>Another weird anecdote: recently I heard my housemate, who is a sort of hippie/stoner sort (sorry for the labels, but they are convenient) was listening to some CD (I don't know who it was) of someone playing an instrumental version of "Handsome Cabin Boy." After the song was over, I jokingly asked, "So how come they didn't sing the lyrics? It's no good without lyrics." He was unaware there were any lyrics. So I am guessing that this song has passed into (crossed over into?) the "rock" world -- again suggesting that BBB may have been listened to by a wider audience than folkies (though then it again it might well have been Zappa who introduced it!). <

Might be worth noting that The Byrds used the tune of Handsome Cabin Boy for their song Space Oddysey, on The Notorious Byrd Brothers – a widely heard album.

>Now all we need is a clip of the iconic Fraser Hayes Four struttin' their stuff round the capstan - I'm sure Raymond can oblige us there... <

The Fraser Hayes Four were bodiless creatures made entirely out of larynxes. A search for video footage would be doomed to fretful failure.