JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2009/12/earworm.html (13 comments)

  Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.

jsid-1262162847-218  Chris Byrne at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:47:27 +0000

Ahhh sorry mate, it's Hagman. Chosen man Daniel Hagman.

The rest is spot on, 'cept the song itself isn't actually by John Tams. It was in an 18th centruy british play called "the recruiting officer", but had slightly different lyrics referring to Queen Anne, instead of King George.

Tams only arranged it and sang it for the Sharpes series.

It's available as a "music of sharpe" album.


jsid-1262162925-707  Chris Byrne at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:48:45 +0000

Oh and yes, it IS a great tune, and a first class earworm. I'll be singing it to myself for the next few days.

'Course I love the sharpes series, book and film.


jsid-1262163687-830  Phil B at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:01:27 +0000

If you want an easily read and accurate account of the Rifle regiments in the peninsula (Spain) campaign, The book by Mark Urban called Rifles - six years with Wellingtons legendary Sharpshooters is the one to go for.

One rifle Regiment evolved into the Royal Green jackets (RGJ) which existed until 2007 when it was absorbed into The Rifles (an amalgamation of several regiments).

Incidentally, the Sharps books are much better than the Series, they explain a lot more and have a more developed storyline.


jsid-1262183563-78  mike miller at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:32:43 +0000

Kevin
  Give me a call. I have a book you might like to read. 520 xxx xxxx


(Edited to redact the phone number - Ed.)


jsid-1262188813-397  Ed "What the" Heckman at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:00:14 +0000

I generally enjoyed the series. You're right about the glimpse into the effect of class on the armed forces during that period.

One thing that came to bug me was the hero pose they always had at the end.


jsid-1262193214-149  khbaker at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:13:34 +0000

Chris:

Thanks for the correction on Hagman, but as I said in the piece, John Tams gets credit for the stanzas he added that went with the series episodes.

Mike Miller:

Thanks very much, but at the moment my "to read" pile is dangerously tall.  But by all means, email me and tell me about it - gunrights@comcast.net


jsid-1262200722-455  Firehand at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:18:42 +0000

Just think about someone like Biden being able to buy rank, all the way up to General...

Makes you wonder how Britain survived at times, let alone built an empire.


jsid-1262201532-187  ExurbanKevin at Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:32:12 +0000

The book series is awesome: It really brought home the realities of the Napoleonic Wars. The ending of "Sharpe's Waterloo" was particularly horrid and altogether real.


jsid-1262261731-629  Guest (anonymous) at Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:15:31 +0000

That 'cello almost makes me weep, so beautiful.

There's actually a CD of music from that series, electric mail me your address and I'll send it along-

stagh ounds atbel lsout hdotn et


jsid-1262273442-609  Stan at Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:30:42 +0000

Thanks for this...I had never heard of "Sharpe's Rifles" or John Tams but will be looking for the books!  John Tams is really something; he reminds me of Bobby Horton who did the music for the Civil War series on PBS.  If I can find the first DVD in the Sharpe's Rifles series I will likely give it a try, too.


jsid-1262278518-723  Chris Byrne at Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:55:18 +0000

Stan,

Best of luck finding them locally. You can get them used on amazon, or part of a very big and expensive set (which I want, but dont yet have). Netflix does have them, as do many local libraries.


jsid-1262366688-145  Guest (anonymous) at Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:24:48 +0000

The series is good, but the books are better.  Several of the Sharpe's series have to take large liberties because they just couldn't stage a company level Napoleonic battle.  Which is sad because the Sharpe's books are largely about putting Sharpe into large Napoleonic battles.


jsid-1262489263-883  Stan at Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:27:43 +0000

An update...I actually found what appears to be the ENTIRE series of the "Sharpe's" books in my local library.  "Sharpe's Rifles" is on my reading table as I write this!


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