Limelighters? / Limeliters songs

Subject: Limelighters tunes
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 12:47 PM

To Les Blank, in particular (and others as may know)

Les, I was delighted to read that you've got the entire Limelighters' corpus in your collection; maybe you can help me with a pair of requests. My dad was a great fan of Lou, Glenn and Alex and I grew up listening to and singing along with many of their tunes. Alas, the albums are now gone as is the RCA console upon which they were so often spun. I've found a good many of the tunes I remember by searching the DT(Die Gedanken Sind Frei, Reedy River, etc.), but several favorites still elude me.

Do you happen to know the whereabouts of lyrics (and chords) to "Wake Up, Dunya!", "Funk" and "Harry Pollitt"? Any assistance or insight would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Are you the same Les Blank who made a short film some years ago yclept "Garlic is Better Than 10 Mothers"? If so, I loved it. If not, you should find it and see it.

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Les Blank
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 02:22 PM

Question # 2 first:

We are about the same age and we both spent a lot of time in Northern Calif. The similarity stops there, however. I have a great respect for his work and have seen much of his film. And, honestly, this is the first time anyone has ever called attention to the duality of name. Thanks for my few moments of fame in your eyes, but we are two different people.

Question(s) # 1:

Well, I thought I had all of their recorded material. They made four albums for RCA before Glenn Yarborough left. He was replaced by Red Grammer and the new group made three albums together. These are all I have and the songs you memtion are not on any of them. I saw the Limeliters twice, in Los Angeles about 1962 and again (with Red Grammer) in about 1970-71 (???). Never heard either of them in the shows. If you have some different albums or CD's (FolkEra has recently put all of the stuff I have on CD), please let me know serial nos., titles, publishers, etc.

Thanks for reply.

Les Blank

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Les Blank
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 02:32 PM

I just checked the DT for both references you gave. There is no attribution for recording on Reedy River. There is one for Die Gedanken Sind Frei that mentions "Live - In Person" I have never seen nor heard "Live - In Person" The two live albums I have are "Tonight -- In Person" (Glenn Yarborough) and "Alive -- In Concert" (Red Grammer). Same request as before if anyone knows of it. Gene !! Help !!

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 03:38 PM

The two albums I remember by name were "Live - In Person" and "The (Slightly) Fabulous Limelighters", both RCA LPs when Glenn was still tenor-in-residence. I'm pretty sure that "Funk" and "Harry Pollitt" were both off the live album, "Dunya" was probably on "Slightly Fabulous".

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BALLAD OF HARRY POLLITT
From: Bert Hansell
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 04:54 PM

The only Harry Pollitt song I know goes....

Harry was a bolshie and one of Lenin's lads
was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads
counter revolutionary cads, counter revolutionary cads
was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads

He landed up in heaven trembling at the knees
'May I speak to God I am Mr. Pollitt please
Mr. Pollitt please, Mr. Pollitt please,
May I speak to God I am Mr. Pollitt please'

'Who are you' said God, 'if you're humble and contrite
and a friend of Lady Astor, then OK. you'll be alright
then OK. you'll be alright, then OK. you'll be alright
and a friend of Lady Astor, then OK. you'll be alright'

They dressed him in a nightie, put a harp into his hand
and he played the international in the haleluia band
in the haleluia band, in the haleluia band
he played the international in the haleluia band

They put him in the choir, the hymns he did not like
So he organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike
fetched them out on strike, fetched them out on strike
He organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike

One day as God was walking around the heavenly state
who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate
slogans on the gate, slogans on the gate
who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate

They put him up for trial before the holy ghost
charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host
amongst the heavenly host, amongst the heavenly host
charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host

The verdict it was guilty, said Harry 'That is swell'
and he tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he floated down to hell
floated down to hell, floated down to hell
he tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he floated down to hell

A few more years have ended, now Harry's doing swell
He's just been made the people's commissar for soviet hell
commissar for soviet hell, commissar for soviet hell
He's just been made the people's commissar for soviet hell

It's a long time since I've sung that one - enjoy.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 05:19 PM

Thank you, Bert! Bless your stars and garters. That's the very tune I had in mind.

Interestingly enough, the Limelighters' version ended with one additional verse (prompted, I suspect, by the lingering chill of the post-McCarthy era), to wit:

Now the moral of this story

Is easy for to tell,

If you want to be a Bolshevik,

You'll have to got to hell,

You'll have to go to hell, Yes, you'll have to go to hell,

If you want to be a Bolshevik,

You'll have to go to hell!

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Bert Hansell
Date: 09 Apr 97 - 08:58 AM

Thanks for that last verse.

I learned the song from my Dad, he used to sing us kids to sleep every night back in the forties (before the Limelighters I think). It was one of our favourites.

Bert.

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: Allan Samuels
Date: 16 Apr 97 - 08:08 PM

I was very excited to stumble onto anyone who was interested in the Limeliters. I have been scouring the net since I logged on 2 weeks ago. I have had no luck at all in finding lyrics to the songs. If any one has found such a source on the net PLEASE E-mail me. I Have about 4 or 5 of the early albums (remember those big black things with the grooves?) And can give numbers and contents from them. On a sad note I did find out that Lou Gottlieb had passed away recently. The e-mail address of the Limeliters is

[e-mail] I have not written them yet but I believe the address is correct.

Regards to all you other fans, Allan E-mail [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: TomG
Date: 21 Apr 97 - 11:28 PM

Didn't the Limelighters - or at least Glenn Yarborough - do "Have some Madeira, M'Dear"? If anyone has those lyrics I'd love to have them. Please post or e-mail me at [e-mail] Thanks

Subject: RE: Limelighters tunes
From: TomG
Date: 21 Apr 97 - 11:49 PM

Never mind! (to quote Emily Latella) I found them.

Subject: RE: Limelighters? / Limeliters songs
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 11 - 08:35 PM

just found Glenn and the Limeliters on you tube and have been listening to them daily. i sure missed them over the years.   am going to B. C. to see my granddaughter in 2 weeks time. i will be taking my Through Childen's Eyes c d with me. i know kyra will love it and she loves to sing. if Glenn is still performing, I sure wish he would come to HALIFAX.
it was always a dream of mine to see him in person. he has so much music inside of him, it's bursting out.

thank you for your beautiful music.

sheila

Subject: RE: Limelighters? / Limeliters songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 08:37 PM

Yes, the Limeliters (that's how it's spelled -- let us grant them their full measure of vulgarity) sang Flanders & Swann's "Madeira, M'Dear?". I heard it on an LP back in the '60s. They performed the remarkable feat of causing the song to be (IMO, of course) not funny.