Wizz Jones - 1960

Wizz Jones, one of the first British Beatniks, and noted folk-blues musician, performs two of his songs and talks about his life in this documentary from 1960, which provides an illuminating glimpse of the media's view of alternative lifestyles at that time. The interviews are conducted by veteran reporter Alan Whicker, looking very much like a Monty Python parody of himself. Wizz's two songs in this clip are interesting. Both were versions of older songs, but rewritten by Wizz to mock the Burgermeisters of Newquay. The first was based on "Down on Penny's Farm" by the Bently Boys, a white country duo who recorded it in 1929. The track was reissued on Harry Smith's groundbreaking "Anthology of American Folk Music" LP set put out by Folkways Records in 1952. This was one of the most influential releases in the history of folk music, and spread like wildfire through the folk communities on both sides of the Atlantic. So it's no surprise that Wizz Jones knew of the original recording in 1960 and used it as the basis for a protest song of his own. The other song Wizz sings is based on Elizabeth Cotten's "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie", which appeared on another Folkways LP release "Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar" in 1958. Elizabeth Cotten used the same kind of alternating bass finger-picking style, complicated by the fact that she played a standard six-string guitar left-handed, i.e. upside-down! (Search for Elizabeth Cotten here and see for yourself.)

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  People & Blogs

[Susan Hunt]

The posh beatnik is my dad, he didn't have a posh mummy and daddy and they had no money to help him, he has done for himself his whole life. He and Wiz were great friends and still are but he had not a penny to his name and still hasn't much (he just loved the freedom). His wife left him to bring up three children by himself and he did a fantastic job of it, he is a wonderful very loving man who worked as a gas meter reader for 20 odd years just to keep his kids with him.

[zappahart]

i love it if it wasnt for kieth richards book i would have never heard anything about this guy did he ever come to the usa?????

[chippauly]

Well said Susan Hunt! You sound proud of your dad and so you should be, good luck to any one who is prepared to do their own thing regardless of what people say or think of him/her, and he put bread on your table which is all you can ask of a man.

[Jew Choob]

things have not changed... wtf is wrong with people. discrimination! fuck you Babylon.

[Res Burman]

That wasn't Patty it was Paddy, short for Patricia!

[Res Burman]

I was there in 1960 and in 1961. I knew all the participants except Allen Whicker and the Publican. And still know Wizz and Sue. Unfortunately I have lost touch with Paddy. I remember Allen Whicker coming to Newquay but could not observe nor participate because I was working in the kitchen of the Great Western Hotel. And I worked there the summer of '61. I suggest that all these records have been wrongly dated in the changeover from analogue to digital!

[lupine22]

No, this really was shot in 1960, and broadcast in the BBC's Tonight programme on 29 August 1960. It's listed in the British Film Institute's database. Google for "Alan Whicker interviews the so-called Beatniks of Newquay."

[Res Burman]

Yep, that's Arnold! 

[Res Burman]

Susan Hunt. Hello, you are Arnold's daughter? How nice to connect. I knew him in Newquay and of course in Barnes.

Please give him my best.

Res JF Burman

[Res Burman]

I'm afraid you are mistaken Sataniklusr0t1kus.

And so is the title.

This was shot in 1961.

I met Wizz in 1960, in Newquay and we were both certainly there but this was filmed in 1961, because I was working in the Great Western Hotel's kitchen while it was filmed.

In 1960 I had a 'Licence to Boatman' signed by none other than Mr Trembath, the Clerk to the Council, which I still have (expired)!

[Gerald Moss]

Love this, Thanks for posting.

[darren willett]

hello Sue, has dad seen this, he looks a lot like luke who is travelling through india at the moment.