With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock

Album: Golden Greats (1937)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The sheet music for "With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock" is credited Words and Music by Harry Gifford and Fred Cliffe, copyright Lawrence Wright Music of London, 1964. The seaside town of Blackpool in the North of England has been a holiday attraction since the 18th Century, and has been especially popular with ordinary working people since the 1870s. It is famous for its rock, among other things.
  • George Formby sang this humourous ditty accompanying himself on the ukulele, but harmless though it seems, and although it nowhere comes close to rhyming "rock" with the obvious, the overzealous censor took umbrage to him strolling about the promenade with something small and sticky in his pocket, and in 1937 it was banned from BBC radio shows. It has to be said, this was not the first time Formby fell foul of the censor; previously his record label had ordered "With My Little Ukulele In My Hand" to be rewritten. Unsurprisingly, Formby made a live recording of the song for British Pathe at the Blackpool Winter Gardens accompanied by a pianist; it was actually the B Side of the less well known "Oh Dear, Mother". According to The George Formby Society, he made two recordings January 24, 1937 on Regal Zonophone, and also received a writing credit. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Evolution Of The Prince Symbol

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.