A Fan Writes Questions About Denny's UK Hit Song "Skiing In The Snow"

Monday, 08 June 2009

Randell & Schippers’                                    FAN E-MAIL RESPONSE                If you are willing to have your e-mail answered publicly as             Paul Walker has in this case, include your permission with your                e-mail to Randell & Schippers, Denny or Biddy. Although                     all of them can not be answered in this way,  yours            could be selected. We love getting your e-mails, try to answer                  as many as we can and we thank all of you who write. Send A Question Here.                         -   E-Mail from Paul Walker In England  -    Hi Mr. Randell, I`m a fan of all your work . .  There is one song from your Dynovoice catalogue which has some lyrics that have remained a mystery. The track is Skiing In the Snow by the Invitations, the lyrics have been debated here in England for many years, so i thought i would ask the man himself ! I would be extremely grateful if you find the time to help. Yours in admiration Paul Walker                                      _______________________                                                   -   Denny’s Response  -                           (Including Lyric and Music Links In The Article Below) Hi Paul, Thanks for writing. I’ve included the lyrics to “Skiing In The Snow” below.  I know that some of them, including the line that includes the word “gear” have been conversation pieces for a long time and the story behind the song’s history in England is one that I’ve found very fascinating.   Here it is: The song was originally recorded by The Invitations - a group that I as a writer and producer brought to Dynovoice Records through their manager who had been a friend of mine for several years.  Their first session included the song  “What’s Wrong With Me Baby” which did well in your great country and  “Skiing In The Snow”, recorded on their very next studio  session, was released here in the U.S. a short time later.    As told in the excerpted paragraphs below, taken from an article that mentions the song and some then famous dance clubs, a copy of  “Skiing In The Snow” made its way across the Atlantic from the U.S. and, while it didn’t go big on the British charts at that time, it became an underground classic of sorts,  which later led to its recording by Wigan’s Ovation who’s version did become a big hit there. Today both recordings of “Skiing In The Snow”,  by The Invitations and Wigan’s Ovation are part of music history (including in the annals of  Northern Soul, which I’m proud to be a part of) and putting in the above link to both of them seemed like a great idea. (and Laura Pallas too) The fact the original Invitations’ single was discovered by a countryman of yours in a Woolworth’s here in the States while waiting to connect with his flight home shows how music amazingly gets around and can’t be kept down if people want to hear it.  The owner of this one and only copy would drive it around from club to club where it was in  constant demand. While that copy was eventually lost in an accident fatal to its owner, a terribly sad chapter in the story, those that loved the song kept its spirit alive until the eventual Wigan’s Ovation recording.  Having first read this story in the late 90’s in several articles on the web, it was retold to me a few years ago by a famous New York DJ who called it one of the  “classic music stories”. Again, thanks so much to you for being a fan of mine and of the music and one of those who keep all of the great music alive.  I invite you to Join our ‘Randell and Schippers Music n’ News Letter’ and  keep up with current music and activities by my and my collaborator and partner Biddy Schippers, including our recent Randell & Schippers dance and video hit “Alice In Wonderland,”, our upcoming live show and all that’s currently going on.  You can join from our home page on the left side. Below are excerpts regarding “Skiing In The Snow” from an on-line interview with British DJ Ian DeWhirst, © djhistory.com, followed by the song lyrics, for which the lines that you want to know will never again be a mystery. Maybe we’ll have a chance to meet when we’re back in England again – soon I hope! Very Best Regards, Denny Randell                                   _______________________________     Excerpts From the interview       © djhistory.com   DJ Ian DeWhirst:   There are very few records where there are one or two-offs; usually someone, somewhere will dig more up. A great example was ‘Skiing In The Snow’ by the Invitations. They’d already had a big one with ‘What’s Wrong With Me Baby’ which was a huge Wheel/Torch record and then out of the blue this record called ‘Skiing In The Snow’, which has got something in it about gear. It had all the great ingredients, a stomping beat, lyrics - anything with gear  . . . . for example. But there was only one copy. I have a feeling it was Levine who had it, but it used to get played at the Torch, so maybe someone had a copy there. Maybe Tony Jebb. Someone went over to look for rare records and on the last day they were there, they had to go to Woolworth’s to get some razor blades and they had a counter with records for 15¢ and they had a copy of ‘Skiing In The Snow’. Came back to England, arranged to sell it at the Torch, so legend goes, traveling from wherever he was and had a car crash and he got killed and the copy went up in flames, which succeeded in turning the record into a legend. I’ve got an original copy at home, but it took me eight years to get it. I got mine from Soul Bowl in the late seventies or early eighties. ……. Yeah, ‘gotta get my gear out, ready for winter’s near’. When I’d be going to these places with Rod and Sid and Smithy and Scotty, that’s all they’d talk about. . . . . . . Those were the parts of the records they’d sing: ‘Gotta get my gear out!’ It was all part of the journey there. It was the song itself that was getting me off….                                             * * * * * * And Here Are The Lyrics:  (link to lyrics)          SKIIN’ IN THE SNOW   by Denny Randell,                                   © EMI Music Publishing Co. (BMI)                        Sandy Linzer         Vs 1   Days are growin’ colder, Snow’s a-pilin’ up on the hill. Gotta’ get my gear out, Ready for a winter of spills. You know my wood’s lookin’ tired So I’m waxin’ ‘em down now, And once I top that Hill I’m gonna’ run ‘em down ___ .                                                                   Ch 1   Run ‘em down ___, Skiin’ In The Snow ___. Kids are all around, Skiin’ In The Snow ___. And at night we’ll all stay Warm in the cabins below, A weekend there with my love, There’s nothing greater I know ___.    (Grp: Come on baby__,              Ski with me baby ___ .)                                                                 Vs 2   And you should see us go man, We’re the toughest skiers around.    (Grp: All around, pound for pound,              Best in town yeah ___.) Movin’ down the mountain, There’s nobody puttin’ us down.    (Grp: All around, pound for pound,              Best in town yeah ___.)                                I  Feel so Proud when we climb to the Top of the hill __, And make it all the way Down without a spill____.                                                  Ch 2  Run ‘em down ___, Skiin’ In The Snow ___. Kids are all around, Skiin’ In The Snow ___. And at night we’ll all stay Warm in the cabins below, A weekend there with my love, There’s nothing greater I know ____.    (Grp: Come on baby__,              Ski with me baby ___ .)               - Instrumental -     Ch      Run ‘em down ___, Skiin’ In The Snow ___.         Baby Run ‘em down ___,                                 Skiin’ In The Snow ___.          - Repeat For Fade -                                *****

 

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