14th July 2019
I had a very good holiday in Kent with my wife Elaine, son Tom and also Sasha.
We went to lots of interesting places that I hadn't visited before, Ightham Mote, Bodiam castle and Dover castle were the most interesting ones. We were staying in Sevenoaks and on the first night we went to a pub and there was a good band playing called Dead Man's corner. The musicianship was excellent and so was the style of music. They started off with a psychedelic 60's style surf instrumental that they had composed which was probably the best live tune I've heard in ages and finished the first set with an amazing version of a Dick Dale instrumental called Nitro. Two other songs really stood out, one was a version of Then I've got Everything which was recorded by Johnny Kid and the Pirates and the other was Wondrous Place by Billy Fury. I'd never heard of these songs before and when I got back to Torquay I checked them out. The Johnny Kid and the Pirates one is excellent. Here is a link to it:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThR9YhsGnI0
I wasn't so impressed by the Billy Fury recording but I found two other artists who have done it better:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNZ4IBOuv8w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODVWDD_KLDI
I'm in the middle of reading another book, it's one I read about 38 years ago called Way Station by Clifford Simak and it's reminded me that I composed my first ever song which was called Shadow Love based around part of the story in the book. I vaguely remember playing the song on my guitar to my cousin Robert at our Nan's house in Exeter and I think he was quite impressed that I'd written a song. I never recorded the song and I now have no record of the lyrics or the tune.
Last year I wanted to write a song about the battle of Blenheim and I went back to a book about this battle by Charles Spencer. It's a very good read and I decided to check it out again as I thought it would give me the inspiration for a song. I read it again and enjoyed reading it but unfortunately there was no song idea forthcoming. This week I started composing another song. I quickly realised that the new tune idea ought to be ideal for a song about the battle of Blenheim and the words came to me
WE MARCHED EVERY DAY AND CAMPED EVERY NIGHT
THE SIZE OF OUR ARMY WAS A SPLENDID SIGHT
FROM THE LOW COUNTRIES ALONG THE RHINE
A GRIM DESTINATION IN THIS WARTIME
JOHN CHURCHILL OUR DUKE HAD A BOLD PLAN
TO STOP THE FRENCH FOR HIS QUEEN ANNE
WITH SUCH SKILL OVER MANY A MILE
HIS CLEVER DECEPTION STILL MAKES ME SMILE
THE REASON FOR FIGHTING WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD
AS I HELD MY MUSKET OF METAL AND WOOD
OF SPANISH SUCCESSION I HEARD IT SAID
IT MAKES NO REAL SENSE WHEN YOU COUNT UP THE DEAD
AND SO TO THE BATTLE THE CANNONS ROARED
THE STEEL OF THE BAYONETS THE CLASH OF THE SWORD
AT BLENHEIM THE FRENCH MADE A FATAL MISTAKE
THAT VILLAGE THE ENGLISH THEY MUST NOT TAKE
THE REASON FOR FIGHTING WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD
AS I HELD MY MUSKET OF METAL AND WOOD
OF SPANISH SUCCESSION I HEARD IT SAID
IT MAKES NO REAL SENSE WHEN YOU COUNT UP THE DEAD
THE NEWS OF DEFEAT HURT KING LOUIS' PRIDE
THE SUN KING'S BRIGHTNESS HAD SURELY DIED
IN ENGLAND THE VICTORY GREATLY ACCLAIMED
WHILST THE FRENCH GENERALS FELT SO ASHAMED
THE REASON FOR FIGHTING WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD
AS I HELD MY MUSKET OF METAL AND WOOD
OF SPANISH SUCCESSION I HEARD IT SAID
IT MAKES NO REAL SENSE WHEN YOU COUNT UP THE DEAD