Monday 29 December 2008

The Three Bells...

Yesterday, while I was outside doing a bit of wood chopping, the church bells behind us were doing their bits, and all was frosty peace with the world - broken by the odd curse when the blade missed...

As Dennis (and probably Bunty) knows, I used to do a bit of bell ringing, and although I've let it all go for several years now, it's always good to hear them clattering away, especially as the timing means that I can pour a large Gordons exactly one hour and forty minutes later!

When I was a lad, one of the most played 78s in the Elder Scrobs mansion, was 'The Three Bells', by 'Les Compagnons de la chanson'. There were several versions made over the years, including a dire copy by some group in the seventies which thankfully has vanished without trace.

At the witching hour, I just mentioned the song to Mrs S, and we wondered if there was a copy on the net. It took just a few seconds to turn up several versions, and whether it was the large tincture, or the cold, I don't know, but this version (the original), just sent shivers down my spine; I love it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6228110980561552578

In fact, this recording is the same as the one I have in the attic, with 'That lucky old sun' on the reverse, just enjoy...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay Scrobs! Brilliant! That brought back some great memories. We also had that record when I was but a scrawny nipper and I used to play it (both sides) constantly - until I was told that I would have to buy the next box of gramaphone needles from my meagre threepence a week pocket money if I did not desist!). Regrettably the disc came to an untimely end when our new puppy knocked it off a side table and it smashed into a million pieces.

Jimmy (Gordon) Brown - now where have I heard that name before?

PS: I thought campanology was what EK did with his tent on Dartmoor?

Daisy said...

i remember being at my grandmother's house and that song playing...my aunt and i (we were within 3 years of each other) would stand on the stairway and mime to it for entertainment for grandma...she also played a lot of nat king cole...amazing what we did without tv and computers eh?

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Reevers - that's good to hear from you! Those old discs were pretty fragile - I broke several of Dad's...

Needles were that much? Not the wooden ones surely?

While looking for info on this post, I found that my copy is worth £20! All I have to do now is download it and it'll be on the Ipod for ever!

Elecs has zoomed into the charts with is guitar playing - he's got a great touch. The Dartmoor thing comes with his one day exeat via Threshers...;0)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers, I nearly dedicated this to you until I realised that you don't live in Canada ...do you?

I bet you used an old skipping rope as a microphone...

Go on; you did, you did, you did...!

Nat King Cole was always going to be a favourite after 'Cat Ballou'...

Daisy said...

scroblene...only for you will i confess...yes i used a jumprope as a microphone...it had a yellow plastic handle which was broken on one end and when i got too close to the "mic" i would cut my lip...grandma used to tease me and say that i was in training for the real thing and i would know just how far to hold it away from my mouth...however, i can't honestly hold a note to save my soul...bless her deaf ears!!!

and yes i still sing in the car...with the music turned up really loud...and enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

Scrobs: I really don't know how much new needles were, but my 3d was for 2 x halfpenny chews and 2 x 1d ice lollies.

Et maintenant en bas pour vous, et pour tous nos amis qui se trouvent ici, je vous presente....

Edith Piaf et les Compangnons...

Je vous souhaite une joyeuse nouvelle annee.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZXA8U9sKtI

Anonymous said...

PS: For those who do not speak French, the song tells exactly the same story as for "Jimmy Brown", but the name is changed to "Jean Francois Nicol".

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Reevers!

Up all night again...? ;0)

That was marvellous, Edith Piaf's voice has such a fantastic vibrato - it sends more shivers doesn't it!

When the clip you mentioned finished, there was another one shown - much shorter (1.04), but this was taken when she was much younger.

If you can see it, just listen to the last few notes - electifying!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers, I bet you feel relieved to have got that one off your chest!

I promise I won't tell anyone; ever...;0)

Grannys are always deaf when bad notes are shrieked at carol concerts, school plays, etc...

Anonymous said...

Scrobs: Yes, I saw that one first, but thought you would appreciate the longer one.

Nope, not up all night, but inhabit a marginally different time zone, which usually means I either get to be first, or more likely, last to join the party.

Philipa said...

Ooh funily enough I was listening to the bells, the bells today. I couldn't find my local church but checked to see if I could find a friends in Oxford (at Uni there) and came across this: http://www.oxfordcitybranch.org.uk/towers.htm
Hope you like them, I did. Our church has 8 bells. Anyways, happy new year, Scrobs x

PS: I got Mrs Beatons Jams book for Xmas containing..... a recipe for Sloe Gin. Whoohoo!

Modo said...

Happy New Year old chum!

Trubes said...

Happy new Year Scrobbles to you and yours at Scrobble Towers.

Di.xxx