SEARCH THE SITE
| toolbar powered by Conduit |
MR ROY BLACKMAN
Mr Roy Blackman, Rotherham’s Champion of “working class” music, poetry and prose.
It’s some eight years since I first came across Roy. I was just beginning to rediscover the joys of Folk Clubs and had been dragged along to the Rotherham Singers Club, then meeting in the Clifton Lane Rugby Club, by a mate who was encouraging me to perform again.
Roy stood out in the room, this hot July evening, He was the only person wearing a heavy bright yellow anorak, fully zipped up!
“Don’t you know who he is” my mate asked. And to be completely truthful I had to answer in the negative. “Well, that Richard is Rotherham’s Mr Memory Man”
Was any the wiser? Nop.
The full story came out triggering from deep in the recesses of childhood memory a chap on one of Hughie Green’s quiz shows, The Sky Is The Limit, who could reel off complete Football team line ups and scores from obscure games, and if I remember correctly collected a minor fortune by going on week after week.
What my friend did not tell me was that there is a lot more to Roy than the simple robotic ability to recite obscure football team line ups.
The moment Roy took to the stage he demanded the attention of his audience. His self penned songs being performed a' cappella yet with a dynamism and warmth that you hanging onto every word.
As the years went by I got to know Roy a bit better and how he came to writing late in life, and that even now at the age of 73 (2009) he is studying for a Degree at Sheffield University.
In the fourteen years or so that Roy has been song and poetry writing he has of course accumulated a fine body of work, non of it published or recorded.
Some of his friends got together, realising that if we did not get some recordings soon our opportunity may be lost. So with that in mind Roy was dragged screaming and kicking down a Garden path to a secret recording studio disguised as a Summer House / Shed and with a microphone thrust into his hands was instructed to sing.
And sing he did, between sips of hot tea and and chewing on chocolate biscuits.
We’ll be honest, the recording are not great, but they are the best we are going
to get in the short-
We have promised Roy to get some decent studio recordings done when we are all rich
-
So ENJOY what we have listed here.
You can listen to the tracks individually or down load the packaged file which has all the tracks for you to listen to at your leisure.
THE ROY BLACKMAN SONGS AND POEMS
THE FROM THE SHED TAPES
1. FARE THEE WELL SOUTH YORKSHIRE
This song observes the changes to the South Yorkshire economy since the destruction of mining Industry by Mrs Thatcher. It also reflects Roy’s trade mark ironic sense of humour.
2. THE LAST RESORT
So what do you do when the pocket is tight and the Spanish Holiday is beyond the budget and even Cornwall or Skegness is out? Well like us you head for Cleethorpes!
3. SHEFFIELD TRAMS
A celebration of the Sheffield Tram and it’s demise -
4. BLOODY HELL (AN APPRECIATION OF WAKEFIELD TINITY)
All of life is this song, which is yet another fine example of Roy’s fine observation skills and his ability to reflect them in fine amusing lyrics.
5. PERCY PIKE
In this poem Roy draws on his love of classic motorcycles.
6. GINGER HAIRED CORNET PLAYER
The glory days of the Brass Band are set firmly in this song, with clever local references to Rotherham land marks.
7. BYE GONE TRAINS (THE SLOW TRAIN TO BARNSLEY)
A full train ride built into one song.
8. THE COLLAPSE OF A FAMILY FIRM
Here Roy lampoons Capitalism in his own very clever way. One of his Master pieces.
9. THE JOLLIEST DRUNK IN ROTHERHAM
Some have argued that this song is auto biographical. We’ll leave you to decide.
10. THE HANDSWORTH BELLS
A brilliantly constructed song to the rhythm of chiming bells, reflecting upon his youth and the changes to his Town and City
11. IT’S LIVELY OUTSIDE
A look back to the war years -
ROY BLACKMAN DELIVERING “THE LAST RESORT” LIVE AT NELLIE FOLK
