Say who you are, dear

Subject: Say who you are, dear
From: GUEST,Graham Spencer
Date: 13 May 22 - 12:41 AM

Back in the late 60s or early 70s I recall someone singing a song whose chorus was "Say who you are dear, annd not "Hello": Give me your nameor give me your number;Say who you are dear, annd not "Hello": If I press button B all my pennies will go." I can't remember who wrote/sang it; any ideas?

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: r.padgett
Date: 13 May 22 - 02:08 AM

A bit dated nowadays and in current times I never say who I am ~ tell 'em nowt

Too many scams on the go

Ray

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: DaveRo
Date: 13 May 22 - 02:22 AM

Button A, surely?

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: GUEST,Guest Paul Cross
Date: 13 May 22 - 02:36 AM

Say who you are love and not hello. Sydney Carter. It's also called the telephone song.
Cheers,Paul

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 13 May 22 - 03:54 AM

Earlier Mudcat Thread with Lyrics /mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=27050

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 May 22 - 03:58 AM

Gosh, I used to sing this, but can't recall all the words at the moment. I'll start you off anyway.

Standing alone in the dust and the dark,
of a dirty old phone box in Finsbury Park.
I asked for Freemantle, they gave me a FRO
I asked for a Primrose, they gave me a PRO.

Cho
Say who you are love and not hello
Give me your name or give me your number
Say who you are love and not hello
If I press button A, all my pennies will go.

PRO was Prospect, and FRO was Frobisher, which along with Primrose and Freemantle, were the names of London telephone exchanges. When dialling you used the first three letters, followed by the number.
In those days there was a black metal box in the booth, with 3 slots on the top for coins. A standard phone call cost 4d, four old pennies. In the front there were two buttons marked A & B, and if somebody answered, you pressed button A, and you 4d dropped into the box, and you made your call. If no reply you pressed button B and your money was returned via a small chromed cup on the front of the box.
It was a common practice of mine, and others, to pop into a phone box when passing by, in the hope that somebody had forgotten to do so, and there was still pennies to be had.

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: GUEST
Date: 13 May 22 - 06:45 AM

Thanks very much - I had thought of Sydney Carter but I thought it was a bit light-hearted for him! Help much appreciated. (And you're right about "Button A"!)

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 13 May 22 - 08:39 AM

Sign of the Times Dept: I can remember when telephone directories often had:

Don't just say "Hello!"

along the tops of their pages (though whether this inspired the song, or vice versa, is a matter of further research). In these less trusting days, we are advised against saying who we are, in case it's a scammer who's dialling at random. Sigh.

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 13 May 22 - 11:28 AM

This reminds me of a song (not folk), that came out in the 1970's called, "Telephone Man" by Meri Wilson.
I read it charted at number 18, on Billboard 100 in USA at the time.
It is hilarious. Found it on Youtube, with lyrics.
From reading some of the posts there, someone said they were just a kid when the song came out and started singing it at school, elementary school and was sent to the principal's office.
I don't know if this song was popular or known in UK and other countries.
Anyone remember this crazy song?

Subject: RE: Say who you are, dear
From: GUEST
Date: 25 May 22 - 05:05 AM

In case you're interested I posted a video of my late husband, Pete Skinner singing this on The Plough At Staining- Online Session Facebook site last night    https://www.facebook.com/groups/MusicSongsPoemsPints/

He had been singing this since the 1960s