Nic Jones - William Glenn

'William Glenn', from Nic Jones' album 'From the Devil to a Stranger', released in 1978.

A slightly different (and perhaps more definitive sounding) performance of this song, titled 'Captain Glenn', is included on Nic Jones' album Unearthed, released in 2001, recorded in the 70's. (I will not upload that version, because that album is available on CD).

----------------------------------------

Lyrics:

Oh it's of a ship and a ship of fame
Launched off the stocks, bound to sail the main
With one hundred and fifty brisk young men
Well picked and chosen every one
And William Glenn was the captain's name
He was a fine and a tall young man
As fine a sailor as sailed the sea
And we were sailing to New Barbary

On the first of april, then we set sail
Blessed with a fine and a prosperous gale
And we were bound for New Barbary
With all of our whole ship's company
We hadn't been sailing a league or two
Til' all of our whole ship's jovial crew
They all fell sick but 63
As we were sailing to New Barbary

One night the captain then he did dream
A voice came to him and said to him
"prepare yourself and your company
For tomorrow night you must lie with me"
This woke the captain in a terrible fright
It being the third watch of the night
And aloud for the bosun then he did call
And to him told his secrets all

"Bosun", said he, "it grieves my heart
To think I've acted a villain's part
A man I slew in Staffordshire
And all for the sake of his lady fair
And it's of the ghost of that I am afraid
That has in me such terror bred
So keep the secret within your breast
And pray to the Lord that he'll give you rest"

We hadn't been a sailing a league but three
Til' raging grew the roaring sea
There rose a tempest within the skies
Which did our seamen much surprise
And the main mast sprung by the break of day
Which made our rigging all but to give way
And did our seamen sore afright
The terrors of that fateful night

And then the bosun he did declare
That the captain he was a murderer
This so enraged the whole ship's crew
That overboard our captain threw
Our treacherous captain he being gone
Immediately there came a calm
And the winds abated and so did the sea
And we went sailing to New Barbary

And when we came to the Spanish shore
Our good little ship for to repair
The people there were amazed to see
Our dismal case and such misery
Now seamen all wherever you be
I pray you take a warning from me
As you love life won't you have care
And never go sailing with a murderer

----------------------------------------

All credit goes to Nic Jones. I only put the music and images together for promotion, so Youtube can enjoy this great artist. For more of his fantastic music, consider buying his albums to support Nic Jones (who can no longer perform). I upload some of his songs from the albums that have only been released on vinyl. These are no longer available, and as far as I know there are no plans to release them on CD. For the albums that were released on CD, see www.nicjones.net or www.molliemusicrecords.co.uk.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• nic
• jones
• nic jones
• william glenn
• captain glenn
• glenn
• devil
• to
• stranger
• folk
• music
• folk music
• english
• unearthed
• guitar
• fingerpicking
• ballad
• english ballad

[sillyfan]

It's great to have all these wonderful recordings of Nic Jones, brings back fond memories of seeing the great musician live. Apart from his original guitar style his fantastic singing voice transported us to a wonderful past of the song tradition in these Island's, etc, I hope we will see the complete album recordings out on CD one day.

[wrongwayup]

@sillyfan Unfortuantely it's highly unlikely that all of Nic Jones' albums will be released on CD. The rights to his albums are in possession of someone else. That person has refused to put them out on CD or just ignored requests. I believe Jones has already tried getting the rights back, but alas...

The albums to which Jones holds the rights are available on CD. He has also released compilation albums of live recordings. The rest is only obtainable via second hand vinyl or by downloading it.

[maxwellc13]

It's been years since I heard this-I have a good vinyl copy but no record player.......so thanks for posting-it's a big fave.But do Nic and Julia Jones know this is on you tube?Apparantly they don't want stuff pirated/copied because it'll erode royalties when/if it ever does see a re-release.Time to ask them,maybe?

[wrongwayup]

@maxwellc13 Thanks for your reply and concerns. I have not let them know that I have put these songs on youtube, but I made sure I only uploaded songs from the albums that are no longer available (they were only released on vinyl, and the current rightsholder doesn't want to re-release them) so it will not erode any royalties. Actually, I hope it might mean some people who listen to these songs will find Nic's website and record label in the video description, and perhaps buy some of his albums.

[wrongwayup]

@maxwellc13 (continued) If it will ever be re-released, which I highly doubt based on the things I've read about the whole debacle, I can always remove the songs later. In the meantime I think it's more useful to let people get to know Nic's music, since there is no other way to obtain these songs (unless you happen to stumble upon a vinyl in a second hand shop or something). And like I said, since I clearly mention Nic's site and record label, I hope people will find more of his music that way.

[Fibbing01]

Just a small point, wrongwayup, it's actually Nic Jones NOT Nick Jones. But very many thanks for posting these songs; much appreciated.

[wrongwayup]

@Fibbing01 Oh, lol. Just a typo. I've typed Nic everywhere else. Corrected it.

[PICKUPMYSOAP]

Nic Jones takes me back to going for walks in the woods with my dad, we would eat sandwiches sat on a fallen tree and I would kick my wellies on the rotting bark as I was too small for my feet to touch the ground. Lost times but cherished never the less.

[isobelxochitl]

@wrongwayup unbelievable! what kind of pathetic cretin would keep a man's art hidden away from his fellow human beings? heartbreaking, especially given nic's terrible accident. thank god for nic jones and for the magic of music!

[harryf200]

@promerops I don't think so unless he moved there in the late 1970s. The Dave I knew in the early/mid 1970's was a "resident" singer at the Poulten-le-Fylde folk club(UK). Last I heard was he lived in New Milton, Hertfordshire . However, this guy was exaxctly as you describe. This may help ID him for us: He was very interested in the poetry of William Blake, and made songs out of them. He also did a fabulous cover version of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, best I've ever heard.

[promerops]

@harryf200 Is that the same Dave Walters who lived in Cape Town during the 70s and entertained us all so delightfully at the Barleycorn Folk Club? Apart from being a very fine and extremely knowledgeable musician and singer, he was also a very pleasant and gentlemanly chap. He did a set for the Cape Town Classical Guitar's 'Guitar Perspectives' concert (of non-classical acoustic guitar music) back in 1979, I think it was, and gained an excellent review in the Cape Argus newspaper.

[BenjaminAkiraTallamy]

@wrongwayup I say people just pirate the recordings - maybe have a little whip around and send it to Jones' family.

I have no idea how you'd orchastrate that, mind you. If i was him, i'd just whack them on iTunes.

It's a damn shame people don't get to hear these songs - Nic's versions are beautiful.

[harryf200]

@maxwellc13 Nic and Dave Walters were my two favourites of the mid 1970s scene. (What ever happened to Dave? There is not one of his superb recordings on here.)

[harryf200]

@maxwellc13 If you'd like a professional quality cassette recording of this I'll be happy to make one for you for loan of the LP. (I use a Nakamichi ZX9 with a top notch Oracle Delphi record deck, Graham Slee "Jazz Club" phone stage and Music Man's "Music Maker" cartridge for the best results.)

[FENNYMAN]

@seasaltandpassion I have just read elsewhere that he performed again very recently!