8mm Forum: Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack.

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Topic: Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack.

Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 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 ]

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Clinton Hunt
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 845
From: Waharoa,North Island,New Zealand
Registered: May 2010

posted 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?

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Cheers from me in New Zealand :-)

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 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]

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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016

posted 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.

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"My name is for my friends!"

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Brian Fretwell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1785
From: London, UK
Registered: Jun 2014

posted 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"!!!!

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 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

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 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

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted 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]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 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

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Adrian Winchester

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Brian Fretwell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1785
From: London, UK
Registered: Jun 2014

posted May 06, 2018 03:38 PM

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

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Ken Finch
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 543
From: Herne Bay, Kent. U.K.
Registered: Oct 2011

posted 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,

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 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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