Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song

Subject: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From:
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 09:19 AM

This has been driving me slowly insane for years.
Does anybody remember a song from the late 60's that - I think - was on Top of the Pops (UK) at sometime that was sung by a bloke wearing WW1 army uniform about his grandad going to war? I've looked through chart books to find anything that rings a bell but without success. I'm sure I didn't imagine it (and it wasn't "I was Kaiser Bill's batman" by Whistling Jack Smith)
Please restore my sanity!

Cheers

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 10:58 AM

Wasn't Clive Dunn singing Grandad was it? Or "Billy don't be a hero"? or "Two little boys (Rolf Harris)? Otherwise I'm stumped and I was a fanatical TOTP watcher in the 60s

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: IanC
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 11:27 AM

Mark

Yup. I remember it. Now I'll go and look for it.

:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: GUEST,Mark Dowding
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 11:28 AM

Sorry Lindi-loo - none of those classics I'm afraid. I can't remember very much about it other than the line "My grandad went to war, they went to war together" or something like that. It probably shot into the chart, had an appearance on TOTP, and then dropped rapidly out of the chart. I imagine it had the sentiment of Mike Harding's song "The Accrington Pals" (but it wasn't that!)

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: IanC
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 11:33 AM

Right, well. Here's the words.

___________________________________________________
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
___________________________________________________

'twas an instrumental! Now I can even remember the tune.

You seem to be able to get an MP3 from here.

:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: GUEST,Mark Dowding
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 01:52 PM

Sorry IanC - it was definitely a song - not Kaiser Bill's batman
You had me all excited there for a minute!
I wish I knew a bit more about it but unfortunately whilst it made an impression on my ten-ish year old mind nothing much seems to have stuck in there.

Thanks for trying anyway

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Frug
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 02:20 PM

Stop the Cavalry...........Jonah Lewie ???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 04:11 PM

"Will Ye Go Tae Flanders"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Strupag
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 07:14 PM

Bloody Red Baron?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: GUEST,Mark Dowding
Date: 05 Feb 03 - 07:27 PM

"Stop the Cavalry" - Too late (was that 80's or late 70's?)

"Will ye go tae flanders" - Too Traditional

"Bloody Red Baron" - Too American (The Hot Shots - Snoopy vs the Red Baron I presume you mean?)

Time for my medicine I think!

Thanks for the suggestions though.

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: breezy
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 06:47 PM

What were you on in those days?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Cluin
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 09:37 PM

I thought Snoopy & the Red Baron was by the Royal Guardsmen. They did about 3 versions, the last one a Christmas one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 10:10 PM

I imagine you know about this site. A lot of information on music. There is a search you can do if you know a word or two from the title. Type it in the search line, check the 'songs' box and see what turns up. Covers a lot of more modern music. An incredible site:

All Music Guide

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Sliding Down The Bannister At My Auntie's House
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 07:42 PM

It was probally crap anyway so why bother when there is so much good stuff to store in your brain.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: GUEST,Mark Dowding
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 03:25 AM

What was I on in those days? - probably Sugar Smacks.

The Royal Guardsmen did have versions of "Snoopy..." as well as the Hot Shots.

All Music Guide - Not seen that before. Had a quick browse through it for "War" and "Grandad" but nothing came back that was of any interest. Good site though and I'll keep looking through it.

Probably crap? - Well from what I remember it was in the style of "Matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs" so you may be right there - but I'd still like to know what it was!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 03:58 AM

I seem to remember that some people who called themselves something like 1914-18 did a version of Goodbyee, dressed in appropriate WWI gear - no Grandad involved, but it was about going off to war.

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: allanwill
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 09:05 AM

Wasn't anything to do with that John Lennon movie "How I Won The War"?

Allan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: songs2play
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 09:41 AM

Mark,
I thought the old phrase of "If you can remember what happened in the '60's, you weren't there"
Well, that's my excuse, sorry I can't be of any help.
Good night at The Juction in Rainford last Sunday, sorry I couldn't stay and chat longer.

Leighton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Bullfrog Jones
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 01:03 PM

It's wierd -- I'm sure I can picture Clive Dunn in his Corporal Jones outfit singing lyrics like that as part of 'Grandad', but they don't feature in any of the versions I can find.

BJ

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: M'Grath of Altcar
Date: 08 Feb 03 - 05:06 PM

This is a serious matter.

I have consulted my crystal ball,

I see a sinking ship on a corner that is dangerous. (splash) Its the Titanic!! The Titanic - ah - that should go down well. (splash splash splash)

And a Leylandii hedge. NO ...... ITS

Its singing "Who'll be a soldier...." A folk singer from Leyland called......erm..... Giff.... erm

John m...... NO ITs Derek Gifford!!!

Hope this clears the matter up. (fetcha chair, fetcha chair, fetcha chair)

Subject: Lyr Add: GRANDAD (from Clive Dunn)
From: GUEST,Mark Dowding
Date: 10 Feb 03 - 03:12 AM

Clive Dunn - probably as old now as the character of Corporal Jones he played 30 years ago! I can remember of Clive Dunn on TOTP being sat in a rocking chair surrounded by teenage girls (funny how that sticks in my mind!)and just in case anybody's forgotten this timeless classic...:

I've been sitting here all day thinking
Same old thing ten years away thinking
Now my days are gone, memories linger on
Thoughts of when I was boy

Pennyfarthings on the street riding
Motorcars were funny things, frightning
Bow and hoops and spinning tops
Annie gretzel's lollipops
Comic cuts, all different things

Grandad, grandad you're lovely
That's what we all think of you
Grandad, grandad you're lovely
That's what we all think of you
Grandad grandad

Areoplanes tied up with string flying
Telephones and talking things sighing
A radio and phonograph, Charlie Chaplin made us laugh
Silently falling about
Familiar things I keep around, near me
Memories of my younger days, clearly
Now it's in my mind?
Everyday I find, thoughts of when I was boy

Grandad, grandad you're lovely
That's what we all think of you
Grandad, grandad you're lovely
That's what we all think of you
Grandad, grandad

Grandad, grandad

Grandad, grandad

(fades out with Clive falling asleep whilst bevy of teenage girls look on)


No mention of his wartime exploits there - maybe he hid under the stairs for the duration.

How did Derek Gifford get in here? How well I remember the nights at the Dicconson Arms at Dangerous Corner, Wrightington being entertained by Titanic, Mike "Supergnome" Hughes, Martin "Flower of Scotland" Banks, Linda "Yippeee" Bailey, and throwing my own fourpennorth in as well until it closed in 1980ish.

It wasn't that song though.

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 05:53 AM

I'll refresh this thread just in case there's anybody else who can help with this.
My sister has a dim recollection of it with a tune/rhythm similar to "One man went to mow" which is also what I remember.
Ring any bells with anybody?

Cheers

Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Late 60's Pop/Folk song
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Sep 03 - 08:37 AM

Try writing to Steve Wright - He presents TOTP2 and can probably get his researchers on the task should he be interested enough:-)

I don't remember either. The proper version of the saying btw, songs2play, is if you CAN remeber what happened in the 60's you weren't there! I'm sure that's what you meant to say though;-)

Cheers

DtG