Music from the Antarctic
Written by Ed Hamblin, Music by Bill Lokey
As a 50 year anniversary dedication to winter over 74, Old Antarctic Explorers Association Life member Bill Lokey wanted to share some Antarctic songs. Bill was a USARP who wintered over at McMurdo in DF70, spent the summer season of 71-72 at Byrd Station, wintered over again at McMurdo during DF74, and then wintered at Palmer Station for DF75.
A talented musician, Bill would play his guitar at all of the DF74 wintertime social functions, and was also half of the "Silver Strings" duo along with the winter over Navy Supply Officer, Charlie Richardson. Although Bill could play many folk type songs (shades of the Kingston Trio), he also penned some songs sung to familiar music but with very Antarctic related themes. Who could forget such classics as "Dead Penguin in the Middle of the Road", "Hercules, Hercules (flying all the way)", or "Puff the Magic Penguin"? At the end of the DF74 winter over, he distributed a songbook that had all the words to his classic tunes.
So here are a couple of his classics for your listening pleasure: Puff the Magic Penguin, and Got To Go Outside (a tribute to the hard-working Navy Utilitiesmen of Winter Over 74):
PUFF THE MAGIC PENGUIN
I remember you playing the guitar and me and one other person singing the Dead Penguin in the middle of the Road song at the Mid Winter party in 74. I think that I still have a picture of the event. I will try and find it and let you know. Dan L. Murphy
ReplyDeleteI like these songs! Charlie Cox USPHS and I played Ukulele duet at McMurdo Mid-winter party in June 1961. It brought the house down...........Cleland McBurney
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