MY DAD'S SONGS

Hello everyone, I was registered on Wigan World around 12 years ago, but as I'd not used that account for a very long time I had help from Ron to re-register.

When my dad was 19 or 20 (1955) he made a 78rpm record at Norman Leather's recording studio on Darlington Street; 'No-one But You' was on one side, and 'Autumn Concerto' on the other. I remember him sharing with me that he literally walked into the studio, and was asked to take off his shoes and walk over to the piano. He was counted in at the microphone and sang both songs in one take. As he said, 'you only had one take.' I'm very proud to have owned the '78' for many years, and some cassettes that he recorded onto, one including 'Love Letters.' All 3 songs were transferred to a CD created for my 50th birthday along with 2 songs my mum sang, 'Beautiful' that she sang when she was 14, and 'Danny Boy' many years later. The rest of the CD was created from my eclectic taste in music over those years. Some are still special to me, but none moreso than the songs from my dad. Priceless.

I've had great difficulty in attempting to convert these to be heard on the site. If they don't work, perhaps one of the many clever devils on here will point me in the right direction. Otherwise, I'll just carry on until I master the links properly.

'NO-ONE BUT YOU'
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArGCKv8FYSxWklUqdn_RzxD0uo2J?e=8jseE

'AUTUMN CONCERTO'
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArGCKv8FYSxWklalLbfEBvRcMMwL?e=rvfl9A

'LOVE LETTERS'
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArGCKv8FYSxWkle4jh9Ld2ohL_wr?e=m0iUK

'NO-ONE BUT YOU'

'AUTUMN CONCERTO'

'LOVE LETTERS'

Looks like they've not worked!

Thanks very much for trying to help Tonker. My son-in-law sent me new links earlier, insisting that they would work on the site - they don't. You can at least copy and paste the original links into the browser, which then seem to play easily. Not to worry - I'll somehow get there in the end x

The recordings are truly, truly superb.

Wonderful, rich (I would say baritone?) voice. 

Very nice. The files need attention from crackle smoothing software.
I’ve opened the links on an I pad. If you follow the download arrow the singing starts.

Your message has made my day Axcroft. They are all superb aren't they? The links were created via One Drive I think? I used to be a whizz on a PC but just don't have what it takes any more. How did you open the 'incomplete' files Axcroft?

And gaffer, thank you so much for listening. I personally prefer the '78' songs in their original form, but might just look into the software you mention (well, my son or son-in-law will).

x

Medical Maverick, when I open either of your three web addresses, or tonker's Wigan World hyperlinks, it takes me straight to my OneDrive account, and then the selected song is automatically played. 

Not sure what the "incomplete" files are that you refer to MM? Because the files are held on a OneDrive account, it does show 2 sets of names.

On the third cassette track, with the orchestra your dad sounds many years older.

I would keep the crackle!! It places it in time.

That was a wonderful 50th birthday present!

Medical Maverick, when your dad was 19/20 in 1955, I was four years old and lived across the road from Norman Leather's shop.

I used to love listening to him playing the piano and I do remember his recording studio, the records he sold and the instruments. It was a wonderful music shop from days gone by.

Thank you for the memory.

Great voice and songs, reminded me of the days I sat with grandfather listening to Arthur Tracy (The Street Singer) records when I was younger, Tracy was a Bari-tenor though. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Sorry for the delay in getting back here. Axcroft, I presumed that if I'd put in a url code correctly at the beginning of the links, they would come up red and underlined, like the ones Tonker managed to do, but I just couldn't seem to do it correctly; so that's what I meant by incomplete. I'm really chuffed that they've been heard in a public domain.

And Mollie, I also lived close to what would have been Norman Leather's music shop, though it had long since closed by the time I did. I do remember the large peg board effect just back from the main window for sound absorption, and his name sign on the window. Was it gold? How fab would that have been to hear him playing his piano from the music shop?

Arthur Tracy! I would never have remembered that name in a million years TerryW, so just looked him up on You Tube. I think I only ever heard the song 'Because' in the distant past, but not via my dad so who knows where. My brother also told me that my dad liked Billy Eckstine's voice and his duets with Sarah Vaughan, but I don't remember him ever playing anything of theirs, and Billy's voice was not one I could have warmed to.

Mr Maverick:

When I lived on Darlington Street as a little girl, I would regularly toddle up and down the length of the street, calling in all the shops. They all knew me, but sadly you probably won't remember all the shops down there during the 50s

We were more or less in the middle of Darlington Street, facing Harrogate Street (which was cobbled back then) and lived at the back of our shop which sold tellies and Bakelite radios and, when I'd done my visiting on our side, I'd ask my mum to see me across the road, although it was more or less deserted back in those days, and I'd do the length of that side as well, calling in at Norman Leather's. He was a lovely man and he'd let me play a few notes on the piano in the shop and wander around looking at things. I'd sit quietly whilst he played a tune for me, then I'd trundle off again. but he regularly played piano at other times. I think his name above the shop was in gold, as you say.

I was about four years old at the time.

Wow, M Maverick. What a wonderful history for your generations to enjoy.

Hello Mollie, thanks for sharing a little about your time living in Darlington Street. I'm only 61 but do remember quite a few of the shops, in use or closed. I was also a 'paper girl' for the newsagent on Darlington Street in the 70s for quite some time. I left home when I was 18, but at least once a year, still, I dream that I've gone back to our house which was literally at the traffic light on Warrington Lane, facing the large billboards, and next to Lily Smith's dress shop.

Anyway, it took some time to get my dad's songs on this forum with others' help but I felt so good when I could finally share his natural talent. He was just too good a singer not to share at least those 3 songs. He passed away 4th October from pneumonia and heart failure. He made a Will, but that doesn't interest me anywhere near as much as always being able to hear his voice on these songs, and others that I have on cassette. Thank you everyone x

Just listened. How wonderful. My grandparents lived at 61A Darlington St east...I spent every weekend of my early childhood there. The front door was in-between Isherwoods shoe shop and a toffee shop where you could buy a glass of Tizer, Jusoda or Dandelion and Burdock for 1 penny.
I'm 64 now and left Wigan when I was 16 ish. Thanks so much for the lovely moments listening to these songs.