WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?

Subject: WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?
From: greg stephens
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 07:08 AM

What, if any, is the connection between the Scottish group Wet Wet Wet and the shouted "wet wet wet" in the chorus of the old Cornish song "Away down to Lamorna?". Did Marti Pellow play rugby against a Cornish team in his youth, and enjoyed a singsong afterwards? Anybody heard any story abou this?
(NB Mancunians please note, I do know this was originally an old Manchester song about Pomona. But lets face it, the Cornish successfully pirated it a long time ago. It will be sent back to Manchester eventually as part of the international settlement when the Elgin marbles go back to Greece).

Subject: RE: WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 08:33 AM

Hi Greg,

The disappointing news is that there appears to be no connection. A search reveal they got their name from a line in a scritti politti song:

"Wet Wet Wet - From the line "his face is wet, wet with tears" taken from the Scritti Politti song Getting Having And Holding. The third Wet was added to distinguish them from such double-headed names as Duran Duran and Talk Talk."
What's in a name

Brian

Subject: RE: WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 08:43 AM

Ummm... it's not a Cornish song... it's from Manchester, and the references are Albert Square (in Manchester centre where the Town Hall stands) and Pomona docks on Salford Quays.

It was certainly popularised in its 'Cornish' form by my mates the Yetties of Yetminster (amongst others), and Lamorna was substituted for Pomona somewhere along the line... but it is definitely from Manchester originally!

The connection with Wet Wet Wet seems only to be that people now associate the song with that band for comic reasons during the intro...! Brian is quite right with his explanation!

Should a band with two of those infernal 'Irish' drums be called 'Bodhran Bodhran'? Or should they just be quietly escorted off the premises?!!

Sorreeee!

Subject: RE: WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?
From: greg stephens
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 09:35 AM

Bernard: your explanation of the Manchester origins of the song is quite correct(as I pointed out, actually, in the opening post on this thread!).

Subject: RE: WEt Wet Wet and Lamorna/Pomona?
From: greg stephens
Date: 07 Sep 04 - 09:41 AM

Incidentally, Bernard, I dispute that the reference is to Pomona Docks, which only date from c 1890 when the Ship Canal was completed (sorry, I havent got the precise date to hand).There was a Pomona lock on the earlier Bridgwater Canal, but I think you will find that the Pomona of the song refers to the area pre-Dock, when there was a Pomona pub and the whole area was a sort of pleasure gardens/Irwell side shrubbery//place of ill-repute sort of thing, in the mid-1800's. Just the sort of place, in fact, where you would take a young lady you had just picked up in Albert Square, if seeking alcoholic refreshment, followed by somewhere alfresco for some discreet frolicking. And, of course, nothing whatsoever to do with Lamorna(though you can frolic there to your hearts content as well....I know this as a good old Cornish boy).