11 + 10

If you were to ask the Sage to play you some music, there would be two likely ‘instruments’ to choose from.  One would be his polyphon, a late Victorian jukebox, and the other would be his wind-up gramophone, which I bought for him many years ago.  Thirty or so years I should think, certainly before we moved here.

This is the song that he would play for you.  Only slightly faster, and therefore a tone or two higher in pitch.

22 comments on “11 + 10

  1. Sharon J

    I’m not sure what to say to that. It kind of reminds me of my grandparents. If they were still alive, they’d probably be about 120 now!

    Reply
  2. Jane and Lance Hattatt

    Hello Z:
    How wonderful this jolly tune is!

    Indeed, we are delighted to know that there is another living person who still has a wind up gramaphone although yours is clearly working, whereas ours has become overwound and is now in need of the repair shop.

    But we do have a large supply of needles, acquired from where we can no longer remember.

    Reply
  3. Mike and Ann

    Hello Z. I was able to sing along with that because my grandfather had the same record. About five years ago I turned all his records (and a portable wind-up gramophone) over to our oldest daughter, and I’m told that her children (aged 12 to 21) all enjoy listening to their great-great-grandfather’s old records (he had an unfortunate taste in music- hall music – which is why I found meself singing that Florrie Ford song ‘Oh Flo!’ in the shower the other morning). Thanks for the recording – brought back memories.

    Reply
  4. Christopher

    In a brief interval in the Great Wall Party Pudathon we were indeed treated to the polyphon (Mago: polyphon Eng. n. An aid to digestion (Gr. poly much, many + phon fun) If some weaker vessels hadn’t fallen by the wayside by Round 3, we might have had this too.

    I wonder what’s on the other side?

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  5. Z

    Chocolate pudding today, Ro and Dora are coming for lunch.

    Dave, still on the subject of needles, you might prefer J Roddy? – http://youtu.be/2lkMn-rUYiE (first result) – but I have that on CD rather than just D.

    I do like excursions down the garden path, Chris, don’t you? Thank you for your helpful translation. The reverse side proves the singer to have been a recidivist and is the story of his second stretch.

    Reply
  6. Christopher

    A stricter etymologist might have accounted for polyphon as n. boborygmus, eructation (Gr. poly much, many + phon sound, noise.

    Our garden path is quite a long one!

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  7. Z

    I think I preferred your first version, Chris – or are you casting aspersions on J Roddy’s singing?

    Pat, when I get my pianola back I’ll be singing my way through No, No, Nanette and similar musical shows!

    Reply
  8. Z

    Oh hello, Scarlet, you popped in unexpectedly. We do have some old 78s, but this is the one that most often gets played. Mind you, the Sage doesn’t really care about music…

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  9. georgie

    I think they call them Victrolas or gramaphones over here. Who was it who sang “When I’m Washing Windows”? I heard that song recently, can’t remember the singer. It was not Harry Lauder.

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  10. Mike and Ann

    Sorry – should have been late 1930s. I say junior because his father (who isn’t much remembered nowadays) was a traditional north country comedian, and a great deal funnier than I ever found the George Formby we all remember.

    Reply
  11. The Boy

    One of the great tradgedies of my life was the loss to a garage sale by a drunk uncle of an original wax gramaphone kept lovingly by my grandfather that was supposed to come to me. Not that I would have ever sold it on, but that it went in said garage sale for a dollar always makes me grind my teeth.

    Reply

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