The 6th album of joyful folk-rock from Merry Hell Track Listing: 1Go Down Fighting 2Leave It In The Ground 3Three Little Lions 4Handsome Sally 5Sister Atlas 6Sailor 7Beyond The Call 8Violet 9Younger Than You Were 10The Green Hills Of Home 11I Don't Want To Be Cool 12We Are Different, We Are One 13Moonlight Parade 14Emergency Lullaby (Wasting Time) Merry Hell are: Andrew Kettle: Vocals Virginia Kettle: Vocals & Guitar Bob Kettle: Mandolin & Bouzouki John Kettle: Guitars Nick Davies: Bass Lee Goulding: Keyboards & Banjo Neil McCartney: Fiddle & Backing Vocals Andy Jones: Drums All members of Merry Hell contributed to backing vocals on this album. Merry Hell were joined by Simon Care, who played Melodeon on I Don't Want To Be Cool. ‘Beyond The Call’ & ‘We Are Different, We Are One’ feature the massed voices of The Key Workers Chorus and The Social Isolation Choir. Our thanks go to each and every one of you. ‘Sailor’ was written for Bob ‘Buck’ Taylor, a former stoker in The Royal Navy. He was buried at sea in 2018. Sail on forever, Buck. ‘Sister Atlas’ is dedicated to Greta Thunberg. ‘Handsome Sally’ is dedicated to Karen and Richard. Emergency Lullabies was recorded, engineered and produced by John Kettle at The Music Projects, Wigan and remotely at band member’s homes, except for ‘Moonlight Parade’, which was produced by Neil McCartney and John Kettle. Cover Concept and all artwork by Neil McCartney. Neilmccartney10@gmail.com The Merry Hell Crew: Merchandise by Julie McKiernan and Mike (Jonah) Jones, occasionally augmented or substituted by Denise Kettle). Website by Julian Watts at JoolzDesign.com Cat-herding, breakfast arranging and spiritual guidance by Damian Liptrot. We would like to thank our families, friends and all you good people who help keep the Merry Hell charabanc moving on our mighty long way down Folk and Roll. We started recording Emergency Lullabies in the Autumn of 2019 and finished it during the Lockdown of 2020.
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about
A sea-serpent sized earworm of a song. Inspired by one sailor, dedicated to them all. Possibly as close to a shanty as Merry Hell are ever likely to come. Written in memory of Bob ‘Buck’ Taylor, buried at sea.
lyrics
Sailor
(For Bob 'Buck' Taylor)
Oh, sailor, sailor
You sailed out on the wind-torn water
Sailor, sailor
So many years you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
You fed the fire in the belly of a Battle-class warship
You steamed away on the rolling waves
That took you far from home
Oh, sailor, sailor
You sailed out on The Tyne and Maidstone
Sailor, sailor
So many miles you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
You slid down the ladders into Action Stations
You steamed away on the rolling waves
That took you far from home
Remember how the sun sank into the Tasman Sea
Where you saw fire-fingered lightning flash from heaven to the mast
And it lit a spark inside your heart for you felt free at last
You sailed away…
Oh, sailor, sailor
The boiler burned and it looked like chaos
Sailor, sailor
On many tides you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
With the bells in your head down below the airlock
You steamed away on the rolling waves
That took you far from home
Oh, sailor, sailor
You sailed out through the Bay of Biscay
Sailor, sailor
On many lands you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
Afloat on the flood of screech and whiskey
You steamed away on the rolling waves
That took you far from home
Remember the day when you had to leave Marseilles,
When the order came to sail and you left her on the quay,
But you said, “to hell with the storm-drench fear, with the sharks and broken skulls, my dear!”
I’ll sail away…
Oh, sailor, sailor
You sailed out with your comrades dear
Sailor, sailor
So many miles you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
You brought help when the earth shook in Agadir
Then you steamed away on the rolling waves
That took you far from home
Remember the stars in the southern hemisphere
And Violet smiles at the breaking and the closing of the day
With love on your side, you knew you would be alright
Just sail away...
Oh, sailor, sailor
Time rolled on and the seas got rougher
Sailor, sailor
So many years you roamed!
Sailor, sailor
Now you’re laid in the waves you’ll sail on forever…
All the love you gave will keep rolling, mate
Now you are safely home
All the love you gave will keep rolling, mate…
Now you are safely home.
credits
from Emergency Lullabies,
released November 8, 2020
Words and Music by Bob Kettle
Multi-award winning Merry Hell offer joyful, uplifting folk-rock, with a message for troubled times. Native to the North-
West of England, the 8-piece musical charabanc was built from the embers of the much loved folk-punk band The Tansads, developing a life and feel all of its own. Through 6 albums and hundreds of gigs, they offer hope & light in our troubled times....more
John Drumbo French from Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band worked with Thompson on two albums along with Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser.
Those two French, Frith, Kaiser and Thompson albums led me to this.
Also, Richard Thompson taught Hugh Cornwell (of The Stranglers) how to play the bass guitar in a band when they were both at the same school (Emil and The Detectives?).
With a career spanning 50 years and playing with two of my heroes (French and Cornwell) Thompson has produced a fascinating EP. yellowcakeuf6
Darling Charms - Would've thought NK would have learned her lesson after the Port 'n' Brandy 😘 xx
This whole EP is bangin' btw. Beautiful work xx Gill Loomes-Quinn
Beautifully played and full of moving vocal performances, the Bay Area singer/songwriter's latest is a stellar work of art. Bandcamp Album of the Day Feb 3, 2023
Such a broad range of roots music styles; trad English, modern Scottish, Americana.
The first track is fabulous, took me right back to teenage years listening to Fairport.
Hope it gets the recognition it deserves Derrick Turner
