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27 Jul 06 - 04:30 PM (#1794840) Subject: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Long Firm Freddie Does anyone have the lyrics for this, please? The chorus goes: It's Geordie Brown, it's Geordie Brown It's good old Geordie Brown He can drink his ale, he can tell a tale, It's good old Geordie Brown LFF |
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27 Jul 06 - 05:02 PM (#1794864) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Joe Offer frefresh... |
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28 Jul 06 - 02:39 AM (#1795183) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: GUEST,DaveS at Work It was written by Ed Pickford so go to Ed's website and see if it is featured in his songbook. Possibly it is not as the song was written in the sixties and most of the verses are topical to that period. If you have no luck there get back and I'll post the version that I know. |
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28 Jul 06 - 02:26 PM (#1795584) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Long Firm Freddie Dave, thanks very much for the info. Some great songs on Ed's site, but as you suspected, Geordie Brown's not there. I'd be very grateful if you could post your version. LFF |
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29 Jul 06 - 07:56 AM (#1796109) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: GUEST,Keith(Pegleg Ferret) The memory fades as time goes by but I'm not sure it was an Ed Pickford song.....when I saw the excerpt you gave us Johnny Handle springs to mind as the composer. I may be wrong but I'll make further enquiries and post with the result. |
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30 Jul 06 - 03:31 AM (#1796670) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Peace I have just e-mailed a lady who runs a site for the "High Level Ranters" and asked if she knew who wrote the song. I will get back with the info, if/when. |
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30 Jul 06 - 04:47 PM (#1797142) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: GUEST,Keith(pegleg Ferret) Talked to Benny Graham who thinks that the original words were performed by the Shiremoor Marras who were on the fringes of the folk scene. He thinks Ed Pickford may have written some topical verses to perform with his band Northern Front or the verses may have been written by Mike Elliot who was in the group at that time. I'll talk to Ed and see if he can throw any light on the subject. I think the Johnny Handle connection may be a red herring, but I do remember him singing it at the time. |
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30 Jul 06 - 06:08 PM (#1797219) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Long Firm Freddie A Google search shows that Johnny Handle has recorded Geordie Brown on a CD called The Land where the Fells Meet the Sky; I assume it's the same one, I can certainly imagine him singing it. I've heard Nick Fenwick, who I understand was in Northern Front with Ed Pickford and Mike Elliott, sing it several times (but many years ago!) Thanks for taking the time to help track this down, everyone - it won't be long before it's sorted, I'm sure! LFF |
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01 Aug 06 - 04:25 AM (#1798492) Subject: Lyr Add: GEORDIE BROON (Ed Pickford) From: GUEST,DaveS at Work I'll tell yes aall aboot a fellow I knaa he comes from Gatesheed toon, He's a moulder in the Steelworks and his name is Geordie Broon, He's knaan ta iveryboddy, aall tell ye it's nee lie, Ye should hear the fowk all aboot the place shoot as Geordie he gans by, Its Geordie Broon, Its Geordie Broon, Its good old Geordie Broon, He can drink his ale, he can tell a tale, Well its good old Geordie Broon Now as me and Geordie kicked aroond Newcastle one day, By half past one we'd supped wa lot so I says "right let's away" But Geordie he says"nowt the sort, we'll have money in a jiff, We'll just nip roond and pay a caall on me old mate Danny Smith" 1 On the club trip doon te London, we had waselves a time, Then Geordie Broon he says "let's gan and meet some friends of mine" And as sure as I am standing here, we went te meet the Queen, Well I didn't knaa where te put mesel, its the forst time that aa've been. On the moulders tour of Moscow we landed in Red Square, Then Geordie Broon he says te me "now my mate he works there" And straight into the Kremlin, Kosygin for te see, 2 And the way that he kissed Geordie Broon, well it fair embarrassed me The song end up in dialogue with the narrator saying he must tell you of the Sunday morning in St Peter's Square as they waited to see The Pope and he says to Geordie Broon "at last someone that you don't know" to which Geordie Broon replies "aa knaa nebody better" and promptly disappears only to re-emerge a few minutes later on the balcony in the company of The Pope. There then follows a long conversation between the narrator and an Italian standing next to him culminating in the narrator saying "up there on the balcony - my mate Geordie Broon from Gatesheed" to which the Italian replies "I know that! But who is the bloke standing next to him?" And we all started to sing "It's Geordie Broon etc.," 1The late T.Dan Smith was leader of Newcastle City Council at the time of the song being written and he was later caught up in the Poulson corruption scandal of the early seventies. 2 Updated as Russian Premiers are succeeded Although in print the words look as dry as sticks the song blossomed as each verse was punctuated by a quick fire succession of jokes and observations regarding the people mentioned and what was topical at the time. You really need to hear someone sing/tell the tale to fully appreciate it. |
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01 Aug 06 - 08:37 AM (#1798621) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: GUEST,LFF at Work Dave, that's fantastic, thanks ever so much. LFF |
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01 Aug 06 - 11:21 PM (#1799475) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Brown From: Joe Offer Gee, I didn't know it was possible to type in Geordie. Comes out sounding just like Bill Sables... |
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08 Aug 06 - 04:58 PM (#1804709) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Broon / Geordie Brown From: shepherdlass I've heard an Alex Glasgow version - is the song not his? He was very topical. |
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08 Aug 06 - 05:07 PM (#1804711) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Broon / Geordie Brown From: shepherdlass Yep, just checked the LP "Songs of Alex Glasgow/Now and Then" and it's credited to him. |
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08 Aug 06 - 05:09 PM (#1804713) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Broon / Geordie Brown From: shepherdlass Sorry, me again ... the version DaveS quoted is definitely different, so I guess that's the Ed Pickford re-write? Re-writes, additions and adaptations ... looks like it's entered the tradition, then. |
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09 Aug 06 - 02:40 PM (#1805455) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Broon / Geordie Brown From: Dave Sutherland It certainly was the folk process at work as the song is based on an old joke which I remember hearing as far back as 1958/59 when I only just understood it. It concerns a guy who claims that he knows everybody and his boast is put to the test as a series of people in ascending order of importance and fame come up to greet him culminating in the punch line when he appears on the balcony with the Pope. I still maintain that Ed Pickford wrote the song as I remember his performances of it pre - date The Northern Front by a number of years. |
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14 Aug 06 - 01:16 PM (#1809581) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Geordie Broon / Geordie Brown From: GUEST,Ed Pickford Stumbled across this debate. Yes - I'm guilty - I wrote it. All I can really reember is the chorus and it was written around that old joke that was mentioned. I had someone at The George & Dragon Folk Club in Sunderland translate the chorus into Russian and I used to do that for the last chorus - so there is the story of Geordie Broon. Twice recently I've had to request words of songs that I've written from hearing someone singing them. Most recently it was from my friend Jim Bainbridge. He's singing a song called "It's Nee Bliddy Good Gettin' Aahd[old]". It was a more north east earthy version of my Oldest Swinger Song. Fascinating this songwriting lark isn't it? |