Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: MartinRyan
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 07:26 AM

Thanks for that, GUEST Simon

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GUEST,freddyheadey
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 10:14 AM

Thanks.

My music reading skills are more than a little rusty but
Jim Dixon 's link Date: 02 Jun 06 - 09:51 AM Transcribed from the sheet music at The National Library of Australia:
WHAT I WANT IS A PROPER CUP O' COFFEE R. P. Weston & Bert Lee, 1926.
seems a fair bit different from the
digitrad COFFEEPOT SongID=1242
Would that be something someone on mudcat could look at?
Maybe there is another file I couldn't find?

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 05:05 PM

The DT version is wrong -- that's the simple answer! A touch of the oral tradition, I reckon.

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jun 14 - 06:25 PM

It's not often that the DT has melodies that are wrong - although the lyrics often have imperfections. The MIDI we have almost sounds like a harmony line, not the usual melody. Anybody want to transcribe a MIDI and send it to me for posting?
-Joe-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Little Robyn
Date: 24 Jun 14 - 07:58 AM

I've just found both versions on youtube.
The original one is performed as a Music Hall song here.
Back in the 60s we heard John Foreman, the Broadside King, singing this on one of the Folk Song Cellar radio programmes and Mitch used to sing it.

The other version - the one in DT, comes from Trout Fishing in America. There are several copies in youtube but the one I found most entertaining is a mimed version by two kids, The Griffin boys.

Robyn

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Little Robyn
Date: 24 Jun 14 - 08:03 AM

Cosmotheka are there too.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 29 Jun 14 - 05:16 PM

And this is me doing it. "Vocal refrain and patter"

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Jun 14 - 06:24 PM

I have the Ernie Payne patter about the proper pewter porter pot - Zny one have any other patter parts ? I see GUEST Simon mentioned three lots of patter !

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GUEST,freddyheadey
Date: 29 Jun 14 - 07:41 PM

I 'think' I've done a midi file from that sheet music, just need to check with joe how I send it in.
-------------------------------------
@Leadfingers re : three lots of patter
-that's on the The National Library of Australia sheet music :
WHAT I WANT IS A PROPER CUP O' COFFEE
> back cover

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Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Jun 14 - 05:31 AM

Thanks for that !!

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GUEST,#
Date: 30 Jun 14 - 08:42 AM

Here it is.

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jul 14 - 07:40 AM

FreddyHeadey sent me a very nice MIDI of the melody:

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Click to play (joeweb)

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 22 Jun 17 - 12:04 PM

Here's yet another recording of me singing it, with 'help' from the audience.

Subject: RE: Need Info: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 18 Jul 18 - 12:03 PM

I was watching BBC 1's "Inside the factory " last night, about manufacturing instant coffee. History lesson: in the First World War, British troops were fuelled by tea, of course; but when the Americans arrived, they could only operate on coffee. One George Washington (no, not that one) invented an instant coffee that was drinkable under wartime conditions. In Britain, we invented Camp Coffee, which was mostly chicory and tasted awful (I couldn't possibly comment; but it's still made).
Listening to this, I began to wonder if this was the inspiration for the song?

Subject: RE: Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 07 Feb 20 - 06:04 AM

Bernard Cribbins 1978
https://youtu.be/mA1DOor5ndI?t=10s

Subject: RE: Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GUEST,jim Bainbridge
Date: 07 Feb 20 - 06:22 AM

As Dave Sutherland said 17 years ago!!, it was very much part of the late lamented Don Partridge's folk club repertoire- can't remember if he credited anyone with it...
I heard him sing it at Marsden Inn when 'Rosie' was top of the charts & the club was mobbed- late 60s?- learned the words from a book of sheet music I found later & met him again years later when doing Seaford club (he lived there).
Nice bloke, I complimented him on actually turning up for his booking when he could have named his price at the Newcastle City Hall.
I still remember his reply... 'well you was mates, wasn't yer?'

between verse patter I recall included- ' I've got good grounds for singing this song'
and
'the beauty of this song will slowly filter through to you'

Subject: RE: Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 09 Feb 20 - 11:30 AM

Some Performances on YouTube
Cosmotheka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Lm_KlJsQY
The Andrews Sisters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnUzZiSEUo
Trout Fishing in America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ia13f72-4

Subject: RE: Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Feb 20 - 12:01 AM

And, of course, Mudcatter Seamus Kennedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNF14stWGzc

Subject: RE: Origins: Proper Cup of Coffee
From: GUEST,JHW
Date: 10 Feb 20 - 04:46 AM

I too would certainly rather have a cup of tea than instant or camp coffee but most coffee now in the multitude of coffee shops (and pubs) comes not from a pot but a machine. There's an ad for one in this thread!