Lyr Req: Pearl-Handled Pocket Knife (Fort/Hutchins

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pearl-Handled Pocket Knife (Fort/Hutchins
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Aug 15 - 12:57 PM

This song has a bad smell to it. Pedophilia simply cannot be made humorous.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pearl-Handled Pocket Knife (Fort/Hutchins
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Aug 15 - 03:58 PM

Therapy did the song. I saw them play it in the fleetwood folk club in 1980. They were Dave Shannon (Who went on to work in radio and has sadly passed away. A real live wire and a great entertainer - I still use his jokes - thanks Dave) and Fiona Simpson who I last saw in about 2005 in Whitehaven singing as a solo artist. Lovely lass.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 02:51 PM

Some moderator might want to make sure that

1)ends up in the DT
2)has a title change

If it was posted elsewhere excuse me. I can't be arsed with the 'cat taking lots of time to open, etc.

Subject: Lyr Add: Pearl-Handled Pocket Knife
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 02:47 PM

PEARL-HANDLED POCKET KNIFE

(Fort / Hutchins)

I had a girl, her name was Mame
She treated me just right
I wined her, I dined her
We courted most every night
So I offered to buy her
Some fancy jewellery
I'll admit, I was taken back a bit
By what Mame said to me

She said
The only thing I want from you, my friend
If I can't be your wife
Is a five-bladed, nickel-plated
Pearl-handled pocket knife

I introduced Mame to some of my friends
They really had a fling
One guy, she charmed him, she completely disarmed him
They say she treated him like a king
So he offered to buy her a giant ruby ring
But Mame, she said, No, she said, Keep your dough
And she began to sing

She said
The only thing I want from you, my friend
If I can't be your wife
Is a five-bladed, nickel-plated
Pearl-handled pocket knife

Some time later I discovered that Mame
Had ten cases full of knives
I said, Mame, what's the dope? and she told me plain
This is my chest of hope
Y'see, I'm saving for the future
For some old rainy day
When my lovers are gone, I'm all alone
And I'm getting old and grey

Because I know what a young Boy Scout will do
To prolong my active life
For a five-bladed, nickel-plated
Pearl-handled pocket knife, inlaid -
A five-bladed, nickel-plated
Lubricated, insulated
Pearl-handled pocket knife

(as sung by Iain MacKintosh)

from

http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/p/pearlhan.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Oct 13 - 01:07 PM

I know this thread is over a year old but just found it. My uncle was Dewey Hutchins. They wrote this song in the early 1960s. I have a copy of the album. Dewey was a lobbyist in Washington D.C. for Kodak. He lived there until 1989 and moved to Ft. Lauderdale where he passed away that same year.

It is indeed a nickel plated pocket knife, nit silver plated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 21 May 12 - 09:00 PM

You're welcome, Susanne, and thanks for storing the song so somebody could find it! I have found many fine songs on your site in the past.
Obviously (now!) "pearl-handled pocket-knife" would have been sufficient for Google to come up with the goods. "For a five bladed, silver plated, pearl handled pocket knife." was, with hindsight, information overload.

Further googling reveals that the song is included on a "Homer & Jethro" album:-
RCA Victor LPM/LSP-3877 Somethin' Stupid: The Ballad Of Roger Miller; Somethin' Stupid; Upside Down; The Bagel Song; I Can Spell Banana; Kosher Chitlins; Laugh And Scratch; Smellin' Like A Rose; Human Cannon Ball; Pearl Handled Pocket Knife; Old Grand Dad; Sow, Sow, Sow Your Oats – 09-67

ASCAP (THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS) has the following entry:
"PEARL HANDLED POCKET KNIFE                     Work ID: 460120707
Writers:
   FORT HANK
   HUTCHINS DEWEY
Performers:
(none found)
Variations:
(none found)
Publishers/Administrators:
(none found)"

So now we know the authors' first names as well - but they still seem to be keeping a very low profile. But wait, there's more here on Hank Fort (1914-1973?)
http://scratchyattic.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/hank-fort-sings-her-own-great-songs.html Whole album supposedly downloadable but didn't work for me. "Pocket Knife" isn't on it, but many of the songs appear to have been covered by other artists in the forties, fifties and later.

And the lady herself on YouTube -
Hank Fort - Put Your Shoes On Lucy (and read the comments lower down the page).
Several albums available on eBay and Musicstack.

No info on Dewey Hutchins

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 May 12 - 05:47 PM

Ian, just for clarification: the lyrics on My Songbook came from me, copied off the sleeve of "Home For A While", where Iain recorded the song. It's quite clearly 'Mame' there, and the title is given as Pearl-Handled Pocket Knife. Must have been a late night when Iain gave you the words :-).

I've no notes on the song, and no idea who Fort and Hutchins are, incidentally. Anyway, the song is hilarious, particularly done by Iain in his unique understated way. Thanks, Ross, for dragging it up!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 May 12 - 05:39 PM

Don't think I ever saw a nickel-plated knife, those we liked were all bone-handled. I also remember some with plastic, with advertising or fancy pattern, mostly poor quality. I do have a silver-colored (silveroid) pocket knife, but that dates from the 1890s.

Sometime when adult I acquired a Wilkinson Sword stainless steel pocket knife. A dress knife, not suitable for games.

Knives for children, then, started to disappear sometime after the 1960s. I don't recall my children or their friends having Case-type pocket knives.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 21 May 12 - 03:41 PM

Nickel-plated, eh? Ah well, how the memory enhances things!

Thanks for all contributions. Mudcat wins again!

I had thought about the difficulty of actually singing this song in this day and age (could you sing it if the sexes and symbolic gifts were different?) Just wanted to remember some old friends from thirty years back.

Q - into the fifties and sixties, a pen-knife and even a sheath-knife would have been part of every boy's everyday "kit", whether you were a boy-scout or not. These would have been freely available in sweet-shops, newsagents/tobacconists, tuck shops and gift shops (and Woolworths RIP) only a few yards from all the town-centre schools I attended. Never heard of anything actually criminal happening (big talk occasionally, stamped on by teachers/adults who knew they were in control.)

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: GUEST,999
Date: 21 May 12 - 12:39 PM

I used to have a Swedish knife that was great for skinning smaller animals--squirrel, muskrat, rabbit, raccoon--pretty much anything up to the size of beaver. Even in the early 1960s they were just about $2.00 each. Had about a 4" blade and they carried an edge for a long time. I still carry a knife to use as a tool (regardless the other uses it can be put to).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 May 12 - 12:24 PM

Digression-
Interesting song, reminding me of my grade school years.
Back in the 1930s, every boy had at least one knife, used for mumbley-peg, whittling, and throwing at trees to gain 'skill' at knife-throwing.
The older boys (grade six and up) often had a hunting knife as well, carried in a sheath on the belt. I especially remember the cheap but sharp Finnish knives. Also, boots were still popular with some boys, and, for the younger ones, a brand of boot (name forgotten) had a little pocket in which was a folding knife.

Outside of a few minor cuts on the fingers, I never saw any injuries.
That more innocent age is gone, and bringing a knife into the school yard now can lead to expulsion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: GUEST,999
Date: 21 May 12 - 12:03 PM

More than welcome, Ian.

Yer never too old for a few songs, although speaking for myself I wouldn't even try going back to three or four sets a night these days. The words are good, and thanks for the tip about using the melody from Alice's Restaurant.

I had an unfortunate experience with that song. I was the opener for Arlo way back when he was still writing the song. I heard it more than anyone should ever have to, and after a few days (two) I left the club when he was on stage and writing that song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Musket
Date: 21 May 12 - 10:50 AM

Thanks 999.

I wrote Maine rather than Mame above, but there again, the website like me, got it from Ian Mackintosh... He of course played it with a banjo, whilst I used it as an excuse to play a bit of ragtime. (If anybody is interested, you can play it to the tune of Alice's Restaurant if you are so inclined.)

These days I doubt if I will be recording again, gave up being serious a long time ago and other than being asked to play as a guest in bands occasionally, turn up as a floor singer in local folk clubs, just for the fun of it.

The website calls it the five bladed etc, but Ian called it "For Maine" hence I always did. Call it what you like, it is a funny ditty that fit with any rag tune after a fashion and fun for all that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: GUEST,999
Date: 21 May 12 - 10:40 AM

http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/p/pearlhan.html

Attributed to Fort and Hutchins. You could likely get in touch with that sites owner and get first names.

Subject: ADD: For Maine [Mame??](Fort and Hutchins)
From: Musket
Date: 21 May 12 - 09:56 AM

The song is called "For Maine" and I sing it. I heard a few people singing it years ago, including Therapy, and learned the words from Ian Mackintosh.

FOR MAINE [Mame?]
Fort and Hutchins

I had a girl, her name was Maine,
She treated me just right.
I wined her and I dined her,
Courted her almost every night;
I offered to buy her some fancy jewellery,
I must admit, I was taken back a bit,
By what Maine said to me.

She said,
The only thing I want from you my friend,
If I cannot be your wife;
is a five bladed, nickel plated, pearl handled pocket knife.

Well I introduced Maine to some of my friends,
They really had a fling.
One guy she charmed him, completely disarmed him,
Treated that guy just like a king;
He offered to buy her a a fancy ruby ring;
No, she said, Joe, she said, put away your dough, she said,
And she began to sing;

She sang,
The only thing I want from you my friend,
If I cannot be your wife;
is a five bladed, nickel plated, pearl handled pocket knife.

Some time later I discovered that Maine had ten cases filled with knives,
I said Maine, what a dope? She told me told me plain,
That is my chest of hope;
You see I'm saving for the future, for some old rainy day,
When my lovers are gone and I'm all alone,
And getting old and grey.

Cos I know what a young boy scout'll do, to prolong my active life,
For a five bladed, nickel plated, pearl handled pocket knife.

A five bladed, nickel plated, insulated, lubricated, pearl handled pocket knife!



I have no idea who wrote it, and would love to know. (I wanted to include it on a live album but at the time we couldn't ascertain PRS niceties, so remains unrecorded by me, although I often knock it out at folk clubs. (Mind you, in these days of political correctness, I have had adverse comments afterwards!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 21 May 12 - 08:40 AM

That was Dave Shannon and Fiona Simpson, who played together in England as Therapy. Sam Bracken was also a member at one point. All highly skilled performers and funny with it.

Can't recall them singing this, but it would fit the humorous side of their performances. I'll check what LPs I have.

Sam Bracken lives in the Lake District and occasionally surfaces in a duo with his wife Elaine.

Fiona Simpson has appeared solo at Fylde Folk Festival a couple of times, great voice and charismatic performance.

Dave Shannon used to work for the BBC in Manchester. Haven't come across him since Therapy ceased.

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, pocket-knife
From: Effsee
Date: 20 May 12 - 10:21 PM

I seem to remember a song on the subject being sung by a duo in the '70s, Therapy. an Irish fellow with an English lass whose names escape me! Smashing performers though!

Subject: Lyr Req: Five-bladed, silver-plated, _pocket-knife
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 20 May 12 - 09:25 PM

"For a five-bladed, silver-plated, pearl-handled pocket-knife" is the last line of the refrain of a song that used to be one of the signature songs of one of the residents (Tom Blumer, formerly living in St Annes, present whereabouts unknown) at the old Fleetwood Folk Club (North Euston era, early to mid-eighties).

The burden of the song is "What wouldn't a young boy do for a five-bladed, silver-plated, pearl-handled pocket-knife?" after being lured into the home of an elderly neighbour-lady who just happens to keep a stock of the said treasures as reward for who-knows-what services rendered by her young visitors.

Nothing in the DT or Forum, Google no help.

Anybody got any clues as to source (possibly Country and Western, recalling Tom's delivery) or the rest of the lyrics?

Or any idea what happened to Tom Blumer? I think he may have worked for Shell Oil, so could conceivably have travelled widely after his stay in the Fylde.

Ross