This was one of only two albums released by The Wurzels solely on cassette tape (the other being IDL22) . It has no catalogue number, being privately released in 1992. It is a live recording (with no studio additions) and is comprised of 11 tracks representing the typical set-list for the group at the time of recording. Song Lyrics Collectors' Extras
This album was an interesting release. It is a 11 track live recording taken from a gig in Barnstable (quite possibly at the Queen's Theatre) organised by their manager of the time Wally Dent (Wally Dent Entertainments). The date of the recording is unclear: At one point in the proceedings Pete Budd can be heard wishing everyone a prosperous 92 which would tie it down to 1991 or 1992. The release itself would have been in 1992. Present on the recording are Pete Budd, Tommy Banner, John Morgan and Dave Wintour - all of whom are shown on the cassette sleeve. The album was only sold at gigs, it was not marketed commercially. From a musical and performance point of view it is not of the best standard or quality but an interesting item to hear none the less.
The examples below are taken from the collection of Professor Wurzel and it seems possible that other variations may be out there somewhere! Although the cassette case insert is consistently identical there are at least six variations of the cassette tape shell itself. The recording on the tapes is always consistent. Following the original release it appears that the cassette itself was reproduced several times- probably by the original company working under different company names (eg AFS Television and APR Media, both based in Taunton Somerset). The sleeve insert is consistently the same - including the copyright information. The cassette case body changes as indicated below:
Image 1: The initial pressing of Mendip Magic 1992
Image 2: The second pressing, most likely to have been after the group left the 'Wally Dent Entertainments' management group. Copyright on the cassette body now given as 'AFS Television, Taunton'
Image 3: This pressing is identical to image 2 but on a light-cream coloured shell. Probably pressed at the same time. Copyright on the cassette body is again 'AFS Television, Taunton'
Image 4: This pressing probably came after image 3 and is of a much poorer quality. Copyright on the cassette body is again 'AFS Television, Taunton'
Image 5: This pressing was done using a slightly cheaper method - tape was copied and a preprinted sticker put on a blank case. This was the first copy to have copyright on the cassette body declared to be 'APR Video Taunton'
Image 6: This pressing is of the same construction to the one in Image 5 but is the first version to actually have a date on it. This was probably produced when Tommy Banner was directly managing the group himself as the copyright on the cassette body has now changed to 'T Banner'.
The insert for this cassette album in all its variations was always plain. This rare example has been autographed by Pete Budd, Tommy Banner , John Morgan and Dave Wintour.
This autographed insert is particularly rare - signed by Pete Budd and Tommy Banner it is also annotated with the words 'happiness always' and signed by Yvonne Cutler, Adge's widow.
Where be the blackbird to, I knows where he be He be up yon Wurzel tree and I be after 'ee Now I sees 'ee, and 'ee sees I Buggered if I don't get him With a gurt big stick I'll knock him down Blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee La la la la la la, la la la la la la (Altogether now) How's your Father? All right All me life I'm on the farm, working for me keep Tending pigs and chickens, and they cows and sheep But everywhere I'm working, there's one who always mocks me He's hiding somewhere up thit tree, blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee Where be the blackbird to, I knows where he be He be up yon Wurzel tree and I be after 'ee Now I sees 'ee, and 'ee sees I Buggered if I don't get him With a gurt big stick I'll knock him down Blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee La la la la la la, la la la la la la (Come on now) How's your Father? All right Underneath the open sky in Spring we loves to dine I likes to hear the flapping of the missis washing line I listens to a tuneful song, a blackbird or a tit But on me vest and underpants he's scored a direct hit Where be the blackbird to, I knows where he be He be up yon Wurzel tree and I be after 'ee Now I sees 'ee, and 'ee sees I Buggered if I don't get him With a gurt big stick I'll knock him down Blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee La la la la la la, la la la la la la (Upstairs) How's your Father? All right No longer can I sleep at night, get peace of any kind That bird'll be the death of I, he's preyin’ on me mind And if I chase him long enough, I'll catch him by and by And celebrate me victory with a gurt big blackbird pie Where be the blackbird to, I knows where he be He be up yon Wurzel tree and I be after 'ee Now I sees 'ee, and 'ee sees I Buggered if I don't get him With a gurt big stick I'll knock him down Blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee With a gurt big stick I'll knock him down Blackbird I'll 'ave 'ee La la la la la la, la la la la la la How's your Father? All right Side 1 The Champion DungspreaderNow some folks like to boast, of their Father's occupation Dustman and the like, in other situations Not so, our old man, working was his pride In his hobnail boots and gaiters, and a dung fork at his side (Chorus) Hi ho, fiddle iddle o, Chesterfield and Cheddar Hi ho the folks all know he's the champion dung spreader Now many years ago, when Dad was in his power With a mighty two hand swipe, he hit the old church tower Lord help us cried the vicar, t'is judgement come Not so said the verger, t'is a hundred weight of dung (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Come on let's get those hands clapping now Now his aim was straight and true, and when his arms start flailing We'd all duck out the way when they gurt brown lumps go sailing Just leave our old man where the dung lies piled up thick And he'll make it fly for miles with his gurt big blackthorn stick (Repeat Chorus) Now as you all can see, Father's quite contented He's got the finest job since working were invented And when our old man lays him down to die In a forty-acre field with the dung piled six foot high {Spoken] Altogether (Repeat Chorus) Hi ho, fiddle iddle o, Chesterfield and Cheddar Hi ho, wo wo wo oh oh oh oh [Spoken] [Pete] Don't bloody laugh, you gotta scream girls, scream Oh was that screaming was it? [Tommy] Shut up [Pete] I've heard chickens made more fuss when they'm laying eggs…. What a.. [Tommy] Why should, why should they scream, why? [Pete] Well what do you mean why, you ought to know that [Tommy] Why? We're in the pop business and Shakin' Stevens was here the other week And they was screaming then, and I was shaking it, won I? [Tommy] Listen, I can lip read and this 'un said to that 'un there The Lady Mayoress said to she, she said you are too bloody old to be Shakin' Stevens [Pete] That's nice innit, I didn't, I didn't come here to be insulted and I was shaking long before bloody Shakin' Stevens was shaking won I, in fact I'm still shaking now, mostly in private but I'm still trying The folks all know oh woh woh woh oh [Spoken] Ah, this bit Yeah yeah Marvellous how you all laugh at arthritis innit, oh He's the champion dung spreaderSide 1 Keep yer Hand on yer Ha'penny (Chorus) Keep yer hand on yer ha'penny Cover him well with your palm Keep yer hand on yer ha'penny And Molly will come to no harm When Molly began to go courting Her Mother was anxious to tell How certain young fellas could want her To stray down the pathway to hell And Molly's old Ma used to sing…. [Spoken] Come on girls, altogether now (Repeat Chorus) They'll hug you and kiss you so sweetly Make you feel ever so nice But handle them fellas discreetly Follow this simple advice And follow this simple advice…. [Spoken] And the ones upstairs, everybody (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] That's what she thinks! Hey hey When Molly and me went out courting I told her she'd nothing to fear But down in the cowshed last Sunday I whispered these words in her ear Take yer hand off yer ha'penny Look into me bonny blue eyes Take yer hand off yer ha'penny I'll give you a lovely surprise (And I did) (Repeat Chorus x 2) Molly will come to no harm Molly will come to no harmSide 1 The Combine Harvester I drove my tractor through your haystack last night (ooh ar ooh ar) I threw my pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet (ooh ar ooh ar) Now something's telling me, that you're avoiding me (ooh ar ooh ar) Come on now darling you got something I need (Chorus) Cos I've got a brand-new combine harvester and I'll give you the key Come on now let's get together in perfect harmony I got twenty acres, and you got forty-three Oh, I got a brand-new combine harvester and I'll give you the key [Spoken] She made I to laugh I'll stick by you I'll give you all that you need (oh ar oh ar) We'll have twins and triplets, I'm a man built for speed (oh ar oh ar) And you know I love you darling, so give me your hand (oh ar oh ar) But the thing I wants the most is all your acres of land (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Who loves ya baby, ha ha Weren't we a grand couple at that last Wurzel dance I wore brand new gaiters and me corduroy pants In your new Sunday dress, with your perfume smelling grand We had our photos took of us holding hands Cos, I got a brand-new combine harvester and I'll give you the key Now that we're both past our fifties I think that you and me Should stop this gallivanting, and will you marry me Cos, I got a brand-new combine harvester and I'll give you the key [Spoken] Arr you're a fine-looking woman, I can't wait to get me hands on your landSide 1 Theme from Love Story* / Black & White Rag* / Chitterling(Chorus) Chitterling, chitterling, chitterling Chitterling is all I crave Fill I up with chitterling And think of all the cash you'll save You can do Irish stew or cordon bleu Stuff it where you stuff your fancy suits You can buy it soft or hard By the pound or by the yard Chitterling's the stuff to give the troops Now back in Queen Victoria's time they held a grand affair A real royal spree at the Russian Embassy Old Albert and Victoria they went there for the ride Thinking it a change from toast for tea Her Majesty was not amused when right in front the Tsar Old Albert coughed, and his false teeth fell out And as they fell into a bucket full of caviar The royal consort he began to shout (Repeat Chorus) Now when William Shakespeare wrote his famous Taming Of The Shrew He couldn't sleep at night, he stayed awake by candlelight He chewed his pen and burnt the midnight oil to no avail Cos nowt could save him from his sorry plight When suddenly a knock was heard [Spoken] Is that acting, is it? Almost, as he went to retire It was his sweetheart Annie Hathaway She said oh Will I've come to give you all that you desire His eyes lit up and he began to say (Repeat Chorus) Now on the fifth day of November back in sixteen hundred and five A stealthy figure went to the Houses of Parliament And beneath his cloak he carried a gurt barrel in his hand It was Guy Fawkes that night on mischief bent [Spoken] I didn't know that, was he? A soldier of the Royal Guard said 'ello, what's this yer A-spying of the cask beneath his cloak Pray tell me Sir what's in that cask, I'm sure it can't be scrump Old Guy took off his hat and softly spoke (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Come on now (Repeat Chorus) Chitterling's the stuff to give the troops [Note: * Theme From Love Story and Black & White Rag are both instrumental tunes] Lyrics Kindly transcribed by M.Pelling & E.Bryant, Verified by Professor Wurzel
When the nights are dark and stormy And the bitter North wind blows From the fields of Shirehampton Where the muddy Avon flows Where the Pillites gently ride Floating on the river from the other side The boat starts heaving, you'll hear them singing Floating on the tide (Chorus) Pill Pill I love thee still, even though I'm leaving Pill Pill I love thee still, when the ferry boat starts heaving When the rain downpours, thunder roars, lightning flashes bright I'll be better by far in The Duke or The Star Than on the old Pill ferry tonight [Spoken] Come on then, let's get those hands clapping now On the seven seas I've wandered Back to Pill I shall return When the hard-earned cash is squandered For the local girls I yearn Captain Captain carry me Sail me up the Channel past Portbury Head me down South towards Avonmouth And happy I will be (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Any Morris dancers out there, here's your big chance now [Instrumental] (Repeat Chorus) Take me where it's warm and cosy Down there with they happy boys Where the cheeks are red and rosy Hobblers, hobblers, hobble-de-hoys Where the bitter winter sleet Creeps across the riverbank and chills your feet For miles around, you'll hear the sound Coming down Pill Street (Repeat Chorus) Well I'll be better by far in The Duke or The Star Than on the old Pill ferry tonight Woah woah woah oh Side 2 Twice Daily[Spoken] You all know this little song When I were a lad, I were so glad to go out in the daytime With me fork and a bottle and a cork and help out in the haytime Tossing hay upon the mound, I met young Lucy Bailey I said “my dear are you often here?” she said “yes sir, twice daily” [Spoken] She made a man out of I, she did We had such fun in the summer sun, Lucy were so thrilling Sweet and pure, and I weren't sure, that that young maid were willing Till one day among the hay, we was working gaily When her upped and slipped, and summat ripped and I went there twice daily [Spoken] Happened down Butcher's row that did ha ha She said “my dear, I do feel queer, I think I oughta tell 'ee It aint new bread”, her sadly said, “the swelling of me belly” I ordered her to go to Dr Joe and she went off quite gaily He gave her a dollop, a gurt thick jollop and said take that twice daily [Spoken] Syrup of figs went straight through it did an' all Lucy's Dad, he were very mad 'er chased I round the hay mound He said “my son, you've had your fun, the time has come to pay now My girl you'll wed,” the old man said as he waved his shotgun gaily “If you don't” he said, “I'll put some lead where you won't go there twice daily” [Spoken] That put some bloody colour in me cheeks, I'll tell you an' all Lucy's joy, she had a little boy 'er was a lickle darling He were round and fat like a Cheshire cat, perky as a starling Skin were smooth as a cider jar and they called him Buster Bailey They fed him on swedes and charlock weeds and a pint of scrump twice daily [Spoken] Little bugger never did like that Cow and Gate see Very next day in the month of May they held the ceremony They paid off thit vicar with a gallon of liquor and went to church on a pony Village folks from miles around, waved and shouted gaily That there's no doubt, you'll get caught out, if youm goes there twice daily [Spoken] Very easiest thing to fall in with, that one Now we're old, and me story's been told, forty years together And we often stray in the summer hay in the good old summertime weather Kids we got full ten or more and I goes on quite gaily Though I'm old and I'm grey-ey-hey, I can still get me hey hey hey [Spoken] Yeah, and I can still go there twice daily Side 2 Somerset Jigalo (instrumental)Side 2 Morning Glory(Chorus) One for the morning glory, two for the early dew Three for the man who stands his round And four for the love of you, my girl Four for the love of you I like a little drink at the end of the day, to raise up me voice and sing Spend an hour or two with a fine brown brew and I'm ready for anything At the Cross Keys Inn there were sisters four, the Landlord's daughters fair And when all was quiet on a Winter's night, I tiptoed up the stairs [Spoken] Let me hear you now (Repeat Chorus) I got the call from foreign shores, to sail and fight the foe And I thought no more of the sisters four, though I'm sad to go So, I sailed away in a ship, ‘The Morning Glory’ was her name And we'd all fall down when the rum went round, but we'd get up and fight again [Spoken] Come on now everybody (Repeat Chorus x 3) Side 2 I Am A Cider DrinkerWhen the moon shines on the cowshed And we're rolling in the hay All the cows are up there grazing And the milk is on its way (Chorus) I am a cider drinker I drinks it all of the day I am a cider drinker It soothes all me troubles away Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay [Spoken] Come on my darlings ha ha It's so cosy, in the kitchen With the smell of rabbit stew When the breeze blows 'cross the farmyard You can smell the cowsheds too [Spoken] Oh, I never smelt nothing like that lot in all me life When the combine wheel stops turning And the hard day's work is done There's a pub around the corner It's the place we'll have our fun [Spoken] We can all have some fun an' all (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Look at old Mabel out there now Dear old Mabel, when she's able We take a stroll down Lover's Lane And we sink a pint of scrumpy And we play old nature's game (Wo ho ho, ooh arr) And we end up in the duckpond When the pub decides to close With me britches, full of tadpoles And newts between me toes [Spoken] I want everybody sing with me now, come on (Repeat Chorus) [Spoken] Everybody hands above your head, let's go (Repeat Chorus) Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay [Spoken] Let cider be the spice of life ah [Spoken] Thank you, thank you Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay [Spoken] Everybody Ooh arr ooh arr ay (I can't hear you) ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay [Spoken] I want 'ee all to sing I am a cider drinker, I drinks it all of the day I am the cider drinker, it's soothing all me troubles away Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay Ooh arr ooh arr ay, ooh arr ooh arr ay [Spoken] Well sincerely Ladies and Gentlemen of Barnstaple, I'd like to thank you all so much for being such a lovely warm crowd here tonight. I'd like to wish you all a long and happy life, but most of all a most prosperous ninety-two. Until we all meet again, goodnight and God bless you one and all, thank you Side 2 Drink Up Thee CiderDrink up thee cider George, pass us round the mug Drink up thee cider George, the garden's ver’ nigh dug Your cheeks been getting redder, from Charterhouse to Cheddar And there's still more cider in the jug Drink up thee cider, drink up thee cider For tonight we'll merry be (Merry be) We'll knock the milk churns over, and roll ‘em in the clover The corn's half cut and so be we Drink up the cider George, thee bissen’t going far Drink up thee cider George, youm getting quite a star There's dung all over your taters, and halfway up your gaiters And there's still more cider in the jar Drink up thee cider, drink up thee cider For tonight we'll merry be (Merry be) We'll knock the milk churns over, and roll ‘em in the clover The corn's half cut and so be we Drink up the cider George, get up off the mat Drink up thy cider George, put on your Sunday hat Cos we'em off to Barrow Gurney, to see my brother Ernie And there's still more cider in the vat Drink up thee cider, drink up thee cider For tonight we'll merry be (Merry be) We'll knock the milk churns over, and roll ‘em in the clover The corn's half cut and so be we [Spoken] Everybody now Drink up thee (cider) Drink up thee (cider) For tonight (for tonight we'll merry be) merry be We'll knock the milk churns over, and roll ‘em in the clover The corn's half cut and so be we [Spoken] Here we go now Drink up thee cider, drink up thee cider For tonight we'll merry be (Merry be) We'll knock the milk churns over, and roll ‘em in the clover The corn's half cut and so be we [Spoken] People of Barnstaple, put your hands above your head, everybody, I want you all to sway from side to side and I want you all to sing with me, and so be we And so be we….