Deptford Days: Songs Around and About SE8 is a CD issued in December 2012 by Deep Diver Records. As the title suggests, what links the disparate 24 tracks by different artists is that all the songs have some connection to Deptford (well one of them is actually about Hilly Fields, but that's not far away is it?). Some people might be surprised that this many SE8 songs even exist, from folk to punk and many points in between. But the breadth of artists is also remarkable, from local acts to some internationally known performers - albeit ones that started out in SE London. The latter category includes Squeeze, Jools Holland, Alternative TV, Hatcham Social, Dire Straits and the latter's David Knopfler. Not to mention Skinny Lister, currently going down a storm in the States on tour with Flogging Molly.
Here's the full track listing:
Driving through Deptford - Jude Cowan Montague
The Deptford Dip - The Little Big Band
We are the Deptford Girls - Deepway Residential Home Reminiscence Group
As I roved out on Deptford Broadway - Neil Gordon-Orr
Down and out in Deptford - The Phobics
Deptford Broadway Boogie - Jools Holland
Deptford Beach - Deptford Beach Babes
From the Vauxhall Tavern to the Deptford Broadway - Dave Sutherland
Sultans of Swing (original demo) - Dire Straits
Shadow Ships of Deptford - Jason McNiff
Last Tango in Deptford - The Janes Does
In Deptford Town - Tony Lording
Deptford Thrill - The Love Lavas
Hilly Fields (acoustic version) - nick nicely
Deptford Wives - Hatcham Social
Jeudi Soir au Paradise Bar - Flaky Jake and the Steamin' Locos
Friendly Street - Paul Astles with Alan Dunn
If the gaff don't let us down - Skinny Lister
Pretty Betsy of Deptford Town - Louise Baxter
Fun City - Alternative TV
It's not cricket - Squeeze
Deptford Broadway - Ceri James
Banksters Shangri La - The Chilly Dogs
Southside Tenements - David Knopfler
So I know what you're thinking - where can I get a copy? Well the CD is a non-commercial release that has mainly been distributed amongst musicians, friends and families. But there is a plan to press more copies and have a gig based around the album at the Duke in Deptford sometime in April. So watch this space...
In the mean time you can check out one of the tracks on Soundcloud - Shadow Ships Of Deptford by Jason McNiff, based on the poem Ghosts in Deptford by Cicely Fox Smith which we uncovered at Transpontine a little while ago.
...and here's The Chilly Dogz, Banksters Shangri-La
BANKSTERS SHANGRI-LA
Living down in Deptford Town
With nouveau riche executives
Things seem crazy, churning round
Young turks trading derivatives
Long gone the old Centurion
The Mercury, Nobles, The Broadway cafe
Eels mash and liquor at Manzes pie shop
Knickerbocker Glories at Rossis, No way!
The old geezers spike
At Carrington House
The Edward Street stables
For the rag and the bone
The state cleansing centre
For the flea and the louse
The Art Deco palace
That was Odeon
The Dockers, The Costers,
All of them gone
We now have to listen
To posh gangsters Lah-di-dah
Whilst the rest of us sing
Some old Squeeze song
Deptford is becoming,
The banksters Shangri-La
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| The cover design by Chiara Brambilla Hall |
The album is dedicated to recently departed Deptfordites Jenny Harris, Pete Pope, Brian Hibbard and Garry Stocks.
Good to see a few tracks from that 1996 CD 'Singing Out Deptford' resurface here
ReplyDeletehttp://thechillydogz.bandcamp.com/
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the Chilly Dogz track on Deptford Days http://thechillydogz.bandcamp.com/
ReplyDeleteWell spotted Paul, I think Deptford Dip and We are the Deptford Girls both came from that earlier Singing Out Deptford album.
ReplyDeleteoh wow...didn't even know there were songs about Deptford. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteamazing.....where can I get hold of (or borrow) a copy?
ReplyDelete