Sell This Version. David McWilliams. The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run A tenement, a dirty street Remember worn and shoeless feet Remember how you stood to beat The way your life has gone So Pearly don't you shed more tears Those tenements are memories Of where you've risen from The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run Pearly where's your milk white skin? In essence, he gave us the choice between letting our circumstances define us or using them as the impetus for self-improvement until our poverty-stricken origins are no more than a distant memory…, A tenement, a dirty streetRemember worn and shoe-less feetRemember how you stood to beatThe way your life had goneSo, Pearly, don’t you shed more tearsFor those best forgotten yearsThose tenements are memoriesOf where you’ve risen from. Intro = Am. Marc Almond. Test your MusicIQ here! For me, though, one of Marc Almond’s best was “The Days Of Pearly Spencer”. But I also greatly admire David McWilliams’ original for telling the world what it was like to grow up in a community with no hope, no jobs and no prospects. A tenement, a dirty street Remember worn and shoe-less feet Remember how you stood to beat The way your life had gone So, Pearly, don’t you shed more tears For those best forgotten years Those tenements are memories Of where you’ve risen from. Difficulty: absolute beginner. However, due to a little quirk in broadcasting politics, his record didn’t get any radio airplay in the UK, so was never a hit here. Main genre: Rock / Pop. Their biggest hit was the 1981 UK Number One “Tainted Love”, but they also racked up a series of commercial and critical successes before disbanding in the mid-1980s. The Days Of Pearly Spencer chords. Fm Gm The days of Pearly Cm Spencer, ah Fm hah Gm, the race is almost Cm run Verse 2: Cm Nose pressed hard on frosted glass Gm gazing as the swollen mass On Cm concrete fields where grows no grass Eb stumbles blindly Bb on Cm Iron trees smother the air but Gm withering, they stand and stare Through Cm eyes that neither know nor care Eb where the grass has Bb gone His producer, Mike Leander, brought in the wonderful string arrangements which are such a distinctive element of “Days Of Pearly Spencer”. A tenement, a dirty street Remember worn and shoeless feet Remember how you stood to beat The way your life had gone. The days of Pearly Spencer Ahh Ahh McWilliams was born in the Cregagh area of Belfast and moved to Ballymena at the age of three. Tags: Evergreen, One Hit Wonder, France #3 Hit. Watched by a shivering sun. The days of Pearly Spencer. Add words — now you’ve got a song. This effect…supposedly achieved by phoning into the studio and picking up the sound from the telephone handset in front of a studio mic…splits the song into two parts. Old eyes in a small child's face. tiggerblue10 | 16:12 Thu 01st Oct 2020 | Music. Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web! First David McWilliams paints the picture, before the brief chorus reminds us that he’s not describing his own life but the lives of others he sees around him. I especially like the segment which reminds me of my own childhood…although not necessarily in a good way. This gives a wonderful reportage feel to “Days Of Pearly Spencer” as David McWilliams describes what he sees with his own eyes, occasionally interjecting…, The days of Pearly SpencerThe race is almost won. Mandy Bingham recorded 'The Days of Pearly Spencer' in just one take at the Millbank studios in Lisburn, and such was the emotion of the day, and her … The original was never a hit in either the US or the UK so it was virtually unknown before Soft Cell’s cover. . This promotional film benefits from the complete absence of Dave Lee "Tragic" Travis. He began playing guitar and writing songs in his early teens. Since then, it’s gone down in music history as one of the earliest foundations of the 1980's synth-driven music scene. Days Of Pearly Spencer David McWilliams Song : B Intro : Am Am A tenement, a dirty street Em Walked and worn by shoeless feet Am In silence long and so complete C G Watched by a shivering sun Am Old eyes in a small child's face Em Watching as the shadows race Am … Producer: Mike Leander. Whichever version of “The Days Of Pearly Spencer” you prefer, I think we can all agree David McWilliams’ original lyrics are a wonderfully observational piece of lyrical poetry, describing a scene all too familiar to deprived post-industrial communities in the UK after their local coal mine, shipyard or steelworks closed down. A tenement, a dirty street. Nose pressed hard on frosted glass Gazing as the swollen mass On concrete fields where grows no grass Stumbles blindly on Iron trees smother the air But withering they stand and stare Trough eyes that neither know nor care Where the grass is gone. THE DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER (McWilliams) David McWilliams - 1967 Marc Almond - 1992 A tenement, a dirty street Walked and worn by shoeless feet Inside it's long and so complete Watched by a shivering sun Old eyes in a small child's face Watching as the shadows race Through walls and cracks and leave no trace And daylight's brightness shuns The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run … Verse 1 Am A tenement a dirty street Em Walked and worn by shoeless feet Am In silence long and so complete C/G G Watched by a shivering sun Verse 2 Am Old eyes in a small child's face Em Watching as the shadows race Am Through walls and cracks that leave no trace C/G G Dm And daylight's brightness shun Chorus Em Am The days of Pearly Spencer Am Dm G Am Ahh the race is … The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run. I write about some that changed mine. 22,226 views, added to favorites 264 times. Marc Almond’s extra verse added a bit of editorialising at the end, so it was no longer a straight piece of reportage. David McWilliams told a tale familiar to many poor districts of post-industrial towns in the UK. Without question he did a fine piece of work as far as that was concerned. Of course, a huge amount of credit should go to Marc Almond for rescuing this fabulous song from obscurity, but let’s not forget David McWilliams who had the immense talent that’s required to write a song as good as “The Days Of Pearly Spencer” in the first place. 1987 Kamille - Days Of Pearly Spencer reggae 80ies style 1987 Paul Bakker - Days Of Pearly Spencer italo disco 1987 8 1/2* - The Days Of Pearly Spencer euro house 1988 The Vietnam Veterans* - The Days Of Pearly Spencer soft rock 1992 Marc Almond - The Days Of Pearly Spencer synthy-Pop / dance w lot taste from original by David McWilliams. Because I always like to think hope and redemption is possible, I rather like Marc Almond’s extra verse in what is otherwise a pretty bleak song. The race is almost run – written and performed 1967 by David McWilliams from Ballymena, hi! Lyrics.com. The Days Of Pearly Spencer by Mandy Bingham, released 24 September 2017 A tenement a dirty street Walked and worn by shoeless feet In silence long and so complete Watched by shivering sun Old eyes in a small child's face Watching as the shadows race Through walls and cracks that leave no trace And daylights brightness shuns The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run Nose … He’s nothing if not experimental in his musical choices. YZ638, 9031-76177-7. Through walls and cracks and leave no trace. Psychologically and aesthetically…, Iron trees smother the airBut withering they stand and stareThrough eyes that neither know nor careWhere the grass has gone. I say planning, I mean mostly an abomination which ripped communities apart. The Days Of Pearly Spencer Marc Almond FREE MIDI. David McWilliams certainly knew how to paint a picture. He started out as one half of pioneering synth-pop duo Soft Cell. Marc Almond has had an interesting musical journey. Interestingly, this changes the narrative quite significantly…whether that’s for better or worse, I’ll let you decide in a moment. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. more », Sheet Music After Soft Cell, Marc Almond’s career went in a range of different…some might say surprising…directions. What’s that stubble on your chin?” The Days of Pearly Spencer Major Minor 1967. The days of Pearly Spencer Ahh Ahh The race is almost run The race is almost run. Watching as the shadows race. Web. UK. Last edit on Feb 10, 2014. Unfortunately for David McWilliams, his manager was one of the directors of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline so the BBC refused to play his records. The song Days of Pearly Spencer was written by David McWilliams and was first released by David McWilliams in 1967. Watched by a shivering sun. Playlist. It’s almost the “…and now back to the studio…” piece to camera TV reporters do from the scene of some disaster or other. Among other recordings, he was responsible for the strings on Marianne Faithfull’s classic “As Time Goes By”. The days of Pearly Spencer I giorni di Pearly Spencer Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh The race is almost run La gara è praticamente gestito Pearly where's your milk white skin Pearly Dov'è la tua pelle bianco latte What's that stubble on your chin Che cos'è stoppia sul mento It's buried in the rot gut gin E 'sepolto nel budello gin marciume There’s also a really lovely version by David McWilliams’ daughter, Mandy Bingham, who recorded her version of her late father’s song a few years ago. Find The Days Of Pearly Spencer Professional MIDI File & Lyrics. Not important but one of my favourites and always will be. YZ638, 9031-76177-7. The one big change Marc Almond did make was adding another verse to the original lyrics. This was also a cover of a little-known record from the 1960s…for Brits at least…written, and originally performed, by David McWilliams. This changed the narrative from the much darker original. Walked and worn by shoeless feet. The Days Of Pearly Spencer. The video is below, but if you prefer listening to your music on Spotify, you can find today’s track here… https://open.spotify.com/track/7cWiJ0dyQXYkXcg2dZSmwq. Was sampled in 7 songs see all. Mike Leander had plenty of form for wonderful string arrangements. David Samuel McWilliams (4 July 1945 – 8 January 2002) was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Northern Ireland, best known for his 1967 song "Days of Pearly Spencer". With one of the most instantly-identifiable string arrangements in 1990s pop, here’s Marc Almond with his 1992 Top Five hit, “The Days Of Pearly Spencer”…, If you’ve read this far, thank you for spending a few moments in the company of one of my favourite songs. He duetted with Gene Pitney on a revival of Pitney’s “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart”…also a UK Number One…he recorded an album of darkly tinged French chansons and a range of even darker-themed Russian torch songs. The very latest chart stats about the days of pearly spencer - peak chart position, weeks on chart, week-by-week chart run, catalogue number anything is possible. The Days Of Pearly Spencer Lyrics. Without words, it’s just a nice tune. For whatever reasons—my 45 RPM picture sleeve has a woman on it—I have long assumed that Irish singer David McWilliam’s sad song about a homeless person about to die, 1967’s The Days of Pearly Spencer, was about a woman or a drag queen. The lines “Pearly where’s your milk white skin? by David McWilliams. https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/4741412/David+McWilliams. Mike Leander also introduced the clever device of using a distinctly low-fi recording style for the brief choruses. So, to all intents and purposes, Marc Almond repeated the great public service he’d given with Soft Cell for Gloria Jones’s record, and breathed life into a wonderful song pretty much nobody had ever heard of up to that point. 24 Answers. What that stubble on your chin? The Days Of Pearly Spencer (7", Single) WEA, WEA, Some Bizzare, Some Bizzare. "The Days Of Pearly Spencer Lyrics." Days of Pearly Spencer. After leaving Ballymena Technical College in 1963, he started an apprenticeship at the Shorts missile factory in Antrim, and also started a local dance band, the Coral Showband. https://open.spotify.com/track/7cWiJ0dyQXYkXcg2dZSmwq, HipHop: No Country for Middle Aged MCs: Inspired by an chance encounter with Andre 3000, In Honey, Robyn Offers a Prayer to Euphoria, ‘Out Of Exile’: How Audioslave “Demolished The Rock’n’Roll Blockade”, ‘Metal Box’: Lifting The Lid On Public Image Ltd’s Seminal Second Album. And daylight's brightness shuns. The days of Pearly Spencer. David Samuel McWilliams (4 July 1945 – 8 January 2002) was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Northern Ireland, best known for his 1967 song "Days of Pearly Spencer". And songs can change your world. It’s fair to say that Marc Almond, and his producer, the legendary Trevor Horn, had the good sense not to mess too much with such a fine piece of work. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. View interactive tab. In essence, Marc Almond encouraged listeners to think beyond their current circumstances and imagine that, in the end. What David McWilliams had written as a folkie ballad turned into something more sophisticated and altogether wonderful in the recording studio. Download Pdf. Think you know music? Author Unregistered. Home > Music > The Days Of Pearly Spencer. The was urban planning for you, 1960s style. So Pearly don't you shed more tears For those best forgotten years Those tenements are memories Of where you've risen from. Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” was a cover of Gloria Jones’s 1964 original with a synthesiser-based makeover. Buried in the rot gut gin You played and lost not won You played a house that can't be beat Now look your head's bowed in defeat You walked too far along the street Where only rats can run The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons! Inside it's long and so complete. David McWilliams, reporter-style, pretty much painted the picture and left listeners to draw their own conclusions. In the 1960s, in the name of progress, historic communities were bulldozed to make way for high-rise apartment blocks which, rather than achieving their stated objective of improving people’s lives, often made them much, much worse. The days of Pearly Spencer … (0 fans), David Samuel McWilliams (4 July 1945 – 8 January 2002) was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Northern Ireland, best known for his 1967 song "Days of Pearly Spencer". He was a well-respected football player, and had a trial with Linfield as a goalkeeper. Since Marc Almond’s version was by far the biggest hit, I’ve linked to that first below, but you can find David McWilliams’ original down there too. Show All Marc Almond Free MIDI. David McWilliams was from Northern Ireland and he had a 1968 Top 10 hit with his original (the titled “Days Of Pearly Spencer”) in much of Europe. Download MIDI. 1992. The production on Marc Almond’s version is beautiful, as you’d expect from someone as talented as Tervor Horn, and the brief, wonderfully delicate, but hard to spot brass section towards the end is an especially delightful embellishment of the original recording. It’s a lovely hazy, dreamy, delicate take on the song recording which is very different to the other versions, but which I like very much as well. Walked and worn by shoeless feet. Inside it's long and so complete. FAVORITE It was covered by This Grey City, Raymond Lefèvre et son grand orchestre, Dorsey Dodd, Rodolphe Burger and other artists. Just a music video shot for the fun of it during a break. The strings are updated a little, but recognisably based on the strings from the original, and the mix is a little different. Length of the demo's can vary. Of course the song was later covered by Marc Almond. Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web! A tenement, a dirty street. But the “phoned-in” choruses remain (albeit this time courtesy of some Trevor Horn studio magic instead of an actual telephone). McWilliams was born in the Cregagh area of Belfast and moved to Ballymena at the age of three. David McWilliams. The days of Pearly Spencer The race is almost run 16 May 2021. Free MIDI Files on MIDIdb.com are demo's with all instruments included. He was writing about his own experience of Ballymena in Northern Ireland, but anyone living in, say, Sheffield, Manchester or my home town of Glasgow would absolutely recognise the scenes of deprivation and disenfranchised communities David McWilliams wrote about…, A tenement, a dirty streetWalked and worn by shoe-less feetInside it’s long and so completeWatched by the shivering sunOld eyes in a small child’s faceWatching as the shadows raceThrough walls and cracks and leave no traceAnd daylight’s brightness shuns, The days of Pearly SpencerThe race is almost run. 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