Umps and Dumps

"You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you."

Granny Weatherwax in Terry Pratchett's Witches Abroad

The Moon's In A Fit

Umps and Dumps

Topic 12TS 416 LP, UK 1980

First published by Topic. 1980/Produced
by Umps and Dumps and Tony Engle/
Recorded at Gateway Studios/Engineer -
John Gill/Design by Tony Engle/
Photography by Bob Naylor

John Kirkpatrick; concertina, button accordian

two-row melodeon, triangle, vocals.

Sue Harris; dulcimer, hammered dulcimer,

vocals

Tufty Swift; one-row melodeon,

two-row melodeon, mouth-organ,

fiddle, vocals

Derek Pearce; tenor banjo, percussion,

bass drum, drum kit, tuba, steel guitar

one-row melodeon, vocals

Alan Harris; string bass, bass, banjo,

vocals

The Liner Notes

Late in 1973 Tufty, Derek and John Tams formed

Whistling Rufus, a dance band trio featuring one-row melodeon and two tenor banjos. A mutual desire to play English country dance music led John and Sue to muscle in and by early 1974, Umps and Dumps had taken over, with the addition of oboe and concertina. Sue switched to hammered dulcimer in 1975. John Tams left in 1976 and now plays in The Albion Band. Alan joined in 1977 after working with Tufty and Sue as Hammer and Tongs.

Alan Harris also plays with Six Hands in Tempo

Tufty Swift also plays as Tufty Swift.

Derek Pearce also plays with Roaring Jelly,

Excelsior and Scaramouch & Co.

Sue Harris also plays as Sue Harris and

dances as Martha Roden.

John Kirkpatrick plays with anyone.

Track Notes

Upsides
John - concertina, vocals/Tufty -
one-row melodeon, vocal/Sue-
hammered dulcimer, vocal/Derek -
tenor banjo, percussion, bass drum,
vocal/Alan - string bass, vocal

Originally learned from a scrap of paper
headed 'Bob Roberts' tunes' that was
thrust under the noses of those attending
Nan Fleming-Williams' musicians evenings
at Cecil Sharp House circa 1964. The
nursery rhyme is of uncertain origin

After You've Got

Derek - vocal, backing vocal/John -

two-row melodeon/Sue - dulcimer/

Tufty - mouth organ/Alan - bass

Recorded by The Elliotts, amongst others

An old-fashioned song that is forever true

Woodland Voices

Sue - dulcimer/Tufty -two-row

melodeon/ Derek - banjo/Alan -

bass/John - concertina

A barn dance taken from the Topic

LP IDEAL MUSIC (12T319), featuring

Bob Smith's Ideal Band, a group that was

very popular in Glasgow in the 1930s

The Watercress Girl

John - vocal, two-button melodeon/

Derek - backing vocal, banjo/

Alan -backing vocal, bass/Sue -

dulcimer/Tufty - fiddle

A bequest from John Tams, who found it

in a hotch-potch of fragments noted by

Roy Palmer from the West Midlands

singer George Dunn published in the

EFDSS Journal in 1973.

Maybe She'll Write

Alan - vocal, tenor banjo/Derek -

tuba and percussion/John - backing

vocals

Taken from the singing of the Two Gilberts

this song was originally the B-side of Mary

Ellen at the Church! Turned Up

Rogues March - Dashing White Sergeant

Tufty - one -row melodeon, vocal/

Sue - dulcimer/John - concertina,

vocal/Derek -banjo and kit, vocal/

Alan - bass, vocal

Rogues March was the tune used by The

British Army when men were 'drummed

out of the regiment' (dishonourably

discharged). The words are from Lewis

Winstock's SONGS AND MUSIC OF THE

REDCOATS. The Dashing White Sergeant

- a real old trouper.

Marmalade Polka

Sue - dulcimer/John - concertina/

Tufty - one-row melodeon/Derek -

banjo and kit/Alan - bass

Learned from a tape compiled by Tony Engle

which features numerous traditional

musicians.

Underneath Her Apron

John - vocal and vibraslap/Derek -

banjo/Tufty - fiddle/Sue -

dulcimer/Alan - bass

Based on the performance by the Suffolk

singer Percy Ling on the

Topic LP THE LING FAMILY (12TS292) A showcase

for the startling instrumental dexterity of

some of the band

Lichfield Tattoo

Tufty - one-row melodeon/Alan -

banjo, bass/Derek - banjo and kit/

Sue - dulcimer/John - concertina

a tune from the manuscript book of Isaac

Oldfield of Kirby Langley, near Derby,

who played in the Belper New Militia

Regimental Band around 1820

The Willow Tree

Sue - vocals/Derek - tuba, steel

guitar/Alan - banjo/John - two-

row melodeon

A song from May Bradley, a gypsy singer

from Ludlow in Shropshire. Fred Hare

collected a number of songs from her in

the early 1960s

Donkey, Jack Donkey -

Here It Comes Again

Derek - vocal, one - row melodeon

Alan - banjo/John - concertina

Tufty - fiddle/Sue - dulcimer

Donkey Jack was written by Bill Caddick,

wizard of the pen and plectrum. Here It Comes Again

was written by Derek with Clive Harvey

leaning over his shoulder.

Dark Town Strutters' Ball/

Cajun Two-Step

Sue - vocal and dulcimer/Tufty -

vocal, one - row melodeon/Alan -

banjo/John - button accordian,

triangle/Derek - tuba

An American dance hall song written by

Shelton Brooks. The two step comes from

Nathan Abshire's playing on the

album THE CAJUNS VOL 2

The Moon's In A Fit 1980 [click for larger image]

Topic Records 12TS 416 1980

Upside

Upsides

After You've Got

Woodland Voices

The Watercress Girl

Maybe She'll Write Me

Rogues March/

Dashing White Sergeant

Downside

Marmalade Polka

Underneath Her Apron

Lichfield Tattoo

The Willow Tree

Donkey, Jack Donkey -

Here It Comes Again

Dark Town Strutters' Ball/

Cajun Two-Step

Topic Records 12TS 416 1980

A Two Gilberts Page

and there's a CD for

sale as well from

this comedy duo

of the early twentieth century

Nathan Abshire

whose dynamic accordion playing

spanned the history of Cajun music:

he played the reels of his father’s

generation, the Cajun songs of the

1930s and ‘40s, and brought his own

blues-tinged sensibilities to Cajun

music in a string of classic recordings

Marmalade Polka

this very track, by Umps and Dumps

can be foundon this incredible

compilation CD

Bob Smith's Ideal Band Discography

a discography of the group that was

very popular in Glasgow in the 1930s

Sing, Say, Or Play

a survey of East Suffolk

Country Music

little over twenty seven years ago

this area was a hotbed of traditional

music-making and country entertainment,

where every village had its group of

musicians and singers, often travelling

around the many pubs where music was made

Songs and Music of The Red Coats

a very interesting dissersion

based on an entry in Winstock's book

Sook and Blaw

more old squeezers, this

time from Musical Traditions

The Folk Mag

The online guide to folk song,

dance and roots music for the

West Midland counties

West Midlands Songs

its a short list of seven

names and a song category,

but the songs that are attached

to the names are the real treasure here

Tufty Swift

English melodeon player who used to play in the very influential Umps & Dumps Band, died in his sleep on 14th October, 1999, after a long battle with cancer. He leaves a wife, Anita and a recently born baby boy, Benamie.

Many people will remember Umps & Dumps as one of the original bands to take part in the revolution in English Country Dance music which led to what we now call e-ceilidh. His more recent band, Busking Sharks, was a valued addition to our dance programme at Ripponden. Although not widely known, they were a band who could keep you dancing all night

He will be sorely missed by many of us.

Johnny Adams.

Musical Traditions. 2001

Barn dance bands, ceilidh bands, hoe down bands UK