Aboard the Good Ship Venus (1971)

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ABOARD THE GOOD SHIP VENUS
BY GOD YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN US
THE FIGUREHEAD WAS A WHORE IN BED .........

There are approximately 5,467 different interpretations of the last line of that very famous first verse. This Album contains one of them. Similarly there are at least two or three different variations to practically every line of every song inside this cover. Our job, in preparing this, our second anthology of bawdry, has been to sift through the multiple combinations of verses, fair and foul, and present the essence of each song, good; rollicky, gutsy folk-style classics, neither whitewashed for the sake of the weak hearted, yet religiously dodging the famous four letters here and there, so that none may say we "done the wrong thing".

The first L.P. on this label was somewhat of a breakthrough in the field of recorded music in this country, and yet, bold as it was, and still is to this day, and following astronomical sales in all States, we have not been made aware of one complaint against the venture from any corner of the community. Presumably the "Adults Only" label has been taken as seriously as was intended.

Without doubt, we have taken this fact as a "go-ahead" for a second record, and have allowed ourselves a more accurate interpretation of the songs themselves, and have chosen a "bolder" repertoire to present. In developing this repertoire, I was happy to renew an old musical acquaintanceship, and spent many hours in preparation and recording with Brent MacDonald, whose first studio experience was at the old Crest premises in 1961, where we recorded my best selling song "Dietale" (certified sales to date being 21 records). However, I was prepared to forget his black past, and together we spent several months arranging, producing and recording, and I hope you like his efforts as much as I do.

I took the opportunity to invite another old friend, well known and popular Austrian Folksinger Hans Georg to do a couple of "guest appearances" on this record, and we managed to capture alive two • excellent songs in his whimsically authentic style.

We were lucky enough to have the remarkable Union member Gus Rickard to play bass as only he can, and did, and furthermore was paid for. Mal Nichols (who played bass on the first L.P.) occasionally dropped in on late night sessions and added several erroneous falsettoes, and drank a lot of our beer. The final musical credit must go to the incredibly talented, globetrotting Liam Bradley, whose trumpet playing on "Sam Hall" has to be heard to be believed. He is, despite this, a fine musician, but perhaps trumpets and folk music are strange bedfellows.

For their assistance in providing material, I am extremely grateful to David Dalgarno and Jim Nason and to Brian Broberg, whose artwork adorns the front cover.

BRENDAN HANLEY

THE SONGS

SIDE ONE

1.      HI HO KAFOOZALUM (2.12)

This is a classic of Eastern culture. Historically it seems a trifle confused, King Canute, the dirty, leering Prince, and of course, the Harlot of Jerusalem. Please note the subtle tones of the rare Jewish Gawkaphone in the background. You may never hear it again.

2.       BALL O'YARN (No. 2) (2.16)

Our first L.P. contained a version of this song. Jim Nason taught us this folksier effort. Brent sings it.

3.       SAM HALL (2.37)

The original protest song. This guy don't like nobody nohow! Originally sung in English prisons at the turn of the century, it tells the story of the born loser, who just has to be the nastiest man in the world. (Except for Liam Bradley who plays trumpet on this track).

4.       DAINTY DAVIE (2.59)

Lifted from Robert Burns' "The Merry Muses of Caledonia", this song brings a touch of the traditional to the Album, and introduces Hans Georg, accompanied by Brent and yours truly. The song is related to the tale about a certain David Williamson, a Jacobite rebel, who being pursued by a Troop of Dragoons, sought sanctuary at a friendly house owned by the Laird and Lady Cherrytree. As the house was obviously to be searched, the fugitive was hidden in the least obvious place, Milady's daughter's bed .....with Milady's daughter! Milady's daughter sings the song. Incidentally, she apparently "fell in" and the good Davie returned and made an honest woman of her.

5.        REILLY'S DAUGHTER (2.03)

Another father, daughter and lover song, this time of Irish origin, less subtle than Dainty Davie, and requiring no explanation at all.

6.       THE KEYHOLE IN THE DOOR (3.37)

A nautical song about the pitfalls of life ashore. The characters singing the song bear no resemblance to any living creatures, past or present. Gus Rickard's bass playing is particularly wild on the "out" choruses.

7.       THE GOOD SHIP VENUS (2.56)

Our version of the much quoted legendary rhyme, and our title track.

SIDE TWO

1.       THE BALL OF ELINOOR (4.02)

Scotland again, and the most infamous ball of them all. Attributed to Burns, and oft called "The Ball of Kirrimuir", this one tells of the "doings" of a whole village-full of people, (including the King and Queen), whose activities were not exactly confined to fox trotting and waltzing. Legend hath it that the ball may have actually happened, in which case the oldies can teach our permissive society a thing or two yet.

2.      ALISTAIR CLAIR (2.07)

The story of a remarkable prestidigitator, whose juggling tricks almost landed him in the jug.

3.       CHARLOTTE THE HARLOT (3.00)

A Western ditty telling the sad story of the fate of the cowboys' favourite girl "who never kept score". There are several different versions of this tale, one being distinctly Australian and somewhat unsavoury. The one on this record is by far the funniest.

4.       THREE MAIDS (2.23)

Hans Georg again with an Elizabethan Ballad, which is a typical example of 16th Century double-entendre, which was popular in the courts, and of course the taverns. The maids' "pails" and the fellow's "birds" are not really what they at first seem.

5.       NO BALLS AT ALL (2.42)

This tells of a group of religious fanatics in the 18th Century trying to ban sinful dancing and other forms of Satanic carousing. It may sound like something else, but.....

6.       FRIGGIN' IN THE RIGGIN' (4.29)

A lilting, gentle, maritime song to finish with, because we had "nothing else to do."
 

BRENDAN HANLEY:              12 string guitar, 6 string guitar, banjo, clarinet, tin whistle, concertina, drums, Jewish gawkaphone and vocals.
BRENT MACDONALD:           Guitar and vocals.
GUS RICKARD:                       Bass.
MAL NICHOLS:                       Guitar and Mezzo-soprano.
LIAM BRADLEY:                    Trumpet and vocals.
HANS GEORG:                        Special Guest - Vocals and Lute.
MARCUS HERMAN                 Sound engineering and photography.
BRIAN BROBERG:                  Artwork and sleeve design.


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