Scrumpy and Western
| Scrumpy and Western | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1960s,West Country |
| Other topics | |
| West Country English | |
Scrumpy and Westernrefers humorously to music fromEngland'sWest Country[1]that fuses comical folk-style songs, often full ofdouble entendre,with affectionate parodies of more mainstream musical genres, all delivered in thelocal accent/dialect.The name, taken from the title of the 1967Scrumpy & Western EPbyAdge Cutlerandthe Wurzels,refers toscrumpy,strongly alcoholicciderproduced in the West Country; it is a play on the American genre ofcountry and western music.
Styles vary by band or musician, and very few are known outside their nativecounty.The main exceptions to this are the Wurzels (originally "Adge Cutler and the Wurzels" ), aSomersetgroup who had a number one hit in theUK Singles Chartwith "The Combine Harvester"in 1976.[2][3]This followed an earlier UK hit single with "Drink Up Thy Zider", an unofficial West Country anthem, especially among supporters ofBristol City Football Club.This gained notoriety when theBBCrefused to play itsB-sidesong, "Twice Daily", due to concern about the unseemly subject matter (ashotgun wedding).[4]"Combine Harvester" itself was a reworded version ofMelanie's "Brand New Key".Other songs borrowed the style and made fun of the themes ofCountry and Western,and other US and Britishpopular music.
Other artists whose music is Scrumpy and Western in flavour includeThe Yetties[5]from the village ofYetminsterinDorset,The Golden Lion Light Orchestra fromWorcestershire,Fred Wedlock,Who's Afear'd (also from Dorset), the Skimmity Hitchers (a group that includes former members of Who's Afear'd),[6]the Surfin Turnips (more punky folk), Trevor Crozier,[7]the Yokels (fromWiltshire), Shag Connors and the Carrot Crunchers,[8]and thePigsty Hill Light Orchestra.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Scrumpy & Western".somersetmade ltd.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2009.Retrieved18 August2009.
- ^"Combine Harvester song lyrics".Farming Friends. Archived fromthe originalon 10 February 2010.Retrieved18 August2009.
- ^"He's the star man".Western Daily Press.This is Bristol. 27 December 2008.Retrieved18 August2009.
- ^"Adge Cutler Biography".Artist Direct.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2007.Retrieved18 August2009.
- ^"The Yetties".somersetmade ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2012.Retrieved18 August2009.
- ^The Skimmity HitchersArchived2011-01-06 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Trevor Crozier".somersetmade ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2012.Retrieved5 April2011.
- ^"Shag Connors and the Carrot Crunchers".somersetmade ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 9 September 2012.Retrieved16 March2010.
- ^"Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra".somersetmade ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 25 July 2008.Retrieved18 August2009.