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20 Jul 03 - 03:11 PM (#987107) Subject: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: Joe Richman Has anybody out there transcribed the lyrics from the old British recording of "Turkish Delight"? With Iraq in the news every night, this number is current events all over again. I remember the line "... the native quarter which occupies over three-quarters of the city of Baghdad" and most of the wives' tales, but not the whole darn thing, unfortunately. If anyone worked out the chord changes, that would be nice too. |
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20 Jul 03 - 08:49 PM (#987210) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: kendall I think I can help with this. It was recorded by Arthur Godfrey in the 40's |
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20 Jul 03 - 09:01 PM (#987217) Subject: ADDPOP: Turkish Delight From: kendall TURKISH DELIGHT Once there was a Calif He lived in old Baghdad The poor old bloke's been dead for years But, who cares about that? He couldn't sleep a wink at night He had two hundred wives Who had to tell him stories Or the wives, they lost their lives, Eye eye eye eye, And the first one told her tale, Once there was a plumber He left behind his tools He always had to do it It was in the union rules He fell into the cistern And when his mates returned It took three years to get him out What overtime he earned. eye eye eye eye, And the next wife told her tale, Abdullah had a little lamb H swapped it for a camel He didn't like the color So, he daubed it with enamel, The hot sun melted all the paint While crossing the Sahara, He can't get off because the paint Is stuck to his tarara, eye eye eye and the next wife told her tale. King Solomon that wise old man, He had a thousand wives He bought a lovely Pontiac to take them on a drive The Pontiac broke down one night and here's where trouble starts His wives are waiting in the road, but he's got no spare parts, eye eye eye and we havn't got any more wives. That's all I ever heard of this. |
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20 Jul 03 - 11:36 PM (#987257) Subject: Lyr Add: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: Sorcha For kendall's post of 20 Jul 03 - 09:01 PM this thread. |
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21 Jul 03 - 01:07 PM (#987543) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: kendall Joe Richman...you still around? Is that what you wanted? |
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21 Jul 03 - 09:09 PM (#987804) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: kendall Where is this guy? |
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23 Jul 03 - 12:07 AM (#988565) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: Joe Richman Thanks Kendall... sorry for the delay getting back to you. I remember a couple of other verses too.. the one you gave looks like an American version. The earlier British one had a long monolog and took up two sides of a 78. examples of verses: Once there were two dancing girls who went about in gauze and when they danced in cabarets they were enormous draws the chief of police arrested them for showing too much zeal he didn't mind the upper deck but couldn't stand the keel There was a bloke named Omar and 'e wore a ruby 'at He lived on loaves of bread and wine but who cares about that I cannot tell you when he lived the only date that sticks is Will-I-Am the Conqueror and that's 1066 A young commercial traveler came to Baghdad one day he climbed upon the hareem wall to watch the girls at play he promised to be good but when the bathing girls appeared he got so agitated that he fell and broke his ..... word Aladdin loved a Princess whom they called Belle-Troubador and though he loved her dearly, she loved Aladdin more She opened wide the palace gates to let her drunken Dad in and who could help if by chance she sometimes let a lad in Maybe I'll remember more in a bit. It is the monolog I particularly would like to get transcribed. I remember "[Arab]'You like pretty ladies I show you lovely dancing girls'[British]'I say are they a bit of alright these dancing girls... oh don't be silly'" |
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23 Jul 03 - 06:59 PM (#989167) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: kendall That's strange that there would be two different versions |
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24 Jul 03 - 11:14 PM (#990153) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ray Noble's 'Turkish Delight' From: Joe Richman Not really .. lots of songs get "covered". Particularly true of British numbers in America or vice versa. |
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26 Mar 12 - 10:48 AM (#3329107) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: GUEST There was a gent name Omar and he wore a rubayat, He lived on loaves of bread and thou but who cares about that. I don't know when he lived because the only date that sticks is Will-I-am the Conqueror and that's 1066. |
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05 Apr 12 - 06:43 AM (#3333920) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: GUEST 'Pontiac' wrong - should be 'charabanc' |
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18 Oct 14 - 06:35 PM (#3670339) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: GUEST,Turkish D. Fan GUEST was right about charabanc, actually char-a-bancs, a carriage with benches. And the"chap named Omar" wore,not a rubayat but a Rubaiyat, a play on "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam." And the third line on the Victor record was (cockney accent) "I cahn't remember anything, the only date that sticks" etc. And in the "Bal (not Belle) Troubador verse, it concludes "And who can blime'er if by chahnce she sometimes let Aladdin?" |
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19 Oct 14 - 11:00 PM (#3670655) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: Jim Dixon There's another thread about this song: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (from Arthur Godfrey) It contains several detailed transcriptions. |
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19 Oct 14 - 11:52 PM (#3670659) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: Jim Dixon Regarding charabanc/Pontiac: It depends on which recording you're listening to. Ray Noble (etc.) sang "charabanc". Arthur Godfrey sang "Pontiac" in 1947. No doubt Godfrey changed it to make it more intelligible to American audiences. The word "charabanc" is virtually unknown in America. |
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09 Jan 16 - 02:46 AM (#3763955) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: GUEST,Winsleydale Here's what I've come up with, based on my copy of the record and what has already been posted here. Some of the choruses are probably wrong, they are difficult to understand on the record, but I wrote what sounded similar and made some sense. Turkish Delight, Part One (A-Side) Ray Noble and his Mayfair Orchestra 1933 This musical travelogue comes to you by courtesy of the Persian Cap and Carpet Company, whose slogan, "As snug as a bug in a Persian rug," is known all over Wiggam. (Arab)I sell you a nice carpet, Master. Lovely carpet, very cheap… Quite, yes. Quite. We are now in the native quarter, which occupies more than three quarters of Baghdad. (Arab)You want to see pretty postcards, Master? All real photos… Go away. On our left hand is a large mosque, and on our right, several small mosques, or 'mosquitoes.' The smell is terrible. (Arab)Alms for the love of Allah! Oh, take no notice of him. Uh, facing us is a minaret. It is a very old one, and it is rather high. In fact, it is so high that the smell is terrible. (Arab)You like pretty ladies? I show you lovely dancing girls, ey? Pardon me one moment – Uh, are they really a bit of alright, these dancing girls? Can you take them – Oh, don't be silly. Once there was a caliph and he lived in old Baghdad, The poor old bloke's been dead for years but who cares about that? He couldn't sleep a wink at night, he had two hundred wives, Who had to tell him stories, otherwise they lost their lives. (Chorus)They all told tales, so the first wife told her tale. King Solomon, that wise old man, he had a thousand wives, He bought a lovely charabanc to take them all for drives, The charabanc broke down one night, and here's where trouble starts, His wives were waiting in a row, but he'd got no spare parts! (Chorus)All day, oh my, so the next wife told her tale. Aladdin loved a princess whom they call "Belle Troubador," And though he loved her dearly, she loved Aladdin more. She opened wide the palace gates to let her drunken dad in, And who can blame her if, by chance, she sometimes let Aladdin. (Chorus)Oh, dirty girl! So the next wife told her tale. Abdullah had a little lamp, he swapped it for a camel. He didn't like its color, so he daubed it with enamel. The hot sun melted all the paint while crossing the Sahara, He can't get off because the paint is stuck to his tarara. (Chorus) Ah-ah-ah-ah, so the next wife told her tale. (Arab)Alms for the love of Allah! (Arab)Legs for the love of Allah! (Tourist)No more wives for the love of my— Oh, lots more wives, yes, dear boy. (Tourist)Where are they? On the other side. ------------ Turkish Delight, Part Two (B-Side) Ray Noble and his Mayfair Orchestra 1933 (Chorus)Here we are again! So the next wife told her tale. Once there was a plumber and he left behind his tools, He always had to do it; it was in the union rules. He fell into a cistern, and when his mate returned, It took three years to get him out, what overtime he earned! (Chorus)Yah, yah, yah, yah, so the next wife told her tale. A young commercial traveler came to Baghdad one day, He climbed upon the harem walls to watch the girls at play. He promised to be good, but when the bathing girls appeared, He got so agitated that he fell and broke his word. (Chorus)We want hot dog! So the next wife told her tale. There was a bloke named Omar and he wore a ruby 'at. He lived on loaves of bread and thou, but who cares about that? I can't tell you when he was born, the only date that sticks, Is Will-I-Am the Conqueror, and that's 1066. (Chorus)Oh, do ya know? So the next wife told her tale. Once there were two dancing girls who went about in gauze, And when they danced in cabarets, they were enormous draws. The chief of police arrested them for showing too much zeal, He didn't mind the upper deck, but couldn't stand the keel. (Chorus)How was that keel? And we haven't got any more wives. This musical travelogue comes to you by courtesy of the Persian Cap and Carpet Company, whose slogan, "As snug as a bug in a Persian rug," is still known all over Wiggam. In a few moments, from the highest minaret, you will hear the muezzin calling the faithful to assemble. Thanks very much. |
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30 Jan 16 - 04:29 PM (#3769443) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Turkish Delight (Ray Noble) From: GUEST,Graeme Noonan Sinbad was a sailor and you know what sailors are One day while out sailing, Sinbad sailed too far He saw a pretty mermaid a-combing at her locks But the naked truth upset him and drove him on the rocks Ah, silly boy, and the next wife told her tale |