New: Beuk of the Sangs of Tommy Armstrong

Subject: New: Beuk of the Sangs ofTommy Armstrong
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 09:05 AM

Greetings good people!
With the recent wet weather I have retreated from my artcar studio to get things edited. This new project will make the songs and recitations available once again. Currently collections are very hard to get. Some are rare. Our collection contains first hand accounts never before published, commentary, lyrics, notation and illustrations. Even a recipe for game pie from the tradition in case anyone wants to make a hedgehog or cat one!
Sources of the lyrics varry. Many from the song book compiled by Tommy's Son but others from the oral tradition as remembered. Alternative notation and song titles are given as well as a complete bibliography. We are working on a cd of the tunes which may take a "bit" time.
Recitations are also included from original sources.

We are selling this close to cost with proceeds going to support the Hutman Library and ongoing research projects including the Book of Bonfire night which is currently being put together.

Here are the details....

A Beuk of the Sangs of Tommy Armstrong
The Pitman's Poet
isbn number 0-9702386-8-1

This production is a book of all of the Songs of Tommy Armstrong as well
as his recitations. It includes first person accounts of the role of
song and story within the culture as well as a commentary concerning the
content of the songs. There is even a recipe for game pie. Illustrations
include views of 19th century Newcastle and comic woodcuts by a
celebrated artist of the town. Songs are presented with notation and
alternative tunes.

The book can be obtained from:

Hutman Productions
PO 268 Linthicum, Md.
21090 USA

Cost: $9.55
Add postage: $4.30 Priority Mail
             $2.00 Book Rate

If outside the USA inquire: [e-mail]

We accept cash, check and money order in U.S. Dollars
The book will be available in the near future from
http://www.amazon.com
....but...at a much higher price due to amazons overhead...but they do deal with other currencys and credit cards...

We hope that greater accessibility of this material will help inspire others and give a bit of life to the tradition.

Note! This is not the tradition of Geordie Bashing Jez Lowe!
In the words of the Whisky Priests "The Bonny Pit Laddie is here to stay!". In other words no revisionism and pc ism here.

We were happy to have permission to include the tribute to Tommy composed and performed by the Whisky Priests: "Pitman Tom" a brilliant piece.

Let us all celebrate Tommy and his muse: "The Mug of Ale"

Thanks for your time today!
Questions: [e-mail]

Conrad Bladey
--
"I had to walk down the road with
my throat a little dry
ranting like Jimmy Durante
My mind was as clear as the clouds in the sky
And my debts were all outstanding
outstanding
In a field of debts outstanding
my outraged heart was handy
at borrowing a sorrow I could put off 'till tomorrow
and coming to no understanding"- Jawbone "Pilgrim At the Wedding"

Subject: RE: New: Beuk of the Sangs ofTommy Armstrong
From: bill\sables
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 09:51 AM

Well Done Conrad, I'm looking forward to my copy.
Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: New: Beuk of the Sangs ofTommy Armstrong
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 10:15 AM

Thanks Bill!
(Bill is an important source for this tradition!)
Your copy will be in the mail just as soon as I check on some of the tunes. I transcribed them by ear and there are some bumps in the road.
Other than that it is ready to go....

I was just downtown in Baltimore to go out for a few "yels"
Propped the book up on the bar and blessed it with a few rounds.

There is still spirit in the bars of parts of Baltimore that is very close to the culture of the 19th century North East.

The one I visited had fantastic 19th century architecture, a great wooden back bar, columns and prices designed to serve rather than extort.

The guys were fantastic. I drove there in my artcar covered with hands.
Some one spotted it on the way in and told folks to goo look at it.
Pandimonium broke out. Everyone went out and gathered round the car.
Must have been 35 of them. Hoots and hollers! handshakes of congratulation, guys lining up to exuberantly buy me rounds. The spirit of the culture of the Geordies lives in many places with many tee shirts on. Throughout time there have been efforts to stamp it out. Joe Wilson was converted to the dark good side. Jez now tells us that: Mr. Armstrong's world was just a hangover:the morning after.
I know it is not although for some the money rolls in and the concert tours bring fame but for others.....it is still best not to think about tomorrow and they need a culture of support and not a culture of discrimination and condemnation.

The friend I brought to the bar was amazed. People actually talking to each other in loud voices! The spark of life in their eyes- amazing he said......almost unheard of in places where price discrimination keeps the working man and enthusiastic drinker away.
This is the world which gave us Tommy Armstrong and in return he provided his world with joy and support.

Our world needs the same!

I hope you enjoy the book. Comments always appreciated.

Conrad

Subject: RE: New: Beuk of the Sangs ofTommy Armstrong
From: GUEST,ritchie
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 03:11 PM

Conrad, Good luck with the beuk, hope it goes well. Now then you being a bit of an expert on such matters you maybe able to help me out. I love the version of Bony Sally Wheatley as done by Bob Fox & Stu Luckley and as useless as I am always thought about playing it one day. To my delight, I was in Belford and in a little book/arts shop ran by a lovely 'old' lady, so in my small way, I try to encourage local shops, so I bought 2 books. One was 'the dialect poetry of Fred Reed' which is very, very good and the other a book of 'songs from the North East of England compliled by Matt Seattle' which has some good songs and notes about the songs. It also has two tunes to 'Blaydon Races' which I knew but never realised that there was to ways to sing it ! Anyway here's the rub, the tune to 'Bonny Sally Wheatley' is not one I'm familiar with ...if this makes any sense it starts G..C..Bm..Em..C..G/B...Am7 etc. not the way Bob Fox plays it, I don't think, or is it me....anyway..as to your book, I'll email the 'outside the USA' address or will I be able to pick it up here in the NE? Just one last thing , there is a good copy of Ashington words and their meanings floating around at the minute ..quite comical. if you want I'll email it to you.

regards and 'keep it real (or should it be reel?) Ritchie

Subject: Lyr Add: BONNY SALLY WHEATLEY
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 04:39 PM

Never heard of two tunes to the Blaydon Races but the tradition is always alive and unpredictable....Trouble with the Joe Wilson Book is that tunes are noted but hard to find....there was a thread in 1998 on one of the news groups but nothing turned up there.
Let me know if you find it.

Bonny Sally Wheatley is a Joe Wilson Song-

BONNY SALLY WHEATLEY
Tuen: The Happy Land of Air-in.

Noo aw's byeth deprest an' sad,
Tho aw once wes blithe an' glad,
an' cud trip aboot the toon byeth trim an' neatly;
Aw wes happy neet an' morn,
But iv aw sic joys aw's shorn
Since aw fell se deep i' luv wi' Sally Wheatley.

Chorus:
O dear me, aw dinnet knaw what te de,
For Sally's teun me heart away completely,
An' aw'll nivor get it back,
For she gans wi' Mistor Black,
An' they say he's gan te marry Sally Wheatley.

Aw nivor saw sic a lass,
Tho aw knaw she lik't her glass,
An' cud toss a pot o' whisky ower sweetly,
But it's reet te tyek yor drop
If ye just knaw when te stop--
That wes just the varry way wi' Sally Wheatley.

Hoo aw felt aw dinnet knaw,
The first time aw Sally saw,
Iv a threesum reel she hopt aboot se leetly;
An' aw might hev had a chance,
If aw'd askt her up te dance,
But aw wes over shy te speak to Sally Wheatley.

So, as often is the case,
Ye'll find uthers i' yor place
If ye dinnet shuv aheed-an' fettle reetly,
For aw'd scarcely turn'd me back
When aw ther saw Mistor Black,
He was jiggin roond the room wi' Sally Wheatley.

An' he mun hev myed it reet
When he set her hyem that neet-
Efter wark, drest up, he gans te see her neetly;
Thor's greet danger i' delay,
Or aw'd not been sad the day;
If aw had a heart aw'd brickt for Sally Wheatley.



-Source: Joe Wilson, Tyneside Songs and Drolleries


Yes, thanks, Send the Ashington words!
[e-mail]
Many thanks!
Conrad