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James Cosgrove (d. 26 August 1943) [1] was an English humourist and concert hall singer whose career spanned the 19th and 20th centuries.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2017) |
James Cosgrove (d. 26 August 1943) [1] was an English humourist and concert hall singer whose career spanned the 19th and 20th centuries.
Born in Byker, he used the pseudonym "J C Scatter". He is credited with making the first recording of the "Blaydon Races" in 1908 and in doing so brought the song back from obscurity to become one of the main Tyneside anthems, although using a slightly different melody. James Cosgrove performed on stage all over the country and continued to do so until the 1940s. He would arrive on stage through the curtains, dressed as his female fruit seller, and juggled with oranges while singing his "Orange Lass". He was one of the greats, and left a legacy of Geordie humour and dialect.
His songs include (together with known recording dates):
James Cosgrove as J C Scatter made several recordings, some towards the end of his career. His 1909 recording of "Blaydon Races" also survives, but the quality has deteriorated. Several of these survived and two of these songs are available on the CD "Various Artists - Wor Nanny's A Mazer: Early Recordings Of Artists From The North East 1904-1933" (on Phonograph, PHCD2K1)
The full list of tracks on this CD are as follows :
| order | title | artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wor Nanny's a mazer | C. Ernest Catcheside Warrington |
| 2 | Blaydon Races | J.C. Scatter |
| 3 | Alpine Echoes | Harton Colliery Band |
| 4 | Geordie Haad The Bairn | Jamieson Dodds |
| 5 | Cushy Butterfield | C. Ernest Catcheside Warrington |
| 6 | Hi, canny man | Harry Nelson |
| 7 | The Neibors Doon Belaa | Jamieson Dodds |
| 8 | Tyneside Policeman | J.C. Scatter |
| 9 | The Cliffs Of Old Tynemouth | C. Ernest Catcheside Warrington |
| 10 | Our Jemmie (with patter) | Harry Nelson |
| 11 | Johnson and High Level Hornpipe | Jas. Brown |
| 12 | Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinny | Dewey Gibson |
| 13 | Last Night | C. Ernest Catcheside Warrington |
| 14 | Adam Buckam O!, Wrap Up | Ernest J. Potts |
| 15 | Whistling Geordie | Jimmy James |
| 16 | The Keel Row | Anthony Charlton |
| 17 | Hexham Races (Northumbrian Smallpipes) | Felton Lonnin |
| 18 | Albert Before The Means Test Committee Parts 1 & 2 | Albert Burdon & Company |
Geordie is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitutes a Geordie. The term is used and has been historically used to refer to the people of the North East. A Geordie can also specifically be a native of Tyneside and the surrounding areas. Not everyone from the North East of England identifies as a Geordie.
"Blaydon Races" is a Geordie folk song of 1862, with lyrics by George Ridley written in a style deriving from music hall. It celebrates the horse races held at Blaydon in North East England that year, although mostly composed in advance of the event. The words were inspired by the American ballad "On the Road to Brighton", to the tune of which they are set. The song has become a local anthem, and is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club, and Durham County Cricket Club.
Edward "Ned" Corvan was a Tyneside concert hall songwriter and performer, and a contemporary of George "Geordie" Ridley. His songs were printed in a modified English orthography designed to represent the traditional dialect of Tyneside in the middle of the 19th century, and are examples of Dialect Literature.
George "Geordie" Ridley (1835–1864) was a Tyneside concert hall songwriter and performer in the middle of the 19th century. His most famous song is "Blaydon Races". He was a contemporary of Edward Corvan. He has been described by a council source as a candidate for Tyneside's most famous songwriter.
"Cushie Butterfield" is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in the style of the music hall popular in the day. It is regarded by many as the second unofficial anthem of Tyneside after Blaydon Races.
Joe Wilson was a Tyneside concert hall songwriter and performer in the mid-19th century. His most famous song is "Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny". He was a contemporary of George "Geordie" Ridley. He wrote and sang in the Geordie dialect of Newcastle upon Tyne, his native speech.
The Pitman's Courtship is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by William Mitford, in a style deriving from music hall. This piece takes a humorous look at the courtship of a Pitman and his lass where the discussion forms the proposal of marriage and the couple's plans for a life together. This song was generally considered to be one of the region's finest 'traditional' songs, one of only a handful of Tyneside songs to be appreciated outside the region in its day.
Wor Nanny's a mazer is a famous Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by Thomas "Tommy" Armstrong, in a style deriving from music hall. It is regarded by many as one of the classics.
Harry Nelson (1804-????) was a Newcastle upon Tyne concert hall singer and comedian of the late 19th/early 20th century. He is credited with writing "Hi, canny man hoy a ha'penny oot"
James Horsley (1828–1891) was an Alnwick born songwriter, editor, and general handyman. In addition to his songs, he wrote many pieces of poetry about Jesmond. The most well-known of the songs may well have been "'She's sumboddy's bairn".
John Gair Robson was an English schoolmaster, musician and songwriter. Many of his 40-plus songs are in Geordie dialect. His most famous song must be "Whereivvor ye gan ye’re sure te find a Geordie".
James Weams was a Durham born comedian, and concert hall singer/songwriter and performer at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century. His most famous song is "Neighbors Belaw".
Many Geordie songwriters used aliases, for whatever reason. This article lists many of these aliases, giving in some cases, where known, the real name, and in others, some of the songs or poems attributed to them.
Richard Oliver Heslop (1842–1916) was a British businessman, author, historian, lexicologist, lexicographer, songwriter and poet. His most famous work is the two-volume "Northumberland Words".
Chater's Annual was a book, published annually, between 1861 and 1882 by John W. Chater. It contained a mixture of songs, poems, humorous tales, jokes, conundrums, tongue twisters and other items of frivolity.
Wot Cheor Geordie was an early attempt by the BBC to produce a radio variety programme broadcast from Regional Studios and in a local dialect. Wot Cheor is a greeting in Geordie dialect.
Charles Ernest Catcheside-Warrington (1859–1937) was an English Music hall artist and songwriter from the late 19th century who became a recording artist, record producer and a collector and arranger of "Geordie" songs.
"The Cullercoats Fish Lass" is a folk song, written by Edward Corvan, originally printed as a broadside in 1862 and collated in Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings in 1891.
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