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Subject: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Dave the Gnome Date: 31 May 19 - 04:38 AM This sog and singer has been mentioned many times before but I think this deserves its own thread. D-Day veteran, 90, beats Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber to No. 1 Well done Jim! I have just bought my copy. Let's keep it there for a while :-) |
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Subject: ADD: Shores of Normandy (Jim Radford) From: GUEST,Bradfordian Date: 31 May 19 - 05:07 AM The Shores of Normandy by Jim Redford. THE SHORES OF NORMANDY (Jim Radford) In the cold grey light of the sixth of June, in the year of forty-four, The Empire Larch sailed out from Poole to join with thousands more. The largest fleet the world had seen, we sailed in close array, And we set our course for Normandy at the dawning of the day. There was not one man in all our crew but knew what lay in store, For we had waited for that day through five long years of war. We knew that many would not return, yet all our hearts were true, For we were bound for Normandy, where we had a job to do. Now the Empire Larch was a deep-sea tug with a crew of thirty-three, And I was just the galley-boy on my first trip to sea. I little thought when I left home of the dreadful sights I'd see, But I came to manhood on the day that I first saw Normandy. At the Beach of Gold off Arromanches, 'neath the rockets' deadly glare, We towed our blockships into place and we built a harbour there. 'Mid shot and shell we built it well, as history does agree, While brave men died in the swirling tide on the shores of Normandy. Like the Rodney and the Nelson, there were ships of great renown, But rescue tugs all did their share as many a ship went down. We ran our pontoons to the shore within the Mulberry's lee, And we made safe berth for the tanks and guns that would set all Europe free. For every hero's name that's known, a thousand died as well. On stakes and wire their bodies hung, rocked in the ocean swell; And many a mother wept that day for the sons they loved so well, Men who cracked a joke and cadged a smoke as they stormed the gates of hell. As the years pass by, I can still recall the men I saw that day Who died upon that blood-soaked sand where now sweet children play; And those of you who were unborn, who've live in liberty, Remember those who made it so on the shores of Normandy. D-day is 6 June ____________ |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Dave the Gnome Date: 31 May 19 - 05:18 AM Tune is (I think) 'Dawning of the Day/Raglan Road'. Please correct me if I am wrong. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 31 May 19 - 10:57 AM Looks good to me, Dave. My favourite song. Jim is an absolute national treasure. Jim is not the force he once was and I'm sure he'd agree we need to keep his wonderful songs alive by singing 'em. I feel a tribute album coming on. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 31 May 19 - 11:10 AM Dave, I've heard The Battle of Otterbourne, Child 161, sung to this same tune. I'll check Bronson to see if it's the traditional tune. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: GeoffLawes Date: 31 May 19 - 11:12 AM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Radford |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 31 May 19 - 11:19 AM Thanks, Geoff I've looked at the 2 tunes in Bronson but my sight reading is not fast enough to say whether they relate to the tune I've heard it sung to. It might be one of the Lloyd/MacColl tunes put to it. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: r.padgett Date: 31 May 19 - 01:09 PM The Dawning of the day ~ Irish song on youtube by John McCormack Ray |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 31 May 19 - 01:16 PM Bang on, Ray, that's the tune Jim put to it. I've a sneaky suspicion somebody did the same with Battle of Otterbourne, but it would be good to be wrong. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 31 May 19 - 01:31 PM Okay I know this should be on the 'Battle of Otterbourne' thread but I'm now trying to trace the tunes. Tony Cuffe's trad tune for BoO is the one I use for 'Derwentwater's Farewell'. Figures. 'Dawning of the Day' is the tune the Corries use. Did the Corries set it to this tune or was it somebody else before them? it is obviously not the trad tune for BoO. Both great tunes BTW. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Dave the Gnome Date: 01 Jun 19 - 01:49 AM Just out of interest, my late mother-in-law's first husband died in Normandy. When MIL passed away we placed her ashes in his grave at her request. It was very moving and, looking at the war graves in and around Bayeux, I was in awe at the magnitude. We have been back since and driven the route he took to the fateful spot where they had to take a gun emplacement manned by a team who had been told to hold at all costs. They took it but at the cost of his and many other lives. Funny old world. If that had not happened my wife may not have been born. Had my Dad not have left Poland because of the war I may not have been born. Getting away from the awesome, deep and meanigful, I had a funny moment at Arromances. There are a couple of very large houses at the seafront in the town in which I imagine the German command resided. I could picture a senior officer getting up on the 6th of June, drawing the curtains and his jaw dropping as he discovered someone had built a harbour while he slept:-) Yes, I know it didn't happen like that but it was fun to imagine! |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: punkfolkrocker Date: 01 Jun 19 - 01:21 PM Is this the singer/song that was the highlight of a BBC Albert hall military memorial concert a few years ago..??? ..funnily enough, if my blood grandad's family hadn't emigrated/escaped Poland / Russian border area some time in the late 19th Cent.. I wouldn't be here to annoy mudcatters... I don't think any of that East Euro Jewish bloodline survived WW2, but a branch of that family tree has become established all over other relatively safer parts of the world... But that was a family secret kept from me until I was about 18 or 21... |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Dave the Gnome Date: 02 Jun 19 - 02:56 AM It was the very same PFR. And, yes, it is amazing that any Jews from that area survived at all. Yet here we are, talking about events in the living memory of people like Jim, witnessing the rise of racist scapegoating by right wing politicians all over again:-( Sorry to get political above the line but when we have people like Jim on the one hand and the Farages of the world on the other, I have to say something. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Acorn4 Date: 02 Jun 19 - 03:45 AM I believe that Jim was the youngest serviceman involved in D-Day. He was 15 at the time which would make him 80 now. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Dave the Gnome Date: 02 Jun 19 - 04:05 AM He's 90. Which works out as him being 15 in 1944. Looks and sounds exceptionally good for his age. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: severed-head Date: 02 Jun 19 - 05:16 PM Jim Radford will be giving a talk on his experiences, and singing a few songs, at the HogEye Men shanty session near London Bridge on Sunday 16th June (Lunchtime). Free entry. All welcome. Garry |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Tattie Bogle Date: 02 Jun 19 - 07:58 PM As per the Wikipedia link provided by Geoff Lawes above: Radford performed his song, "The Shores of Normandy", three times at the Royal Albert Hall in London in the 70th anniversary year of the invasion (2014) and two of these concerts were televised by the BBC (the BBC's own 70th anniversary commemoration event in June, and the British Legion Remembrance Day concert in November). |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: GeoffLawes Date: 03 Jun 19 - 03:54 AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOolfjkLoJw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsjeIW0I46Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6WxLbTmok |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: GUEST,SB Date: 07 Jun 19 - 12:16 PM Live with background images from Ammouse 06-06-2019 Download link https://we.tl/t-BNlRF4XdS6 File: 152 MB ==== |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Eric the Viking Date: 07 Jun 19 - 02:09 PM Haunting words. What causes me concern is the fact that it has received thumbs down from a small minority on youtube. |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: Steve Gardham Date: 07 Jun 19 - 02:29 PM Find that hard to believe. On what grounds? |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: punkfolkrocker Date: 07 Jun 19 - 02:49 PM on the grounds that out of the millions of folks using youtube eevery minute a very large percentage are complete @@@@s... |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: GUEST,Jo-Jo Folkagogo Date: 09 Jun 19 - 01:04 PM Yes, he is 90 now and still bonnie !! I know Jim quite well - and I went to his "80 Not Out" birthday bash ten years ago when I still lived in London. Sadly his wife Jenny had died a little while before that birthday party, but I am sure she was there in spirit. Love the song, Jim. And if you are at Whitby this year 2019 I hope to hear you sing it once again. Jo |
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Subject: RE: Jim Radford - Shores of Normandy From: The Sandman Date: 09 Jun 19 - 03:47 PM well done, Jim Radford |
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