TONY WILSON NORTHEAST MUSIC HALL SONG THE BLAYDON RACES"

A song that a lot of people think that Geordies are born singing. It has taken me a long time to get used to singing these songs which seemed so old-fashioned. A great rousing chorus and a tale of destruction and wild times in the heartland of the Northeast of England. A lot of fun and a lot of words.
I recorded this because so many people had been in touch with me about the 'Lambton Worm' that I thought I would put a number of Geordie songs on the web.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• blaydon
• races
• tony
• wilson
• geordie

[rogerfalker1]

I agree with thebanj, its not an easy song to learn, but i thought you made a great attempt and wished there was more people like you doing this sort of thing on youtube! thanks.

[thebanj]

@rogerfalker

I am so flattered by your comments. Thank you so much.

Tony

[dzuganshvili]

I'm from daarn saarf, though of Scots extraction - I can't get enough of this song and this is by far the best rendition I've heard. On the subject of worker's leisue time, and purely as a matter of interest, Tony, do Geordies also refer to the first two weeks in July as "The Fair"?

[thebanj]

Thanks for your comments I do appreciate it. I don't know about "The Fair" we do talk about "The Hoppings" when there is a fair on the town moor maybee that's it.

Thanks again

Tony

[BradBrassman]

I had a music teacher at school that was really into English folk songs and we'd often sing this un, then some years later me feyther in law gi me an old LP called the Folk Songs of the North-East featuring the painting, Blaydon Races on the front cover, with all the characters from about twenty songs on it.

Do you know, Wor Nanny's A'mazer?

[thebanj]

Thanks for the comment. I think that it was probably an LP of the fabulous group "The High Level Ranters". I do know of the song but I've never actually sung it myself. Jim Irvine used to do a great version of it at the Marsden Inn folk club in the 60's and 70's.

[TheCountrygirl40]

This brings back memories of my Nana singing this to me as a child, she was a Geordie born in Prudhoe and lived there till she married my grandad and moved to Hindley lancs, this song and others :-)

[BradBrassman]

Very pleased to see the painting Blaydon Races was kept for the folk of the North-east insted of going away somewhere.

[Larkin1907]

@rogerfalker1

Great work mate! We have a fine tradition of folk music and folk songs in the north and you stand in that tradition. Speaking as a Scouser I'd like to say well done marra!

[andyashtray]

aye bud spot on a love it ya dun a crackin job

[lexy1002]

thats my favourite song and i sing it so often! it sounds good with a concertina- just the right pitch. also lots of voices for the chorus!!

[lexy1002]

some pronunciations need tweaked e.g. standing=stannin, infirmary=informary along=alang, out=oot, all=aal, and at the beginning it should be 'away we went alang collin'wood street thats on the road to blaydon' very good rendition though!-well played pet

[lexy1002]

very good rendition!improvements may be to say 'stanning' fairly quickly rather than extending the aa of 'standing', and rather 'alang the road' than 'along'. And at the beginning i think it sounds better to say 'away we went alang Collin'wood street, thats on the road to Blaydon', also 'infirmary' could be more like 'informary' and 'ribses' for proper authenticity, and last verse could be 'groond, roond, aboot'. apologies for picking but if its geordie its got to be reet!

[DarkHysteria]

I'm a geordie and my dad played for blaydon rugby club so this song has a special place in my heart.