street peddler's songs

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: PHJim
Date: 13 Mar 13 - 08:18 AM

While not an authentic street vendor's song, I've always enjoyed Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Rags And Old Iron".

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Bert
Date: 12 Mar 13 - 11:38 AM

Ten a penny walnuts, me Mary used to cry
Ten a penny crack 'em already, taste before you buy
fresh from Covent Garden won't you come and try
Won't you buy me ten a penny walnuts.

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 13 - 10:45 AM

these songs are ever so good

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 08:57 PM

Just picked up a 2nd hand book ( North Country Songs, Gwen & Mary Polworth ) including 3 pages of street cries, unfortunately the book does not give dates for the cries.
PM sent to 'Kudzuman' offering a scanned version.

Nigel

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Jul 02 - 08:28 AM

The Tuer book is also reprinted by Pryor Publications. "12cm x 9.5cm. 156 pages. Over 50 woodcuts. Hardback. ISBN: 0 946014 00 0 쳌'7.95/$17.00."

~Masato

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Jul 02 - 07:40 AM

Masato beat me to it. I was about to mention the Tuer book also. I came by it from somewhere or other decades ago. It is a fascinating little pocket book [circa 150pp]. Evidently, it was first published in 1885 by Leadenhall Press, London. The ISBN # is 0 85967 402 9 and the address for Scholar Press Ltd is/was 39 Great Russell St. London WC1 - if that info is of any help.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Jul 02 - 06:25 AM

There's another book:

Andrew W. Tuer, Old London Street Cries (and The Cries of To-day with Heaps of Quaint Cuts) (1885; reprinted by The Scolar Press, 1978; with no music)

~Masato

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: MMario
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:23 AM

I spend a *lot* of time "hawking" for games at the ren-faire; Even when not "singing" - your cry begins to take on a rhythm, and frequently somewhat of a tune, though primative. At least I have found that to be true - and other people who I've talked to that hawk a lot have said the same.

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:10 AM

Some links on "cries of London."

(1) Cries of London

With no music, but "a series of thumbnails of the twelve pictures.... They were all published between 1792 and 1796 and depict different street sellers in London at the time. They were painted by F. Wheatly and engraved by Vendramini. Each picture has a short explanation with it."

(2) The Osborne Collection: Cries of London

With some audio samples (Click on "Cries of London (1820)").

(3) The Deller Consort: The Cries of London

(4) John Johnson Collection Exhibition 2001: Cries, Itinerants and Services (Bodleian Library)

~Masato

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 08:09 AM

This book may be helpful:

The Old Cryes of London, with numerous illustrations and musical examples, by Sir Frederick Bridge (Novello, 1921; reprint AMS, 1976; 78 pages)
Chapters: I (London Lackpenny); II (The Music of the Cryes); III (A Humorous Fancy. By Weelkes); IV (Rounds, and a Freeman's Song); V (In Nomine. By Orlando Gibbons); VI (Fancy, "What d'ye Lacke?" By Richard Deering); VII (New Fashions. Fancy by W. Cobbold); VIII (The Cryes of Later Years); Appendix.

"Hot-Cross Buns" (4-part arrangement) is in it (pp. 60-61).

~Masato

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: IanC
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 07:09 AM

There's an early 15th Century (1400-1450) poem called London Lickpenny which has a description of contemporary sellers' cries, as well as an interesting (satirical) description of parts of London etc. Here's a few quotes:

"Hot pescods!" one gan cry,
"Strabery rype, and chery in the ryse!"

and

Then come there one, and cried "Hot shepes fete!"
"Risshes faire and grene," an othar began to grete;

Even now, street sellers cry their wares rather than sing them. In the '70s, a Geordie street seller on the quayside market was well known for crying "Gyet yeor Boodgies end Poopies Heyor!" (selling pets) and last week on Hitchin market, the fruit stall lady was shouting "All yer fruit! everythink a nicker!" ... living tradition.

:-)
Ian

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 04:51 AM

"Wha'll buy my Caller Herrin?" "Buy Broom Besoms" "Coulter's Candy"

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Kaleea
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 03:00 AM

When I lived in an Asian country, @ 25 or more years back, I enjoyed hearing & seeing the street vendors rolling their carts filled with items in the small villages. One gentleman I particularly recall had a very large pair of scissors, which he would clank (open & closed-thus the clank) "in time" with the melody, and he sang about his fruit for sale using a pentatonic style/"see saw, Marjorie daw" type melody in what I would think of as a 6/8 meter. I was told that these such street vendors' songs were ancient, and I believe this to be true. (notes/scale note # based on Do=1, Re=2, Mi=3, Fa=4, Sol=5, La=6 are typed above the words, and dashes underneath represent eighth notes--6 eighth note beats per measure in 6/8 meter). Roughly translated in the key he was actually singing in:

Db/5 Bb/3 Eb/6 Db/5 Bb/3 Fresh fruit, the freshest fruit, --- -- - -- - ---

Db/5 Bb/3 Eb/6 Db/5 Bb/3 come & buy my fresh fruit. -- - -- - --- --- I also recall learning (in elementary school) a song of a street peddlar with copper pots (as in teapot or kettle) for sale, which had a very similar style of melody:

Db/5 Bb/3 Db/5 Eb/6 Db/5 Bb/3 Cop--per pots, shi--ny & new, -- - --- - - - ---

Db/5 Bb/3 Eb/6 Db/5 Db/5 Bb/3 Cop--per pots I bring to you! -- - -- - -- - ---

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 15 Jul 02 - 02:40 PM

Dover Press published a book of street cries about 25 years ago. Knowing them, there are probably still a few copies around.

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: MMario
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 02:49 PM

This round - come buy my cherries is suppossed to be based on streel seller cries.

it dates to about 1832

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 02:41 PM

In Nancy Brown there is a mention of a "drummer" who was NOT a musician, but a traveling salesman (drumming up business) - there may be others like that. Hot Cross Buns, definitely. There is an AAMilne poem about wanting to buy a rabbit but there are only other things for sale, tuppence, sixpence, etc. But they didn't have a rabbit, not anywhere there. Hmm. Cod Liver Oil?

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 07:53 PM

I think you'll find a few of them devolved into nursery rhymes - "Hot Cross Buns" is one of them.
I put together a compilation song of several verses I found and a chorus that was a bit different. There are others.
One that comes to mind is "Hokey Pokey" (honeycombe crunch) came from a street cry of an Victorian Itallian icecream seller who shouted "Pocco um Gecca" (?) and a rhyme that went with it was "Hokey Pokey, penny a lump. The more you eat the more you pump"
my research on this (such as it was) indicated that the street sellers had quite lengthy songs in the 17/18th century but as the 19th century progressed they became shorter. Two line stanzas ish.
Now what is that about sound bytes and dumbing down - plus ca change?

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 05:06 PM

For a genuine example Joe Smith (husband of Phoebe) was recorded singing "Lavender" by Mike Yates in 75 or 76 which can be found on Phoebe Smith The Yellow Handkerchief VT136CD

I don't think Veteran use any distributors buy the site is here

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:54 AM

You probably won't find much that's earlier than the late 16th century, and most books on the subject seem to concentrate on the C18th/19th. There's certainly material available, though; arranged as "art music" mostly, of course, so not necessarily very authentic. Have a look at the works of Thomas Ravenscroft at Greg Lindahl's Sixteenth Century Ballads, in particular:

Melismata (1611)

Broomes for old shooes, Where are you faire Maides, and -perhaps- Maides to bed would serve, I expect.

Rather later are the various Cries of London broadsides, which are mainly compendia of street-cries knocked into the shape of a song. Several (without music, of course) can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads. The following (printer and date unknown) is quite interesting:

The cries of London ("Hark! how the cries in every street ...")

Subject: RE: street peddler's songs
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:59 AM

Can't really help, the only things which come to mind are "The Old Dope Peddlar" : Tom Lehrer
And Lionel Bart's collection of street cries used as a backing to "Who will buy this wonderful morning" in "Oliver"

Nigel.

Subject: street peddler's songs
From: Kudzuman
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:56 AM

Hi, 'Catters!

Kudzuman and I are interested in finding and learning any surviving "advertising" songs of medieval/renaissance street peddlers. Neither have had any luck with any general searches on the net, using terms such as peddler's songs, street songs, market criers, etc., etc.

Any suggestions or knowledge of this sort of item?

Example: Steeleye Span's version of "Turkey Rhubarb": Turkey rhubarb, turkey rhubarb, turkey rhubarb I sell / I come here from Turkey to make you all well / Don't you all know me Oh, my name it is Dan / And I am the celebrated Turkey Rhubarb man

Thanks! Mimsey & Kudzu