Description
Book and CD
Full description of the product: The book contains I think 71 songs and a CD, which offers a single verse/chorus/bridge for the first 43 songs, so that non-music readers like me can learn the tunes. The other 28 are in a section called Trash or Treasure; it contains songs that have no tune as yet; songs for which I abandoned or have forgotten the tune; obsolete but still funny topical satire songs; songs that are now recitations (like The Cockroach). There are also explanations of most songs and odd photos from my eccentric past life.
Final Pecking Order is a double CD of my best recorded songs from the last 35 or so years, and was intended to be my last market offering. They are not all sung by me; there are versions of my songs by artists such as Bernard Carney and Jackie Luke.
Farewell Jack is my post-ultimate CD, the darn songs would not stop popping up in my head. Its central song, and the one the title refers to, is addressed to my father, first sung at his graveside in Co Tipperary. I don’t think there will be any more CDs from me, but as Ollie Hardy used to say, “One never knows, do one?”
I am approaching 70 and have been alternating between folk clubs and festivals and living in Mongolia (for over 5 years) and Laos (for about 3 years). I have appeared at many Nationals and lots of festivals, but now I just roll up and play backboards if I feel like it. I have been film, radio, TV and stage actor; Hobart city alderman; high school teacher; Santa Claus; and ABC breakfast presenter. I also wrote a number one hit in Mongolia (in Mongolian, which I do not speak).
Many CD sales have been for the song Breathe Softly, attracting folk who are planning their own funeral; it is apparently a good song for shuffling off this mortal coil, so if you don’t hear it here, you are bound to hear it for eternity when you get to heaven.
David O’Connor – O’Connor Bodies
CD review by Chris Spencer
Some people write their autobiographies when they retire, but David O’Connor decided to compile all the songs he has written in a book accompanied by a CD!
O’Connor has worked as a teacher, actor, one man band entertainer in schools and as a volunteer in Mongolia!
He has recorded several albums, the first in 1985 and the most recent in 2008 (Farewell Jack).
He also released 4 cassettes of children’s songs and stories.
As he describes in his introduction, he doesn’t believe he is a good singer or guitarist but he isn’t so modest about his song-writing abilities, particularly his parodies of other people’s songs.
This book and CD consists of 71 songs – the songbook has the lyrics printed out with the chords and an explanation about how each came to be, providing some background to the songs.
The CD contains only the verse, chorus and bridge to the first 43 songs to assist musicians who do not read music to learn the tune and provide their own arrangements, if necessary.
So from a folk listener’s point of view, the CD isn’t much chop, but to a musician or band wanting to learn O’Connor’s songs, it’s a bonus!
The book also contains photographs of O’Connor in various guises, a clipping of his article in Trad & Now (October 2010) and a complete discography and track listings of all his releases.
I’d be interested in hearing a compilation album of his music and that of some of the bands he was in.
Perhaps David has that in mind for a future project.
