Reinhard,

"Borrowed is unlikely as Colquhoun was already broadcast singing it on NZBC in 1969, long before The Lightning Tree."

Well, that was not known until very recently. In my opinion, that is precisely the reason why this thread was revived. Although, CJB happened not to notice that.

Michael Brown, whose head is in this subject (wrote a thesis on it etc) got wind of the freshly discovered/remembered 1969 archival recording and wrote the linked blog piece (August 2025). He even cites this Mudcat thread by way of contextualizing the discussion. The part he cites begins with my 17 May 2021 post, discussing "Lightning Tree" and giving credit to Bob Waltz for that information.

Kaikopere, I guess, came to know of Brown's blog and then revised his webpage by October 2025. Then he reposted some of the material here without mentioning Brown's blog. That's why *I* put the link to Brown's blog—after Bob wrote "John Archer's [Kaikopere] work did reveal one very important point: That Colquhoun's tune preceded 'The Lightning Tree.'" In other words, the lack of attribution to Brown caused a mix up. Correct me if I am wrong so I can duly apologize. I don't mean to offend. As someone who does scholarship, I simply have seen the bad results of when we lose track of the chain of information and ideas. After all, that's what started the whole Wellerman fiasco: A webpage had loosely called Wellerman a 19th century whaler men's song, that was Googled up by everyone in Jan 2021, and now 99% of sources say that.
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Now, whereas what I just said may sound reasonable and valuing of rigorous attention to empirical data... I'm about to say something that will make me sound contradictory and possibly even a looney: !!!!

I'm having trouble accepting that there is no relationship between "Lightning Tree" and "Wellerman" tunes. Yes, despite the evidence that is (now) right there in front of us: Colquhoun recorded Wellerman in October or November 1969 and Lightning Tree came out in 1971.

So, I can understand when Bob writes, "The question is whether he originated [the Wellerman tune]. ... On that point, I am genuinely torn."

Whereas I'm compelled to accept the difference in dates--1969 comes before 1971!--dates aren't the only type of evidence in the mix. I also have my ears. Both the Lightning Tree's and the Wellerman's chorus, in my ears, including the shift to the major VI chord at the beginning, is a "folk-pop" thing. They are products of that same general time.

While I'll have to accept that Lightning Tree did not directly give way to Wellerman, the similarity is too great for me to (yet) accept a flat "coincidence." I'd like to know if there were other songs going around at the time that could have influenced both. (Or, if even Lightning Tree's writer heard Colquhoun! Because that is still more likely than sheer "coincidence.")

The Settlers (performers of Lightning Tree) say the brother of the producer of Follyfoot wrote Lightning Tree: Francis Essex. In an interview, Settlers member Cindy Kent said that Francis Essex took inspiration from the Settlers' own cover version of "The Rhythm of Life" from the April 1969 musical film _Sweet Charity_.

...it was Tony [Essex] who was the producer [on Follyfoot], but he’d obviously shared the idea of the programme with [his brother] Francis. Francis happened to come along to the Royal Festival Hall in London, where we did our annual concert, and the song that we used to end the show with was an amazing version of Rhythm Of Life, from Sweet Charity. Very much like The Swingle Singers, with that “dobedoo” idea going on in the background! He went home and wrote The Lightning Tree based on our version of Rhythm of Life. And then they got in touch and asked if we’d do it… (Bracketed editorial marks are mine.)
https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/tag/the-lightning-tree/

Now, I can kind of see the resemblance between "Rhythm of Life" and "Lightning Tree." But only so far as I could see it influencing Lightning Tree, whereas Kent says Essex "wrote The Lightning Tree based on our version of Rhythm of Life."
Here's The Settlers with a medley of "Rhythm of Life" and Lightning Tree"
https://youtu.be/x7wMfUY5jsQ?si=9mJ_ayoZyFpzPQ9P

OK, well, Rhythm of Life does have the chord progression, starting with the major VI chord in the minor key and the (minor) tonic melody note at the start. So, similar shape. I don't know when The Settlers started performing their cover of Rhythm of Life at annual concerts in London. They "used to end the show," implying repetition, 1969 and 1970 annual concerts had it, and Essex heard in in 1970 or 1971. Nor do I know when The Settlers first got inspired by The Rhythm of Life, but evidently a big broadcast of Diana Ross and The Temptations performing it on 12 November 1969 gave the song a big boost. Here's that performance:
https://youtu.be/-EZwyRfFyzg?si=bPkjtXfO_kl_ZgZS
The main point of interest appears first at 0:28. It becomes a vamp toward the end of the performance.

In some way, The Settlers had technically put out a similar song to Lightning Tree before 1971's premiere of Follyfoot. But am I saying Colquhoun got Wellerman from The Settlers' Rhythm of Life? No. Still, the fact that you could go from the 1966 composition "Rhythm of Life" to "Lightning Tree" via the sense of contemporary music of TV producer Essex helps to make sense of what might have been "in the water" in the late 60s to inspire Wellerman.