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Fan List
Keywords:
Egypt (7), sweeties (1), yum (1)
Description:
We did a "live" version of this for the Coffeeshop challenge, but thought the song was worth reworking into a "studio" version. My vocals are completely redone and a bit of studio lushness added.
We've been meaning to do a duet for a while to see how well our voices blend. By coincidence we both grew up in Essex, only 30 miles apart, so we also have matching accents!
The song is a true story. Dick's wife went on a trip to Egypt and was told by the tour guide always to carry boiled sweets or cheap pencils to fob off the local kids when they pestered her for money (as they inevitably did). She was quite shocked by the prevailing "us and them" attitude, with the tourists suspicious and distrustful of the locals.
Dick: acoustic guitar and vocals
Rebsie: vocals
We've been meaning to do a duet for a while to see how well our voices blend. By coincidence we both grew up in Essex, only 30 miles apart, so we also have matching accents!
The song is a true story. Dick's wife went on a trip to Egypt and was told by the tour guide always to carry boiled sweets or cheap pencils to fob off the local kids when they pestered her for money (as they inevitably did). She was quite shocked by the prevailing "us and them" attitude, with the tourists suspicious and distrustful of the locals.
Dick: acoustic guitar and vocals
Rebsie: vocals
Lyrics:
Boiled Sweets and Pencils Cheap - © 2006 Dick Langford / Tom FranzAnother long haul visit
Another place crossed off the list
Another post card to be posted
Another history missed
All the children ask for money
And this is our reply
Boiled sweets to rot their teeth
Don't look them in the eye
It's Thursday must be Cairo, tomorrow it's the Nile
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap will always raise a smile
Alcohol can cover up a multitude of sins
You might as well be getting drunk
As all the drink's thrown in
Outside the hotel's tended lawns
There's poverty and dirt
The people smell, they'll steal your watch
At least this is what we've heard
It's Thursday must be Cairo, tomorrow it's the Nile
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap will always raise a smile
I have seen the Pyramids the Sphinx is rather small
What's this about those tombs with writing on the wall?
And the kids are everywhere with no shoes on their feet
Wanting money to buy some food and we give them boiled sweets
My God it's getting hot here
And it's hard to understand
Why anyone would make their home
In such an unforgiving land
But the hotel room's got air-con
A TV and a phone
If you don't look out the window
You could almost be at home
It's Thursday must be Cairo, tomorrow it's the Nile
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap will always raise a smile
Hardware:
K. Yairi acoustic guitar, Rode NT1-A micSoftware:
GB3 and 4You must be registered and logged-in to comment.
caroline
when i grow up i wanna sing like you and the lyrics are on the nail deedub - you sound fab together - now i gotta go listen to something fluffy - faaar too meaningful for feeling pink! thanks guys - big loves xoxox
Rebsie
Blimey, you were quick off the mark. :)
I thought this would be perfectly in your pink and fluffy zone with the melody at least. Ah well. I'm glad you managed to enjoy it in a non pink and fluffy way.
Peter Bauckham
I liked it before (but did think you were a wee bit quiet). This is lovely - the vocals are well separated and both of you come across very clearly. Just a very classy production all round - very well judged mixing with a very neutral tonal balance.
Peter
Rebsie
Thank you Peter. Your perennial support and encouragement are very much appreciated. We've tried to find the point where the voices blend but still stand out clearly from each other.
leemiguel2004
A really love song. Vocals were beautiful Rebsie and Dick. And lovely acoustic playing there Dick. The lyrics and mood of the piece I found really described the sadness of this divide between the rich tourists and the poor locals. Superb!
Rebsie
Hello Lee, how lovely to see you. It's been a while!
Thanks for dropping by for a listen, and it's good to see you're posting music again.
leemiguel2004
It's been a long while and we shall have to catch up sometime when you are free! We must do a gig at Second Life. Caroline and I did one tonight. It went really well. let me know how you're doing.
HenriROGERsoloandbands
The lyrics raise a big question .
Tourism in poor countries ... who gets the money ? ...
I was born in Egypt , Suez canal , when France was there , long ago .
Very beautifull song .
How I love this piece?! And from every listen, I love it more. Amazing vocal harmonizing and fine guitar playing. Thanks for sharing!
Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi
ktb
poignant and lovely at the same time. Your voices blend wonderfully. Kudo's on the mix. It sounds really sweet
jiguma
This sounds great - Rebsie in a lower register works really well with Dick's voice. Lovely song - mildly depressing lyrics, but I'll get over it - definitely worth the repost.
Cheers,
Neil
screamalexz
oh yes i remember listening to this one. this definitely sounds great. i love the vocals together. rebsie's tone sounds rather sweet on this recording i think.
Roxylee
One of those songs you love to hear because of the beauty of the voices and guitar, but hard to sing with because of the subject matter. Poverty is a fact of life for so many, and it would be hard to visit a place where little children are running after me, begging for food. I've never experienced that, or begging for food myself, but this song causes me to be thankful for what I have and to pray and ask God what I can do to make a difference somehow. Lovely vocals and playing, Dick and Rebsie.
peacepiano
Great folk song sound. You two make a wonderful duet.
Thanks
Bill
Relic67
great sounding song. i thought the lyrics drove home the message quite incisively.
ledebutant
This is just lovely. I have goosebumps on my arms, sitting here on my sofa listening, even through these laptop speakers. You guys sound absolutely terrific together and I hope you will sing more duets. I loved the matching accents, could really hear that on "postcards."
FlatRock2
This is great, the two of you harmonizing is great to listen to.
Feter
Terrific Duet realy , the story itself speaks to me .
one of your best works Rebsie thnx alot for sharin it !
MarkHolbrook
Bloody hell rebsie! When I grow up I wanna sing like you...
um.. er... well it seems I'm already grown up and I think there are a few differences to work out... gender-wise!
but hey that is nothing that medical science can't fix!
Seriously this is spot on good... no GREAT!!! no FABULOUS... Ok I'm running out of words!!! But this really is wonderful. (wait thats another word!)
michael2
i could almost hear this on a Pogues record (that's a good think). Perfection.
Jim Bouchard
Your voices obviously blend nicely. I've loved this song since Dick turned up here and I fav'ed that one way back then. That version is really quite different, but either way, it's a classic. Keep 'em comin'!
dwwave
Really enjoyed the sound scape, and the lyrics bring out
the paradox of global poverty versus those who have the extra funds to sight see and travel. Vocals and mix were right on.
dwwave
(sorry for the mispell)
dwwave
Really enjoyed the sound scape, and the lyrics bring out
the paradox of global poverty versus those who have the extra funds to sight see and travel. Vocals and mix were right on.
(sorry for the spelling error)
LunaTrick
Like the Yairi - and of course, the wonderful vocals!
Moviz
does add a 'lushness' to the sound you're right, but the message is still as poignant and well put... and certainly it's a song and sound well worth preserving from the studio, regards M
J.A.Stewart
Very nice folky piece with a keen eye focused on a social issue. Some of us (like me) prefer a hammer when addressing such issues, but the gentle tools you use in this song can work well, too... as they do in this production.
I suppose the disparities are more easily recognizable for us when visiting foreign lands, but they exist everywhere. Having grown up in the inner city myself, I have always been keenly aware of them. A 15-minute drive here will take you from small apartments configured like army barracks to accommodate a dozen or so people, to estates that contain their own private golf courses.
Your voices work well together here and Rebsie's gentle musical whispering is bound to make any song warm and fuzzy. The end result is almost like a reading from a personal journal, with a definite Simon & Garfunkel feel.
Nice work, Dick and Rebsie. ;)
--- Joe
are alive and well
This is lovely
Well done chaps
Vic Holman
worth the revisit. I thought the original was really good this does have a bit more polish to it. Great vocal duet!
all i can say is "sweet"
paddler
as I listen to this - a google advert came up on the left hand side of the mj page for humbugs.co.uk lol - lovely harmonies your voices go together great - beautiful melody.In the words of Dylan Thomas - 'sucking minto's forty winking halleluliahs!'
I thought I'd just shut up and enjoy the music this time!
Nice re-do!
Be well!
12parsecs
great gtr playing. beautiful folk song. kinda reminds me of a song i heard a while back, but i don't remember who did it, "the leader of the band".
very soothing, nicely written tune. harmonies are bang on.
lengold
really do gel together perfectly. Lovely song and perfectly performed and produced.
Cheers
Len
magnatone
sorry it took me so long to get here - this is TERRIFIC. Rebsie, your voice is amazing, and Dick's blends in with you in just the perfect way. Great guitar and mix - MORE you guys!!
buckhorn
Well written tune. And nicely executed. Poignant.Enjoyed.
Well, I do not know how I missed this one, but never mind I am here now.
It sounds familiar oh well. Its gorgous and how can it go wrong,
That brilliant Guy that always complains he is a middle aged decrepin
to hear him talk. Hello Dick hahaaa your so hansome you big lug now behave. Stop beating yourself up.
I as always love listening to you two collabing. You both sound amazing together. You both make gems together also you two do.
:) :)
And even when Rebsie thinks she cannot sing
and lost her confidence- awee she still sings amazing as well.
Oh ups its on your page Rebsie hahaaa ok- Hello Rebsie
I knew that. lol
Peace Dee.
Cadman
I've got a K.Yairi and a Rode NT1.
How come I don't sound this good? :-)
Seriously classy.
Boris the Bull
this is just brilliant songwriting! i love this and i'm so happy i stopped by! thank you!
and yeah, when i grow up, i wanna sing like Rebsie, too!
Very nice.