Lonnie Donegan

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 05:30 AM

Yes, all his 3 sons toured (may still be)in a tribute to their father. Pete has his own band, too. Recently one of Lonnie's ex-wives featured in BBC tv's antique programme "Cash in the Attic" !
RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 12:59 AM

Anyone seen his son perform, pete donegan?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,tom. s.
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 05:28 PM

I HAVE A COLLECTION OF AROUND 15 COMPLETE ''PUTTING ON THE DONEGAN'' SHOWS ALSO A COUPLE NOT COMPLETE! THESE DATE FROM 1958-1960S LONNIE DID I BELIEVE AROUND 56 OF THESE SHOWS SO I AM LOOKING TO BUY OR TRADE FOR THE ONES WHICH I AM MISSING ANY BODY OUT THEIR GOT ANY? MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [e-mail]

                              TOM.

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 20 Aug 10 - 11:43 AM

Without Lonnie Donegan none of this would have been possible or even necessary!

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: GUEST,2000
Date: 20 Aug 10 - 10:48 AM

Am I missing something, but isn't this news ten years out of date!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,bill S from Perth
Date: 03 Mar 08 - 06:09 AM

I'm amazed that there is only one mention on this thread of what is possibly the first Child ballad to top the charts, though the flipside, My Old Man's a Dustman, has become more famous. I learned the Golden Vanity from the first record I ever bought when 6/2 was more than a fortnight's pocket money. When I do it, I introduce it as the first million selling trad folk song, probably not true, but it sounds good.
Cheers Donny

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig (or; Roger the former skiffler!
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 11:19 PM

I love that guy's suggestion that the guitar is 'bound to rocket in value'.....

Hey, Keith - do you remember Lon saying how he amplified his guitar with a Spitfire pilot's throat-mic? It's a typical 'tall story' - at best, the mic would have come from one of those armed-forces surplus equipment stores that proliferated on the Edgware Road in post-war years, but its original purpose would be almost impossible to establish.

Only Lon could 'elevate' its origins to 'Battle Of Britain' status!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 08:31 PM

Yes Keith, agreed, after conferring with RR and reading your posts it now seems clear it's a pre-47, but I think chances are he owned it and rapidly "upgraded" (as it would have been seen then)to a newer 00028- as you say, he wasn't forthcoming- a combination of not really interested/couldn't recall, combined with his natural perversity and perhaps desire to create a bit of mystique. Maybe we'll have more luck with the Francis/Bailey 12, I'm still doggedly sticking with the former... just to make it interesting we'll have a shilling on the side, eh, in the immortal word's of Benny Hill in his great classic "Ernie" (the fastest milkman in the west).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 08:21 PM

Captain Colin did in fact already mention it above, but I just thought the link might be of interest ...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 08:14 PM

Interesting Ebay item

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Keith Sellers
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 05:37 PM

Just another word about the D hole 12 string,the guitar player in the Springfields played one....i think it was made by John Bailey,i am sure Johns still about, if someone knows of his where abouts we should ask him.The 28 herringbone on the Lost John picture,i do not beleive belonged to L.D, as R/R says it never appeared again,so i wonder who that belonged to,i mean who would have owned a pre war Martin in England in the 1940/50,s,such a serious guitar must have been owned by a pro guitarist,and for him to have known L.D.and to let him use it for the photo shoot, pro guitarist at that time would have been playing archtops and classicals,sadly if old Lon.would have been a bit more forthcomming all of these questions,would have have answers,R/R and me took L.D.out for lunch back in 89.and we quizzed him gently about everything,we came to the conclusion that he really did not know, or i dont believe, did not care,i just think to him it was not important,little did he know !!Keith Sellers Sellers............

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,RR
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 12:19 AM

Keith....

I'm forced to review my earlier post; while I can't see the herringbone (it's not clear enough) I will now admit to the snowflake neck inlays! I hadn't noticed them before. That pretty much makes it an early-1940s guitar - or even older. Were they all herringbone back then?

I'm not too big to admit I might be wrong..... I know a bit about Martins, but Keith knows more!

Keith - again....

That 'number plate' on the back of the Daimler is a dealer's trade-plate; look carefully and you'll see the rubber bands attaching it to the chrome handles on the lower boot-lid. As you'll no doubt recall, dealers trade-plates had white digits on a red background. Probably means the car didn't as yet have a tax disc in place, so it could be driven under the Dealer's blanket insurance policy. In fact, I don't see a tax-disc now I look more closely. I do see a nice Triumph Renown in the background at the top of the street.....

Who knows what Lonnie had for breakfast on the day before these photos were taken? (Just kidding.....)

Seriously - if that's a pre-war Martin, all we've done is further confuse the issue! I can safely say that I never saw another shot of Lonnie with this very guitar (maybe it wasn't his...?)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:52 PM

E-mail me at: [e-mail], please.

Do you know what model the Gretsch was? As you say, a most unlikely choice for him!

I went to see Lonnie in '92 at the 100 Club - Denny was with him, and HE played an orange Chet Atkins 6120; I thought that a strange choice for Denny as well. They're not really a 'player's' guitar, if you know what I mean. Eminently collectible, but not the world's greatest instruments. (Having said that, I have to admit to owning a 6120 reissue - strictly for posing in front of the mirror!)

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Colin
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:19 PM

Well it all passes on a dull Winter's Sunday, and if people do put us down as anoraks and train spotters... look at my face, am I bovvered? I guess we're much more interested in the subject than LD ever was! Re serial nos, the serial number is only valuable in revealing the year really, so the serial number of the 67 won't put another piece in this jigsaw I suppose, although the serial no. of the Sundown guitar would. I'll tell you all about the Martin "M" privately (somehow!), some minor details of the story just might hurt the feelings of someone (I'm foolishly assuming someone else might plough through this lot, unlikely but not impossible). Regarding Lonnie choosing Martins, that other Lonnie chap used one too of course, which must have been a factor. Widening the subject (not much), the Gretsch I referred to in an earlier posting was always a mystery purchase... what was the thiking behind that and where did it go I wonder?.. ah, these are the things that keep us going..

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 05:45 PM

Colin,

The left-handed guitarist is shown in a VERY early picture - with LD playing that 0-17 and looking very young indeed. It could well be someone who's name would mean nothing to us now. He's playing a cheap flat-top - not, I'd say, an American guitar.

I meant that the picture of the Abbott was on the back cover of the Bear Family book - I expressed myself badly.

I agree about Lonnie's lack of knowledge about guitars; I bet Big Bill Broonzy's 000-28 was the motivation for him wanting one rather than any acoustic preferences. Back then several of his 'influence' would have played a Martin, and very likely an 'Auditorium' model, too. Josh White had one, as did Burl Ives - they were quite high-profile back then.

Thank goodness someone else agrees with me about that LD Signature model - it's ghastly!!! I lost count of the times that Lonnie would mutter - 'It's time they GAVE me a guitar - I must have sold thousands for them!'. Well - he finally got his wish, and I'm pleased that he lived long enough to see that through. (They still look dreadful! To be fair, Keith Sellers and I are in agreement on the subject!) I generally HATE any sort of 'signature' guitar, but I am such a fan of Donegan, I might have been tempted by one IF it had been closer to a standard 000-28 with some very subtle adornment.

So - he considered an 'M', did he? I'd love to hear more about that if you don't mind. I love those, and am always on the lookout for a post-'94 example (I must have an adjustable truss-rod).

Somewhere in my notes I do have the serial number of his 1967 '28 - I'll dig it up and post it; I know it was close to the number of a D28 I bought new in London (also a '67, but now long-gone....)

It's good to chat with someone who's almost as nuts as me about this subject - I thought it was only me and Keith who even cared!

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 11:36 AM

Gregg: Stan Francis must have built up some reputation for good-sounding 12 strings for Pete Seeger to want one, so your recollection is probably right. I suspect they sounded good because they must have lightly built- too much so for the strain of 12 strings, hence their tendancy to self-destruct. Roger- I don't have the Bear Family set so can't refer to those pictures but you've now got me curious about a left-handed guitarist I've never even seen! I don't have "Tops with Lonnie" either and didn't know the Abbott was on the back cover. Anyway, could well be that LD's first 000s were ones he grabbed new in the USA while he had chance- if so my betting would be that he probably bought them in Manny's in New York- a "best" and a spare- a 28 and a 21. Lonnie wasn't very knowledgeable about,or interested in, the technicalities of scale lengths and strutting, woods, etc, I think he just worked on the general principle that the dearer they were the better they were likely to be- on that basis he probably like the 28 best! As to why he went for 000 Martins isn't hard to figure out. Maybe the 21 really did go Adam Faith's way and the 28 had a larger guard fitted, and was relegated to spare when he aquired his next 00028. It would be interesting to find the serial number of the Sundown one from the family wouldn't it? By the way he almost switched to an "M" sized Martin at one point, but that's another story. Goodness knows what he was thinking of with the sunburst Martin LD guitar though, I agree with you earlier comments- there's one on ebay at the moment, £3,000 "buy it now"...er, I think I might pass on that...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 09:40 AM

On reflection, I'm mis-remembering about Stan Francis. I was thinking of a conversation I had with Cyril Davies abouthim. It was Cyril who was the panel-beater, and he also played one of Stan francis' 12-strings. A very fine guitar, as I remember, but I was perhaps young and easily impressed, it was the first 12-string I'd ever laid hands on.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 09:31 AM

Colin,

Sorry I posted my last message without reading yours.

I've tried to locate a picture of the 'Sundown' sleeve on-line, but without success. I'm not doubting you - it's just that my recollection is of a dark-edged 000 on that sleeve. You've obviously checked, so I assume you've seen the white edging of a 28.

Whatever the reality, that oversize guard was probably fitted to cover the scars left by LD's exuberant strumming! I have a picture of me playing Lonnie's 1967 000-28, and the wear between the bridge and guard is already quite apparent.

Did he get his first 000s on that first USA trip?

That's an interesting point!!! Is there a picture of Lonnie with a 000 BEFORE his first trip to the USA? All he'd had was one hit at that point, and there are surprisingly few photos of him from before his return to Britain; I guess that they didn't start doing photo-shoots on him until it was clear that he was going to be more than a one-hit-wonder.

I've pulled out my Bear Family set with the accompanying booklet. The cover picture IS the same photo as the 'Skiffle Session' EP (the one we've been referring to as the 'Lost John' picture) - this is the best reproduction I've seen of the photograph, and it's eminently clear to me that it is NOT a herringbone. (I urge Keith to check that box-set booklet - I know he has it - and see for himself.) It IS, however, a 000-28.

I've also confirmed that - as I'd thought - the covers of both 'Showcase' (1956) and 'Lonnie' (1958) show him holding the 000-21.

Therefore, he almost certainly owned both the 21 and the 28 concurrently.

Conway Hall recording: January 25th, 1957 - clearly the 000-21.

Who has the Bear Family set? Look at the booklet...
Cover: (1956) 000-28
P.3: 000-21 (date?)
P.12/13: 000-21
P.18/19/20/21: 000-28 (1957 or '58 - Jimmy's in the band)
P. 22-27: 000-21 (Conway Hall - Denny has the Hofner Committee)
P. 30: 0-17 (programme dated 8/56, but photo from much earlier)
P.34: 000-21 ('Showcase' session at IBC Studio August '56)

Note: This is the first photo that we know is immediately after his return from America - still no clue of a 000 Martin before that trip!

P.35: 0-17 (an old picture; who's the left-handed guitarist at his right?)

P.41: 0-17 (Is this shot with Beryl Bryden and Chris Barber? Seems likely, and probably predates his US trip AND his hit record!)
P.43: 000-28 (Les Bennetts has upgraded from his Hofner to his Gibson L-4 - 1960/61? It's from 'Putting On The Donegan')
P.48: 'More Tops With Lonnie' (sleeve - 000-28)
P.49: 'Tops With Lonnie' (sleeve - 000-21)
Back cover: A view of the Abbott - also on the sleeve of 'Relax With Lonnie'

I love having that box-set, but I do wish they'd taken more trouble with the captions to the pictures. There are a lot of loose ends.

Finally (you'll all be relieved to hear!): I wonder if he preferred the 21, but kept the 28 (slightly fancier) for TVs, etc? Just a thought.

I need to get out more.....

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 09:25 AM

GUEST DocJ: you were asking about Stan Francis' profession. My recollection is that he was a panel-beater, but it was a long time ago and I may be wrong.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 08:37 AM

I'm pretty sure the Sundown guitar wih the big pickguard is a 00028 Roger. Maybe it was the 21 that went to Adam Faith. I once asked LD how many 000s he'd had and the best answer I could get was "not many".

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,DocJ
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 08:10 AM

There was a thread on the McEwan Bros a while ago but nobody seems to know what happened to Alex. None of their recordings seem to be available in the UK but there are two CD's available from Smithsonian-Folkways. If you think that's the wrong way round, the best blues and old time CD's come frae Bonnie Scotland!
I'm sure Stan Francis wasn't a professional instrument maker or musician; I used to know what he did for a living but can know longer remember. He lived in or around Roby about 5 miles from Liverpool
DocJ

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 08:07 AM

Thanks Roger & Captain Colin
I saw Stan in variety theatre and was impressed by his guitar playing. He also appeared on a programme called "The Country & Western Show" which replaced "The B&W Minstrels for the summer.

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:04 AM

Eddie

Stan Stennett was appearing with Lonnie in variety somewhere - could have been Wales - in the late 1950s. Denny was taken ill and Stan did deputise. I recall this being reported in the Fan Club Magazine and the music press, and I met Stennett many years later at a function gig I did in the '80s. He confirmed that it did happen.

I think that Denny may have genuinely been unwell, as this was for more than one night. I'm not sure about that.

Sorry I forgot - I'd meant to respond to your query, but got all carried away about guitars.

Now I have another theory - suppose the 'Sundown' guitar was, in fact, Lonnie's very first 000-21? He could have had the large pick-guard fitted later. He was very hard on instruments, and all his guitars had the tops worn away between the bridge and the 'guard - maybe the 000-21 finally had a hole worn in the top (I've seen that happen!) and he had a custom refin job.....

Yes?

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:02 AM

Eddie: I've never heard this story but it sounds right. Stan was a friend of Lonnie's and was on some of his TV shows, singing and playing the guitar. Even accompanying himself it was evident that Stan was a useful player in the jazz vein. He played an archtop and used 9th chords- his playing was quite skilled. As Denny was freqently, er, off colour the story adds up. Roger: the Sundown guitar is a 00028. On several earlier photos I've noticed that Lonnie's pickguard was held on with sellotape. He presumably had new a new pickguard fitted and asked for an oversized one, perhaps to cover other wear. Seems the guitar was then relegated to be used as a spare, and presumably is still in the family. I don't have the Lost John EP, but it would make sense for Lonnie to get two 000s on his first visit to the USA while he had the chance because of course he didn't take a guitar with him (wasn't allowed to play one there- not because of his skill level but because of Musician's Union rules), and perhaps he thought he wouldn't be returning. If so it would be logical to get a 28 and a similar but less expensive one- a 21- to use as a spare- but my guess is that they were both new. Of course, if there are any pics of LD with a 000 dateable before his first USA visit then that blows a hole in that theory. Serious stuff, I'll try to do a bit more research into the herrinbone theory. That only leaves the 12-string, with two possible culprits as the maker. Keith thinks John Bailey, my money's still on Stan Francis. Are both characters still with us I wonder? Boy, people must be rivetted by this musn't they? Confusing having two current threads running by the way.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 03:07 AM

Hi Murray
The Lowden is sold, but to a friend so I get to play it now and again.
During my travels in the US I managed to acquire a Martin D28 and a Gibson J50

Can anyone comment on my posting on the thread about Lonnie's guitarists as to whether or not Welsh comic Stan Stennet played lead for Lonnie at a gig when Denny Wright was "ill"?

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger R. (again!!!)
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 12:42 AM

This has just occurred to me....

It's just possible that Lonnie owned the 000-28 ('Lost John') and the 000-21 (cover of 'Lonnie' and 'Showcase') at the same time!

Maybe he switched between the two.... Maybe he bought both on his first USA trip.... I wonder? That would explain the 28 appearing earlier and later ('56 and '58 - '60). No explanation, though, as to why he had the 1967 one - the others had to have gone by then.

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 12:36 AM

Colin

I don't think the 'Sundown' guitar is a 000-28 - I seem to recall that it was a '21'. Look again if you have the record - you probably know all this, but 21s have a dark border (black or faux tortoiseshell) and the 28s edges are off-white ivoroid. As I say, that's just my recollection - I haven't seen that sleeve for years.

Bear this in mind, too. When Lonnie first looked for a Martin, they were unavailable in Britain, so a new one wasn't an option. They did turn up very rarely (Wally Whyton had a 000-28 - he told me he wanted one 'cause Lonnie had one! - but his was second-hand) because I managed to get a 000-18 in 1959 for 64 Pounds in Lew Davis' shop on Charing Cross Road.

Lonnie did travel to the USA, but I wouldn't be surprised if he bought a used one - the 000-28 on the Lost John sleeve (and remember that HAD to be in 1956!!!) is far from new with several scratches on the face.

Keith: You and I will never agree on this - I don't think that guitar was Herringbone.

(MY APOLOGIES!!!! I misled you all - I said in my earlier thread that the 'Lost John' guitar was a 000-21 - NOT!!!! It is, of course (as I've said in this post) a 000-28.)

So - the sequence is:

0-17 (earliest Martin)
000-28 (1955/6 - 'Lost John' - Herringbone? I don't think so - keith does!)
000-21 (see the sleeve of 'Lonnie', his second LP
000-28 (Grand Coulee Dam period - also in '6-5 Special' film)

Some time later - and for unknown reason....

Another 000-28 - this one's a 1967; still in the family as far as I know.
Finally, the Signature sunburst model (too much like a Christmas tree for my taste, but that's just me...)

I apologise if all this is too obsessive for most people; Keith and I tried to get at the truth while Lonnie was alive, but he was so vague....

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Keith Sellers
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:08 PM

Say if you look closly on the EP.cover of Lost John,i am sure Lonnies holding a herringbone 00028.Keith Sellers...........

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:54 PM

Most interesting Eddie (and rather sad), thanks. I take it you mean that the Grimshaw was a 12 string. I thought Rory was wonderful.It would still be interesting to hear news of Alex. Roger- I'd better whisper in case Keith's listening, I have been known to be wrong but I doubt if Lonnie ever had a herringbone Martin. Herringbone edge purfling was only used on 28s, and then only to c.1947. None of the 21s ever had herringbone edge purfling of course, only sometimes round the soundhole. I think Lonnie would have bought a new rather than an used guitar after the 21- they were tax deductable after all! I've never seen any picture of him with a clearly identifiable herringbone 000. By the way I know he considered switching to an Ovation when they first came out, and even tried one out (in a shop, not on stage) but didn't care for it.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:09 PM

your Lonnie credentials are impeccable, Eddie !

(unlike the action on your Lowden ...)*G*

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:04 PM

Guest (above)

Rory McEwan died back in 1982. If you Google Rory, you'll find more about his botanical painting than his singing. He had a Stella 12 which he bought in a pawnshop in Galveston back in the 50s – probably the first 12-string in the UK. He then had one made by Emil Grimshaw of London, the first one they made. The second is still owned by Len Partridge of Edinburgh.
Sorry about the thread creep but he did ask and anyway, I hope my Lonnie credentials are valid!

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 06:30 PM

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:07 PM

With all this talk about Lonnie I thought that I might buy some of his recordings, but first I decided to hear a few audio clips on Amazon.

Yeah, well, now you really have established your credentials, haven't you ?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 06:21 PM

Roger: there was another 00028 in the picture, one I saw Lonnie use sometimes and pictured on the cover of "Sundown" with an oversize pickguard. He also claimed to have given one away to a Manchester United player- quite possibly a myth. There's his first ever guitar- a classical- and a Gretsch electric he imported in the 50's but probably never used in his act, which I referred to earlier somewhere. Then the Francis (or maybe Bailey) (see above) 12-string, the Guild 12, the aforementioned Abbott, and of course the 017 and the Martin LD personal (sunburst) guitars as you mentioned. I'm not sure whether this sheds any light- perhaps sheds more dark!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 05:58 PM

I defer to Keith Sellers when it comes to Lonnie's more obscure guitars. It's his speciality, being a collector of the more unusual European instruments.

One day I'd love to get the chronology of Lonnie's Martins properly established. In the very early days, we saw him with a mahogany bodied 'O' (a 17?) allegedly procured for six Pounds Sterling in a Walthamstow market. Then he had OOO-21 (Keith believes this was a herringbone - deduced, I think, from the 'Lost John' photograph, but I don't think the grain of the photo makes this clear enough) and this was on the 'Showcase' album, as well as his second LP, 'Lonnie' (that photo showed a DeArmond pick-up across the sound-hole).

Around 1958 he got a 000-28 (distinguished by the white bordering on the top and bottom of the body as opposed to the 21's tortoiseshell look). ONE of these guitars (I think the 000-21, IF the story is true), he gave to Adam Faith. Lon loved a 'tall story', though, so nothing is certain. The guitar, according to the Gospel of Donegan, was destroyed when Adam's car was rear-ended.

At some point (when???) Lonnie acquired his final 000-28 - this was a 1967 Brazilian-bodied guitar, and he played it fairly exclusively until immediately before his death when he received his 'signature edition' sunburst 000 from Chris Martin IV.

If anyone can shed any light on the specifics of all this, I'd be obliged.

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:07 PM

With all this talk about Lonnie I thought that I might buy some of his recordings, but first I decided to hear a few audio clips on Amazon. I'm glad I didn't buy any recordings first! Lonnie's main achieved must be that he opened listeners ears to Leadbelly, Woody etc. Musically, he, himself, had very little to offer.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:59 PM

I would be very sceptical about anyone who claimed to be able to identify an acoustic guitar make and model from a recording (other than a National)-it's just not possible. An electric guitar- maybe, sometimes.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:49 PM

I've never been enough of an "Anorak" to recognise make & model of a Guitar from hearing a recording, but I sort of admire/envy those who can.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:40 PM

That's the one Alec, thanks- interesting site, lists all the old bluesmen's guitars, and tells us that Willie McTell played Stella Regal and Harmony guitars at various times- though I believe the one he's most often associated with is the Stella.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:23 PM

I think the site Captain Colin is talking about may be www.earlyblues.com

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 01:51 PM

Sorry, forgot to put my soubriquet on last post. I've had a look around and, yes, Willie played a Stella.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 01:44 PM

Pity, but thanks. Maybe someone else will have some information on Stan and his guitars. As far as Blind Willie McTell is concerned, I remember finding a web site that listed all the guitars the old bluesmen used. I'll look for it again, but once again maybe somebody else will know the link. I can't specifically remember what guitar Blind Willie played, but the information was on that website- quite likely a Stella.As far as the great Rory is concerned, I seem to remember it was a Martin D28 but am by no means confident about that. I remember reading that Rory joined the choir invisible some years ago- does anyone have any more information? And what about his brother Alex, what became of him? I know they were both connected to the McEwan brewery and singing was a secondary pursuit.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Doc J
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:39 PM

Sorry, Cap'n, I lost contact with him in about 1960 when I, at a guess, he was about 30 or so years old. He mentioned that he made the guitar for Pete Seeger, whom I suppose he had met when he visited Liverpool, because PS had told him his 12-stringers were not all that good.
I believe Lead Belly played a Stella. Does anyone know what Blind Willie McTell (the master of the instrument) played? I remember Rory McEwan playing on on 'Tonight'; any ideas what that was, anybody.
DocJ

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:29 PM

Doc J- that's very interesting- do you know if he's still with us?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,DocJ
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:14 PM

eddie1 - I followed exactly the same route as you: Lonnie Donegan then Woody, Lead Belly, Cisco etc then Nic Jones and the British singers. I think it's a fairly common path and a fairly logical one if you think about it.
Captain Colin - I remember Stan Francis of Liverpool and his making a 12-stringer for Pete Seeger. He used to play the ukelele and sing with the Spinners at Sampson & Barlow's in the city, if my memory serves me right.
DocJ

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:23 AM

Just in passing: The Bear Family set has several songs on it with more than one version of each.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:13 AM

Hi Keith/Hank, I've really enjoyed the postings and reminiscences of you (and all the others) on this and the other current LD thread- you certainly know your stuff and obviously love the music. I may be wrong about the 12-string, but I know for sure Stan Francis made one for Pete Seeger's, and that that one imploded (so did Lonnie's), so I shall not be moved (yet). Pete S. had a copy made by Bruce Taylor(USA) when his Stan Francis one gave up the ghost. Very interesting indeed about the Abbotts, there can't have been that many made, so there'll be hardly any left, wonder where Lonnie's is now! I too have played one of Lonnie's guitars (00028)- (I didn't attempt Rock Island Line though!) The action was highish and the strings he used were quite heavy, it was not easy to play- his fingers must have been sore after a long concert given his hard strumming style. Many's the time I've pestered staff in Hank's, maybe we've met! According to Roger R earlier the mahogany Martin was an "0" size by the way.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 04:59 AM

does anybody remember the Late Doug Porter of Derby - could be wrong, but I seem to think g he had one of those 12 strings with the D hole. doug was a very tasty accompanist - he used to do a stunning version of Bryan Bower's Berkley Woman.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Keith Sellers
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:24 AM

Hi,i always thought the D hole twelve string was made by John Bailey,who at that time made for, and repaired for the folky lot,including Pete Seeger,Jimmie Magreggor,John Reinbourne,etc,John Bailey certainly made the same model,it always looked a a bit homemade,but it had a fantastic sound,i aquired Lonnies Abbott when i owned Hanks Guiar Shop,i offered it back to Lonnie,but he did not want to pay i beleive the £750 price.that Abbott guitar was made in 1928 at a cost of £15gns.i still own one today,and have the original catalogue....Lonnie also used in the early days a Martin 00021,this guitar he told me he gave to Adam Faith,who smashed it up in his car accident,i think he used the 00021 up to around 1962/3 and in the early fifties i saw him with the all mahogany Martin 0017....

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 11:15 AM

You're right, the cockney version was the b-side of San Miguel. and yes, Lonnie made it up. The American version was on the Lonnie Rides Again album.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 03:06 AM

as I remember, it was the b-side of San Miguel. It was a great anglicisation of an American song. Did Lonnie convert himself, Captain?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 01:32 PM

I think Lonnie recorded the two versions just because he felt like it Scrump. I don't think the USA market was a consideration as the track was never intented as more than an album filler or b-side. In fact both versions were issued by Pye at that time in that manner, both for the UK market. The backing was just one acoustic guitar. The number was originally a hit in States for Ernest Tubb some years earlier though many other versions exist- eg it was rewitten with a rock & roll slant as "All American Boy" which was again a hit in the USA in the fifties and which Marty Wilde used to perform here.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:31 AM

I think I have both versions somewhere. I had the UK version on an LP, and when I got a CD with it on I was surprised to hear it was a different take, before I discovered there were two intentionally different versions.

I don't have the Bear Family set, but I think I have all of Lonnie's stuff from the very first recordings up to at least the early 1960s, in one format or another. Sounds as if the BF set is well worth having though.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:19 AM

I think both versions are included on the Bear Family Records set of CD's. His UK version is not very different from the "American" version. Lonnie is an all-time favorite of this Missouri, USA, fan. I play him often on my radio show (as mentioned above under the name Big Jim).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 10:04 AM

I believe Lonnie recorded two different versions of "Talking Guitar Blues", one sung in a sort of American accent, and another "cockney" type version. There is a reference above to a "UK version" of the song which seems to support this. Was this because back in the 1950s, US listeners would have had difficulty understanding the UK lyrics, does anyone know?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Tom Hamilton frae Saltcoats Scotland
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 08:04 AM

he was born in Scotland and move to England. he came from Glasgow, Bridgeton or Brigton as it is known

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:22 AM

Roger, thanks for that. Sorry to hear about Rick, although I didn't know him. I was merely responding to his original post (I did say it was 8 years ago).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:18 AM

Scrumo,
Alas, Rick Fielding died some years ago and is still sadly missed by all his Mudfriends. I sent him a copy of the Peter Sellars musical spoofs before he died.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 04:17 AM

To rick fielding (if you're still around after nearly 8 years!): the Peter Sellers Lonnie Donegan spoof (featuring a character called "Lennie Goonegan") was called "Puttin' On The Smile". It's currently available on a budget-priced EMI CD (at least, here in the UK). ("Puttin' On The Style" was of course the title of one of Lonnie Donegan's 1950s hits.)

The track was originally issued on Sellers' 1959 12" vinyl album "Songs For Swingin' Sellers".

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 03:02 AM

Thanks for reviving this thread – I found it for the first time and read all the way through at one sitting.
Lots of happy memories!
I first heard "Rock Island Line" on a 78 then "LD Showcase" with "Wabash Cannonball" & "Nobody's Child" and was well and truly hooked. Got myself a double bass (nearly my height and definitely shaped like me) and found myself in great demand with skiffle groups wanting to move on from a teachest.
From Lonnie, I developed an interest in Woodie Guthrie and other American artists then country, bluegrass and old time. From there I moved into British folksong.
I always reckoned a lot of people travelled a similar road to myself but found my ideas being mocked by many of the more academic of the traditional folkies. Even Cyril Tawney, a man I loved, said that crediting Lonnie with any part in the folk revival was like giving Goering credit for the new Coventry cathredal! Later, however, I did let Cyril hear Lonnie singing "Sammy's Bar" and, after he had phoned Rosemary to check out royalties, he admitted it was a great version!
I was chuffed beyond measure when I was approached for an interview by a girl from Milan University for her thesis on British Folk Music. She was put on to me by Hamish Henderson from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. Hamish was another Lonnie fan!
Nobody has had Lonnie's influence in popularising folk music – and pop/rock at the same time. Before him, a guitar was just another musical instrument and suddenly, people found that with a few chords they could have a whole repertoire!
A few more memories were brought back by this thread:-
I had an EP (remember them?) with Laggan Love, Kevin Barry, Bewildered and She Moved through The Fair.
A few Donegan records came out from Nixa on kind of vinyl,. unbreakable 78s just before 78s vanished.
Denny Wright, Lonnie's first guitarist after he left Barber, went on to play with "Johnny Duncan and His Bluegrass Boys" who did a lot to popularise Bluegrass in the UK.
On leafing through one of these massive Rock & Roll anthologies, the only person with more space devoted to them than Lonnie, was Elvis!

Thanks again for the thread.

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:14 PM

Yes indeed Captain ... most interesting. I often wondered about Pete Seeger's 12, which never seemed to square with any sort of common sense answer.

keep em coming!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:08 PM

Well I'm new to this site but have enjoyed all the Donegan threads. Roger- If you are thiking of the 12 string with the "D" shaped soundhole I believe it was made for him by Stan Francis of Liverpool.He also made some for Pete Seeger. It self destructed, as did Pete's. Lonnie also imported a Gretsch in the 1950s- shipped over by boat and was photographed with it sometimes (I have a picture on an album sleeve) On the Sundown Album he is holding his "spare" Martin 000, rather spoilt by the oversize pickguard and, I think, new bridge. The Abbott guitar surfaced for sale in the Melody Maker in the mid seventies. Lonnie originally sold it to Dickie Bishop. The banjo used later was a mongrel- the neck was Clifford Esseex but I don't know what the pot was. Hope this is of interest to somebody, if so I'll try to add a little more

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:09 PM

Ooops, my english was much better on other occasion than in my last post, sorry! ;-)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:07 PM

Thanks, Roger. Regarding the banjos this is what I had watched, too. But I am wondering why he never took care to have a better banjo sound or instrument. I have had a very cheap italian tenor banjo since christmas 1982, and it sounds similar like his ones. He should have spent a bit money for a better banjo. I remember that Sean Moyses told me once that Lonnie asked to buy Sean´s banjo when Sean was member of Bob Kerr´s Whoopee Band = anytime between 1990 and 1996, but Sean refused to sell. I will ask Sean again because will see him tonight at JfK´s birthday session&party in Bonn tonight.

But please continue to discuss about the guitar matter! I will pay much attention and interest to it.

I guess you´re have probably heard right that it was his idea to have the guitar like it is.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 09:21 AM

Naturally, Lutz, it's just my personal dislike (the LD model) - what struck me as a youngster when I first saw a Martin was its understated appearance. Martin have alays made more-ornate models for those that want it (the 41s and 45s, for example); Lonnie was known for the '21' and '28' series, so I was surprised that he asked Martins to embellish the LD to such an extent.

Again, this is only my feeling - others will disagree. My friend in England (he founded 'Hank's Guitars' on Denmark Street in the West End) was horrified when he first saw the LD - he 'phoned me to say, "It looks like a Christmas tree!!!!!".....

I'm sorry - I know almost nothing about his banjos. He played a Vega many years ago, and a recent picture showed a Gibson Mastertone. He really only played guitar-chords on banjo, choosing to tune it to the top four strings of a standard guitar tuning. He did have a terrific right-hand technique, though, even if he never learned the banjo's tuning.

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:49 AM

Again.

So if anybody could or want to say more about Lonnie´s banjos, too, I would be interested in, too.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:27 AM

Well, I had the chances to play along a bit on the signature LD model in August 2003 during a jam on a private barbecue with Twins and Paul Leegan in Essen/Germany, and again in December 2004. It sounded ok. The things you hate, Roger, depend, of course, on individual taste.
Paul told us on various occasions that he received his one ( No.6 ) on the date of Lonnie´s last concert in October 2002 where he met Lon in the hotel as well as backstage later, and he was proud that Lonnie was first person ever played on this No.6 ( before Paul! ).
Paul played it on our recordings in August 2003 and in our Skiffle concerts in December 2004, too, and the guitar did a good job in this contexts. He recorded "Worried Man Blues" on it ( just vocals&guitar ) when we filmed an interview with Paul in a studio near Cologne for a Skiffle documentation on Dec 7, 2004, and it was great. So I can say only positive things about the sound as far as I know this model.

Regarding other guitar models I am definetly to young to say much about it. Of course, I know most of Lonnie´s recording by memory, but the guitar sounds there often depended on the mixing and of course on the style of playing, not only on the choice of model, so I do not want to make a final judgement about it. Others have better abilities and competence to do that.

But I guess Martin guitars have been principally a very good choice for all Skifflers, Blues and Folk Men, so I really like them.

I am not satisfied with the banjo Lonnie used on stage when I saw him live between 1996 and 2001, it sounded very "cheap". Maybe I had too much privileges to have always damned good banjos ( OME, Pietsch etc. ) in my own bands ( and have collaborated with excellent banjoplayers, too, like Peter"Banjo"Meyer, Sean Moyses, Udo Jägers etc. ). I like Lonnie´s banjo sound on most of the elder recordings of fifties, sixties and seventies, but was wondering about the "thin" sound of his banjo in recent years.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 05:29 AM

(The lyric is - '...get your ticket - not chicken - at the station for the Rock Island Line.')

Lonnie's first Martin guitar was a mahogany-bodied 0-17 model. This guitar is seen in the very earliest photos. Lonnie talked of paying six pounds for this guitar from a stall in Walthamstow. Possible, I suppose, 'though Lonnie was guilty of telling different versions of some events...

After that he always had Martin '000' models. As he went to the States in '56, it's probable that he acquired his next one there. This was a herringbone 000-28 - certainly pre-war. The cover of 'Lonnie Donegan Showcase' has him playing a 000-21 - this guitar can be seen on the cover of 'Lonnie' as well (fitted with a DeArmond sound-hole pick-up). Then he had another 000-28 (non-herringbone). This was a highly visible guitar - it's in the 'Six Five Special' film, and in many publicity shots. It's distinguished by the white binding at the top and bottom of the instrument.

He told me that he gave one of his '000s' to Adam Faith, but it was destroyed when it was in Faith's car during an accident. (?)

For whatever reason, Lonnie got another 000-28 (this was a 1967 model) and this is the guitar he used principally until his death. The last two weeks of his final tour saw him playing his new LD 'signature' model (000-28LD). He always used to say to me - 'Martins should give me a bloody guitar after all this time!' Well, they finally did.

There's no question that Martin's visibilty in the UK was considerably enhanced by Donegan's brand-loyalty. His devotion to them was probably more to do with his hero-worship of the various US blues/folk artists that used a Martin. Big Bill Broonzy always had his 000-28 - I believe this led Donegan to favour this particular model.

Martins weren't imported into the UK until 1960 - but I managed to find an old 000-18 in Lew Davis' shop on Charing Cross Road in 1959. It cost me sixty four Pounds! That was a lot of money then.

Johnny Duncan ('Last Train...') had a Martin D-28 (same general appearance, but a different body-shape to the 000s) and Elvis' first publicity shots showed him with first a D-18, then a D-28. He went to Gibson J200s in '57.

Wally Whyton managed to acquire a 000-28 in the '50s - I think he got that in the States, too.

Is nyone else out there as interested in the guitar side of things as much as I (obviously) am?

I play pedal steel guitar for a living, but I still have a 1927 0-18, a 1947 000-18, and a brand-new Martin Custom Shop '000-28' - I had them make me an exact replica of a 1950 one. I'm afraid that, as proud as Lonnie was of his signature model, I hated it; all that inlay, with 'King of Skiffle', etc, etc. And why sunburst!!!!!?

I'm told that it's exactly as Lonnie asked for it......

Roger Rettig

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 04:31 AM

The tour dates are mentioned HERE but no venues listed. Good review of oneof LD's last concerts on same site.

RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,donegan3
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 02:15 PM

Does anyone know details of the tour by Lonnie's Sons Peter and Anthony?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 02:00 PM

Lonnie gone but never forgotten . Thanks for the music and memories. A trully Legendary Performer

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Texas Rog
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:54 PM

RIP Lonnie - part of my life when I was young.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,bluearrow
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 06:07 PM

require musical score for putting on the style

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:13 PM

Alot of the dates for Lonnie's tour are now taking bookings so get phoning!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 10:46 AM

First song I learned all the words to was "Golden Vanity" by LD. I was about seven and didn't know about Folk, Rock, Blues, Skiffle etc, at the time, but now I'm an old folkie and I know why.

Pete J

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Bert
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:30 AM

Well, Gor Blimey Peter G me ol' china. F*** my old boots, I was born in Canning Town. Wheren the bloody 'ell are you in the USA? I live in Pennsylvania, but I'm in Colorado for a while now.
Send me a PM y'ol fart.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:25 AM

Didn't LD get into a barney with the Leadbelly Newsletter a while back? I seem to recall reading an interview. Stan Freburg has a great parody of the recording of Rock Island Line which my kids love (never having heard the original) - the producer can't make out what the words are, asks him "Get your "chicken" at the station...?" A trivia quiz - what's on the back of "My Old Man's a Dustman"? (parenthetically, it just occured to me that CD's don't have a "back side"). The answer is "The Golden Vanity" (Child 286). The only version I know where the captain shoots the cabin boy (the shots are on the disc, too!).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:04 AM

Sorry, this hasn't cut and pasted quite how I expected:

They should be in columns side by side

http://www.artists2events.co.uk/artists/lonnieevents.html

Cheers

13/09/02 14/09/02 16/09/02 18/09/02 20/09/02 24/09/02 27/09/02 29/09/02 01/10/02 03/10/02 05/10/02 19/10/02 21/10/02 22/10/02 27/10/02 28/10/02 30/10/02 03/11/02 04/11/02 06/11/02 07/11/02 10/11/02 11/11/02 14/11/02 15/11/02 27/11/02 28/11/02

THE DE LA WARR PAVILION THE CITY HALL THE HALL FOR CORNWALL PLAYHOUSE THEATRE THE TOWN HALL THE OPERA HOUSE THE CORN EXCHANGE THE MEDINA THEATRE THE PAVILLION THEATRE REGENT THEATRE THE ASSEMBLY ROOMS THEATRE BRYNHENOG THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE THE GUILDHALL THE MUSIC HALL THE MUSIC HALL THE ROYAL CENTRE THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE VICTORIA HALL THE ALBERT HALLS THE OPERA HOUSE ROYAL COURT THEATRE THE CITY VARIETYS THE WOODVILLE HALLS ASHCROFT THEATRE THE CLIFFS PAVILLION THE SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE

BEXHILL ON SEA SALISBURY TRURO. WESTON SUPER MARE CHELTENHAM JERSEY KINGS LYNNE ISLE OF WIGHT BOURNEMOUTH IPSWICH TUNBRIDGE WELLS BRECON BIRMINGHAM PRESTON (T.B.C.) SHREWSBURY SHREWSBURY NOTTINGHAM YORK STOKE ON TRENT BOLTON NEWCASTLE LIVERPOOL LEEDS GRAVESEND CROYDON WESTCLIFF ON SEA LONDON.

01424 787949 01722 327676 01872 262466 01934 645544 01242 227979 01534 511115 01553746846 01983 527020 01202 456456 01473 433100 01892 530613 01874 611622 0870 607 7544 01772 203456 01743 281281 01743 281281 0115 9895555 01904 678700 01782 213800 01204 334400 0191 2320899 0151 709 4321 0113 2430808 01474 337774 0208 6889291 01702 351135 020 8354 3300

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Old & Grey
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 02:09 PM

I believe Lonnie is touring again this Autumn 2002 anybody know if he gigs anywhere near Brighton saw him last year at Worthing BRILLIANT

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Peter G.
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:21 AM

I've been a fan of Lonnie since I was 14 years old and "Rock Island Line" was all the rage. He lived a mile or so away from me in Woodford (actually it was Manor Park but Woodford sounded better!) Me and some mates found out where he lived in St.Margarets Road and went knocking on his door. His wife, Maureen, answered it and Lonnie came downstairs and signed some photos for us. The next day he was off to the States to promote the record. We were in 7th heaven! I now live in America yet still love hearing his music. I flew over in 1999 for the Royal Albert Hall concert and my sister arranged for me to get front row seats and also to go backstage after the show.

I've got the Bear CD set and it's well worth the money, especially the great book with so much detail about the man and his recordings. I've also got the last CDs he made with Van and Chris and love 'em. I had planned to go to England for the latest tour but the September 11th stuff put all that on hold and I never made it. Mel Roberts, Lonnie's biographer(?), keeps in touch and lets me know what's happening. He told me about the Martin Signature guitar and I have all the specs and the prices but at $3000 and $4000+ it's probably a bit out of my range.

Last year I started my own skiffle group, the LonDon Skiffle Band, and played a few local gigs in Portland, Maine up here in New England. It's a great town for music but I've found it hard to get regular gigs as most club owners haven't heard of skiffle and are unwilling to gamble on an "unknown" style of music unless, of course, it's free. But I keep promoting with mail-outs and personal calls and hope this summer might prove to be the "summer of skiffle!" Everyone who heard the band play last year keep asking when we'll play again as they enjoyed it so much so that's an incentive to keep trying. Meanwhile I keep my hand in with a local 50's to 70's rock 'n roll band "The China Plates" (Cockneys will recognise the rhyming slang) and I introduce a few skiffle songs throughout the set. We always finish with "Sloop John B". I like to throw in a couple of Chas 'n Dave songs too (anyone remember them?)like "London Girls" and they are also popular. Chas 'n Dave started in a skiffle group too in a pub in Canning Town, East London.

I'm so glad I found this site and got to read all the comments here. Sorry I took up so much space but you got me on a roll!

Best wishes to all you skifflers.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 10:11 AM

Lonnie is touring the UK later this year starting in Bexhill on 13/09. Can't wait

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Jeff Howe
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 12:13 PM

I saw Lonnie at 2 of his concerts last year . Absolutely fantastic !! Who'd think he is now 70 !! Managed to meet him too, at last.

What an entertainer.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 11:04 AM

No Lonnie Donegan ,No Beatles?? All roads lead to Lon!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:41 PM

I saw Lonnie on his 50th Anniversary tour a couple of months ago and it was an exhilarating experience. Fabulous band backing him - he had loads of energy and well, I just felt like standing up and cheering after every number - it was that good!!!! Anybody who sneers at the thought of the man should have seen and/or heard that gig - absolutely brilliant. The CD doesn't do him justice...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,SloopJohnB
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:47 PM

Yes, Guest Donegan 3, LD's music is as exciting now as it was in the 50's when we were young (I think) There was a programme presented by Wally Whyton, now sadly no longer with us, a whyle ago (OK several years, but you know how it is) on the Skiffle Craze. LD really stood out from the mundane stuff that was produced at that time; time hadn't changed it. So I was right all along. Sloop John B

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 01:14 PM

Re Tracey Dragonsfriend ,there are of course some good value CD's available and I believe all Lonnie's albums were released on CD in a series called LONNIE 2000 all the orginal tracks plus bonus tracks EXCELLENT

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 01:16 PM

If you look around the £3.99 CD racks in discount shops in the UK, (and many European countries too - definitely Germany & Sweden) you will find (inexplicably) many fine Lonnie Donegan CD's. I've recently bought 3 this way, all excellent, including Talking Guitar Blues. So check out the local Poundstretcher, Supersaver, QD, Booksale, Quidland, County Bookshops, etc - you'll be surprised what a range of great CD's turn up there.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Deckman
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:46 AM

That's a nice story. Over the years, I have managed to meet just about all of my heros. It's great when they turn out to be nice people, as well as heros. I have met a few that have dissapointed me, but what the heck ... life's a crap shoot, eh?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: BanjoRay
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 05:59 AM

My summer was totally made at Sidmouth last August. I was playing some Old Time tunes on my banjo in the Bedford hotel when I became aware of someone standing behind me enjoying the music - it was Lonnie. We talked banjos for a while. I asked him where he found all those great old tunes, Cumberland Gap, etc - he said "same place you do!". He'd dug up a lot of old records and listened to them.
The guy totally changed my life back in the late fifties and it was great to finally meet him - a really nice bloke.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,ta2
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 04:03 PM

lonnie donniegan................british 50's skiffle,,,,,,,summer hols at blackpool and brighton...........greasers on promenade with guitars singing................elvie flicks on brylcreamed hair......fish and chips and motor bykes

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan 3
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 01:37 PM

Listening to Lonnie I find the music as exciting as when I first heard it as a kid, hope you others feel the same

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Big Jim
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 04:15 PM

As a disk jocky on a small public radio station in the middle of the USA, I regularly play Lonnie Donegan, The Vipers, and a number of other off-beat (in the USA, at least)artists. The Wurzels, Shag Connors and the Carrot Crunchers, et al. And I play stuff that is more tradional like the Copper Family and more modern like Gary and Vera Aspey. Johnny McEvoy, Sweeney' Men, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Ian Campbell Folk Group, and a bunch of others have a place on my show. But, of them all, Lonnie remains my favorite. The audience seems to appreciate these performers, and I am constantly trying to find material by them. Needless to say, I search eBay often since none of the stuff is available in the USA!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Jan 02 - 10:26 AM

Merry New Year all you L.D. fans. You might appreciate this bit. Here I am, living in Washington state, USA, a half days drive from the Grande Coulee Dam, and today I still sing the version that L.D. recorded years ago. He made a strong influence over here also. I well remember his version of Rock Island line. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Chris Davis
Date: 31 Dec 01 - 12:28 PM

Donegan3, I belive you were speaking to my post. Regardless, thanks for the info. Truly, there is a magic in that era that will forever be tapped into, musically speaking, that is.

"Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

The Rock Island Line is the road to ride"

Happy New Year to all

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan 3
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 11:13 AM

Re Fifties Skiffle there are 2 sets of double CD's available in a series called As Good As It Gets . There are about 60 tracks in each set.Lonnie, Chas and the Vipers etc good listening , good value.Think they are from a Dutch company but got mine in the UK.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 30 Dec 01 - 08:52 AM

After I visited the Hastings concert (which was great) I ordered the 8 CD box "More than 'pye in the sky' at Bear Family Records in Germany. It has everything you always wanted to know about Lonnie... A big book with hundreds of photos, a discography, biography, carefully edited and printed.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Chris Davis- USA
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:31 PM

I only know skiffle from what I have read of British Invasion bands and their roots. About twenty years ago, or so, the oldies channels were playing "Rock Island Line", and "Does your Chewing Gum lose it's flavor" by Lonnie Donegan, so I know those two songs.

I heard Paul Mac's version of the Viper's "No Other Baby". I don't know if that counts as true skiffle or not, but I loved the slow, brooding quality of the tune. I looked up the Viper's Skiffle Group(??) on Allmusic.com, and one of their CD's looked very interesting. They seemed to have no trouble mixing skiffle with American R and R. After all, they have some of the same roots.

One day I will get a compilation of fiftie's British skiffle, because I am intrigued by this period musically, both in the states and in the UK/Ireland.

And Heck, Lonnie is only one year older than Johnny...

Cash, that is.

Skiffle on!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: fat B****rd
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:34 PM

Hello, Happy New year. If you want to know all about the Skiffle Scene in England and elsewhere then read SKIFFLE by Chas McDevitt published by Robson Books.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 01:26 PM

Yes I must admit to being of the LD vintage myself, I learned "Great Grand Coulee Dam" from his singing long before I ever heard of Woody. In the 60s I used to go to a folk club in Hounslow, at a pub called either The White Bear or The Brown Bear I think. Anyway the residents were "The Strawbs", who had previously been "The Strawberry Hill Boys", but were obviously trying to get away from bluegrass. They had a big hit with "Part of the Union", which some trade unionists adopted as a theme tune, obviously they hadn't really listened to the words. They also backed Noel Murphy on his LP "Nyaaaah", this recording session lasted from 8:00 pm, till about 3:00 am and the amount of alchohol consumed became an industry legend. Anyway to get back to the point, LD used to turn up regularly at this club, and do the occasional spot, I was awe struck, to actually meet the great man. Glad to hear that he's still blowing them away.
Failte.....Jock

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 11:57 AM

Moe Asch used to tell a great story about how Lonnie Donegan once tried to sue Folkways for royalties on the songs he wrote in the fifties that Leadbelly recorded in the forties.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 10:46 AM

GUEST,Upstreeter
Welcome to the Mudcat, and your first lesson in Mudcatiquette
It is so much less embarrassing to find out what is usuall here it saves you the displeasure of not feeling welcome. You are welcome, of course.
register and no one else can use your name.
tell us about yerself.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan 3
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 09:50 AM

Saw Lonnie twice on his recent tour (Hastings/Gravesend) What a performer .Lonnie's influenec on Popular Music is immeasurable

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Upstreeter
Date: 26 Oct 01 - 04:13 AM

Well, Keith A of Hertford, I'm still trying to work out if you've put me in my place.I expect you have, for terminology is clearly not my strong point. Am I in a thread? Did I respond to something in a thread? Where was the lyric and its double posting (and in whose postbox)? And how long is a thread?, let alone a piece of string. Was there a point about LD or are you saying that its all been said elsewhere? I suppose none of this really matters in the great scheme of things but I'd like to know in order to maintain the correct etiquette.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Squeezy
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 03:08 PM

He is appearing in Kings Lynn, Norfolk this weekend! Still going strong.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 03:02 PM

1 thread, 1 lyric, 2 postings of same lyric, and 1 link to same lyric elsewhere. Not even a long thread!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Upstreeter
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 01:05 PM

Just fallen into the Lonnie Donnegan thread...good stuff. I too went to the great Skiffle night at the Albert Hall..fine performances from all especially LD and Nancy Whiskey whose version of Freight Train I still love after all these years. Surprise of the evening for me was Joe Brown, sans 'bruvvers' jamming away on mandolin and fiddle and a damned fine job he was doing...ignoramus that I am, I never realised what an excellent folk instrumentalist he was. Did anyone see the lengthy documentary about Ramblin' Jack Elliot? From memory he wasn't too complimentary about LD who was I reckon THE seminal influence on so many Brit bands of the 60's. Clearly not so to US musicians who already had Elizabeth Cotton, Woody, Cisco, Leadbelly et al. What Donnegan did was introduce us to this wonderful music and for that he can't be thanked enough. If anyone gets a chance...go see him!

Subject: Lyr Add: TALKING GUITAR BLUES
From: GUEST,Tom L.
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 10:48 AM

Hi Alan B,

"Here, if you want to get in trouble let me tell you how to do it,
Get yourself a guitar and then your right into it,
You play all day and you play all night,
People say you'll never learn to play the thing right,
Always groaning at you,
moaning,
won't let you get practice

So I bought myself a guitar about a year ago,
Man said I could learn it in a week or so.
Gave me a little book, Picker too,
said 'here you are mate, it's up to you.
Dirty rotter,
cost me 10 nicker,
all the loot I had.
Good guitar tho,
Called it a pluckit.

So anyway, spent me doh
and I couldn't let it all go to waste you know,
So I took the book guitar and all,
And I went back home where the trees are tall,
Down in Woodford.
Good place to be if you got a guitar,
Pretty rotten if you ain't.

So for weeks and weeks, I worked hard,
Tried to learn a few main chords,
book says they're easy as ABC,
but cor my fingers were killing me.
Got sore on the ends,
Couldn't hold the strings down,
Wanted to pack up,
Cor I felt rough.

But I Kept on playing with all me might,
I could see Mum's hair was turning white,
Her face was lined with discontent,
She said her patience was pretty near spent,
She was nervous,
Ears ringing
wanted to scream,
Couldn't get no relief.

But Sister she took it worst of all,
Cos she got married the following fall,
She said for love but I got me Doubts,
I reckon the guitar drove her out.
She's a game girl,
Just couldn't take it,
You know, Limit to everything.

Dad he took it a different way,
He said U can turn your Mum's hair grey,
Drive your sister away from home,
But U or me boy's gonna start to roam,
And I ain't going -
never intend to.
You figure it out,
so I did Fast.

Anyway next day I had me clothes all packed,
Slung the guitar across me back,
Caught meself a great long train,
Searched the world for me share of fame.
Aint found none,
Just hardships,
messing about,
skiffle,
Tommy Steel."

I think that's pretty much how it goes - I was listening to it yesterday on an LD compilation CD which I think is called Talking Guitar Blues. That song on the case is called 'Talking Guitar Blues (UK version)'. Hope that's a help. I'm glad other people listen to LD, I play a lot of traditional folk music, but I've been a big fan of his ever since my dad gave me that CD a few years ago.

Tom L, age 17, Newcastle.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 05:45 AM

Go to www.artists2events.co.uk. By the way, I am a member!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,will bakker
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 05:41 AM

On thursday the 18th of October the Mudfield Skiffle Group drove from Holland to the Channel tunnel to finally see a concert of the guy we listened to for so many (40) years, in Hastings. And I can tell you, it was great! He had a very good band with him. It seems he has only been getting better through the years. He is touring England at the moment, appearing 5 days a week. You wouldn't say this guy is 70 years old! I made some nice photo's. If anyone is interested I can put them on the net, but I need some advice how to do that. If you are in England go see this concert! If you want to know where and when:

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 25 Oct 01 - 04:02 AM

Last night, just to prove what a NEW MAN I am, I let Herself decide what to slip in the old CD player,she, proving why we are still together after nearly 32 years, chose a skiffle compilation. Then, (which I shall call in my defence if she's found buried under the patio) she had the temerity to stop me joining in: "I want to hear Lonnie Donegan, not you." she said. Well! My flabber has never been so gasted. OK, so she proved yet again she's a woman of taste and discrimination(well she married me didn't she?) but I went off in a huff and did the washing up to Dick Gaughan on Mike Harding's Radio 2 Folk show. That'll show her!
( Ipreferred Lonnie, though!)
RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Oct 01 - 04:37 PM

On this very thread!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Oct 01 - 04:36 PM

Joe, I tried your link to Talking Guitar... and was told I was not authorised to access the site. I posted the lyric myself on the forum earlier this year.
Keith.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: MC Fat
Date: 24 Oct 01 - 04:25 AM

Lonnie is playing Sheffield City Hall tomorrow (thurs 25th Oct) and in honour of his appearance there's a skiffle night at the Red House,Solley Street,Sheffield on Saturday night (27th) with the Red House Skiffle Band

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 24 Oct 01 - 03:52 AM

P.S. Most of what I know about guitars (which isn't much!) I've learned from record sleeves and the Mudcat but I understand Lonnie was one of the first people in UK post-war to play a Martin which cost him something like £20 at the time, which led to it being known over here. The website I referred to in my last post mentioned Martin were going to produce a LD model (presumably one where the strings break at least once per performance!).
RtS (His autobiography "All Roads lead to London" was published in 1997 by Souvenir Press but I've not been able to find it and it is now out of print, if anyone sees a reasonably priced copy let me know, couldn't find one in Hay on Wye earlier this year!)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 24 Oct 01 - 03:41 AM

http://www.jazzuk.com/donegan.html will get you current details. Denny Wright, Les Bennets, Dickie Bishop all played guitar with Lonnie at times and are featured on his famous recordings.( "I say, I say Les.")
Denny is a fine jazz guitarist and Les had his own skiffle group, Les Hobeaux. Dickie played with all the trad and skiffle groups in the 50s (Barber etc), had his own group, the Sidesmen, and composed "No other Baby" done (too fast IMHO) by the Vipers and resurrected recently in a slow electric version by Paul McCartney, it's also joined my "repertoire"!
I didn;'t get to see him at Guildford but friends who were not previously fans reported back he was the best thing they heard there.
RtS (Lonnie fan- as you may have guessed!)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 09:15 PM

Chalk up one more who came to folk music in large part because of Lonnie Donnegan. I still do Whoa Back Buck more or less the way he did it. Less, mostly, but I always loved his version. Most of all, I like him because it sounded like he was having a great time, singing. No hused, reverent rendering of a thoroughly researched version of an ancient ballad. Lonnie went for it, almost toppling over in excess by the end of the song. My kind of man.

Praise excess!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 08:21 PM

I think the guitarist who played with Lonnie Donegan in the early days is worth a mention. His name was Denny Wright, and he was GREAT. Somewhat similar in style to Grady Martin, played a big Guild F-hole single cutaway, just a phenomenal country/jazz players.

The Lonnie Donegan Show used to be on STV at 10.30pm on Fridays. I can remember hitch-hiking sixty miles as a youngster to see the show, as we didn't get STV in our neck of the woods. When I eventually got the chance to see Lonnie live in Edinburgh in 1965 I can remember how bitterly disappointed I was that Denny Wright wasn't playing with him. But LD was actually a very effective guitarist in his own right. He played a small Martin, probably a 000-18. That was the first Martin I had ever seen in the flesh, so to speak.

Murray

Murray

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From:
Date: 23 Oct 01 - 06:46 PM

Can anyone please please pleeeease give me info on the following:

A contact address (email) for Lonnie

Forthcoming gigs he may be doing.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 03:53 PM

Not only did Lonnie Donegan headline a concert at Sidmouth, but he hung around the festival afterwards and watched the Haddenham Hoofers hoofing. He's still really into folk music.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Tim
Date: 26 Aug 01 - 01:55 AM

Does anyone remember the old single on the Pye label featuring "Kevin Barry" and "My Lagan Love", by Lonnie Donegan?! (1959). If I didn't still have it I would think I was imagining things.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: AliUK
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 07:20 PM

I used to have one of those old compilation records that used to be put out by Pickwick or K-Tel back in the early seventies when I was about ten and I played the hell out of My Old Man's a Dustman. I thought it was one of the funniest things I'd heard, it wasn't until later that I began to search out other stuff by Mr. Donegan that I discovered that he didn't just write funny stuff. I just hope that someday he will receive the accolades that he really deserves and recognition for what he actually did for music ( and still does). though his actings a bit dodgy. ( I remember him in Call me MR. and Bergerac)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 25 Aug 01 - 02:20 AM

Cyril Tawney's comment on Lonnie's rendition of "Sammy's Bar"----"the best version ever!" [ It was delivered in slow waltz tempo.] BTW---Lonnie was a wee Glasgow boy------- Boab

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: scouser 52
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 10:18 PM

Long before the Beatles...perhaps about the same time as Elvis. Lonnie Donegan introduced American folk & blues music to the United Kingdom. As a kid growing up in Birmingham, I got a paper route, saved me coppers and bought a "spanish guitar". Almost 40 years later, I'm still playing guitar (not the same one), and I'm still listening to and singing Lonnie Donegan songs.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 08:15 PM

And he's just finished another tour including storming gig at Sidmouth. Tattie B

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Marymac90
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 06:56 PM

Does...

yer...

chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?

If yer mother says "Don't chew it!" do you swallow it in spite?

Can ya ketch it on yer tonsils? Ken ya heave it left and right? Ooh, ooh!

Does yer chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?

On the...

bed-...

-post

o-

-ver

NIGHT!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 01:12 PM

Hi, Andreas - here's Talking Guitar Blues and "Chewing Gum" and "Dustman". What others would you like? If you search for "Donegan" on our DigiTrad and Forum Search (supersearch), you'll find other information about him, and probably some lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Andreas Huner
Date: 24 Aug 01 - 06:09 AM

Hello, as a recently developed Lonnie Donnegan Fan and not a native english speaker, I d like to get some written lyrics - if possible of the tracks of "Talking Guitar Blues - Best of .." CD. Did anyone write them down or can give me a source? ty!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Hooverman
Date: 10 May 01 - 01:56 PM

Great, found a Lonnie thread that's active! Have been collecting for over 20 years. We will be catching him in Sarfend in Oct 2001 hopefully.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:42 AM

Bazza, that tune is available on one of the several year 2000 CD reissues of Lonnies LP's with added tracks.This one is "Lonnie...Plus" available at Amazon etc. It also has a group of Irish songs on.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 06:40 PM

That should have been "208" of course, in cse anyone's trying to tune in now. (And sorry about teh other typos - I'm going to have to start reading this stuff before I post.)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 06:37 PM

Thanks Fiolar. Grantham's just a few miles down the A1 (or A52) so I'll definitely catch that one - along with my nine-year-old daughter, who will be able to tell me whether he's cool or not. (I think she'll give him the thumb's up, though she' heavily into Elvis at the moment.)

Mary/giac, I was brought up by parents who were heavily into classical, and believed that "pop" led only to the depravity of the Teddy Boys. My first awareness of wht I had been missing was when a couple of kids jived to "Putting on the style" at our primary-school concert. I was addicted at first hearing, and on to a slippery slope that ended in tuning a crackling valve radio to 308 (Luxembourg) under the bedclothes in the small hours. God knows how many times I had to listen through Doris Day, Perry Como and ads for Sunsilk shampoo just to catch the occasional LD track.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 04:38 PM

Never mind pick a tune or two, Jump down turn around pick a bale of cotton..........pick a bale a day. Saw him at Sidmouth a few years ago as above-mentioned: looking forward to the repeat performance this year! Anyone remember "Saturday Skiffle Club" on the radio - preceded the longer-running "Saturday Club"? Tattie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Fiolar
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 11:55 AM

Lonnie is alive and well and is due to appear at the folowing festivals. International Dance and Music Festival, Belton House, Nr Grantham, Lincolnshire, July 13th to 15th 2001; Brampton, Carlisle July 20 to 22nd 2001; Sidmouth in August 2001 and Stroud Fringe Festival September 5th to 9th 2001. There are probably others.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 11:32 AM

O, those blue clicky things! cdnow.com

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 29 Apr 01 - 11:28 AM

I think the title was "Ain't no more cane on the Brazos". If you want to find out what CD's Lonnie made, go to I heard Lonnie will be appearing in Hastings, England on the 18th of October. We try to make reservations, go through the Chunnel with our middle aged skiffle group and see our hero for the first time!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Grey & Arthritic
Date: 28 Apr 01 - 01:14 PM

Saw the Albert Hall "Kings of Skiffle" Lonnie at his best, but great to see Chas McDevitt Nancy Whiskey still with voices to put the young ones in the shade! even Adam Faith going back to his roots, anybody know if its being done again or if any recordings were made

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Bazza
Date: 13 Feb 01 - 09:34 AM

Lonnie did a very haunting version of "No More Wine On The Brazzo" (see DT) way, way back. Anyone in the UK got a recording they might share? Regards Bazza

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Bazza
Date: 13 Feb 01 - 09:34 AM

Lonnie did a very haunting version of "No More Wine On The Brazzo" (see DT) way, way back. Anyone in the UK got a recording they might share? Regards Bazza

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Doctor John
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 02:15 PM

Hi Roger,
I bought the book "The Skiffle Craze" by Mike Dewe that you recommended. I brought back a lot of memories and reminded me of things long forgotten. Those were the days...I think.
Regards Dr John

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Yorkie
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 02:03 PM

Burren Ranger, thanks for the name of the CD

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,The Burren Ranger.
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 01:26 PM

Apologies if its been mentioned already...but Lonnie's 1999 'live'(Rec. in Belfast) 'Skiffle Sessions' album with Van the Man & Chris Barber, is terrific. Def. worth checking out....

The Burren Ranger.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,DrWord
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 12:49 PM

Thanx 4 the thread! Gre up with Lonnie's '45s--but learned Rock Island Line from Johnny Cash ... & my late brother's unprintable verses :)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 12:36 PM

Playing around with some friends Saturday night, we dug up about half a dozen Lonnie Donegan tunes. Small world isn't it. JohnB

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Giac
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 09:12 AM

When I was a kid in the 50s, almost nobody had TV, and could only get a faint snowy image if they did. People still listened to the radio in the evenings. One of my favorite radio stations was KRMG from Tulsa, Oklahoma, because they played "hot" stuff on their late programs. That's where I first heard Lonnie Donegan's version of Rock Island Line. I was so blown away that I became obsessive about it and tried in vain to find the record.

But, back then, radio stations sometimes would schedule "hit" tunes around a specific time so people could hear their favorites. So it was with Rock Island Line. It was played each and every evening at about 9:18 p.m. and I was always hovering over the radio. My mom would tolerate top volume through the one song, but no longer, so I kept a sweaty hand on the volume knob to regulate my daily "fix".

Hadn't thought of that for years, thanks for the thread.

Mary (wandering off muttering "... if ya want to ride it, gotta ride it like you find it, get yer ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line...")

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,King Street Smith
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 08:17 AM

Hi Roger Skiffler - The "Skiffle Madness" Session in Twickenham was a Fab success. A first class crowd of about 100 with 8 great bands, playing mostly genu-wine skiffle. Several wahboard players, one came down from Rugby, another from Basingstoke. It was, not exagerating,a brilliant afternoon of music and evidence

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 12 Feb 01 - 04:35 AM

Lonnie Donegan? Seems to me I've heard that name somewhere...
BTW Did anyone go to the skiffle session in Twickenham last weekend? Feedback needed by terminally curious who couldn't be there
RtS (tho' I was at the "final" "Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers" tour performance at Woking)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Yorkie
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 04:27 PM

Just remembered that I saw Lonnie on TV not too long ago; think it might have been on Jools Holland's programme

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 04:10 PM

Did anyone mention"Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?" Jeepman

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 11:09 AM

You'r probably right about the pick a tune book. But you missed "The book says they're easy as ABC" and not "stuck the guitar across my knee" Funny how the memory works. It must be over 30 years since I even thought about it. Has anyone mentioned Sloop John B yet? He abandoned skiffle for a violin backing.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Yorkie
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 10:50 AM

Lonnie also did "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho" The record he made with Van Morrison (and Chris Barber) was being played in the pubs at last year's Whitby festival. I think it was new out then; sorry , don't have the title. Lonnie is still very much on the circuit, but I don't know whether he has a website

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 07:10 AM

Pretty serious when you headline Sidmouth as he did in 89' or 90' The arena was packed for him.

Spot

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: bill\sables
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 06:58 AM

I have just been thinking the line I mentioned earlied could be "a pick or two "

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: bill\sables
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 06:14 AM

Keith , I always thought the line was " Gave me a book , pick a tune"

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 03:40 AM

Correction. So I bought meself a guitar bout a year ago, Blloke sid I could learn it in a week or so, Gave me a little book ,Pick of 2, Said Ere y'are mate, it's up to you.....

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 03:35 AM

Also The Battle of New Orleans, my first record purchase

Subject: Lyr Add: TALKING GUITAR BLUES
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 03:33 AM

Alan,

If you want to get in trouble let me tell you how to do it,
Get yourself a guitar and then you?re right into it,
You play all day and you play all night,
People say you? ll never learn to play the thing right,
Always groaning at you, moaning, won't let you get practice

So I bought myself a guitar about a year ago,
Man gave me a deal on my piano(?),
Gave me a little book, Pick of 2,
Bloke said I could learn it in a week or 2,
Dirty rotter,
cost me 14 nicker,
all the loot I had.
Good guitar though,
Called it a pluckit.

So I spent me doh and I couldn?t let it all go to waste you know,
So I took the book guitar and all,
And I went back home where the trees are tall,
Down in Woodford.
Good place to be if you got a guitar,
Pretty rotten if you ain?t.

So for weeks and weeks I worked hard,
Tried to learn a few main chords,
Stuck the guitar across my knee,
Cor my fingers was killing me.
Got sore on the ends,
Couldn't hold the strings down,
Wanted to pack up,
Cor I felt rough.

But I kept on playing with all me might,
I could see Mum's hair was turning white,
Her face was lined with discontent,
She said her patience was pretty near spent,
She was nervous,
Ears ringing wanted to scream,
Couldn't get no relief.

Sister she took it worst of all,
Cos she got married the following fall,
She said for love but I got me doubts,
I reckon the guitar drove her out.
She's a game girl,
Just couldn't take it,
You know, Limit to everything.

Dad he took it a different way,
He said U can turn your Mum's hair grey,
Drive your sister away from home,
But U and me boy's gonna start to roam,
And I ain?t going,
You figure it out,
so I did
Fast.

Anyway next day I had me clothes all packed,
Slung the guitar across me back,
Caught meself a great long train,
Searched the world for me share of fame.
Ain?t found none,
Just hardships,
messing about,
skiffle,
Tommy Steel.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 11 Feb 01 - 02:37 AM

Mike Harding interviewed Lonnie for his BBC radio show, Lonnie's knowledge of folk music made Mike Harding look stupid. Cheers, Dave

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Greyeyes
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 04:34 PM

Lonnie and Van produced an album together a couple of years ago, they have played together onstage a lot over the last few years. Lonnie Donnegan has also appeared at Glastonbury Festival and pretty much blown away all the under 30's who'd never heard of him. He's still a fantastic performer.

Not serious folk? A 50's pop star who still makes teenagers sit up & listen with his live playing. Surely this is how folk music is born?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: bill\sables
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 04:32 PM

About 12 years ago Lonnie appeared at the Leeds City Varieties where I went to hear him. The audience were mostly grey haired men probably reliving their youth like me but there were a lot of younger people there as well. He started with new songs but in the second half he played all of his old skiffle hits.
I first met him on a Yorkshire TV show called the Birthday Show hosted by Anne Diamond It was the 30th anniversary of his hit Cumberland Gap. He signed two LPs' which I had brought in. As Allan B said before Donegan there was nothing which could be done in the music world without great expence in buying instruments but he taught us we could make misic with one guitar and some old junk.
Bill

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 04:06 PM

Last year Lonnie supported Van Morrison at his gig in Liverpool, although most would have it the other way round! Van the man is back in April (I think) at Manchester Appollo but I dunno if Mr D is puttin' on his style there again...

One can only hope....

DtG

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,carol L
Date: 10 Feb 01 - 03:48 PM

I have been told that Lonnie Donnegan lived in my house which is in Altrincham Cheshire when he was living with his grandparents during the war. He went to St Ambrose College in Hale. Does anyone have further infomation?

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: Bert
Date: 06 Nov 00 - 03:00 PM

Yer right Skiff - "Top of the list"!!!!!

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: Bugsy
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 11:57 PM

Glad to see that the old master has finally been recognised.

cheers

bugsy

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: John Routledge
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 09:26 PM

Those WERE the days. Skiffle groups used to get disqualified in talent contests because the audience used to whistle and shout at the end of the performance. You were only supposed to clap to register noise - The loudest noise won - very sophisticated.

Many a worse person has been given greater honours.

Geordie

Subject: RE: Puttin' on the style
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 10:38 AM

"Max Bygraves ... had dominated the charts" -- frightening, isn't it! Don't forget Des O'Connor, who appeared with those US upstarts Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and Archie Andrews (didn't Julie Andrews work with him for a time? Or am I mixing her up with Pet Clark?). One of the above was made out of wood -- anyone remember which?

Good old Lonnie! He was one of my early influences too: I could perform all his skiffle songs when I was about 8 or 9 (around 1957-8) ... I still do "Putting on the style" occasionally. Happy days!

Steve

Subject: Puttin' on the style
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 09:46 AM

Just in case anyone missed it Lonnie Donegan picked up his MBE at the Palace today. Quote below from BBC Online
Friday, 27 October, 2000, 13:25 GMT 14:25 UK

Skiffle music pioneer Lonnie Donegan was honoured with an MBE Pioneer: Donegan paved the way for skiffle music

Donegan's first hit, Rock Island Line, was released in 1956 and sold millions of copies around the world.

He paved the way for a new sound that helped sweep away crooners like Max Bygraves who had dominated the charts.

He recently found himself in the spotlight again when he collaborated with Irish singer Van Morrison on an album.

"At last I've made it," he said on Friday.

"I feel perhaps I've got to stop now. Is that it?"

He said the Prince of Wales had known all about his music, which inspired a generation of British teenagers including former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.

He recalled that his biggest royal fan was Princess Margaret.

"I had tea with Princess Margaret once who was a raving fan. She told me she had all my 78s in her attic," he said.

"She said they must be worth a bob or two, and I replied: `You must be in trouble then if you're having to sell my records'."
RtS (who doesn't believe in the honours system but if someone has to get one, St Lonnie is top of the list, eh, Bert?)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Alan B
Date: 28 Apr 99 - 09:10 AM

There was a thread in the Mudcat last week about "Talkin Guitar Blues", which I remember as a b side for Lonnie Donegan. I provided half remembered lyrics, but does anyone here know the correct words? I've relearned the song from memoery a number of times, and I'm sure the words have meandered from the original.

As with others in this thread I grew up listening to Lonnie Donegan, my big brother's records, of which this was one of my favourites. LD led the way in letting us think we could make music for ourselves, and I will be forever thankful to him
Alan B

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Brakn
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 07:50 PM

Did he ever live in Altrincham, Cheshire, UK?

Mick Bracken

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 05:23 PM

Mr. Offer. My good friend Rick (a wonderful fellow) suggested I have a word with you.

My name is Sgt. T. R. Addie, and yes, I represent the "folk police", as you so sarcastically call us. In truth our organization, the society for Protection of Tunes, Unpopular and Incomprehensible (PTUI for short) has been keeping an eye on you for quite a while. Show more respect in the future for 16th century ballads, or you risk being sentenced to a year in prison (or the amount of time it takes to sing "Tam Lin". Whichever comes first.)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 04:07 PM

Yup. That Joe's always trying to provoke the Folk Police, who've been mighty quiet lately.
-Joe Offer (grinning somewhat nervously...)-

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Bert
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 03:21 PM

Joe,

Thanks, that's a great link to skiffle.com. Didn't know skiffle was still alive.

You're correct Ian, that's TRUE folk music, but I think Joe was only teasing.

Bert. (Who's not losing any flavor)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Ian
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 03:07 PM

What the hell is SERIOUS folk music? I learned my first songs from my dad, orally transmitted from one generation to another. Many of them were Lonnie Donegan songs like "Does your chewing gum" and "My old man's a dustman" but also "Hang down your head Tom Dooley" and "Rock Island Line". Is serious folk music something you learned from a book and never sing?

To me, the only serious folk songs are ones people sing and the only serious tunes are ones people play.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 02:54 PM

In my search for "My Old Man's a Dustman," I came up with this link, which shouldn't be missed: http://www.skiffle.com/

This thread has the lyrics to "Spearmint" and "Dustman," arguably his two biggest hits.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Bert
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 05:01 PM

Joe, you just said that for devilment didn't you. "Not serious folk" indeed.

Let me think, what did he sing..
Diggin' my potatoes,
Rock Island Line,
Nobody Loves Like an Irishman,
John Henry,
John Hardy,
Tom Dooley,
Cumberland Gap,
Old 97,
Putting on the Style,
Grand Coolee Dam,
Bring a little water Sylvie,

There were loads more, I'll have to dig a little to recall them, but those should be SERIOUS enough for now:-)

Sure he put some life into them, but those bluegrass guys do that as well don't they?

Bert. (He got me started.)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 03:09 PM

This is what I hoped that would happen with this thread. Of course I know a lot about Lonnie D., but living in Holland and being 14 years old at the time I have never seen him appearing live. But we have been playing a lot of skiffle in the early sixties, opening our horizons to where it all came from, people like Leadbelly. In Dordrecht, Holland we seem to have a revival of folkgroups from the sixties. We even have planned some hootenannies in April and June, where these greyhaired people get together. It will be great fun1 Hey Roger in Baltimore, where are you? Am I on my own now?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Dr John
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 02:40 PM

Yes I found my way to Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly and all from hearing and seeing Lonnie Donegan in the 50's; then back here again years later to Nic Jones et al. Rather like LD's music in reverse. His whole catalogue in available as a boxed Bear Family CD set: a very expensive piece of nostalgia.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Ian Kirk (inactive)
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 02:30 PM

Lonnie Donegan - not serious folk music - dear me Joe how I hate to hear those words - but you are of course absolutely right. Skiffle is fun I've played and sung such stuff for years and whenever me and a few like minds have done a skiffle gig the whole audience has enjoyed the music. Mind you we do take bag full of stuff they can bang, blow or scrape so they can join in. Did you ever play a comb and paper? And its good to see all the kids joining in.

It so happens I have just loaned a tape of some Donegan songs as a sampler for the son of a friend of mine He is 14yrs old and has an interest in what he calls "early music - yer know stuff from the fifties and all that".

Skiffle is still alive and well in the South East UK with the Southern Skiffle Society working hard to keep the music here in front of the punters ear as it were ( if anybody wants details of this organisation email me via the Mudcat). In fact they put on a show at the Royal Albert Hall and who was top of the bill - yup the incomparable Lonnie Donegan. 69 years old the survivor of 3 heart attacks and five wives or the other way round. He was absolutely outstanding! He was on for an hour and a half with an excellent band and he was singing better now than he was on that CD you've got. A copy of which is in my Donegan collection.

As a matter of interest when Skiffle took off in the UK in the mid 1950's over 250,000 guitars were imported in to the UK and there were literally 1000's of Skiffle bands playing coffee shops and cafes up and down the country. With 3 simple instruments you could have a band. 1 guitar, 1 T chest bass ( made out of a T chest with a broomstick - my wife played the one I made at a recent gig) and 1 washboard for the skiflly rhythmn.

Skiffle is where the Beatles started, the Rolling Stones were influenced by it and most of the early 60's bands would have started as simple skiffle bands. A bunch of folk with simple cheap instruments getting together to do their stuff and entertain the public - Great Stuff!.

I have read that Donegan and the skiffle craze encouraged more people in the UK than before or since to learn an instrument - principally guitar - and get to know something about performing skiffle, folk, blues and rock 'n roll. It certainly is where I started and scratch any folk or blues singer of a certain age and you'll find a skiffle influenced muso underneath.

That's me on that.

Have a drink on me Down the Rock Island Line coz I'm off with Long Gone Lost John.

Ian Ian

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 01:37 PM

Hi - there are a number of Lonnie Donegan recordings available on CD through the merchants listed on our Help the Mudcat page. Click here to see what I found at CDNOW. I bought "Lonnie Donegan - the Collection," and found it to be a fairly generous assortment of songs. This may not be serious folk music, but it's fun.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: rick fielding
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 11:53 AM

One of the most brilliant comedy pieces I've ever heard was written and performed by Peter Sellers many years ago. It's called "Puttin' on the Style" and is a devastating satire on Lonnie Donegan. It's probably available on a Sellers comedy compilation somewhere and for anyone who appreciates absolutely top notch writing (and folk music) it's a must.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Mike Billo
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 11:06 AM

There are a couple of terrific sites about skiffle music to visit(with plenty of Lonnie Donnegan refereneces). The Sunshine Skiffle band at Http://www.skiffle.com/ and Alan and Jenny Dailey's homepage at http://www.dailey.demon.co.uk/index.html

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 10:20 AM

Thank you all. Martin, is there a way to get this article in the Sunday Times

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: AndyG
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 09:28 AM

Will,
I ran a forum search because I knew he'd been mentioned before. It came back with about 20 references including this thread.

AndyG

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 09:23 AM

Coincidntally, there was an item by him in the Travel Section of the Sunday Times last week! Obviously alive and kicking.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Wolfgang
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 09:11 AM

Hi Will,

look here for a biography.

Wolfgang

Subject: Lonnie Donegan
From: Will Bakker
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 09:01 AM

I became interested in folkmusic in the late fifties because of a guy named Lonnie Donegan. I tried to find his name in the forum, but couln't find him. is he completely forgotten or did no one ever hear of him. Or was he only known in England, or in my case, Holla