8mm Forum: Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack.

This is topic Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack. in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 03, 2018, 09:28 PM:

When I turned 15yrs way back in 1967 I left school and started my first job as a store boy for a Ford dealership in Greenock. During my time there, this tune was played and played over the radio all the time.

In later years I never heard it again, but always remember the lyrics...Grocer Jack....Grocer Jack....and so on. I always thought it was called Grocer Jack and over the last fifty years thought that was the name, but never heard or came across the record until now [Frown]

Today I was listing to a CD I had just bought, out of the blue there it was once again, that long lost tune [Eek!]

checked the CD and found it was not called Grocer Jack but "Keith West-extract from A Teenage Opera" wow I thought, lets check you-tube and there it was...with brilliant lyrics that you never forget...

Music from the 60s.... [Cool]

https://youtu.be/0rExhxkX-Ic

[ May 03, 2018, 11:25 PM: Message edited by: Graham Ritchie ]

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on May 03, 2018, 09:34 PM:

Yes Graham,I too really like this song,I does have a funny title I agree.
I believe the opera was never made in the end?

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 03, 2018, 11:44 PM:

Clinton you are right, it was never made.

I was reading the background to this song on "Wikipedia" as according to its producer "Quote" the song comes from a dream he had about an ageing door-to-door grocer named Jack in a small turn of the century village, who was mocked by the children as he was taken for granted by the town folk.

When jack unexpectedly died, the town folk reacted with anger about the inconvenience of now having to be self-reliant about their staple provision, while the children were heartbroken, in truth having loved and appreciated Jack all the while.

What a story.. [Smile]

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on May 04, 2018, 04:47 AM:

Graham - I was in the same predicament with this song for years. Another one which, for years, I thought was called "Rolling On A River" ended up being called "Proud Mary." Tina Turner,amongst others, does an excellent version of it.

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 04, 2018, 06:48 AM:

Strangely a car breakdown recovery firm is using Proud Mary in its TV adverts - you really wouldn't want your car "Rolling in the River"!!!!

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 04, 2018, 06:15 PM:

Its certainly amazing what we can remember from those far of days.

When I was in the ACF in Scotland we went on a weekend camp, put up two man tents in a field next to a river...big mistake. Anyway on the first night it rained big time, as it sometimes does in Scotland [Smile]

The field became a bog, and during the middle of the night we decided to abandon the place we were soaked. As we crossed the field in the dark, I tripped over a small fence and went splat face down into this water filled bog.

We got back to our base and left everything behind until the next morning when we went back [Roll Eyes]

...there was a song playing on the radio at the time, that I always relate it to that night...."Hole In My Shoe" it seemed to sum up that weekend [Smile]

https://youtu.be/a77yHpjdUtU

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on May 04, 2018, 09:08 PM:

Kieth Mansfield’s Funky Fanfare may bring back some memories. This is different but stays on topic...sort of:

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2012/08/14/groove-to-funky-fanfare-the-song-behind-our-feature-presentation

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on May 05, 2018, 09:15 AM:

Graham i still have in my collection the original release 45rpm single of Extract From A Teenage Opera. I bought it away back then when i was only 13 years old. Its amazing the stuff we hold on to from many decades ago. [Smile]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 06, 2018, 12:17 PM:

Interesting subject. Anyone wanting to know more might like to read this Wiki article, which indicates: there was a second single; a 'Teenage Opera' album eventually appeared in 1996; and a stage production was finally seen last year!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Teenage_Opera

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on May 06, 2018, 03:38 PM:

I'm sure I have the 7" single somewhere too.

Posted by Ken Finch (Member # 2768) on May 07, 2018, 11:27 AM:

Hi Graham,I also remember "Extract from a Teenage opera" well and waited in vain for the opera to be produced. Despite what we read in Wikepedia I have never seen the production advertised!!! Ken Finch,

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 08, 2018, 04:01 AM:

Interesting replies everyone, I will have a look out for it on 45 the next time I visit the second hand record shop, now I now the name [Smile]

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