HBG

This song reminds of some mud-splattered days when I was playing rugby. I was many years younger and a 100 times fitter. The school rugby was run by a geography teacher who put me in as prop despite my protestations.

I started off as a prop and played my last game as a prop some ten years later, after an undistinguished career in rugby. They should have put me on the wing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtX_XDerC-I

HBG

I'd better follow the Scottish one with an English one in case I get hate mail. I played my first rugby match in Edinburgh and my last one in Southend-on-Sea, a renowned rugby venue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVsYJjaAvFI

HBG

And one for our membership of the EU, just about the only country that likes us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk2eLuKqhX4

HBG

For those who just like to hear Spanish, singing 'English' songs. I'm one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY6d1qs7P2w

Dick Dasterdly

You cannot be serious man !

Surely we're not that hard up for friends ?

You need to get out more HBG.
After you've met these very friendly folk,...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRvhNONZcfs

I suggest you head North instead of South into Scandyland, if you want a real treat.

Lionda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2svmUcsKeg

Days ... The Kinks

Dick Dasterdly

One with a German flavour for HBG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrPTcrFD3SM

HBG

There you go Dick, them country boys sang songs about more than just lost love and loneliness.

I loved the Kinks, Llonda, I preferred them and the Rolling Stones to the Beatles who couldn't sing a note after they got their gongs. It was my time, the top bands were all out of it, half the world seemed to be out of it, and my abiding memory was of the young American GIs smoking pot through their rifles in Vietnam.

This guy sussed it all out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSSjM6-fUFE

HBG

When I was 16-years old I joined a rock band (didn't everyone?). I was the youngest and played rhythm guitar, we also had a lead guitarist, base guitarist, drummer and stand-alone singer, the same set-up as the Rolling Stones, but they hadn't been invented yet.

We borrowed to have the best electric guitars, not quite at Fender level, the biggest Vox amplifiers and giant speakers. We could make a lot of noise and played at dance halls where all the young people just wanted to dance - Rock-n-Roll.

At £4 a night the stand-alone singer had to go, five into four didn't go. We had a repertoire of around 14 numbers, mostly 12-bar blues, so for a three hour stint we had to extend and repeat our songs. The dancers didn't seem to mind.

This was our opening number:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyHXaVWRKvQ

This was our staple song, we could stretch it out for 15 minutes at least:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Ond-OwgU8

HBG

I can't resist it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmL3m2zcoOI

HBG

I hope I never hear any bad news about this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q5nBoKdAk0

HBG

It's a terrible thing to say, but this guy won't ever be in trouble. I spent hours learning to play this song, it wasn't a twelve-bar blues and confused me at the time.

The three steps were about right in those innocent times, they're up to twelve steps now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbWvp4wD5hE

HBG

We ought to respect these people, we abandoned them in 1945.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t74er5nTMHo

HBG

While we're waiting for the Tomahawk missiles to rain down on Syria, what about this for a pleasant diversion?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo23bJnlnzo

HBG

I think the thread is dying, perhaps it's time has come, a Spanish song as a farewell seems appropriate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMQ4Qr_dNM