Pub song called "Alice" (?)
AnotherSOB
Hi,
I play in an Irish pub-band (which will remain nameless)
It seems like every time we play in a couple of specific clubs, members of
the audience REALLY want to hear "Alice" -- all i know about this song
is that it may have originated as a children's song, and that when it's
performed in these bars, the audience is supposed to shout out something
like "Alice?! Who the %$#!@ is ALICE?!" during the refrain.
Can someone help me track down a version of this song, so that our band
can get these brutal crowds on our side?
Thanks in advance,
Christy Lesse
Aafarrell
This is a song by the band Smokey, which was revived in a dance version
two years ago in Ireland and the UK and was originally entitled "27 Years
Living Next Door to Alice". Being named Alice, I've been subjected to
endless refrains of the hook "who the #?(@# is Alice? I haven't found an
actual recorded copy of the song, but I'm sure they're around.
Good luck finding it!
Alice Farrell
Les Ward
Actually Smokie themselves released a version of this (the Irish pub
version). And didn't some 'comedian' cash in on the act with a cover. I'm
sorry you've been subjected to the abuse.
Regards, Les Ward
Aafarrell <aafa...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970408170...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
John Rosier
aafa...@aol.com (Aafarrell) wrote:
>This is a song by the band Smokey, which was revived in a dance version
>two years ago in Ireland and the UK and was originally entitled "27 Years
>Living Next Door to Alice". Being named Alice, I've been subjected to
>endless refrains of the hook "who the #?(@# is Alice? I haven't found an
>actual recorded copy of the song, but I'm sure they're around.
>Good luck finding it!
>Alice Farrell
A couple of years ago when on holiday in Eire we heard on a local
radio station a parody (!) of that song with the line "for 27 years
I've been living next door to Albert (who the **** is Albert?). Don't
know who was responsible, but the recording was live and hilarious.
The subject matter was, of course, the Teasoich.
John Rosier
jmoul...@aol.com
I've heard this differently - in the run up to the soccer world cup appearance by Ireland and at a crucial moment, one Alan [McLaughlin, I think] - then an unknown - was brought on for a better known
player . The refrain you mention is not about Alice, but Alan, and is how the terraces saw the substitution - until he scored.
John Moulden
Singer, Percussionist, Writer, Lecturer,
Researcher, Publisher, Song Hunter
Ulstersongs Mail Order (Books and Cassettes)
http://members.aol.com/jmoul81075/ulstsong.htm
Pat McGarrigle
On 8 Apr 1997 23:39:51 GMT, jmoul...@aol.com wrote:
>In article <19970408074...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, anoth...@aol.com (AnotherSOB) writes:
>
>>Hi,
>>I play in an Irish pub-band (which will remain nameless)
>>
>>It seems like every time we play in a couple of specific clubs, members of
>>the audience REALLY want to hear "Alice" -- all i know about this song
>>is that it may have originated as a children's song, and that when it's
>>performed in these bars, the audience is supposed to shout out something
>>like "Alice?! Who the %$#!@ is ALICE?!" during the refrain.
>>Can someone help me track down a version of this song, so that our band
>>can get these brutal crowds on our side?
>>
>>Thanks in advance,
>>Christy Lesse
>>
>>
>
>I've heard this differently - in the run up to the soccer world cup appearance
> by Ireland and at a crucial moment, one Alan [McLaughlin, I think] - then
> an unknown - was brought on for a better known player . The refrain
> you mention is not about Alice, but Alan, and is how the terraces saw
> the substitution - until he scored.
>
>John Moulden
You're right, John - the game in question was the Republic of
Ireland's last WC90 qualifier in Windsor park against N. Ireland :-)
Alan McLoughlin scored the equaliser - then at full-time, we had
to watch the last 6 nail-biting minutes of Spain v Denmark
which Spain won and so we qualified.
This version of the song 'Who the F*** is Alan' was on a tape
released by the Parnassus Arts Group from Dublin (I think
they're all civil servants).
Pat.
Damien Mc Carron
AnotherSOB wrote:
Hi,
I play in an Irish pub-band (which will remain nameless)
It seems like every time we play in a couple of specific clubs,
members of
the audience REALLY want to hear "Alice" -- all i know about this
song
is that it may have originated as a children's song, and that when
it's
performed in these bars, the audience is supposed to shout out
something
like "Alice?! Who the %$#!@ is ALICE?!" during the refrain.
Can someone help me track down a version of this song, so that our
band
can get these brutal crowds on our side?
Thanks in advance,
Christy Lesse
It amazes me that this song took off like this.
It was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and recorded by Smokie
(maybe 1977). You'd be surprised how many songs these guys wrote.
I've heard the new version only once. I have the Smokie on tape and CD.
It's a CD I've not seen here in the U.S. It's called the greatest hits,
or the best of.
Like you I get a great reaction at gigs.
I front an Irish rock band and strangely enough, could be Smokie's
biggest fan.
I can send you the words and chords, just email me from the following
site, after
you check it out.
Cheers
Damien Promise - The Indulgers - www.shamrocker.com
Alan Rowley
Christy,
The song is called "Living Next Door To Alice" and was a hit for
Smokie in the 70s. Roy Chubby Brown did a cover version recently, backed
by Smokie, during which the "who the f**k is Alice" refrain appeared.
Please don`t resort to using this in your set, good bands shouldn`t by
playing crap like that.
Cheers.
In article <19970408074...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, AnotherSOB
<anoth...@aol.com> writes
>Hi,
>I play in an Irish pub-band (which will remain nameless)
>
>It seems like every time we play in a couple of specific clubs, members of
>the audience REALLY want to hear "Alice" -- all i know about this song
>is that it may have originated as a children's song, and that when it's
>performed in these bars, the audience is supposed to shout out something
>like "Alice?! Who the %$#!@ is ALICE?!" during the refrain.
>Can someone help me track down a version of this song, so that our band
>can get these brutal crowds on our side?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Christy Lesse
>
--
Alan Rowley
AnotherSOB
>Christy,
> The song is called "Living Next Door To Alice" and was a hit for
>Smokie in the 70s. Roy Chubby Brown did a cover version recently, backed
>by Smokie, during which the "who the f**k is Alice" refrain appeared.
>Please don`t resort to using this in your set, good bands shouldn`t by
>playing crap like that.
>Cheers.
Hi Alan,
Well, for starters, we're not a good band. We're not Altan or Solas; we're
a working pub band, and it is our job to sell drinks by pleasing crowds of
drunken frat boys, ditzy bleached-blondes, and yuppies on the make. If we
get these people on our side, we're doing our job. If we play nothing but
jigs, reels & obscure ballads, the crowd gets ugly, thins out, and the
club hires someone else who IS willing to play "Alice", "The Unicorn",
"Whiskey in the Jar", etc.
We do this full-time; we don't have day-jobs to fall back on, so we don't
have the luxury of being able to pick & choose where we play; we have to
go where the money is.
The upside of doing this full time is that it gives us the chance to
continuously work on our chops, learn to do our own sound under adverse
conditions, and yes, work the crowd. I know of some amazing trad musicians
(with day jobs, of course) who are useless performers (not that trad music
is necessarily MEANT to be performed on stage anyway; to my way of looking
at it, sessions & ceilis seem more appropriate); they just don't have the
feel for setting their PA system levels, communicating with the audience,
or playing a diverse, seamless set.
Personally, i feel that it really doesn't matter what song you play; even
if it's "Take Me Home Country Roads", if you give it all you've got, both
you and the crowd can have a great time.
best wishes,
Christy (not my real name)
Alan Rowley
There will always be a place in this world for bands like yours - good
luck!
In article <19970412025...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, AnotherSOB
<anoth...@aol.com> writes
--
Alan Rowley