SHANNON - "Abergavenny" (1969)

Shannon is none other than Marty Wilde. Heard this played on WIP in 1972 as an "oldie." Too bad it's not played as an oldie today.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1960s
• pop
• rock
• UK

[ThymeBottle]

Since my dad's family came from Wales, I just had to check out the beautiful scenery indicated by your photographs. This song played on our local station (KILT AM) and I never could say the song's name properly, but remembered the lines about the "red dog running free", "a little photograph", "lovely weather; sunshine forever", and such. It must have been the summer of 1969 because it would follow "Morning Girl" by The Neon Philharmonic, and "Good Morning, Starshine" on the morning lineup.

[MrTrashcan1]

@ThymeBottle Absolutely, sounds right. Back then I had no idea what he was saying--it sounded to me like "Africa Benny." 

[drgitlow]

Through the 1970s, the Cooperstown (NY) dog show used this as an anthem. I was little and thought also that the lyric was Africa Benny. I was never able to find it using that as a search. Today, I recalled the lyric included the words 'paradise people' and finally narrowed it down to this song, discovered again!

[MyLatestEscape]

@MrTrashcan1

Me too. We had a cat named Benny, so somehow that made sense to the 10yo me :)

Thank you for posting this. Someone else had vid of this posted a few years back, but now that link in my faves goes to a 'content removed' page. Sad when an inconsequential bit of noatalgia is seen as 'copyright infringement'.

[knightsonbroadway]

Thanks Mr. Trashcan, Loved this that played all too briefly on AM radio when I was knee high to a grasshopper. Can't find it on iTunes or anywhere else. Nice pics. - Guy

[hardyfh1]

Why is this never played on radio? Did it ever get airplay? I feel seriously deprived at never having heard this because it's a cracker. Should've been number one for a decade plus, until Fiddlers Dram and Daytrip to Bangor.

[darebinroad]

Abergavenny used to be pronounced Abergenny.

There are still people arguing about it today.

[Tomwithnonumbers]

Ah fine fine Abergavenny

[andrew34430]

@briandaniel1000 he is the father of eighties hit maker kim wilde and yes this must be john laws favorite song

[annie482000]

@briandaniel1000 Marty Wilde was big in the late 50s here in the UK.

"He appeared regularly on the BBC Television show 6.5 Special and was the main regular artiste on the Saturday ITV popular music shows Oh Boy! and Boy Meets Girls.[2] There he met and married Joyce Baker, one of The Vernons Girls who were also show regulars. The courtship was highly public but, after the marriage, Wilde's popularity as a teen idol declined." (Wikipedia)

Annie

[briandaniel1000]

John Laws on the radio in Australia has just started playing this song and it is quite catchy.

I had never heard of it or Marty Wilde and I am 45

[gronyn]

Has this man actually been to abergavenny?