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Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)

26 Apr 04 - 02:34 PM (#1171498)
Subject: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: GUEST,Ken in Withington

Hi Does anyone have the words to the song The Phantom Flasher? I think that I last heard it on a Gary and Vera Aspey album some years ago but it may not be theirs.


26 Apr 04 - 02:40 PM (#1171503)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: Herga Kitty

Dave Reader sang it at the Anchor Middle Bar Reunion in February, but I don't think he has e-mail... I'll try the MBS newsgroup if you don't get a better offer.

Kitty


26 Apr 04 - 02:41 PM (#1171505)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: GUEST,MMario

here's what I found on the net...not quite the way I remember it...

With a dirty Mack and an evil grin
He walks the streets of old Wiggin
The police would like a word with him
He is the Phantom Flasher

Chorus
Is he here? Don't know.
Could he be? Probably.
think I see him standing next to you.
He is the phantom flasher
With a hey down down, with a hoe down down
Hey down, hoe down, has he got em down? (all)
He is the phantom flasher.

One day he flashed the widow Brown
She went and bought a wedding gown.
Now she chases him all through the town
He is the phantom flasher

Chorus

One day he flashed me in the park
With my spray can I made my mark.
Now he floresces in the dark.
He is the phantom flasher

Chorus


27 Apr 04 - 11:59 AM (#1172357)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: Dave Bryant

The tune of course is "A Keeper did a-hunting go".


27 Apr 04 - 04:31 PM (#1172617)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: GUEST

Other verses I remember from Gary & Vera include (sorry - I've forgotten how to do line breaks!)

As you walk out all fancy free
He may be lurking behind a tree.
He'll come out and he'll let you see ..
He is the phantom flasher.

If you go walking from your home
And find he's caught you all alone.
Just say 'no thanks - I'll smoke me own,
You nasty phantom flasher.

I think there's another verse, but it escapes me for now!


27 Apr 04 - 08:21 PM (#1172804)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE PHANTOM FLASHER
From: GUEST,fantum

Lyr add

Gary and Vera Aspey were the singers of this particular song and this is transcribed from their album.

THE PHANTOM FLASHER
(as recorded by Gary and Vera Aspey)

With an evil leer and a smell of gin
He walks the streets of big Wigan
The police would like a word with him
He is the phantom flasher

Chorus
Who is he? Don't know.
Is he here? Probably.
think I see him sitting next to you.
The famous phantom flasher
With a hey down down, with a hoe down down
Hey down, hoe down, has he got em down? (all)
He is the phantom flasher.

In his old grey coat and battered hat
He'll stop you for a friendly chat
You'll be surprised when he shows you that
He is the phantom flasher

Chorus

If you should see him down your way.
You say it looks nice out today.
You'll say that's fine now put it away.
You nasty phantom flasher.

Chorus

As you walk along though fancy free
He could be lurking behind a tree
He'll go to any lengths you see
He is the phantom flasher

Chorus

If you should see him wandering home
And find he's trapped you all alone.
Just say 'no thanks - I'll smoke me own,
He is the phantom flasher

Fantum
No connection whatever to the chap in the song above


27 Apr 04 - 08:36 PM (#1172817)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: Herga Kitty

Ah, but the version Dave Reader sang in Sidmouth in February had the verse about the PF flashing two old ladies - one had a stroke, but the other couldn't reach......

Kitty


01 Aug 09 - 10:58 PM (#2691973)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: GUEST,richard grist

if u are refering to the 1978 song by fsstbuck melbourne im the one


01 Aug 09 - 11:13 PM (#2691975)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher
From: GUEST

youll find the song on u tube yeffal 413


11 Aug 09 - 04:52 PM (#2697937)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera As
From: GUEST,mr lambert

this song has been sung by me since the fifties


04 Sep 09 - 04:57 PM (#2716385)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: GUEST,Clive Kristen

I wrote the words to this song circa 1976. Gary Aspey ( whom I knew) wanted to buy it from me. I refused, but gave permission for him to record it. My copyright is registered through Robert Kingston Music and I have received royalties via PRS.

There is no way someone could have been singing it in the 50's. Other folkers, including me (Clint Ackroyd & The Rat Trappers) from the same era and area - eg Roger Westbrook - also perfomed it and can confirm.

You will not find any recording of this prior to Gary & Vera's. The verses posted by Mmario in 04 are not mine - clearly it's been modified/localised later.

Yes, the tune is "The Keeper".


06 Jan 10 - 10:52 AM (#2804888)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: breezy

I used to play the Aspey's recording while travelling to Cornwall back in the late 80s

My 1st 2 kids always requested it along with Slag - or was it Slack Alice

As a consequence they embrace 'folk' songs and have even attended my gigs!

Then the recordings went AWOL,

so

My 2nd batch of sprogs -3- have grown up somewhat deprived and have not heard those songs and for that reason I believe, have a narrower tolerence of what could be termed 'music'

Thank you Clive

so whats the addendum verse then? Sounds most entertaining.


07 Jan 10 - 04:53 AM (#2805569)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: Marje

I heard this sung recently and the first line had something about a beard (instead of "leer"?). And I don't think Wigan was mentioned. I suppose that's what the folk process does (so you can take pride in this, Clive). It went down well in a folk club, anyway.

And ignore the troll "Mr Lambert" above - the word "flasher" wasn't used in this sense until the 1960s.

Marje


07 Jan 10 - 05:32 AM (#2805584)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: MGM·Lion

50s, actually, Marje - but only as a bit of in-slang among police, court officials &c [I learned it early from a court reporter of my acquaintance in, IIRC, 1951; & when I married my wife, who was also a court reporter at the time, in 1959, she was surprised that I knew it]. But I agree it didn't escape into mainstream usage till late-50s/60s].


07 Jan 10 - 10:03 AM (#2805707)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: Marje

Thanks for that, MtheGM. And I'd say it wasn't even in widespread use until well into the 60s, not very long before "streaker" acquired a related meaning.

Marje


07 Jan 10 - 11:25 AM (#2805764)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: Mr Happy

'two old ladies - one had a stroke, but the other couldn't reach......'

Anyone have the rest of this verse?


23 Oct 10 - 11:52 AM (#3013735)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera As
From: John Foxen

Clive has done that rare thing and actually written a folk song because I first heard this in a session down in Cornwall and it had been Devonised - no mention of Wigan but lots of references to Exeter, South Brent etc.
There was a verse about the flasher going into a pet shop and showing off his one-eyed trouser snake which I can't recall but I have been able to reconstruct the verse about the two old ladies which I think would probably go something like this:
Two widows were sitting on the beach
The flasher jumped up and made them screech
One had a stroke but the other couldn't reach
The dirty phantom flasher.
If I sing this in my local clubs in Essex I'll put in local references but will certainly credit Clive as the originator and should we meet I'll certainly buy you a beer.


24 Oct 10 - 03:17 AM (#3014053)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: GUEST,Steamin' Willie

Such an easy parody to do and fairly obvious.

Interestingly, it was also written independently of all the above in the late '70s by Mitch, the Worksop based singer / songwriter / comic. it was also part of his act when he won the Stainsby singers' competition in 1981.


21 May 11 - 06:59 PM (#3158398)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera As
From: GUEST,master lambert

my Grandad (Mr Lambert) above has been singing The Famous Phantom Flasher since the 1960's, this is not just a song act as well.


27 Nov 18 - 10:30 AM (#3963581)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: GUEST,Bob Eastwick

I heard a slight variation of the chorus while waiting for the last bus back from Sidmouth some years ago sung by some morris dancers (Now there's a surprise..!).

Hey down Hoe down, zip it up and down
The famous phantom flasher

Sorry, I was too pissed to remember any more than that.......


29 Nov 18 - 04:16 AM (#3963841)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Phantom Flasher (Gary and Vera Aspey)
From: GUEST,Some bloke

Gary and Vera got the song when they appeared at Worksop Folk Club many many years ago.

Whilst the idea for the song could have multiple starts, they asked John “Mitch” Mitchell for the words as he wrote it.

Funnily enough, my favourite verse doesn’t get mentioned.

Two old biddies on Skegness beach
He flashed at them and made them screech
One had a stroke.... but the other couldn’t reach
The famous phantom flasher.