Ryhope Comprehensive School
Poetry Section
TELL US, MISTER GERRIE, HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
Now Tommy’s dead
What shall we do?
“Godspell” or “Hamlet”
Or “Tommy” number 2?”
“They’ve pinched me idea.”
Shouts someone in vain –
With the story of the Beatles
London’s beat us again.
So “Stardust” was chose
By general agree;
‘Tis better than “Hair”
Or “Rock Nativity!”
“Let’s change the score,”
Says George Robinson.
“I want some Bowie
AND Carole King”. (Who doesn’t!)
“Let’s write some songs!”
Exclaims William Scott
And immediately writes six
All off the trot.
Let’s change the plot, too,
From London to Ryhope,
With netties and strippers –
The show’s now a riot.
Can u get me a plane
And a revolving stage
And an airport too,
And a camera crew.
“What next!” bellows Hargreaves,
His face growing paler.
“You’ll be wanting the Queen
And Elizabeth Taylor!”
So the wheels start to move
And the ulcers grow
And three months later
We’ve got a show
With a cast of thousands
And six nights to face.
Stardust T-Shirts and badges
Are all the rage.
Aquarius is here
With Russell Harty.
“Are ye David Frost?”
Says Christopher Cowie.
So July’s here now
And we haven’t been sued.
Is it Ryhope School Hall,
Or Hollywood?
Sales of Aspirin are up,
Also nerve pills and beer.
Ivan Hargreaves has piles
Andy Smith diarrhoea.
The kids are alright
The staff are all left.
We’ve had a good time
And Mr Copland’s gone daft!
So fail or succeed,
It’s now up to you.
If ye divn’t enjoy it
You can cane us and boo!
Obit
Think for a moment of all the dead rock stars…. not just the greats, but the also rans as well…….OK so be honest with yourself, how many can you remember? “Sure,” I hear you yell, “There’s Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly and Otis Reading and Brian Jones and Janis Joplin and there’s…………..er……………..er……….and……….
Got you, haven’t I? Everyone remembers them. But what about Eddie Cochran? Go on, how many of you remember him? Or Gene Vincent?
More recent ones are; Jim Crooe in 1973, Cass Elliot (ex-Mamas and Papas) and of course we cannot possibly forget Bobby Darin, Jim Morrison, Ritchie Valens, Sam Cooke, Elmore James, Frankie Lymon, Louis Armstrong (“What a Wonderful World” – great song) Vinnie Taylor of (Sha-na-na).
Chopin
Fryderyck Chopin,………..er well, er 1849 was the date, perhaps a bit early to be a rock star? Ah well, yes, but……….
Sharon Tate & Co were murdered by Charles Manson & Co, but perhaps most people would prefer to forget them.
Did you know that ex-Shadows member John Rostill was electrocuted in 1973? Did you know he even existed? did you even care? No? Neither do I really, but I’ve got to fill in some space somehow.
Who
Now, just to prove finally that you don’t care, here is a list of some more dead rock stars, with the names of the bands, if any, they were linked with:
Robbie McIntosh (Average White Band)
Billy Murcia (New York Dolls)
Dave Stringbean Akerman
Jerry Lee Lewis Junior
Allan Sherman
Carter Stanky
Martin Lambell (Fairport Convention)
Shorty Long
King Curtis
Earl Bostik – bet he came to a sticky end, ha ha.
Harold McNair
Skip James
Lord Buckley
Magio Sam
I suppose somebody must care – can you remember the mourning when James Dean died? (You don’t look that old, honest). But what is James Dean now? Just a dim memory, and an actor in films shown late at night when everybody is in bed.
Just think
Just think for a moment….. the idolisation showered on the Bay City Rollers now…..if they all dropped dead tomorrow……..there would be a great deal of sorrow, mourning, even teenage suicide perhaps? But in five years? Ten years? Who would care? After all, it was only in 1969 that Brian Jones died; and who among ordinary people really cares now? It may occasionally be said that the Stones have never been the same since Brian Jones died – but is that really caring? NO. People want live rock stars, not dead ones. But then they may not even want real rock stars at all. Remember the Archies? Cartoon
