 |
|
Sleeve Notes
The Means Test Man — Here we have a fragment of an old Music Hall song, which has 'a wee go' at this well known and heartily detested figure of the depression era. Today, of course, he is euphemistically referred to as the Public Assistance Officer.
Hot Asphalt — An abbreviated version of a song which we know as typically Glasgow-Irish but which is found in various forms in most of Britain's larger industrial towns.
Two Heids Are Better Than Yin' — We asked a wee man busking outside a Glasgow cinema, if he knew any folksongs. When we showed enthusiasm for 'Two Heids', among such collectors' items as 'Kentucky Waltz' and 'Davy Crockett', he expressed his wonderment that "Two young fellas like youse wid want tae sing a' they auld fashint songs". "Auld fashint" or no, 'Two Heids' has become one of our favourites.
The 42nd — Glasgow is a barrack city, and the docks of the Broomielaw have seen the arrival and departure of generations of kilted Highland regiments.
With characteristic economy, the children of Glasgow use the same wee tune, and many of the same words to describe the seasonal appearance of the Irish Tattie Howkers' (Potato pickers).
The Calton Weaver — As many of our songs and stories show, the Scotsman has always been fond of his women and his 'dram', although in Glasgow we think the order might be reversed. This song tells the sad tale of the young weaver who gave up his job to be with his love; whisky. We feel that he didn't quite forget the girl he may have left behind, and perhaps the greatest compliment he could pay her was to call the drink by her name … Nancy … Nancy Whisky. Recorded at the City of London Studios, February, 1960.
Sky High Joe — Shortly after the coronation of Elizabeth II of England (1st of Scotland), the calm dignity of Edinburgh was temporarily shaken by a series of minor explosions. Gelignite was the means used" by one young man to erase the Historical inaccuracy of the gold painted "EIIR" on Edinburgh's shiny new coronation pillar boxes.
"Sky High Joe" is a collected version of two songs written by Thurso Berwick, a Glasgow schoolteacher whom we (and many other young singers) have to thank for stimulating our early interest in Scottish Folksongs. Thurso Berwick is a poet and song writer who was responsible for many of the songs written around the time of the removal of the "Wee Magic Stane".
Co-operative Cookies — The world wide reverence of Harry Lauder, late and great Scottish Music Hall artiste, is ignored by the Glasgow children, who take one of his best known songs, together with its traditional tune, and re-shape it almost completely, to their own ends. Only the tune, and the last line, "Mary me Scots' Bluebell", remain intact.
We sing here only a few verses, but the number of verses composed by many hundreds of Glasgow children, could probably fill this whole' record.
JIMMY MACGREGOR & ROBIN HALL
It is only comparatively recently that Robin and Jimmy teamed up. but since the issue of their previous volume of "Glasgow Street Songs" (Collector. JES 5), their popularity has grown very quickly. They now have several successful radio and television series behind them, and they have an enthusiastic following in London due to their personal concert appearances with many famous American singers. We hope you will enjoy their second record together.