10 May 02 - 03:25 PM (#708399) Subject: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: GUEST,Jim Hi, I've just received the CD Rom that accompanies the Carthy Chronicles On the CD Rom there's an amusing video clip of Carthy and Swarbrick performing a 'music hall ditty': "I haven't told her, she hasn't told me" The notes include the following: ... this song was "collected" from a 1959 album Songs for Swinging Sellers by that well-known source singer/ukelele-ist Peter Sellers. The actor was clearly aware of the folk-scene and this can be heard in a series of parodies of folk styles spread across his albums. Perhaps Sellers' best known cut is Suddenly It's Folk Song (which was rumoured to include The Chieftains depping as 'Pat O'Shaughnessy and his Men of Shamrock'), a track which gave the world the cry 'Mind me Harp!!'). A Google Search for "Suddenly it's Folk Song" brings up a few references, but not much more. Can anyone help? Jim |
11 May 02 - 07:46 AM (#708758) Subject: Lyr Add: SUDDENLY IT'S FOLK SONG (Peter Sellers) From: GUEST,Lionel The track "Suddenly it's Folk Song" comes from a 1950's Parlophone album by Peter Sellers called "The Best of Sellers" and as far as I know it is currently available in some form as a CD. As it was only a 10-inch album I suspect that its tracks would be mixed into a Sellers compilation CD. "Suddenly it's Folk Song" is a parody of three styles of folk; an old rustic singing a mildly bawdy song in a Zummerzet accent, a Scotsman singing Scottish Mouthmusic (sic) and an Irish ceildh band. The Zummerzet song will be the one you want as it is the only one with actual lyrics, the others are cod Scots and the Irish one is spoken dialogue. Many of the tracks were scripted by Sellers and also by Bob Monkhouse and his then writing partner Dennis Goodwin. S.I.F.S is credited to Sellers-Fisher. The lyrics as far as can I recall them are:
Would one fine morning I spied a lass there
Now all ye young maidens beware o' the Fair |
11 May 02 - 08:47 AM (#708795) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: GUEST,Lionel From the liner notes, by Doug Geddes, to The Best of Sellers: "Finally, Ludwig Sellers brings to us via his portable recorder some of the of the interesting songs of these Isles in "Suddenly it's Folk Song." From an English country pub and a Gaelic singer in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, to a genuine Irish Ceili Band, Peter Sellers faithfully portrays some musical gems which should long have been forgotten! The Scottish one is the more valuable for including the sound of a rapidly departing tramcar, a means of transport now almost non-existant. Glaswegians will be glad to know that tramcar is quite genuine and not one imported from Princes Street. .... In closing, Peter Sellers wishes me to acknowledge his recording mamager, without whose help this LP might have been produced more easily produced more easily!" Interestingly, I think that the producer was Sir George Martin. |
11 May 02 - 12:17 PM (#708893) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: C-flat I believe George Martin produced for Sellers a number of times on his comedy recordings ,including "Goodness Gracious Me" |
11 May 02 - 12:50 PM (#708906) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: allanwill And, of course, Sellers played ukelele on Steeleye's New York Girls. Allan |
12 May 02 - 04:12 PM (#709635) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: GUEST,Jim Lionel, many, many thanks for the information. Much appeciated. Jim |
12 May 02 - 09:22 PM (#709823) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Suddenly it's Folk Song' From: Yorkshire Tony I have the original 10" Best of Sellers passed down from my father. The lyrics are more or less as given above. |