Any George Formby fans here?

Lalou said:
Me being a recent import to the UK, I had never heard of George Formby until I started playing the ukulele a couple of years ago and people kept telling me about him.
What a man! What a musician! Love him!
I can't play any of his music yet - all those superfast split strokes are too advanced for me! - but I love listening to it and I defo intend to go to one of these GF conventions in Blackpool someday.
Oh George darling, women do like you, you know!
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Always love it when non-UK folk appreciate George :)

Johnny Foodstamp - a regular on here, now he does some great Formby stuff - it amazes me AND brightens my day, knowing that there's a guy playing songs about a Lancashire Lad in Nashville!

To be recognised the world over - wonderful! George is a global phenomenon - and that's certainly got to be down to hom and Beryl during the war and later... they went everywhere! All over Europe... South Africa... New Zealand! Amazing stuff! :)
 
The Big Kahuna said:
One of the greatest gifts to mankind are the words "Asshat" and "Assclown", courtesy of our colonial cousins. As a gesture of gratitude, I should like to take this opportunity to introduce them to the greatest word in the English language:

"Wazzock"

Now go practice it on your friends and acquaintances, in the almost certain knowledge that they probably won't know what the hell you're talking about.
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lol. Not heard "wazzock" for ages.

In honour of this, I shall have to call someone a wazzock today!

I may be in hospital following this though! :D
 
The Big Kahuna said:
Do what I do, and pick someone smaller. Although, since the retirement of Jimmy Krankie, this is becoming increasingly difficult.
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Hmm... I know what you mean, plus I'm only 5' 6" so I'm on dodgy territory.

I did however mutter it under my breath in front of a Priest.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Cassock" I said, "Ye've a nice cassock there, Father".

Oh yes - I'm good at back-peddling y'know! :D
 
Barry Barmcake said:
George is a global phenomenon
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I don't know about that... I think outside the UK he's probably mostly famous in former British colonies, not so much in other places. My friends and family might not be very representative, but noone I know in French-speaking or Scandinavian countries seems to know about him. Not even my mother who's a massive fan of musicals and old B&W movies. It's a shame (Oh! Xmas present idea for Mummy: a George Formby DVD!)
 
Lalou said:
I don't know about that... I think outside the UK he's probably mostly famous in former British colonies, not so much in other places. My friends and family might not be very representative, but noone I know in French-speaking or Scandinavian countries seems to know about him. Not even my mother who's a massive fan of musicals and old B&W movies. It's a shame (Oh! Xmas present idea for Mummy: a George Formby DVD!)
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I've audio footage of him performing in Sweden... and I know he was in France during the wartime, but not sure about later.

Mind you... seeing that he did the song "I'm A Froggie" with the line "I'm a dirty Frenchie doggie" that might upset a few!

Mind you - he did some right daft stuff about Wigan - and I love it! :D all tongue-in-cheek! :D

His Dad started it all about "Wigan Pier" which was nought more than a wee bit of railway line for tipping coal on barges - I often go past it - but GF's Senior and Jnr made it famous! :D
 
I learned to day that it will be a long time before I'm ready to do any strumming like George Formby did. But boy did I have fun trying to get my two hands to work together. :) I took part in a George Formby strumming workshop with Ralph Shaw.
I did pick up a strumm/pluck/pluck/strumm/pluck/pluck/strum strum pattern that I want to work on and get better at .. then use in some songs. It's fun. Most of the workshop was over my head; but it gave me stuff to think about and aim for.
We also heard more about Formby, and I learned more about him. It was quite interesting.
 
Dorothy said:
I learned to day that it will be a long time before I'm ready to do any strumming like George Formby did. But boy did I have fun trying to get my two hands to work together. :) I took part in a George Formby strumming workshop with Ralph Shaw.
I did pick up a strumm/pluck/pluck/strumm/pluck/pluck/strum strum pattern that I want to work on and get better at .. then use in some songs. It's fun. Most of the workshop was over my head; but it gave me stuff to think about and aim for.
We also heard more about Formby, and I learned more about him. It was quite interesting.
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The chap certainly led an interesting life.

There's a great book out that's a biography of both he and his father called "It's Turned Out Nice Again".

As for the technique - it's a right bugger... I keep at it though and reckon it's great fun keeping at it though. :)
 
....I learned to day that it will be a long time before I'm ready to do any strumming like George Formby did. But boy did I have fun trying to get my two hands to work together. I took part in a George Formby strumming workshop with Ralph Shaw. I did pick up a strumm/pluck/pluck/strumm/pluck/pluck/strum strum pattern that I want to work on and get better at .....

WOW!! Lucky You!! Yeah - they make it look SO much easier than it is - I can do all the component parts separately, just can't string them together in a piece!! THO ..... in my head, I can break down all Formby's solos to make them 'easier' and I am playing along with them ...... until I pick up the uke! Then it all goes down hill! :( They reckon, once you 'get it', all is good!
 
Barry Barmcake said:
I come from Wigan in Lancashire, England where George was born... in fact, he was born about a mile away from where I live (there's a plaque there to commemorate).
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My father came from Oldham, Lancashire. I was brought up with my father's singing George Formby tunes around the house, and when the TV has his movies on,the whole family watched (CBC showed several of his films in the 50s and early 60s). George was popular as a morale builder during WWII, too.

I loved his stuff and have a 10-CD collection of his music. I never really connected with him musically, however, until I started playing the uke in '08, and then began to pay closer attention to his style and technique. That's when I developed a much deeper appreciation of his talent. I can listen to my whole collection in one sitting, but my wife has a lower tolerance level. Some of the songs are repetitive and variations on common patterns.

My favourite piece by him is a medley on the ukulele (not the banjo uke) with Goody Goody in the middle.
 
ichadwick said:
My favourite piece by him is a medley on the ukulele (not the banjo uke) with Goody Goody in the middle.
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Nice to meet you Ian - and thanks for sharing the info - I agree with the repetitions certainly but I too can sit and listen the chap endlessly! :D

I know the medley you mean too - includes "I like bananas" which is great! :D
 
Watched one of George's films again the other day "South American George" - have to say, I love this scene and the song "The Barmaid At The Rose & Crown". :)

 
I am guessing George is more of a UK thing....I can never figure out if it is comedy or not?? I can appreciate the strums but.....Much like Tiny Tim, is it supposed to be music or comedy?? No offense meant.
 
costaricadave said:
I am guessing George is more of a UK thing....I can never figure out if it is comedy or not?? I can appreciate the strums but.....Much like Tiny Tim, is it supposed to be music or comedy?? No offense meant.
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Both Dave! :)th

George's material was often seen to be 'risqué' - some stuff banned by the BBC for innuendo. Very much light-hearted humour which he put into music (as did the people who wrote his material) - some folk found him vulgar, but the Royals adored him! Apparently, at one time, Queen Elizabeth was reputed to do a good impersonation of George when younger!!! Both she and her sister played his records endlessly - George and Beryl were often invited to perform for their parents - AND Queen Mary always insisted he played the FULL versions and not to 'dumb it down'. :)
 
Barry Barmcake said:
Here's something I thought I'd share... "The Practice Piece" - George's famous solo.

I took the original, changed pitch so you can play it 'Formby style' but in a 'c' (standard) tuning.

See what you think.

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I hadn't come across this before, and it is very helpful, thankyou. I've just been looking at an old Johnny Foodstamp tutorial and pulled together this http://dailyukulele.wordpress.com/barmaid-at-the-rose-and-crown-solo-chords-finger-lifts-and-taps/ and I'll add some bits to the Practice Piece section as a result of seeing yours too! The more places that can signpost all the good advice (like your compilation of tutorials) the better as it saves people from reinventing the wheel.
 
pondweed said:
I hadn't come across this before, and it is very helpful, thankyou. I've just been looking at an old Johnny Foodstamp tutorial and pulled together this http://dailyukulele.wordpress.com/barmaid-at-the-rose-and-crown-solo-chords-finger-lifts-and-taps/ and I'll add some bits to the Practice Piece section as a result of seeing yours too! The more places that can signpost all the good advice (like your compilation of tutorials) the better as it saves people from reinventing the wheel.
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Thanks for that, pondweed - it all helps!
 
I admit I haven't heard much of his stuff (yet), but I really like what I've heard. I like the slightly "naughty" songs of that era in general. And his playing just makes me happy.
 
I am a fan. Have been since childhood when his films used to on TV occasionally.

The man had an amazing right hand!
 
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