth on the back of his white ethereal issue robe. " Uh, yeah, right, well"

"Me and Tim a-camping went, And spied three maidens in a tent, They being three, and we being two, I bucked one and Tim bucked two."

That's the way I heard it. Dave.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:47 PM

Someone's going to say they've never kipled next.

Penny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dave Swan
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:48 PM

Honest, I tried to make it four lines, something got lost in the transmission. Techo-impaired. My lap top is an Etch-a-Sketch with an electric blanket control.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dave Swan
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 03:51 PM

Well, it won't be either one of us. D.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Jun 99 - 09:17 PM

Sorry, Penny, when I copied the link address, I was in the text of the White Seal.

Here is a better link. BTW, this concordance site has many authors to choose from. I don't think it has the one Kipling we are looking for, though. And, from what my dad said, I know we had it on the side of the pond, too, at some point. Here ya go:

right here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 03:32 AM

Through some strange process of word association, or deja vu, or jamais vu, I find myself relating this little tale. Last night I went to see Jeremy Taylor at Bedford (UK) Folk Club. I got chatting to him before the show started, and as we hadn't met for several years, I reminded him that I used to sing with Barrie Roberts at the Songsmiths club in Walsall: he immediately started singing "On the road to Manadalay"! The reason (which I thought I'd managed to expunge from memory) is that Barrie, who is a big fan of RK, once sang it to finish the evening: every week for years afterwards, we had to close with it.

Steve (somewhere west of Suez)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 10:18 AM

"Holmes, "said Watson, "Who's the man with an Indian tan and a moustache playing what seems to be a small guitar?"
"Elementary , my dear Watson. It's Kipling tipling"
["I thought I told you never to play that". "Sorry Mr Rick"]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Jun 99 - 11:13 AM

Responding to Dani's question about "The White Seal": It's a short story that appears in "The Jungle Book" -- the first volume, that is, the one with the original Mowgli stories along with several non-Mowglis, including "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," the one about the mongoose who kills Nag and Nagina, the married snakes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Dani
Date: 02 Jul 99 - 09:40 AM

Leave it to the Mudcat. Alla y'all are fabulous. Thanks~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req; Kipling's Frankie's Trade
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jun 05 - 09:33 PM

"Rewards and Fairies," Rudyard Kipling, may be found here in Gutenberg edition.
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext96/rwfrs10.txt
Rewards and Fairies

The story "Simple Simon," where the song "Frankie's Trade" appears, is way down, next to last story in this book.
Text as given by Matthew B. is correct.
The song is not in the usual collections of Kipling's poetry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 05:11 PM

There's an excellent recording of "Frankie's Trade" on "Stand to yer Ground" (PROP 1885 ) by the Shanty Crew. Contact them here to get the CD : http://www.shantycrew.co.uk/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 05:42 PM

From Earthbound's Kipling/Bellamy programme for last year's Fylde Folk Festival:-

http://soundcloud.com/earthboundkiplingbellamy/frankies-trade

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 06:07 PM

Jon Boden - Frankie's Trade (From Oak Ash Thorn)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,tom kelly
Date: 01 Nov 12 - 01:16 PM

Can anybody tell me what the reference to the 'Spaniards foot' is about please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 01 Nov 12 - 03:16 PM

I always figured it dealt with the fact that at that time, Spain controlled most of the New World - namely its gold - and English ships were constantly off to the west looking to claim (if possession is 9 tenths of the law, then it's not stealing is it?) what they figured was their fair share. After all, it was the Pope who had divvied up the western hemisphere between Spain & Portugal and England was now Protestant... so the rules needed to change.

His earliest expeditions as a young seaman were not successful... but he later became a dreaded pirate ( according to Spain but not according to England). Since Elizabeth I was a major stockholder in those ventures, it's not hard to understand the difference of opinion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Nov 12 - 06:36 PM

Peter Bellamy's 'Oak Ash & Thorn' Argo album of 1970, of which this is the opening track, is now covered by a recent Folk Police remake of 2011 with Jon Boden, the Unthanks, et al ~ the one linked by Nigel three posts back ~ as part of a project of 'reprising' some of Peter's Kipling albums with new singers. Quite nicely done at that, to judge from this track ~~ but what a pity the original had never gone on to CD. I still have, and play, my old vinyl 33s, having been successful in tracking down a player a few years ago; but I suspect few of the present generation will have this access to Pete's originals.

~M~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Nov 12 - 06:42 PM

I'm pretty sure it's on Wake the Vaulted Echoes, although the CDs are no longer available and I'm not sure where mine is.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 01 Nov 12 - 07:35 PM

but what a pity the original had never gone on to CD.

Where ya been, Michael? Talking Elephant released handsome CD editions of Oak, Ash & Thorn (with notes by Jon Boden) and Merlin's Isle of Gramarye (with notes by Sam Lee) last year. Available from all good suppliers (and the usual monopolys too):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oak-Ash-Thorn-Peter-Bellamy/dp/B004UBB3BK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1351812645&sr=8-5

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Nov 12 - 12:11 AM

Ah. Noted. Thank u

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 02 Nov 12 - 12:45 AM

Sydney singer Margaret Walters does this song very well. I don't think she has ever recorded it, though, and it's not on any albums by the Roaring Forties group she's in.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 02 Nov 12 - 08:15 PM

Margaret Walters will be in the UK for a short trip in December, aiming to fit in as many singing opportunities as she can along with visits to her many friends around the country. "Frankie's Trade" could well be on the agenda.

Young Frankie Drake, the "Dandy" annual, 1955 (from the collection of Suibhne o'Piobearachd/Sedayne/Blandiver)

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Nov 12 - 08:47 PM

Ross-

Nice to hear that Margaret will be singing again in the UK. Give her my best, and encourage her to sing one of her fine renditions of C. Fox Smith's poetry.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 03 Nov 12 - 09:24 AM

That 1955 Dandy strip is the work of legendary and mostly unsung children's illustrator Dudley D. Watkins - the quality of whose work is matched only by his prodigious output. As well as countless weeky strips for The Broons, Oor Wullie, Desperate Dan, Lord Snooty et al (he illustrated The Broons & Oor Wullie every week for over 30 years) he found time to turn in epics like Young Frankie and his Christian faith had him illustrating religious strips too. He even gifted to a landlady a Crucifixion scene in his iconic style. Whilst he illustrated Biblical stories in various non-religious comic annuals, showing his characters in period costume, it's interesting to note that those in his crucifixion are in modern dress.

http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/news?newsaction=view&newsid=2263

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Nov 12 - 09:30 AM

Ross and Blandiver-

Great graphic of young Frankie Drake.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 03 Nov 12 - 10:06 AM

I'll scan the rest of the story in when I get a chance - there's 11 action packed pictures in all - one of which is a double spread that'll leave you breathless! And there's text, but it's Dudley D. Watkin's masterful art that carries the yarn. I love how he packs so much ominous movement into those looming galleons!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Nov 12 - 12:55 PM

Sean-

Look forward to more of Watkin's "breathless" drawings.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 04 Nov 12 - 01:56 PM

Scanned & load. Hang on to your hat!

Young Frankie Drake - Didley D. Watkins, The Dandy Book 1955

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 04 Nov 12 - 01:57 PM

Didley D Watkins??? D'oh! That's that Irish fiddler isn't it???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Frankie's Trade (Rudyard Kipling)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Nov 12 - 02:20 PM

Thanks, Sean!

Charley Noble