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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

'..and the moon shone bright on Charlie Chaplin..'


redorchestra

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I'm trying to learn to play this song on ukulele after seeing it on the 'concert party' film thing at Talbot House.

Does anyone know where I can get a recording of it - old or modern? I can't find one anywhere and it's driving me mad!

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Can't help immediately. Are you aware that it's a parody and the music you are looking for is called 'The moon shines bright on pretty Red Wing"?

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George Chisholm when he wasn't producing 'Journey into space' for the steam radio did a couple of brilliant programs on the songs of the ACW and WW1 respectively. Both were put onto vinyl and I think (but can't be certain at this distance) that the CC song was on the latter. Sadly my vinyl collection was lost long ago. Its a record worth having anyway - much better than OWALW.

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Hello,

The Oldham Tinkers recorded a version of it. You could try Googling for their Web Site ! The tune is Little Redwing if I'm not mistaken. If everything else fails I can send you my interpretation (Key C).

Regards

Ron

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Yes I'm aware it is a parody. I'd be happy with either a recording of the original song or a version as sung by the soldiers.

Ironduke, I'd love to hear your version of the song! I have loads of different versions of Great War songs but am always looking for more. So far, the best collection I have is one someone from this forum lent me. I'm unsure of it's origin, but it seems quite possible to me that it is a recording of actual soldiers singing. It's great as it features all the good GW tunes but also a lot of music hall songs of the time such as 'Who's your lady friend?'

If anyone has any other interesting versions of songs of this period I'd love to hear them.

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Hello redorchestra

'Ironduke, I'd love to hear your version of the song!' Send me your email and I'll send lyrics with chords. Also When this Bloody War is over, if you haven't got it.

Regards

Ron

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When this Bloody War is over,

Hymns Ancient and Modern 'Take it to the Lord in Prayer' There appear to be at least three different versions of the words

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George Chisholm when he wasn't producing 'Journey into space' for the steam radio ...

George Chisholm, the trad jazz multi-instrumentalist?

Could you mean Charles Chilton, producer of 'Riders of the Range'? (He's still with us, incidentally - produced a one off 'return' to JIS a few months ago.)

Jim :unsure:

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George Chisholm, the trad jazz multi-instrumentalist?

Could you mean Charles Chilton, producer of 'Riders of the Range'? (He's still with us, incidentally - produced a one off 'return' to JIS a few months ago.)

Jim :unsure:

I don't suppose anyone knows where I could get this from? It sounds right up my alley, as Melchett might say.

I had a quick look on google but 'Charles Chilton' + war/music/world war one just brings up the soundtrack from OWALW..

I got the 'Alf Garnett sings the songs of the Great War' the other day. It's actually not bad! It's nice to hear some tunes that I've never heard anywhere else, like 'Here's to the good old beer' and 'How I hate to get up in the morning'..

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Hi Rote Kapelle

Lester Simpson of Coope, Boyes and Simpson was one of the performers in the "concert party" film. It might be worth contacting him about the music used in the production because I remember he told me that they did a lot of research into the music of the period for that film. Lester is also one of the presenters of BBC Radio Derby's "Folkwaves" programme.

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George Chisholm, the trad jazz multi-instrumentalist?

Could you mean Charles Chilton, producer of 'Riders of the Range'? (He's still with us, incidentally - produced a one off 'return' to JIS a few months ago.)

Quite right

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The Moon Shines Bright is on a CD sold at Talbot House. It is the recording from the video and also includes Lester Simpson singing Follow Me 'Ome. Quite why this was included I have no idea as Kipling wrote the poem years before WW1 but then Lester did write the music......

Try the In Flanders Fields Museum website also to see the CD; IIRC it is called Will Ye Go To Flanders. The title track is sung by June Tabor and it includes some especially written pieces, poetry recitations and also has a couple of hymns played on the old harmonium in the Talbot House Chapel.

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Here are copies of the original cylinder recordings,

in many audio formats

http://www.archive.org/details/ind-1366

http://www.archive.org/download/ind-1366/ind-1366_64kb.mp3

Here's the musical tabs

http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/mandotab/redwing.html

Here's a couple of midi's for the tune

http://www.perfessorbill.com/midi/redwing.mid

http://www.perfessorbill.com/midi/redwinga.mid

Hope that helps

(The Internet Archive is most usually

helpful for audio stuff like this)

Kind regards

Does anyone know where I can get a recording of it - old or modern?
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Ha!

I bet you wondered what it was when I sent you the link for it!

It goes well with wine at that 'right point' in the evening

Kind regards

I got the 'Alf Garnett sings the songs of the Great War' the other day. It's actually not bad!
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all audio formats here

http://www.archive.org/details/IrvingBerli...tUpInTheMorning

As I said, the Internet Archive is great for very very old music,

here's all they have of Harry Lauder for example:

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Ha...diatype%3Aaudio

Another good one The Last Long Mile

http://www.archive.org/details/CharlesHartShannonFour

kind regards

It's nice to hear some tunes that I've never heard anywhere else, like [..] 'How I hate to get up in the morning'..
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There's an informative article on Charles Chilton in the British Library's Sound Archive newsletter No.36 (Autumn 2006) see here (the article is on page 7). The ACW program that centurion recalled was 'The Blue & the Gray' broadcast in 1955. OWALW was based on his play 'The Long Long Trail' from 1961.

(Doesn't help with the OP's search, though...)

Jim

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Thanks everyone with your help. That sound file of 'Little Red Wing' is exactly what I was after!

Only problem is now it's going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day..

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The Moon Shines Bright is on a CD sold at Talbot House.

Got this cd from In Flanders Fields museum last year and didn't play it till I got home. This track is called The Happy Hoppers Medley on the cd and when I played it I almost wept. (I'm sensitive). My mum used to sing this to me when I was about 7. Slightly different words -

Oh the Moon shines bright on Chaplin Charlie

He swallowed a marlie

Which sent him Barmy

And his little baggy trousers ........ etc

Then a few months ago went to see Lester doing a performance called "Standing in Line" dedicated to his Gt Uncle Albert Scrimshaw lost in Flanders in 1917. Includes tracks such as "General Haig", "Parlez Vous", "When this Bloody War is over"

Cracking stuff

Owen Hales

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Try the In Flanders Fields Museum website also to see the CD; IIRC it is called Will Ye Go To Flanders. The title track is sung by June Tabor and it includes some especially written pieces, poetry recitations and also has a couple of hymns played on the old harmonium in the Talbot House Chapel.

I have played hymns on that harmonium and it is a very fine instrument. Most of the instruments which we call 'harmoniums' are, in fact, American organs - quite a different beast and inferior to the more expressive harmonium.

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  • 5 months later...
Another good one The Last Long Mile

http://www.archive.org/details/CharlesHartShannonFour

kind regards

I've just found this thread in a search and listened to this song after seeing it quoted in a book I'm reading. Emil Breitenfeld, who wrote it, was the father of jazzman Paul Desmond, best known for 'Take Five' with Dave Brubeck.

stirring stuff

cheers Martin B

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The words I learned in the RAF were:

Oh the moon shines bright on little Redwing

As she lay sleeping

A warrior creeping

Oh the moon shines bright on little redwing

As she lay dreaming of promised joys....

I think that's enough for this forum!

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The chorus of the Oldham Tinkers' version does not conjure up similar images, but goes

'The moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin

His boots are crackin' fer t' want o' blackin'

And his owd fusty cowt is wantin' mendin'

Until they send him to the Dardenelles'

Interesting to note, most of the other words in their version, which are all about buying fiddles, or stealing sausages come from songs very much older than the Great War.

Jack

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And his owd fusty cowt is wantin' mendin'

My Grandfather taught me "And his old baggy trousers they want mendin' " but I'm sure there are plenty of minor variations.

Keith

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  • 1 year later...

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