Oh! That Lancashire Jazz Band
John Howarth vocal; Gerry Kearns & Larry Kearns chorus; Chris Holmes, piano; Pete Taylor, bass; Pete Staples, drums.
Talk about your Yankee jazz bands,
Talk about your Sousa’s brass bands ---
I’ve got a band,
It’s the finest in the land ----
It’s a jazz! It’s a jazz! It’s a jazz!
Talk about your ragtime one-steps,
Talk about your hot-cross-bun steps
I’m hot ----when I get upon the spot
With my jazz ----- with my jazz ----- Hitchy – koo!
Toodle – oo! Same to you!
And likewise Cockadoodle – doo !
First Chorus.
Oh ! Oh ! that Lancasheer Jazz band
Oh ! Oh ! By gum ! Gee-whiz ! it’s grand !
When I start you bet there’s something doin’,
Folks all say that I’m the flapper’s ruin,
When they hear me start to play,
“ Any rags --- any bottles to-day?”
When like this I start to sway, ----
Ev’rybody thinks I’m canned;
The girls and dogs all follow me for miles,
And our Tom Cat goes jazzing on the tiles,
When they hear ------ when they hear
My Lancasheer Jazz band.
See this honey boy from Bootle,
When the ladies hear me tootle,
They give a sigh,
And they look at me and cry,
“It’s a bear! It’s a bear! It’s a bear!
When I play my rag sonatas,
Everybody throws tomatoes -----
By gum! I’m a devil on the drum
With my jazz ---- with my jazz ---- I’m the goods !
It’s the biz ---- yes, it is ------
Yacka – hickidoo ----- gee whizz !
Second Chorus
Oh ! Oh ! that Lancasheer Jazz band !
Oh ! Oh ! say kiddo, it’s just grand !
See this chap from the cottonfields of Wigan
Bang that drum, by gum ! it is a big ‘un ---
I’m the real guy when I play
"Any rags ---- any bottles to-day ?”
When like this I start to sway
Everybody thinks I’m canned ;
When I play on my cornet “The Swanee river flows”
Folks all think I’m trying to blow my nose,
When they hear ---- when they hear ----
My Lancasheer Jazz band.
PATTER
John : Eee, Jazz, I like it!
Larry : What the roastin’ hell is that when it’s at home?
John : Jazz, Jazz!
Larry: Do you like it? Ho I don’t, I’d rather have some proper music, me!
John : What sort?
Larry : Something that hits me right there, under mi shirt, something with patriotism.
John : Oh! something like, “Mother hold the candle whilst I save the chicken’s leg!
Larry: No, not that one, the other one about ‘Kiss Me Hardy” and all that! I know a belter, it’s called “It Was In Trafalgar’s Bay.
John : Oh “ Know that one, but let me do it my way.
Larry : O.K. then.
Last Chorus
Oh ! Oh ! ‘twas on Trafalgar’s Bay !
Oh ! Oh ! we saw the Frenchmen lay ----
Every heart was beating like a good ‘un,
When we found their ships were only wooden,
Then I heard Lord Nelson say,
“Any rags ----- any bottles to-day ?”
Down the line this signal ran -----
“England expects that ev’ry man ---- will do his bit” ----
And when my drumsticks they began to fly,
That’s how poor old Nelson lost his eye,
Then he roared,
“Overboard
With your Lancasheer Jazz band.”
Oh! That Lancashire Jazz Band.
John Howarth, Gerry Kearns, Larry Kearns, vocal trio; Chris Holmes, piano; Pete Taylor, bass; Pete Staples, drums.
Copyrighted in 1919 and first sung by George Bass, this song smacks heavily of many other pieces of its era, not least George Formby Senior’s John Willie’s Ragtime Band - also recorded by the Oldham Tinkers, on ‘Best O’T’ Bunch’ (Topic 12TS237)
Oh! That Lancashire Jazz Band is one of several songs that link an exaggerated tripe- and-cogwheel image with that of the seemingly colourful American world of syncopation. The inclusion of a real jazz trio was John’s idea and these talented musicians gave the track some ‘umph’. The piece was written by Wynn Stanley and Andrew Allen.
John Howarth, Gerry Kearns, Larry Kearns, vocal trio; Chris Holmes, piano; Pete Taylor, bass; Pete Staples, drums.
Copyrighted in 1919 and first sung by George Bass, this song smacks heavily of many other pieces of its era, not least George Formby Senior’s John Willie’s Ragtime Band - also recorded by the Oldham Tinkers, on ‘Best O’T’ Bunch’ (Topic 12TS237)
Oh! That Lancashire Jazz Band is one of several songs that link an exaggerated tripe- and-cogwheel image with that of the seemingly colourful American world of syncopation. The inclusion of a real jazz trio was John’s idea and these talented musicians gave the track some ‘umph’. The piece was written by Wynn Stanley and Andrew Allen.
HO! That Lancashire Jazz Band
That Lancashire Band 12TS399 stereo
The Oldham Tinkers
First published by TOPIC 1979
Produced by Tony Russell
Recorded by John Brierley, Cargo Recording Studio, Rochdale, April 1979
Notes by Larry Kearns
Released under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England
That Lancashire Band PIERCD 504
Re issued in 2000 by Pier Records
Pier Records is a Wooden Hill Recordings Ltd Label
That Lancashire Band 12TS399 stereo
The Oldham Tinkers
First published by TOPIC 1979
Produced by Tony Russell
Recorded by John Brierley, Cargo Recording Studio, Rochdale, April 1979
Notes by Larry Kearns
Released under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England
That Lancashire Band PIERCD 504
Re issued in 2000 by Pier Records
Pier Records is a Wooden Hill Recordings Ltd Label