Donegan was born as Anthony James Donegan in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of a professional violinist. His ethnic mix was Scottish/Irish. He moved with his mother to London at an early age, after his parents divorced. Inspired by blues music and New Orleans jazz bands he heard on the radio, he resolved to learn the guitar, and bought his first at the age of fourteen.
The first band he ever played in was the trad jazz band led by Chris Barber, who approached him on a train asking him if he wanted to audition for his group. Barber had heard that Donegan was a good banjo player; in fact, Donegan had never played the banjo at this point, but he bought one and managed to bluff his way through the audition. His stint in this group was interrupted, however, when he was called up for National Service in 1949. He also played in Ken Colyer's group
In 1952, he formed his first own group, the Tony Donegan Jazzband, which found some work around London. On one occasion they opened for the blues musician Lonnie Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall. Donegan was a big fan of Johnson, and took his first name as a tribute to him. The story goes that the host at the concert got the musicians' names confused, calling them "Tony Johnson" and "Lonnie Donegan", and Donegan was happy to keep the name.
With a washboard, a tea-chest bass and a cheap Spanish guitar, Donegan entertained audiences with folk and blues songs by artists such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. This proved so popular that in July 1954 he recorded a fast-tempoed version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line", featuring a washboard but not a tea-chest bass, with "John Henry" on the B-side. It was an enormous hit in 1956 (which also later inspired the creation of a full album, An Englishman Sings American Folk Songs, released in America on the Mercury label in the early 1960s) but ironically, because it was a band recording, Donegan made no money from this recording beyond his original session fee. (Nevertheless, Donegan received considerable music publishing royalties from "Rock Island" simply by claiming the British copyright on an unregistered song which was considered to be in the Public Domain. This led to the peculiar situation that any "cover" version of "Rock Island Line" which was released on record in Britain from 1956 showed the song composition credited to Lonnie Donegan.) It was the first debut record to go gold in the UK, and reached the Top Ten in the United States. His next single for Decca, "Diggin' My Potatoes", was recorded at a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 October 1954.[4] Decca dropped Donegan thereafter, but within a month he was at the Abbey Road Studios in London recording for EMI's Columbia label. He had left the Barber band by then, and by the spring of 1955, Donegan signed a recording contract with Pye. His next single "Lost John" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart.
His success at the time saw Donegan sent to the United States, where he appeared on television on both Perry Como Show and Paul Winchell Show. Returning to the UK, Donegan recorded his debut album, Lonnie Donegan Showcase, in the summer of 1956, which featured songs by Lead Belly and Leroy Carr, plus "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and "Wabash Cannonball". The LP was a hit, securing sales in the hundreds of thousands.[4] The popular skiffle style encouraged amateurs to get started, and one of the many skiffle groups that followed was The Quarrymen formed in March 1957 by John Lennon. Donegan's "Gamblin' Man" / "Puttin' On the Style" single was number one on the UK chart in July 1957, when Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
Donegan went on to make a series of popular records with successes including "Cumberland Gap" and, particularly "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)", his only hit song in the U.S., released on Dot. He turned to a music hall style with "My Old Man's a Dustman" which was not well received by skiffle fans, or in an attempted but ultimately unsuccessful American release by Atlantic in 1960, but it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Donegan's group had a flexible line-up, but was generally formed by Denny Wright or Les Bennetts (of Les Hobeaux and Chas McDevitt's skiffle groups) playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals, Micky Ashman or Pete Huggett - later Steve Jones - on upright bass, Nick Nichols - later Pete Appleby and Mark Goodwin - on drums or percussion and Donegan playing acoustic guitar or banjo and singing the lead.
He continued to appear regularly in the UK charts until 1962, before succumbing to the arrival of The Beatles and beat music.
Add 1: In the early fifties after Donegan was demobbed from National Service he joined Chris Barber and Ken Colyer and others called Ken Colyer's Jazzmen which consisted of Ken Colyer (trumpet), Chris Barber (trombone), Monty Sunshine (clarinet), Lonnie Donegan (banjo), Jim Bray (bass) Dickie Bishop (Guitar) and Ron Bowden (drums). This group recorded two excellent blues numbers with Lonnie Donegan as vocal called "In the evening when de sun go down" and "The Midnight Special" After a year, Ken colyer stormed out of the group and Chris Barber took over.
http://www.p.griggsy.btinternet.co.uk/Untitled/Lonnie.html (Memories of Lonnie Donegan by Paul Griggs)
Sorry But I'm Gonna Have to Pass
Lonnie Donegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your lips are softer than hers
They're softer, they're redder, but they're not better
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Your eyes are bigger than hers
Your eyes are bluer than hers
They’re bigger, they’re bluer, but they’re not truer
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
I’ve met some real nice people here at Hayes
But if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking
Thanks but no thanks
Some three or four years ago
Then maybe yes, maybe no But honey don’t bother a husband and a father
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
The lyrics to Lonnie Donegan's song Sorry But I'm Gonna Have to Pass speak about a man who is in a conversation with another woman who is interested in him. The woman is comparing herself to another woman, mentioning that her lips are redder and softer, and her eyes are bigger and bluer than the other woman. The man acknowledges the woman's beauty but decides to pass on her advances. He mentions that he has met some nice people but is not interested in any romantic relationship. He further explains that he is a husband and father and does not want to engage in any extramarital affairs. Therefore, he apologizes, saying that he has to pass on the woman's proposal.
The song is a reflection of the society's norms and values in the 1960s, where extramarital affairs were considered taboo. The man in the song is exemplifying the quintessential family man who values his family above everything else. He is committed to his wife and kids and is not interested in any other relationship.
The song also emphasizes the value of fidelity in a relationship. It shows that the singer may be tempted by the woman but chooses to reject her and remain faithful to his wife. It conveys a strong message that one must choose fidelity and loyalty over fleeting desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Your lips are redder than hers
While your lips may seem more attractive than hers, it doesn't necessarily make you a better match for me.
Your lips are softer than hers
Your lips may be physically softer than hers, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have a softer nature or personality.
They're softer, they're redder, but they're not better
Although you may possess some attractive qualities, it doesn't automatically make you a better fit for me than someone else.
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Regrettably, I'm going to have to decline your advances and move on.
Your eyes are bigger than hers
Although your eyes may be physically bigger than hers, it doesn't necessarily make you a better match for me.
Your eyes are bluer than hers
Your eyes may be a more vibrant blue than hers, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have a kinder or truer nature.
They’re bigger, they’re bluer, but they’re not truer
Although your physical characteristics may be more attractive, it doesn't necessarily translate to a better match in terms of personality or character.
I don’t mind sitting here talking and drinking
I'm happy to spend time conversing and enjoying a drink with you.
I’ve met some real nice people here at Hayes
I've had the pleasure of meeting some genuinely pleasant individuals here at Hayes.
But if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking
If you're hoping to pursue a romantic or physical relationship, I'm not interested.
Thanks but no thanks
I appreciate your interest, but I'm not interested in pursuing anything further with you.
Some three or four years ago
If this were a few years ago, I may have entertained the idea, but not now.
Then maybe yes, maybe no
It's possible that I may have been interested in pursuing something with you, but it's not the case now.
But honey don’t bother a husband and a father
As a married man and father, I am not interested in pursuing anything other than my current family commitments.
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Sadly, I must decline your advances and move on.
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Unfortunately, I must respectfully decline any further pursuit and end this conversation.
Sorry but I'm gonna have to pass
Despite any attractive qualities you possess, I am not interested in pursuing any further relationship or interaction.
Contributed by Mateo F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Laurie DeVere
I have loved Lonnie Donegan since the 60s