Boden or Spiers?

Subject: Boden or Spiers?
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:18 AM

I have difficulty remembering which one is called which. Has anybody developed a simple mnemonic of any kind? I know one is tall, bearded, and plays the fiddle, and one is shorter and plays the melodeon. But which is Boden and which is Spiers? And which is Jon and which is John? A little rhyme or something would help me greatly(my memory is not what it was).

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:24 AM

I always remember that Spiers ought to be tall - but isn't.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:34 AM

So Big Boden and Smaller Spiers?

LTS

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Dartford Warbler
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:39 AM

Boden bows, Spiers stands and plays on a box.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST, ...
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:42 AM

and the longer surname has the longer first name, or make it 'shorter Spiers' and he's the one with an 'h' in his names.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:46 AM

"Boden bows, Spiers stands and plays on a box."

But Bowden stands and plays on a box too, and kicks it

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:02 AM

Bowden bows, Spiers squeezes perhaps?

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Dartford Warbler
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:18 AM

• So Big Boden and Smaller Spiers?
  
  
• Bowden bows, Spiers squeezes perhaps?
  
  
• But Bowden stands and plays on a box too, and kicks it
  
  Big Bowden bonks and Bows. Smaller Spiers squeezes Saltarelle's

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:22 AM

Why not just call them Bert and Ernie?

LTS

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Scrump
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:47 AM

Hmm, now I need a way to remember that Ernie's the tall one and Bert's the little guy ;-)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:51 AM

Bert is a short one syllable whilst Ernie is the bigger two syllable name.

But if that won't work... Try Stadler and Waldorf!!

LTS








Am I showing an unhealthy interest in the Muppets here?

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Scrump
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:57 AM

Squeeze and Bow seems a good enough mnemonic to me.

(Aarrgh! I don't even remember which is Waldorf and which is Statler! That would just confuse me!)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Hand-Pulled Boy
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:04 AM

Bowden bellows at Spiers' head.....................

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Dartford Warbler
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:07 AM

OK Spiers & Boden done, now what about Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer ? ;-)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST, ...
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:08 AM

Waldorf is salad with walnuts in, isn't it?
What's a Statler salad?

'Bowden bellows' looks too much like 'Bowden below' - double confusion.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST, ...
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:10 AM

I've never heard of either Vicki Swan or Jonny Dyer. Help!

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,vectis
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:19 AM

Squeezy Spiers

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:22 AM

OOOh, the image that conjurs up... you wouldn't give it credence!

LTS

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:25 AM

Well here's a clue, Vicki doesn't look a bit like Jonny and he could never be mistaken for a Vicki.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 10:25 AM

That's what they used to say about Sid Kippers 'dad'.

LTS

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 11:05 AM

Arse or elbow?

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,Keith(Pegleg Ferret)
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 11:59 AM

Greg, have you noticed that Jon Boden is currently doubling as Robin Hood on the Beeb on Saturdays?

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 02:57 PM

Spiers is Squeezy (and has been known to post to Mudcat), but it's his squeezebox that has bellows.

Boden is (or at any rate was) Scrapy, so that messes up the alliteration somewhat.

Kitty (who, having known Dave and Jen Spiers for a very long time,ie since my student days, has no difficulty spotting which one is related to them.....)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: *Laura*
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 03:01 PM

When playing with Bellowhead Boden often wears a very fetching pink tie...... *sigh*

teehee xLx

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 02:57 PM

The taller Jon's the shorter Jon,
the shorter John's name's longer.
The tall one stands on, stamps a box
to make their live-sound stronger.

The short one stands on no such thing
Though some say that he oughta
for tall Jon's taller on his box
which makes short John look shorter!

Tall Jon a bow den he requires
Short Spiers with boxes, pleases.
In short, the short Jon's long and bows
The long John's short and squeezes.

There, that clears that up…. Errr, doesn't it???
Hic... more brandy! Cheers! - HFA (Duncan McFarlane)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:14 PM

And another thing: if people are to produce a rhyming mnemonic, is it Spires or Spears?

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,PUCK
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:24 PM

Easiest way to remember who is who...... 'Squeezy'.... Spiers' nickname acquired from his early days at the Fir Tree Tavern Folk Club Oxford and, dare I say it!!   'Sratchy' [...but don't tell Mr Boden I called him sratchy - in fact I think his fiddle playing is very good!!]


P

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:39 PM

Boden.......Nob 'ed

Spiers.....Pisser

That's how I always remember them

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:41 PM

Trouble is, Squeezy and Scratchy both begin with S. So they are no help in remembering which nickname goes with which surname, as far as I can see.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 05:14 PM

It's spiers as in church spires. Which is why it's ironic that he's the small one.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,Valmai Goodyear (at work)
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 03:32 AM

The dynamic duo will be doing a pair of parallel all-day workshops for the Lewes Arms Folk Club, Mount Place, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1YH on Saturday 2nd. June 2007 and performing together at the Lewes Arms itself in the evening.

Jon Boden will confuse all of you by doing his workshop on vocal harmony and John Spiers will fail to confuse you by doing one on melodeon. Booking forms will be available from the club website from about March onwards.

The club meets every Saturday night. You don't need to be a member and floor singers are always welcome.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,Puck
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 10:58 AM

In reply to Greg Stephens - Spiers 'squeezes' his melodeon and Boden 'scratches' his violin [in a musical and masterly fashion of course!]..... What could be simpler?

P

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: kitchen piper
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:15 AM

Guest... I've never heard of either Vicki Swan or Jonny Dyer. Help!

I can help you with your problem just click here!
:)

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST, ...
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 11:43 AM

Thanks kitchen piper.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:14 AM

Boden.......Nob 'ed

Spiers.....Pisser

That's how I always remember them

LOL GUEST ;-)

It seems that "Squeezy" Spiers - to rhyme with spires - or slight variants thereof, is more or less what people use to remember the short bloke's name. So you don't need a mnemonic for the towering Mr Boden (Scratchy, Bow, etc.) - all you have to do is remember the short bloke is "Squeezy" Spiers, and then by a process of elimination, the tall chap with the fiddle must therefore be Boden. QED.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 12:55 PM

HipFlakAndy's helpful rhyme on this subject(see earlier post) was read out on Genevieve Tudor's folk radio show on Sunday. Which got Mudcat a mention, I'm glad to say.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: GUEST,Liam
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 01:47 PM

Boden = Bellamy impersonator. You soon get it that way.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 01:55 PM

Eh up Greg, I hope he gets a royalty for it.

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 23 Jan 07 - 04:34 PM

Re: 'Eh up Greg, I hope he gets a royalty for it.'

So do I!!! (smirk)

Actually - through an email conversation, Mr B made 'light' that it should be on a T-shirt for the lads!
I replied it'd be a grand idea... but being a Scot living in Yorkshire all these years... I naturally said I'd want a free T-shirt as payment!
Sounds good to me!
Hugs to all - Duncan

PS I've recited the poem at a few gigs - allus gets a larf!

Subject: RE: Boden or Spiers?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 02:54 PM

Vicki Swann and Johnny Dyer are now married,which is very appropriate, as many of the SWANS on the Thames belong to the Company Of DYERS.