Lyr Req: Mister Pastry 1979 (Harvey Andrews)

Subject: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Seaking
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:03 PM

I have a vague recollection of hearing a song, possibly on the Newcastle based Metro radio folk programme round about 1975 , about the comic TV character 'Mr Pastry', created by Richard Hearne. All I can remember now about the song was that it performed by a male singer, accompanied by an acoustic guitar (so narrows it down a bit !) and it had a pleasant tune.

Can anyone help me remember the song or the artist please, sorry I know I've not given a lot to go on but I was reminded of the Mr Pastry character recently and have desperately been trying to recall the song ever since.

Chris

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:12 PM

Not sure it helps seaking but both Ian Dury & Adam Ant wrote songs which namechecked Mr Pastry.
However thse were both later & not acoustic.
Can you remember any lyrics?

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Seaking
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:20 PM

Frustratingly no Alec, but I'm hoping I'll remember once something even remotely triggers my memory.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:35 PM

Hatfield & The North had a 1974 song entitled "Let's Eat (Real Soon)"
which contains the line "And I'll be tasty Mr Pastry,wouldn't that be lovely."

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 04:25 PM

No and I'm buggered if I'm making one up about him.

Next thing it will come all ye's about Mick and Montmorency.
Shanties about Hank and Muffin the Mule.
Twelve Bar Blues about Range Rider and his young friend Dick West (.......something funny going on there?)

The folk revival is in need of a good idea, Mr Pastry doesn't fit the bill.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 06:48 PM

For some reason I have a recollection of having a cassette tape of a Harvey Andrews LP from the 1970's (?) on which I'm sure there was a song about Mr Pastry - but I can't recall the title, and so far Googling for it has not helped me out. Anyone any the wiser??

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,Harvey Andrews
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:09 PM

Yes, it was me. I'll post the lyrics tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,Harvey Andrews
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:10 PM

Sorry Wee little, it was a long time ago.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:41 PM

Harvey, I'm sure if you did it - it was brilliant.

Tell me though, did you think to yourself...I'm on to a winner with this one!

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,harvey andrews
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:59 PM

Lol! No I'd seen an old film of him doing his music hall act and it seemed so innocent and genuinely funny (later faithfully copied by Billy Dainty) and somehow the world of comedy that day seemed so cynical, vacuous and just plain nasty that I wrote a song in praise of innocent fun.
Stupid boy eh?

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: terrier
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 08:01 PM

AAAHHH! Mr Pastry. Another memory from my child hood. If you 've not seen Richard Hearne doing his solo version of the of the dance 'The Lancers', you're life is not complete.Absolutely brilliant.
We've had a week of reminiscences here on MUDCAT with Charlie Drake, Ronnie Ronalde, now richard Hearne, amongst others. More, More....

Subject: Lyr Add: MISTER PASTRY 1979 (Harvey Andrews)
From: GUEST,Harvey Andrews
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 08:16 PM

Yes! That's what I saw...the Lancers...wonderful.


    Mister Pastry 1979
You were an old time trooper
Doing an old time show
Laughing and falling over
And everyone loved you so
Baggy old coat and trousers
Bowler hat on your head
You understood the children
They followed where you led

Oh, won't you come back, we're asking
we know we let you down
you were a simple clown
who couldn't understand
how we could turn away from
all the joy you shared
to those who never cared
who smashed your wonderland

Pantomime horse and hero
Pantomime dame and fool
Once it was like a ladder
You climbed your way up from school
Now it's all beer and bawdy
Nobody learns their trade
The bluer the next comedian
The sooner he'll make the grade

I have a son who's growing
he needs to laugh with me
I need to be the young child
I always used to be
I need an old time trooper
Doing an old time show
Laughing and falling over
And all the kids love him so

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 08:59 PM

Hooray! I didn't think I was imagining it... and I was rather hoping that you'd be out there somewhere Harvey. No idea where my cassette tape is (I'm sure I've still got it somewhere) - but that song had stuck very firmly in my memory...

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 09:07 PM

.... even if I couldn't recall the title!

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Seaking
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 01:41 AM

That's the one..

I originally had mid 70's in mind but thinking back again '79 fits perfectly.

Harvey, any remote chance of getting hold of the record/tape the song is on ? Google isn't geting me anywhere on this one.

Chris

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 03:19 AM

Richard Hearne lived quite near me in Kent in the 1950's, (although as we didn't have television until much later, I'm not sure I really knew who he was). I still have his autograph, though!

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Jeanie
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 03:21 AM

That's a lovely song, Harvey - and the thought behind it is even more relevant today than it was in 1979 when it was written, the way that children's TV entertainment (and 21st century childhood in general) have developed since then.

I've just discovered the wonders of YouTube   I've just checked, and if you go to the website and type in "Mr. Pastry" in the search box, you can see a film of Mr. Pastry dancing "The Lancers". Wonderful to see it again.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Banjo-Flower
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 04:46 AM

Thanks for that Jeannie,is that what we look like at a ceilidh without our partners?

Gerry

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 05:15 AM

Excellent song Harvey. A real critique of our society - more effective for the very reason I thought would be its weakness. For Mr Pastry, if he is remebered at all, is surely only on the edge of all our memories. The song is really more about the present.

My only real memory of Mr Pastry was my Mum taking me and the kid next door to the pictures to see one of his films. there was some business with a milk truck that made us laugh.

My chief memory though was my discussion about the film with my Mum, a day or two afterwards. I rather think she had been bored shitless, found Mr Pastry VERY heavy going.

best wishes - hows the guitar?

al

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,Harvey Andrews
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:03 AM

Jeannie, thanks for that link! Billy Dainty was wonderful too. Great thing the net eh?
And Wee little, my Laskin's in good voice.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:39 AM

I have very fond memories of Mr Pastry. There was one children's show, I recall, set in a post office. The Postmistress was called Miss Print which, at the time, I found almost unbelievably funny.
And Richard Hearne often crossed over to grown-ups television doing the solo lancers act on shows like the Billy Cotton Band Show.
He did it absolutely straight-faced and exuded an air of determined dignity throughout. It was very very funny.
Mr Pastry shouldn't be forgotten. He was unique.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:01 AM

Without this thread I could probably have gone through the rest of my life without ever thinking of Mr Pastry again - and yet 'knew', somehow, that his real name was Richard Hearne. All I can remember about the character (if I really try hard) is a dark coat and hat and a (grey?) moustache and some sketch to do with wall-paper paste (possibly). Isn't memory strange - I wonder what else is hidden in the recesses of my brain and may never be accessed again?

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: GUEST,terrier
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:19 AM

Richard Hearne Here

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:32 AM

I remember Mr. Pastry from my childhood. Wasn't one of my favourite characters.


DC

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Alec
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 09:16 AM

Richard Hearne was first choice to replace Patrick Troughton as Doctor Who but wished to play the role in the style of Mr Pastry, so Jon Pertwee got the gig instead.
The fact that I remember this adds weight to shimrod's comments about memory.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 10:36 AM

Yeh and i bet dr Who would have had to do the lancers.

The memories are flooding back to me now......

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 10:59 AM

I had forgotten about Mr Pastry too, and, in fact, all I remember now was that he had wild white hair. I don't even know if I liked the series..you just watched it, everyone did

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:14 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Pastry

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Fliss
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:36 PM

There is a Hearne Way in Shrewsbury named after Mr Pastry. There are schools for children with disabilities in the road and I think Mr Pastry had something to do with the fundraising by the Variety CLub. I think perhaps he presented a minibus.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Scrump
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 06:24 AM

Did anyone say which album the song is on? I may have it at home on vinyl (I have several of Harvey's CDs too, but I guess this predates the CD). Sorry if I missed it above.

I remember Mr Pastry's TV series for kids, probably in thearly 1960s? I can still remember the theme tune, although I don't know its title.

Found some info about him here.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Scrump
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 06:43 AM

"thearly"? Obviously that's short for "the early" and I typed it that way to save time (curse this keyboard, it can't spell!)

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: SussexCarole
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 06:45 AM

I have a copy of the cassette - not sure what it's called - has Old Mother Earth and Stone & Wood tracks as well. I'll look it out later

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Surreysinger
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 06:57 AM

Oh thanks Carole! That's now prompted me to go and find mine now, as I'd forgotten those two songs. I seem to recall it has a greenish background photograph with a young lady sitting on the grass on the insert??? Can't remember the title though!

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Scrump
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 07:00 AM

I can have a look myself when I get home, but I thought someone (Harvey himself?) might know (clicks fingers) just like that.

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: SussexCarole
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 02:00 PM

OK   Found it!    The cassette is called Old Mother Earth

Subject: RE: Anyone know a song about Mr Pastry ?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 10:11 AM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=weAs0J4881c