Lyr Req: Queensland Whalers (Harry Robertson)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queensland Whalers (Harry Robertson)
From: cloudstreet
Date: 06 Mar 11 - 12:09 AM

A 3-part rendition can be found here:

An Australian Folk Song a Day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queensland Whalers (Harry Robertson)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Mar 11 - 11:40 AM

Harry Robertson lives on!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queensland Whalers (Harry Robertson)
From: cloudstreet
Date: 04 Mar 11 - 10:43 AM

Queensland Whalers
was the Australian Folk Song A Day choice for Thursday, March 3, 2011.

Multi-tracked on a Zoom H4

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: selby
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 01:36 PM

Nic is well & living in York there has recently been an article in Living Tradition about him and a release of his work on a CD called. In search Of Nic Jones. released on Mollie Music if you want an adress E mail me. Keith

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 09:58 AM

Thanks Wolfie,

I've eaten snapper and they are bloody good however you spell them.

Bob, always remember where you left your cookies.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 06:21 AM

Oops!

I forgot that this machine hasn't got my cookie on it.

(The otherwise anonymous) Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From:
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 06:18 AM

G'day again all,

Bill Cameron: Schnapper is a standard local(Eastern Australia)name and spelling for the fishes chrysophrys auratus & c. guttulatus (although they are also called snapper) and that is the spelling Harry used in his book.

There is a strong undercurrent of German spellings and words in Sydney slang ... up to August 1914, when this was suppressed. Some hang on and others are now historical.

Lamarca: I believe a Fairmile was a small, fast Royal Navy (and Royal Australian Navy)boat - mainly a motor torpedo boat. Many war-surplus items were put to new an interesting uses. Down in Tasmania, when I was working on the Hydro schemes, I met a Pom who had used one for smuggling from France to England for several years post-war. He put his small boat skills to work again in Tasmania's disastrous floods of ~1960 to save people ... and was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Wolfgang
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 05:35 AM

Liz, there have been several thread on Nic Jones, go to 'Forum Search', enter 'Nic Jones' for subject and you'll find them all.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Nov 99 - 05:22 AM

Thanks everyone - the stupid thing is - I'd forgotten that I actually have 'Penguin Eggs' by Nic Jones, somewhere in the house, I'd also forgotten he'd recorded it! Been some 3 years since I played it, better go fish it out now (sorry, bad pun...)

I knew Nic quite well back in the '80s, when he was still recovering from his accident. Anyone know how he is now??

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Smeebes
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 06:54 PM

Little Pot Stove & Humpback Whale lyrics on the Nic Jones/Penguin Eggs site now correctly attributed to Harry Robertson.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: lamarca
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 05:19 PM

Wolfgang,
That site lists both "Humpback Whale"(AKA Ballina Whalers) and "Little Pot Stove" as traditional; both are by Harry Robertson, and I believe Nic even listed that fact on the recording!

Bob,
What is a "Fairmile"? I'd love to get a copy of Harry's song collection!

I've been working on learning Ballina Whalers, but the range required is pretty big. Mark of the Aussie songs site sent me the words a few years ago, saying Harry had died recently. He was a great songwriter, as witnessed by the fact that so many of his songs get listed as "Trad."!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 02:07 PM

Say Bob, I'm pretty sure that's "forget your SNAPPERS and your prawns....

not "schnappers"--I guess those would be found on whalers of a more northern variety...

ah, great song. I can hear it in my minds ear even though the tape got ate last year....

Bill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Wolfgang
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 01:57 PM

most Nic Jones lyrics including the one asked for are here.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Bugsy
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 08:45 AM

It's a song off a Nic Jones album? Perhaps Penguiun Eggs, I'm not sure.

I'll See if I can lay my hands on it. Trouble is my turntable is still doing funny things.

Can anyone else help with this in the meantime?

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Bev Lawton
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 08:32 AM

The version you are looking for is on the Nic Jones "Penguin Eggs" CD. Bev

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Stewie
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 08:17 AM

Hey Ted, remember the 'Sally's in the garden shelling peas' couplet? Have a good yuletide, Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: QUEENSLAND WHALERS (Harry Robertson)
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 08:07 AM

QUEENSLAND WHALERS
(Harry Robertson)

I've sailed the North Atlantic, where ice blows in the breeze,
And roamed the Dutch West Indies in the calm blue sunny seas.
When I think of ships and seamen, my thoughts return again
To a season spent in Moreton Bay with Queensland whaling men.

CHORUS: Sing ho, you Queensland whalers. You've cut the sugar cane,
And driven herds of cattle o'er the dry and dusty plain.
You've dug the ore at Isa, laid countless miles of rail,
And now you come to Moreton Bay to catch the humpback whale.

For men who've chase the brumbies, catch bullocks by the tail,
It really is no problem to catch a humpback whale.
You ride your iron sea-horse, put the gun through rigging struts,
And when he runs from the coral scrub, you belt him in the guts.

The man up in the crow's nest, as whaling legends goes,
Looks out across the water and shouts, "Thar she blows,"
But here in sunny Queensland, you'll often hear them shout
"There goes a bloody beauty, mate, so get your finger out."

From Moreton to Caloundra bronze whaler sharks abound.
They wait like dingoes in the scrub for a wounded beast to sound.
But their taste for blood and savagery, it never could compare
With the bite that bloody taxman takes from our bonus share.

When fuel tanks are running low, we'll head for Brisbane town,
And at the nearest boozer our sorrows we will drown.
With beer and fiery whiskey, and plonk of vintage rare,
We'll steer a steady zigzag course without a bloody care.

And when the season's over, and we can all return
To greet our wives and sweethearts and have a little fun,
We'll rant like Queensland drovers, and roar like whaling men,
And when the season starts next year you'll find us back again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 07:56 AM

G'day Liz,

The line could be from the chorus of Harry Robertson's Ballina Whalers
Heigh ho ye trawler men come on, forget the schnapper and the prawn
And it's out of Ballina we'll sail, a'fishing for the humpbacked whale.
This was based on Harry's 1956 spell at shore-based whaling - chasing humpbacks with a converted ex-navy "Fairmile".

I have the tune and text in the book Whaling Songs of Harry Robertson, published by Albert Publications (J. Albert & Sons Ltd, 139 King Street., Sydney, NSW, Australia) in 1972 to accompany his record (which I also have) Whale Chasing Men - Music for Pleasure #MFP 8272 Stereo.

Harry's whaling songs are marvelous ... even more so, considering the bloody nature of the whaling trade. I'm not surprised that so many have been taken up by UK singers. The whaling business is happily (almost) gone, but my mother's siter married a Danish whaler. He worked outback as a stockman, on sheep and cattle stations ... but every year or two, the whaling would call and he would quit station work and get down to Sydney to sign up for the southern whaling season, chase whales for 4 moths or so - then be back in the dry back country riding a horse after cattle!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 07:04 AM

G'day,
That'll be "The Humpback Whale". It was recorded by Nic Jones. Not sure who wrote it but at a guess I'd say Harry Robertson, a Scottish Australian, died a couple of years ago.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: Humpbacked whales, fishing for
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Nov 99 - 05:31 AM

Looking for a song, the chorus of which has the last line 'fishing for the humbacked whale', Can't remember anything else, swiss cheese memory and a lyric book that was stolen 2 years ago had conspired to drive me batty.

Please??

LTS