H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y T O
- M y b r o t h e r J I M -
7 0 t o d a y
We have over the years shared many music memories, from numerous Fairport Convention gigs to Folk Festivals in the old VW camper. BBC radio recordings on a Sunday afternoon and local clubs and pubs, none more unusual than the one in Caines, Australia in 1982.
It was a Sunday evening at the end of October and my journal records it as follows:
We had walked around town for quite awhile before finding the advertised Folk Club. It was rather sad, at first, no wonder there are so few Folk Clubs here, people don't seem interested. Anyway the music began and we quite enjoyed the very casual feeling and listened to some good music. "Streets of London", "Mr. Bojangles", some Eric Bogle songs and nice dulcimer music from a Canadian traveller. Cairns Folk Club - it's a long way from Clare to Here ! (Someone did sing this Ralph McTell song).
It was also on this occasion we first heard someone perform 'The Aussie Bar-B-Q song', written by Scottish born Eric Bogle (famous for his anti war songs, notably "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". The 'barbie' was indeed a National Institution and the lyrics certainly struck a chord, many requiring translation. In fact there's a video of a 'Live on Michael Parkinson' Australian TV show, from 1982 in which the lyrics were changed from 'snags' to 'sausages' so as to not confuse an international audience! [Full lyrics here].
The song originally appeared on Bogle's second album "Plain & Simple" (with John Munro) the previous year. Sing along now:
Parkinson link fyi:
Eric Bogle did mix his more serious songs with plenty of humorous ones. In 1984 there was 'Do You Know Any Dylan' - well worth a read through of this story song [link]
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