Services Calling: Tea for Two; etc. (WWII transcription discs)

[kevin toner]

Services Calling: Tea for Two; etc. (WWII transcription discs)

 

 

 

Starting at around 21:29

 

The harp is leading here, but do I detect a bit of English Concertina in the background, which is neither the billed star accordionist nor harmonicists?  The latter does double for drums, but hmm, I wonder who’d be playing the tini in there (?)

 

It adds a real nice sweet touch to augment an already marvellous wee concert

 

I don’t think it’s a different kind of button-box; tho it doesn’t matter – it’s an absolutely lovely piece at a difficult time (on my actual wav/raw file you can actually hear geese in the background at a point I think enjoying the music too).  It has some great musicians from around the world with Dutch roots

 

I was thoroughly enjoying this 3-disc treat anyway, and then even more so when it seems like my Granddad and dropped by to do a little vamping in the background for the next few numbers.  It’s a long shot, but it does sound like him, and he was stationed not greatly far away from this base; entertaining troops and locals in nearby counties or vicinity.  Apparently he was a real hit - and him and acquaintances made some easy money too doing requests and so forth (he played and others went round with the bonnet/cap collecting handsomely, I think), but narrowly escaping a court marshal if it weren’t for the superior’s approval of music, I can’t quite remember the exactitudes of all the wee stories...

 

There is a memoirs book about the base that could shed more clues about life there.  It was a British base that the Royal Netherlands Brigade took over.

 

-

 

As I listen again, I think the accordionist has possibly retreated to the background away from mikes and harmonising with the non-piano side of the accordion, albeit there’s single notes too (but whicjh might have been a voicing switch change on the instrument so that it changes the sound/voicing of the singular notes), hence me thinking it sounds a bit like a concertina.  I’m not even a novice on the Acoordion, so cannot say!  Anyone else will know better – it would be great to hear some verification or thoughts on that background reed instrument not taking such a lead for the last couple of so songs as the concert draws to a finish.

 

ps If anyone can identify the preceding and lovely French ballad that'd be brill!

[kevin toner]

I've had another listen to this and think there is slim likelihood of concertina, unless it's separately background vamping at times.  I think I'm imagining this and wonder if I should delete this post - It's probable that it is a rehearsed accordionist or even other button box player in the background if not the main accordionist switching voicing and volume controls etc.

 

If I delete in due course soon - it's because of uncertainty and so on.  I believe this particular forum topic should always have concertina at the very least (and I don't think there's enough info to verify here!  so sorry for posting and needing probably to delete).

 

ps It's funny that in my a recent previous post, the concertina sound similarities (in pre-war bands/orchestras) was the very least also being discussed.  No worries anyway!

[kevin toner]

I've had a listen to the wav file and it's definitely much more concertina (and English Concertina sounding too) than any other kind of reed/bellows instrument.

 

Apologies it's so much in the background and of mp3 quality for the time being!

 

[edit: Forget it being my granddad, it seems too rehearsed for the set, but that said there was quite a population of musicians at this time in tune with each other...]

 

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by kevin toner

[CrP]

The chording beginning at around 22.04 sounds to my ear more like harmonica (sometimes known as mouth organ) than 'tina. It's both the style of the playing [chord twice, pause, then same again] and the timbre that seems characteristic of harmonica. Then I do hear concertina [English? I think] beginning shortly thereafter altho' it might could be harmonica.