Cyril Tawney
Encyclopedia
Cyril Tawney was an English singer-songwriter
, proponent of the traditional songs of the West of England and traditional and modern maritime songs.
at the age of sixteen, serving for thirteen years, several of which were spent in submarines. During his service he developed a lifelong interest in English traditional music.
While still in the Navy in 1957, he performed on an Alan Lomax
radio show broadcast on Christmas Day, Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year. He appeared on television on the following Easter Sunday. It went well, and soon he had a weekly television spot and a networked show Watch Aboard. Encouraged by these successes, he left the Navy early in 1959 to become a full-time professional musician and broadcaster and earned his living in this way for 44 years, making him Britain's longest-standing professional folksinger.
He continued to work in broadcasting, and had a weekly radio show, "Folkspin." Meanwhile, he researched traditional songs of southwest England and 20th century Royal Navy songs. In the early 1960s he established his first folk club in Plymouth
where he met his wife Rosemary. He founded the West of England Folk Centre and was instrumental in setting up folk clubs in other places in the region. He is often referred to as the Founding Father of the West Country folk revival.
His song The Oggie Man written in 1959, appeared on the album A Cold Wind Blows on the Elektra ’66 label. It reappeared in 1971 on the Decca Record Company Ltd
album The World of Folk. The song tells the story of the disappearance of the 'Oggie Man' from the Devonport Naval Dockyard replaced by the hot dog sellers (the big boys of the song). The Oggie Man previously sold his oggies
(pasties) to sailors returning from sea, from a box at the dock's Albert Gate. It is believed that the sale of oggies here, dates back to the 1700s.
The first verse runs
In addition to studying traditional songs, he composed a number of his own songs, the majority being written when he was still in the Royal Navy and relating to that period, for example Chicken on a Raft, which is in the call and response
style of sea shanties
. The song makes reference to an unpopular dish served in the Royal Navy, consisting of fried egg on fried bread, called "chicken on a raft." The chorus is as follows:
The song was recorded by The Young Tradition
, on their 1967 EP
, also titled Chicken on a Raft.
Tawney's song, Sally Free And Easy, written in the late 1950s was covered by numerous folk artists, including Carolyn Hester
, Dorris Henderson
and John Renbourn
, Davey Graham
, Pentangle
, The Corries
, Marianne Faithful and Bob Dylan
. The song is about an affair Tawney had with a girl who cheated on him.
Beginning in 1972, Tawney studied English and History at Lancaster University
. After he graduated, he obtained a master's degree from Leeds University Institute of Dialect and Folklife Studies. In 1987, Tawney's book Grey Funnel Lines: Traditional Song and Verse of the Royal Navy 1900 to 1970, was published by Routledge.
Tawney's last public performance was Easter 2004, at the Lancaster Maritime Festival. He died of a bacterial infection in 2005 after a long illness. Shortly after his death, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
covered Tawney's song On a Monday Morning for their 2005 debut album, Cruel Sister.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, proponent of the traditional songs of the West of England and traditional and modern maritime songs.
Biography
Perhaps due to Tawney's family tradition of Naval service, Tawney joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at the age of sixteen, serving for thirteen years, several of which were spent in submarines. During his service he developed a lifelong interest in English traditional music.
While still in the Navy in 1957, he performed on an Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
radio show broadcast on Christmas Day, Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year. He appeared on television on the following Easter Sunday. It went well, and soon he had a weekly television spot and a networked show Watch Aboard. Encouraged by these successes, he left the Navy early in 1959 to become a full-time professional musician and broadcaster and earned his living in this way for 44 years, making him Britain's longest-standing professional folksinger.
He continued to work in broadcasting, and had a weekly radio show, "Folkspin." Meanwhile, he researched traditional songs of southwest England and 20th century Royal Navy songs. In the early 1960s he established his first folk club in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
where he met his wife Rosemary. He founded the West of England Folk Centre and was instrumental in setting up folk clubs in other places in the region. He is often referred to as the Founding Father of the West Country folk revival.
His song The Oggie Man written in 1959, appeared on the album A Cold Wind Blows on the Elektra ’66 label. It reappeared in 1971 on the Decca Record Company Ltd
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
album The World of Folk. The song tells the story of the disappearance of the 'Oggie Man' from the Devonport Naval Dockyard replaced by the hot dog sellers (the big boys of the song). The Oggie Man previously sold his oggies
Pasty
A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
(pasties) to sailors returning from sea, from a box at the dock's Albert Gate. It is believed that the sale of oggies here, dates back to the 1700s.
The first verse runs
And the rain softly falling and the Oggie man’s no more.
I can’t hear him calling like I used to before.
I came through the gateway and I heard the sergeant say,
The big boys are a coming see their stands across the way,
And the rains softly falling and the Oggie man’s no more.
In addition to studying traditional songs, he composed a number of his own songs, the majority being written when he was still in the Royal Navy and relating to that period, for example Chicken on a Raft, which is in the call and response
Call and response
Call and response is a form of "spontaneous verbal and non-verbal interaction between speaker and listener in which all of the statements are punctuated by expressions from the listener."...
style of sea shanties
Sea shanty
A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...
. The song makes reference to an unpopular dish served in the Royal Navy, consisting of fried egg on fried bread, called "chicken on a raft." The chorus is as follows:
Chicken on a raft on a Monday morning,
Oh, what a terrible sight to see,
The Dabtoes forrard and the dustmen aft,
Sittin' there a'pickin' at a chicken on a raft!
The song was recorded by The Young Tradition
The Young Tradition
The Young Tradition were a British folk group of the 1960s, formed by Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood and Heather Wood. They recorded three albums of mainly traditional British folk music, sung in arrangements for their three unaccompanied voices.-Biography:...
, on their 1967 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, also titled Chicken on a Raft.
Tawney's song, Sally Free And Easy, written in the late 1950s was covered by numerous folk artists, including Carolyn Hester
Carolyn Hester
Carolyn Hester is an American folk singer and songwriter. She was a figure in the early 1960s folk music revival.-Biography:...
, Dorris Henderson
Dorris Henderson
Dorris Henderson was an American-born, United Kingdom-based folk music singer and autoharp player.-Early years:Born in Lakeland, Florida but raised in Los Angeles, she was the daughter of an African American clergyman and the granddaughter of a Blackfoot Native American...
and John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
, Davey Graham
Davey Graham
David Michael Gordon "Davey" Graham, originally spelled Davy Graham, , was a British guitarist and one of the most influential figures in the 1960s British folk revival...
, Pentangle
Pentangle
Pentangle may refer to:*another word for a pentagram, a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes*Pentangle , a British folk-rock band*The Pentangle, the 1968 album by the band Pentangle...
, The Corries
The Corries
The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
, Marianne Faithful and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. The song is about an affair Tawney had with a girl who cheated on him.
"... and when he was out in Gibraltar during the war, he was in the submarine service, and he had rather an unfortunate affair with a girl, who two-timed him, and her name was Sally, and he wrote a song about it called Sally Free and Easy." - Roy Williamson, introducing the song on the album "The Corries in Concert"
Beginning in 1972, Tawney studied English and History at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
. After he graduated, he obtained a master's degree from Leeds University Institute of Dialect and Folklife Studies. In 1987, Tawney's book Grey Funnel Lines: Traditional Song and Verse of the Royal Navy 1900 to 1970, was published by Routledge.
Tawney's last public performance was Easter 2004, at the Lancaster Maritime Festival. He died of a bacterial infection in 2005 after a long illness. Shortly after his death, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
The Unthanks are an English folk group from Northumberland, known for their eclectic approach in combining traditional English folk with other musical genres.-Rachel Unthank and the Winterset:...
covered Tawney's song On a Monday Morning for their 2005 debut album, Cruel Sister.
Songs
Songs written by Cyril Tawney include:- Cheering the Queen
- Chicken on a Raft (naval slang)
- Five-foot Flirt
- Grey Funnel LineCustoms and traditions of the Royal NavyThere are many customs and traditions associated with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. These include formal customs including separate crests associated with ships, ensigns and fleet reviews...
- Stanley the Rat
- The Lean and Unwashed Tiffy ("tiffy" being a familiar form of "artificer", a special role in the Navy)
- The Suit of Grey
- The Oggie ManPastyA pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
- On a Monday Morning