David Blagrove song

[Cloudinspector]

Stumbled across this superb little ditty whilst browsing you tube.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_UrUDT9dV8&feature=share

[Ray T]

Sorry, but I find this version grates. I prefer the one sung by David himself.

[alan_fincher]

Sorry, but I find this version grates. I prefer the one sung by David himself.

 

Yes me too.

 

Also disappointing is the random use of other people's photos. I can see some of my brother's in there, and I feel sure no permission has been sought to use them.

[Jrtm]

 

Yes me too.

 

Also disappointing is the random use of other people's photos. I can see some of my brother's in there, and I feel sure no permission has been sought to use them.

You do realise he can charge commission for every view they get+ if they refuse he can have it removed quite easly

[Chertsey]

Sorry, but I find this version grates. I prefer the one sung by David himself.

Is that easily available anywhere? I was looking for the same myself at the weekend and could only find what I assume is the version in the OP - I didn't bother clicking through.

[Ray T]

Is that easily available anywhere? I was looking for the same myself at the weekend and could only find what I assume is the version in the OP - I didn't bother clicking through.

 

You have a PM

[alan_fincher]

The song is, of course, used as a backing to this video......

EDIT: Actually only for a bit, it seems!

 

Edited September 15, 2016 by alan_fincher

[dave moore]

As a one time avid folkie recently returned to the fold, I have added this song to my repertoire, having known it for years. I first came across it on the BCC album " Narrowboats ", a mix of songs and reminiscences of working boaters, released in the late 60s. The song is a re-working of Ewan McColl's ballad celebrating the life of the British truck driver entitled " Champion at keeping them rolling " to the same tune, The Limerick Rake. Several other waterway songs by David feature on the album. Having first hand knowledge of the working boat community, his songs have more authenticity than some other offerings.

 

Dave

[Ray T]

As a one time avid folkie recently returned to the fold, I have added this song to my repertoire, having known it for years. I first came across it on the BCC album " Narrowboats ", a mix of songs and reminiscences of working boaters, released in the late 60s. The song is a re-working of Ewan McColl's ballad celebrating the life of the British truck driver entitled " Champion at keeping them rolling " to the same tune, The Limerick Rake. Several other waterway songs by David feature on the album. Having first hand knowledge of the working boat community, his songs have more authenticity than some other offerings.

 

Dave

 

 

Here you go Dave, this rates as pretty grim, in fact I'd get banned if I said what I really thought.

 

 

David B is also on here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDOlOA5Q144

Part 2

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAQPvyGGGLc

Edited September 15, 2016 by Ray T

[dave moore]

Thanks Ray. I'm in sunny Spain for a few days with intermittent Internet, will check out when I'm home.

Dave

[Bugsworth Tippler]

'Hard Working Boater' and around 260 other songs about the canals can be found on the 'Songs of the Inland Waterways' site : http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/

 

There may be some you like on there!

 

Personally, I think 'When the Chestnut Blooms in Flower' is the late David Blagrove's best song but that's just my opinion.

[Derek R.]

Yes indeed. Brings tears to the eyes that one. Don't much care for Prowse's offering, but it's his own style and some may like it.

[jeannette smith harrison]

As a one time avid folkie recently returned to the fold, I have added this song to my repertoire, having known it for years. I first came across it on the BCC album " Narrowboats ", a mix of songs and reminiscences of working boaters, released in the late 60s. The song is a re-working of Ewan McColl's ballad celebrating the life of the British truck driver entitled " Champion at keeping them rolling " to the same tune, The Limerick Rake. Several other waterway songs by David feature on the album. Having first hand knowledge of the working boat community, his songs have more authenticity than some other offerings.

 

Dave

[Bugsworth Tippler]

http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/narrowboat_details.htm

[fanshaft]

As a one time avid folkie recently returned to the fold, I have added this song to my repertoire, having known it for years. I first came across it on the BCC album " Narrowboats ", a mix of songs and reminiscences of working boaters, released in the late 60s. The song is a re-working of Ewan McColl's ballad celebrating the life of the British truck driver entitled " Champion at keeping them rolling " to the same tune, The Limerick Rake. Several other waterway songs by David feature on the album. Having first hand knowledge of the working boat community, his songs have more authenticity than some other offerings.

 

Dave

 

That's really interesting. I did wonder what the tune to 'Hard Working Boatman' was called. I've now found the dots for it on freesheetmusic.net and I'm afraid that I didn't get it quite right for David's funeral - the version I had was slightly different. But maybe folk tunes are generally performed 'approximately' anyway!

When discussing his songs one day David confided to me that, if I remember correctly, apart from one ('Keep your hands off she's mine' which wasn't a boating song as such but favoured by boatrers) the songs on the Narrow Boats LP were not traditional canal songs as I had assumed but had been written by him, and words only - tunes borrowed from other sources. Was 'When the chestnut blooms in flower' tune, which I played at the end of the service, written by David?

I must say I found, and still find, the 'Narrow Boats' LP quite moving, and even more so now. As Dave says the songs have that difficult to define 'authenticity' which I doubt anyone else will achieve in the same measure.

Regards

 

David L

Edited September 19, 2016 by fanshaft

[dave moore]

Thanks David. Folk tunes are indeed approximate, for me that is part of their charm. Anathema to a trained musician such as yourself perhaps, but not all folkies can read music. I doubt that many mourners would have picked up any variations in your playing, don't lose sleep! I must dig the CD out and listen again, not just for the songs but the voices of the boating fraternity who intersperse it.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Bugsworth Tippler]

You don't need to look for the lp or CD as the whole recording can be found here along with some additional comments from David :

 

http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/narrowboat_details.htm