"The Thing" is a hit novelty song by Charles Randolph Grean which received much airplay in 1950.
The record entered the Billboard charts on November 17, 1950. It lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 1.
The words were set to a English folk tune from 1832 called "The Chandler's Wife" (sometimes called "The Tailor's Boy" or "The Farmer's Servant")
This folk tune on his turn was derived from "The Lincolnshire Poacher". a traditional from the 18th century
Here's a sheet of "The Poacher" ("When I was bound apprentice in fair Lincolnshire"), dated between 1780 and 1812 -->SEE: http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/view/sheet/21486
As I said above "The Chandler's Wife" was derived from "Lincolnshire Poacher".
SEE: Chandler's Wife, The
Here's a sheet of "The Chandler's Wife" ("A Taylor-boy went out one day"), dated around 1832
"The Chandler's Wife" is lyrically and melodically also similar to "The Tailor's Boy".
SEE: Tailor's Boy, The
Here's a sheet of "The Tailor's Boy" ("A tailor's boy went on one night some candles for to bring"), dated around 1832 --> SEE: http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/view/edition/18184
(o) Debroy Somers Band (1929) (as "Lincolnshire Poacher" (part of "A Hunting Medley")")
Recorded January 3, 1929 in London
Released on Columbia 9623
In 1929 Frank Luther and Carson Robison wrote new words to this traditional tune and re-titled it "Peg-Leg Jack".
(o) Frank Luther (1929) (as "Peg-Leg Jack")
Carson Robison: guitar/harmonica, Murray Kellner: fiddle
Recorded May 1929 in New York
Released on Brunswick 4371
Listen here
(c) Harold Williams (1931) (as "Lincolnshire Poacher")
with the BBC Male Chorus conducted by Stanford Robinson
Recorded Febr/March 1931
Matrix WA 11272
Released on Columbia DB 524
Listen here:
(c) Stuart Robertson (1931) (as "Lincolnshire Poacher")
Released December 1931 on HMV B-3971
Listen here:
(c) New Mayfair Dance Orchestra (1931)
(as "Lincolnshire Poacher" (part of "Savoy Hunting Medley")")
Recorded August 27, 1931 n London
Released on His Master's Voice # B-6089
(c) Tex Morton (1937) (as "Peg Leg Jack")
Recorded July 1, 1937 Columbia Studios, Homebush, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Released on Regal Zonophone G-23167
Listen here:
(c) Warde H. Ford (1938) (as "The Tailor Boy")
Recorded December 1938 in Boomtown [Central Valley], Shasta County, California.
Listen here:
"The Lincolnshire Poacher" was also sung in the 1940 movie Tom Brown's School Days by the Rugby students and is the theme song of the movie.
The Rugby students sing the song in their dining hall to celebrate a victory for the school in sports.
Listen here: Tom Brown's School Days 1940 - YouTube
Shortly after the Second World War, the Central Office of Information made a cartoon of the song "The Lincolnshire Poacher" for the British Council. According to documents deposited with the Public Record Office (in file INF 6/735), W. Larkins & Co were commissioned to produce the film and a film of "The Lincolnshire Poacher" for slightly over two thousand pounds. Originally estimated to run for eight minutes, they would eventually run for eleven, and were scored by Hubert Clifford and sung by Dale Smith and a male voice quartet.
(c) Dale Smith and Male Voice Quartet (1947) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Listen here:
Two bars from the song ‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’ are famously associated with their use as an interval signal on a mysterious radio numbers station, believed to have been operated by the British Secret Service from the 1970s until 2008.
Listen here:
(c) Richard Dyer-Bennet (1941) (as "The Lincolnshier Poacher")
Released in 1941 on record # 517-B of the album "Lute Singer - Ballads and Folk Songs"
Keynote Recordings album #108
Listen here: The Lincolnshire Poacher%3 - Richard Dyer-Bennet.mp3
In 1950 Phil Harris rewrote this traditional song and had a Millionseller in the USA.
(c) Phil Harris (1950) (as "The Thing")
Nr 1 Hit USA
Recorded October 13, 1950
Released on RCA Victor 3968
Listen here:
Cover versions of "The Thing" were recorded by Arthur Godfrey, Danny Kaye, Kidsongs, Ray Charles, Teresa Brewer and Australian orchestra leader Les Welch.
(c) Teresa Brewer (1950) (as "The Thing")
Recorded end October 1950 in New York City
Released by London Records as catalog number 873
(c) Arthur Godfrey (1950) (as "The Thing")
Hit USA
Recorded November 1950
Released on Columbia 919 and 39068
(c) Ames Brothers (1950) (as "The Thing")
Hit USA
Recorded November 6, 1950 Decca Recording Studio, New York City
Released on Coral 60333
Listen here
(c) June Carter (1950) (as "The Thing")
Recorded November 10, Nashville, TN
Released on RCA Victor # 21-0411
Listen here:
(c) Danny Kaye (1950) (as "The Thing")
Recorded November, 12, 1950 in Los Angeles
Released on Decca 27350
Listen here:
(c) Phil Morrow's Music (1951) (as "The Thing")
Hit UK
Released January 1951 on Columbia DB 2795
(c) Orkest Zonder Naam (1950) (as "Het Ding")
Dutch lyrics by Jan de Cler and Dico v/d Meer
Released end 1950 on Decca M 33103
End 1950 there was quite a sensation in The Netherlands around the song "Het Ding".
Read all about it here: Het Ding sensatie om een liedje
Listen here:
(c) Bob Scholte (1950) (as "Het Ding")
With choir and orchestra (directed by Emile Deltour)
Released December 1950 on Decca 21.292
Listen here:
(c) Les Welch (1951) (as "The Thing")
Recording was made in January 1951
Released by Pacific Records, an Australian company, as catalog number 10-0051
(c) Gösta Jonsson (1951) (as "Den Franska Biljetten")
Swedish lyrics by Eric Sandström
Listen here:
(c) Povel Ramel (1951) (as "Den Franska Biljetten")
Swedish lyrics by Eric Sandström and Povel Ramel
Listen here:
(c) Jens og Erik (1951) (as "Tingen")
Norvegian lyrics by Erik Diesen
78 RPM - Jens Og Erik - Havnens Lys (Harbour Lights) / Tingen (The Thing) - Musica - Norway - A 3033
Listen here:
Charles Aznavour was responsible for the lyrics of the French version.
This version ("L'Objet") was performed by various artists:
Les Compagnons de la Chanson on the Columbia-label
Andrex on the Pathe-label
Raymond Girerd on the Decca-label
Marcel Coestier on the Odeon-label
Maurice Chevalier on the Polydor-label
Jacques Helian on the Pathe-label
(c) Les Compagnons de la Chanson (1951) (as "L'Objet")
French lyrics by Charles Aznavour
Released in 1951 on Columbia BF 357
Listen here:
(c) Maurice Chevalier (1951) (as "L'Objet")
French lyrics by Charles Aznavour
Released in 1951 on Polydor 560.300
Listen here:
(c) Andrex (1951) (as "L'Objet")
French lyrics by Charles Aznavour
Released March 1951 on Pathe PG 476
(c) Oscar Brand (1955) (as "The Chandler's Wife")
Listen here:
In 1953 Harry Cox recorded "The Farmer's Servant", which is melodically derived from "The Lincolnshire Poacher"
"The Farmer's Servant" is a version of Roud #792: dated between 1860 and 1883
(c) Harry Cox (1953) (as "The Farmer's Servant")
Recorded by Alan Lomax in Sutton, Norfolk in October 1953
Listen here:
(c) A.L. Lloyd (1956) (as "The Farmer's Servant")
In the album's sleeve-notes Lloyd said:
Those who don't know him imagine the East Anglian farm-hand to be deferential, even servile. Nothing is further from the truth. He is, as the songs say, inclined to mind his master's business “as servants always done”. But under that innocent phrase lies a sly meaning that many a master has never appreciated until it was too late. In melody, the song is a cousin of the well-known Lincolnshire Poacher. In shape, it recalls the commercial hit of a year or two back, The Thing. It is a song that evokes a nudge, a wink and a quickly stifled guffaw, if the squire is with his friends in the adjacent saloon bar.
Listen here:
(c) Paul Clayton (1958) (as "The Farmer's Servant")
Listen here:
(c) Sonny Rollins (1956) (as "St. Thomas")
"St. Thomas" is perhaps the most recognizable instrumental in the repertoire of American jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who is usually credited as its composer. However, it is actually based on "The Lincolnshire Poacher".
By way of the folk process, "The Lincolnshire Poacher" evolved into a nursery song in the Virgin Islands, which Rollins' mother sang to him when he was a child. As such, it has a distinct Caribbean vibe to it.
Listen here:
So "St. Thomas" became popular when it was released on Rollins's 1956 album Saxophone Colossus, though it had been recorded by Randy Weston in 1955 under the title "Fire Down There", on his Get Happy album.
(c) Randy Weston (1955) (as "Fire Down There")
Listen here:
Randy Weston on his turn might have heard the Duke of Iron's 1952 vocal version of "Fire Down There" or The Charmer's 1954 version.
(c) The Charmer (1954) (as "Fire Down There")
Listen here:
But even before that, the tune already popped up in a traditional Bahamian folksong "Sponger Money", recorded in 1953 by George Symonette.
(c) George Symonette (1953) (as "Run Joe Run" (aka "Sponger Money Never Done")
Listen here:
(c) Johnny Restivo (1959) (as "The Thing")
Released on the album "Oh Johnny" (RCA LSP 2149)
Listen here:
(c) Peter Pears (1962) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Arranged and directed by Benjamin Britten.
Listen here:
(c) Richard Dyer-Bennet (1962) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Listen here:
(c) Richard Dyer-Bennet (1962) (as "The Tailor's Boy")
Listen here: Smithsonian Folkways
Or here:
(c) Ray Charles (1964) (as "The Thing")
Recording was made on July 13, 1963
Released on the album Have a Smile with Me (ABC 495)
Listen here:
(c) The Spinners (1970) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Listen here:
(c) John Roberts and Tony Barrand (1971) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Listen here:
(c) Claude Francois (1976) (as "L'Objet")
Listen here:
In 1978, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band issued "The Lincolnshire Poacher" as its follow-up single to their successful "The Floral Dance", and it was included on the 1978 album The Floral Dance.
(c) Brighouse and Rastrick Band (1978) (as "The Lincolnshire Poacher")
Listen here:
(c) Leo, Leo and Leo (1980) (as "Het Ding")
Listen here
In 2012 "The Chandler's Wife" was a bonustrack on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the musical "Once"
Hallo Joop, Canary van Secondhandsongs hier. Een kleine tip van een kleurenblinde: de combinaties van kleuren die je gebruikt hier
BeantwoordenVerwijderenhttps://jopiepopie.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-lincolnshire-poacher-1800s.html
zijn onleesbaar voor kleurenblinden. Ik heb mijn vrouw moeten vragen om te lezen wat er stond. Misschien een andere kleurcombinatie gebruiken met feller contrast? Groeten, Dirk
Ik heb de achtergrond nu wit gemaakt. Ik hoop dat het nu beter leesbaar is. Joop groet
BeantwoordenVerwijderen