Origins: What song is this and who was singing it

Subject: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: GUEST,Charles Macfarlane
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 04:59 PM

Recorded this years ago, but stupidly didn't note anything down. Vaguest of recollections suggests that it might have been recorded off Folk On 2 with the singer being an actor from the Radio soap 'The Archers':

Postponed? Well Rather! (2.1MB, 128Mb/s)

The obvious search term produced nothing here or on the wider web. Would be grateful for any knowledge of song, singer, recording.

TIA

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:11 PM

Wonderful! I posted
the first verse some years ago (at the bottom of the post), or what I remembered of it. As I said then, no idea where it came from originally, but as small kids we often got my Dad to sing these songs. I wish I'd taken more notice of his songs before he died (getting on for 40 years ago now). His rendering of Cardigan the Fearless (with his famous Light Brigade), full of chromatic runs and rubato should have been recorded.

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:23 PM

most likely the actor who played tom forrest, he was a traditional singer

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:31 PM

The voice sounds like that of Bob Arnold who played gamekeeper Tom Forrest in The Archers.

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:32 PM

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/archive/1998/08/29/Oxfordshire+Archive/6638763.Country_charmer_was_voice_of_The_Archers/

Bob Arnold, born in Asthall near Burford, was the actor who played Tom Forrest.

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:38 PM

Agreed, Bob Arnold

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 05:41 PM

yes it is definitely bob arnold he also played piano accordion, which is the musical instrument? providing the backing

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 06:08 PM

If the song starts:

'I entered into a restaurant with an appetite ten yards long' and is a silly nonsense song then it's one my grandad used to sing and it can be found in my recordings on the National Sound Archive website as I recorded it in the 60s. More details if needed. My grandad sang songs mainly from the period 1890-1910. It's probably in Kilgarriff but we'd need a proper title.

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 06:25 PM

The song is titled Postponed on Bob Arnold's album (Morning' All, 1972, with The Yetties doing backing)

Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 06:30 PM

BL catalogue has a single entry for a song called Postponed, which may well be the song:


Title: Postponed Written and composed by T W Connor, etc [Song Staff and tonic sol-fa notation Voice part]
Author: T W Connor
Publication Details: London : Francis, Day& Hunter, [1898]
Identifier: System number 004277870
Physical Description: s. sh fol.
Shelfmark(s): Music Collections H.3980.l.(45.)
UIN: BLL01004277870


Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: GUEST,Charles Macfarlane
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 07:59 PM

Impressive response. Thanks very much to all!

Subject: Lyr Add: POSTPONED (T W Connor)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 02 Jul 12 - 04:58 AM

Here are the lyrics. Note farther is used for further throughout; OED lists this as rare, but you'll still hear it dialectically in the UK, and it's needed here for the rhyme. Bob Arnold also uses me instread of my, but in deference to Malcolm Douglas, I've spelled my throughout as this is not needed for the rhyme.

Mick

---

POSTPONED
(T.W.Connor?)

I went to a party neat and trim,
Quarrelled with a man named Boot Knock Jim,
He had a face like a red brick wall
A fist as big as a punching ball.
We sparred up, he struck me once,
I came to three hours later
With a great big bump at the back of my chump
As big as a kidney baker.
So I postponed the battle,
For something in my ear went pop!
I'd three black eyes, a punctured face
My pants got tore in a very awk'd place.
One clout, laid out,
I didn't care to go any farther (= further)
Might have had to try, didn't want to die:
Postponed - Well, rather.


I bumped into a restaurant
With an appetite nearly ten yards long,
On a bowl, three-up it came
Something struck me it was game.
People sitting yards away
Said they heard it talking.
I stuck my fork in its gizzard and
The darn thing started walking.
So I postponed my dinner
I thought there'd been a gas-pipe burst -
A sort of tarry twang arose
Soon as I touched him on the nose.
One bite, good night
I didn't go any farther.
Do-diddly-oo, cock-a-doodle-do,
Was postponed - Well, rather.

Now I had a girl, no she had me
She'd golden hair made in Germany,
Lovely eyes, black as ink,
One was glass, she couldn't wink.
Now one dark night, my love broke loose,
No longer could I conceal it.
So I trod on her toe and she didn't say Oh,
Took no notice, couldn't feel it.
So I postponed the wedding,
I bought a pair o' boots instead.
That girl had a chop wooden leg I found
I found out, well never mind how.
I know, 'twas so,
I didn't care to go any farther
The wedding-cake ball, wooden leg and all
Was postponed - Well, rather.


Source: Bob Arnold

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 02 Jul 12 - 06:23 PM

Very interesting.
My grandad's version seems to have been a mix up of all 3 verses in one.

Here it is as I sing it now.

I enetered into a restaurant with an appetite ten yards long
Ordered poultry, up it came
Something struck me, it was game,
People sitting yards away said they could hear it talking
So I stuck my fork in its giddy arn and the darn thing started walking
Pop's pawned the dinner, bought a pair o' boots instead
Two black eyes and a punctured face,
My pants torn in an awkward place
One clout, laid out, I couldn't go any farther,
Couldn't if I tried, didn't wanna die,
Postponed it, oh rather!

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: r.padgett
Date: 02 Jul 12 - 06:44 PM

Steve Gardham is a traditional singer!!

Ray

Subject: RE: Origins: What song is this and who was singing it
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 03 Jul 12 - 10:30 AM

Get off, Ray. Only if you are.