Marlow Bottom Acoustic Club

The M40 had been closed since 4:30 that morning because a lorry had spilled forty tons of lard across the carriageways. The whole area was in traffic chaos. Not surprisingly, we had a low turnout, with only Dick, Dave and Norma, Roger Rowe and Rosie and me there.

We hadn't seen Roger since before his 'Tall Ships' trip from the Azores. We were all interested to hear of his exploits, especially Norma who inquired whether Roger 'had a lot of women come' on the trip. She was almost able to take of one of her several fleeces with the warmth from the blush. The evening was also notable for Norma's singing debut on Dave's new song Tolpuddle Men.

With all the talk of his trip, it was natural for Roger to sing 'Land Lubber Lying Down Below'. He also sang the Song of the Ninth Roman Legion, written by Tim Brooks. Talking of people we haven't seen for a while, 'Towersey' John Wilson came up in a conversation about pubs in Marlow. Dick was prompted to dig out Good Ale from his little notebook to remind us what we've been missing since John's move to Winchester.

John Crosby had omitted to sing the Bantam Emperor near Trafalgar Day, so made up for it. He also sang All Things Dull and Ugly. Thinking I knew all the Monty Python songs, I'd doubted that this was one of theirs. I was wrong - it is on Monty Python Sings album. My investigations haven't uncovered which episode it's from. However, there is a brief (but different) snippet to the 'Bright and Beautiful' tune in the Dead Bishops sketch

I got to use the dusty end of the guitar fretboard while Rosie gave a first outing to You go To My Head, popularised by Billy Holiday.

We'll be at The Belle Vue in High Wycombe next week. The pub was full and very noisy last time we were there - I suspect there were some refugees from the being-refurbished Nags Head. Even though the Nags Head has now re-opened, next week may not be very different, so I'll be setting up the amplifier and a couple of microphones so we'll at least be able to hear ourselves.

It was lovely to see and hear Annette again, accompanied beautifully by Bob. Between them they sang, Raglan Road, Time in a Bottle, California Dreaming, Jolene, and The Water is Wide.

Alison, Dave and Simon, in various combinations, gave us: I was Thinking about Elvis (by Gillian Welsh), Richard Thompson’s The Backstreet Slide, Steve Earle’s Galway Girl, C’est Aviron, Dougie MaClean’s Ready for the Storm, and, at Karen’s request – The Bucks Free Press – which elicited smiles from everyone, and Little Pot Stove.

Dick sang Blow Boys Blow, She Loved a Portuguese, and Ben Hall.

Karen & Roger – Andy Stewart’s Where Are You Tonight?, Dougie MaClean’s This Love Will carry, Phil Ochs’s When I’m Gone.

Roger played tunes as well as accompanying Karen – Oranges in Bloom, & Rufty Tufty (a Playford tune)

Rosies & Alan – Lord Inchquin, The Bonny Blue Eyed Lassie (lovely), Whirling Polkas!, (Cap Bing, Peg Ryan, & Maids of Armagh), Bang Bang, Hornpipes (Alexanders & Cronins)

John, fresh from his Orpheus choir practice – Though I Live Not near the Louvre – (almost compulsory after Alan’s Facebook status report) & Leonard Cohen’s Dress Rehearsal Rag.

Work has started on the kitchen at TJ O’Reilly’s and it is possible that by the 4th Wednesday in November the pub will be unable to have us due to food & tables etc – in which case we will probably be at The Prince Albert or The Old Ship – please check on the blog site or the myspace site to find out where we are on the 4th Wednesday.

There must have been about 17 of us this evening and somehow we managed to all get into the Prince Albert with 7 guitars (Roger, Bob, Steve, Dave, Stuart, Fred, Alan), 3 melodeons (Dave, Dave & Rosie), fiddle (Dave), concertina (Rosie), mandolin (Alan), 2 bodhrans (Norma & Karen), and whistles (Fred). Steve decided to leave his music stand in the car – probably a wise move. It was a lively evening with songs and tunes which will now be summarised in a little story:-

It’s HARD TIMES for THOSE WHO WAIT at COPPERHEAD ROAD for a SOUTHBOUND TRAIN as THE TWO BRETHREN, and even THE PIGEON ON THE GATE, watch THE JOLLY PLOUGHBOYS as they follow DIDO & BENDIGO ACROSS THE UNIVERSE where THE WATER IS WIDE. Oh how I wish for my HOME TOWN, where I’VE GOT A DATE with THE WATERCRESS GIRL. But I haven’t got FIVE POUNDS or even a 10 PENNY BIT, so although YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, my LITTLE SPARROW, my MAID OF LISSOHANAIGH, if you won’t ADD ME AS A FRIEND I’ll become like THE RAKES OF KILDARE and take ONE DOWN THE ROAD to BRIGHTON CAMP or FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD instead. But IF I WERE A CARPENTER, then ONE APRIL MORNING I’d MERRILY KISS THE QUAKER and laugh with THE BLUE EYED STRANGER, I’d try THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, and dance THE ASTROLOGICAL WALTZ even though that’s just WALTZING FOR DREAMERS.......

We are at The Prince Albert next Wednesday as well, get there early for a seat!

There were fewer singers and musicians than usual this evening as various people were away ill or doing other things. However, the pub was packed. Perhaps news of our previous successful visit to The Belle Vue had spread, or perhaps it was because the nearby Nags Head was closed for refurbishment!

The level of background noise made subtlety difficult, so we focused on the sing-along and the loud. The level of applause made it clear that we were appreciated and Karen received very favourable comments from the clientele when she went round the pub with the raffle tickets.

Melodeons were clearly the order of the day in respect of tunes. Dave H did a great job in leading many of these, playing much of his repertoire as Rosie wasn’t well, and Simon wasn’t available. His fiddle came out for a couple of my mandolin pieces; his Smoking and Drinking song was also well appreciated.

Dick’s fan club (and groupies?) had turned out in force and he was encouraged to dig into his slightly blue book for Man on the Moon, Brian Bohru and The Lusty Smith. He’d probably have been persuaded to sing all night if it hadn’t been for his lift home.

We had a visiting singer, Jim, who’d been brought up very close to Belle Vue but now lives in Yorkshire, close to the Theakston brewery. Naturally, he sang Keith Marsden’s Theakston’s Old Peculier for us. He would also have sung Bring Us a Barrel if Dick hadn’t sung it earlier. He also did a shanty which went down very well with singers and audience alike.

Dave F’s sing-along contribution was Meet Me On the Corner. Coincidentally, I had been listening to Lindisfarne’s Greatest Hit that day with a view to us learning the same song. What’s more, it was the first song that Steve played in public. Dave also sang Billy Joel’s The Downeaster Alexa. Perhaps he’ll expand his Billy Joel repertoire to include Uptown Girl one day, with Alison in the Chrissie Brinkley role.

In similar vein, Karen and Steve sang Machine Gun Kelly, Steve sang Black Velvet Band, Night Rider’s Lament, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and This Old Town, and Karen and Roger gave us Medicine Wheel, The Great Divide and Country Roads. Tons of applause for these! Roger also played Josphina's Waltz by Scandanavian musician Roger Talroth.

We’ll be back at The Belle Vue on 5th November. We’re considering digging out the amplifiers and microphones for the occasion so we can deliver the necessary musical fireworks.

The Old Ship is closed on the 8th, so we’ll be at The Prince Albert in Frieth for the next two weeks.