Description
“The hole in the Elephant’s Bottom” is part two of a two cd set, and includes some of the best music hall,Variety and popular musical-hall/comedy/Tear jerking “folk Songs” from a century ago. I learned them as a child, from my parent’s music, their “78” collection, Pantomimes, the local pub when friday night included old Jim on the piano and a bar full of singers, 1960s/70’s folk clubs, and during the last 25 years as a professional entertainer as “Dr Burt- the one-man band”.
As a West country Englishman who is proud of his ethnic folk heritage, i know i am standing on the shoulders of these famous writers and entertainers as i perform these pieces.
These are some of the great songs of their -and our- Sing along , and enjoy!
1. The Hole in the elephant’s Bottom
2.Abdul Abulbul ameer
3.He Played his ukulele as the ship went down
4.Medley: Daisiy/Dickie bird?apple tree
5.The rose of Allendale
6. Silver threads among the gold
7.Waltzes: Nutley waltz/Princess Margaret’s
8. The sailors love
9. The old Sow
10.The old dun cow caught fire
11.Goodnight ladies/show me the way to go home
CD review by Tony Smith
TN158 – Oct 23
This is the second CD in Dan Burt’s music hall series.
As the cover explains in alliterative style that Chairman Leonard Sachs of BBC fame would have envied, ‘the menu’ consists of ‘Merry Music-Hall Mayhem, meaning mellifluous multifarious marvellously made music for the musically minded maniac of motley melodies’.
The fare is in fact eleven music hall classics.
‘Abdul Abulbul Ameer’ (Percy French), ‘The Old Dun Cow Caught Fire’ (Wincott), ‘He Played His Ukulele As the Ship Went Down’ (LeClerq), A medley of ‘Daisy, Dickie Bird and Apple Tree’ (Dakers, Connor, Williams and Van Elstyne), ‘The Rose of Allendale’ (Jefferys and Nelson), and ‘Silver Threads Among the Gold’ (Rexford and Danks) are those by acknowledged writers.
‘The Hole in the Elephant’s Bottom’, two waltzes: ‘The Nutley and Princess Margaret’s, ‘The Sailors Love’, ‘The Old Sow’ and ‘Goodnight Ladies/ Show Me the Way to Go Home’ are ‘Traditional’.
Dan Burt researched the songs and tunes, arranged them, sang, played accordions, piano, organ and percussion, recorded and engineered the album and did the artwork (phew!).
His accompaniment is very good, especially on the accordion, and his voice is mostly well suited to the music hall style of singing.
As I was listening to the CD, I could not help but think that he was doing very well considering that usually when we hear these songs they are supported by audience participation.
Music hall performers thrive on this contact and feedback and to sing the songs ‘cold’, as Burt does, would challenge any of the experienced stars of the Victorian and Edwardian theatre.
As Burt demonstrates, these pieces are about having fun.
As he says about the music hall legends whose work he reproduces, they deserve our thanks for keeping us all sane.
So does Dan Burt for reminding us about this enjoyable genre.
