In honour of the annual Talk Like A Pirate Day, which was
celebrated earlier this week and takes place every September 19 (and at the
behest of my colleague Beccy), today I bring you something a little pirate-y (as Mr Mann would put it).
In 1962 Jon Pertwee – comic actor and the man who would
go on to be THE Doctor Who (for my generation at least) recorded an album
entitled Jon Pertwee Sings Songs for Vulgar Boatmen. Released on the Philips
label, the album also spawned two EPs, amusingly titled Jon Pertwee Sings
Songs for Vulgar Boatmen No. 1 and the even more original Jon Pertwee Sings
Songs for Vulgar Boatmen No. 2.
Born in 1919, Pertwee’s career began shortly before World
War 2, appearing as an ‘extra’ in the films A Yank At Oxford and The Four Just
Men. He served in the Royal Navy before returning to the screen in 1946 (in
Trouble in the Air), but it was on radio where he started to make a name for
himself, in series including the long-running the Navy Lark. But for many of us
it will be his stint as the third (if you discount peter Cushing in the cinema
adaptations) Dr Who for which he will be forever remembered.
The tracks Pertwee performed on Songs for Vulgar Boatmen remind
me a lot of Kenneth Williams’ brilliant Rambling Syd Rumpo songs and it’s clear
that the producers of this cacophony were trying to appeal to the same
audience. The humour is broad and not very sophisticated and even the sleeve
notes are little more than a ham-fisted attempt at Carry On-style cheap laughs:
Jon Pertwee…creates the remarkable illusion that he is not singing at all; we
needed the specialised treatment of a man unshackled by trained musical
technology; how to get the best out of this record: a blunt, or slightly
chipped mind will be a great help. An added bonus is that the tracks are
arranged (and, in the case of What a Shame, co-written) by our old friend Ivor Raymonde, who had worked with Williams on Hancock’s Half Hour.
The original choice for the role of Captain Mainwaring in
Dad’s Army (his cousin Bill Pertwee played Warden Hodges), Songs for Vulgar
Boatmen wouldn’t be Pertwee’s only brush with music: he later released singles
in the UK based on his portrayal of Dr Who and inspired by his other great
role, that of the perennial children’s favourite Worzel Gummidge.
Enjoy!
9/22/12
ReplyDeleteRobGems.ca Wrote:
This "Vulgar Boatmen" album cover & songs within the insides of the album sort of reminds me of the numerous 1950's & 60's albums that Canadian folkie Oscar Brand did with his series of "Bawdy Songs" albums he did for Audio-Fidelity & later Elektra Records starting in 1955, and continuing as late as the 1970's, including bawdy sea shanties & dirty sailor songs. This LP must make Jon Portwee sort of the British equivilent of Brand's bawdy humor, especially the sea shanty variety. Speaking of which, do you plan to upload any of Oscar Brand's dirty (fot the 1950's, but rather tame these days)"Bawdy Folk Albums" on your blog? Two filthy songs I recomend by Mr. Brand: "Blinded By Turds" (1959, from the LP "Bawdy Western Songs", Audio-Fidelity Records), & The original "Ring-Dang-Doo" (1956, Bawdy folk Songs volumes 1-3), later re-worked into a Top-40 Rock song by Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs (M-G-M Records, 1965.)Recomended For Mr. Brand's collection of foul Sea Shanties: "Old Time Bawdy Sea Shanties" (1957, Audio-Fidelity Records). I'm not sure if Mr. Portwee got an American release in the U.S.; Phillips Records didin't form as an American imprint until 1962, so it could be a possibillity.)
not his only brush with music - this is one of jon pertwee's i remember from some kid's album i had as a child - 'runaway train' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg-AVGUSWys
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