Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo

Subject: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 06:03 AM

Re The song given in DT as

IN THE OLD BAZAAR IN CAIRO
(Chester, Morris, Ford)
Sand bags, wind bags, camels with a hump,
Fat girls, thin girls, some a little plump,
Slave girls sold here, fifty bob a lump,
In the old bazaar in Cairo.   &c &c &c

and used as part of accompt in Wilson Keppel & Betty's famous Sand Dance --

-- I think in the attribution above, 'Chester' refers to the 40s British comedian 'Cheerful' Charlie Chester, writing with the collaborators named ~~ though I have also heard it claimed, I think on a Mudcat thread which I can't at this moment locate, that George Formby had earlier sung these words to the tune concerned.

But these words sound like parody or travesty or burlesque, don't they? What was this tune originally, anyone know? And were there any earlier words? And who did in fact originate these DT words? {I have, as I say, a feeling there might have been a previous thread but searching didn't find it. If so, could someone link me to it please?}

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 May 11 - 06:25 AM

I've always known "The Old Bazaar..." as a song by Charlie Chester, Ken Morris and Clinton Ford, and the sheet music for it certainly gives them as the joint composers.

I've got virtually all of George Formby's recordings and, yes, it does bear a resemblance to his style but, no, I can't think offhand of anything of George's which specifically resembles this. "Fanlight Fanny" is probably the nearest in character - also recorded famously by Clinton Ford - and it may have been CF's recording of this which inspired "The Old Bazaar".

There's also Formby's "Hindoo Man" which is very similar in style...

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: GUEST,baz parkes
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:01 AM

Was it perhaps George Formby Senior?

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:01 AM

But did the TUNE originate there, Will? If so, it seems a remarkable piece of pastiche of the BalletEgyptien/Thornton·StreetsOfCairo·Kradoutja type, would you not agree?

Thanks for Formby info.

~M~

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:03 AM

Baz ~ no, the ref I saw certainly referred the the "Turned out nice again" uke-playing Formby, i.e., the Younger.

~M~

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:10 AM

This reminded me of a 'filk' by Zander Nyrond, about the Market at Mos Eisley (site of the canteen in the first Star Wars film):

THE MARKET AT MOS EISLEY

(Tune: "The Old Bazaar in Cairo")

Welcome strangers, come and have a look,
Our displays are guaranteed to hook,
Bargains lurk in every little nook
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

Everything you see is up for sale
We're adept at telling you a tale
Most of us are freshly out of jail
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

        Nowhere in the Outer Galaxy
        Will you find such spontaneity
        You had best be ready for the fun
        A knife, a gun,
        Or something full of nitric acid

For your stronghold, fortalice or keep,
Top class watch beast, constantly asleep
He isn't too efficient but he's very very cheap
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

Would you like some very pretty rugs
Woven by the Tarianni slugs
Impregnated with interesting drugs
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

(Instrumental: optional sand dance, cf. Wilson, Keppel & Betty.)

Body servants, small to extra large,
Bathe you, dress you, give you a massage,
Other talents run a higher charge
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

Weapons gain you status and respect,
Ours are individually checked,
We threw away the manual, it wasn't quite correct
        In the market at Mos Eisley.

        We get traders from the Inner Core,
        Some Corellians, a triple-breasted whore,
        Forms of currency, we can take them all,
        They rise, they fall,
        Economies go crumble crumble,

We get Nyronds, but they never stay,
Something always summons them away,
One sold me the planet yesterday--
        In the market at Mos Eisley!

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: GUEST
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:17 AM

The Electropathics recorded this on our album "batteries not included" and Charlie Chester used to play it quite frequently on his show on Radio 2.

Batteries not Included from CD Baby

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:25 AM

I couldn't say with any certainty, Michael, that a tune such as that - with all the music-hall and variety stuff that went before - was 100% copper-bottomed original. All I can say is I really haven't come across anything that appears to be an ancestor of it. My best guess would be that it was inspired by the tune used to back Wilson, Keppel & Betty, which was (I think) taken from the "Ballet égyptien, Op. 12 (1875" by Alexandre Luigini.

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:05 AM

In fact, Will, I think WKB used BOTH those tunes in their Sand Dance. I have found several versions on Youtube. The Ballet Egyptien tune, IIRC was also used by Horne & Murdoch for their "My aunt's name is Ella Wheeler Waterbottle" series of songs in Much Binding, Round The Horne, &c. It was the feel of Old Bazaar's relationship to that, & to Thornton[attrib] 'Streets Of Cairo' {aka Snake Charmer tune, "In the South of France where they do the hula prance", &c} which makes me think it must be older than Chester et al; but perhaps it's such a good pastiche as to give that impression, at that.

~M~

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:15 AM

"My Aunt's name is Ella Wheeler Waterbottle.
She lives down in Burton-on-Trent.
Every time she rides upon a bicycle
She always gets her handlebars bent".

Memories! :-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:31 AM

"Steak-&-kidney, seven & a tanner's worth,
A little bit of chicken and a marlinespike" ~~~

Oh, yes, indeed, Will ···

〠

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:35 AM

..."Hutch and Ted Ray at the Metropolitan
Doing even better than in Heckmondwyke

Sabotage a pool in Dorset
Camouflage my auntie's corset..."

Inspired

☺☺☺

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 May 11 - 08:52 AM

Tee hee!

Subject: RE: Origins: Old Bazaar In Cairo
From: GUEST,Podger
Date: 17 May 11 - 01:56 PM

I first heard it as Old Bazaar in Kabul.

Which I would suspect is an earlier version as the Egyptian word for market is Suq'un.

And Bazaar or, more correctly, Bazr is the Persian and Afgan word.