For many years we have had a Pirate Playlist, full of songs about salt, sea and scurvy dogs.

Some of the songs are traditional. Forebiters and shanties. Folk ditties, ballads and the like.

But this one is not really either traditional or original.

'I am a Cider drinker' a cover by Alestorm from Perth, Scotland.

The original(ish) 1976 (UK) hit by The Wurzels could be called a modern folk song. If one did not know the meaning to any of the following words or what order to put them in.

Pop. About. Drinking.
However, while the lyrics belong to the Cider swigging bards from Somerset the tune comes from across the ditch.

Wikipedia quote.

Paloma Blanca, often called "Una Paloma Blanca" is a song written by the Dutch musician George Baker, and first recorded and released by his band The George Baker Selection.

thewurzels.com quote

When Pete Budd was playing around with the tune ‘Una Paloma Blanca’; the lyrics ‘When the moon shines on the cowshed’ materialised out of the scrumpy-laden air and their follow-up single ‘Cider Drinker’ was born. This record, rocketing up the charts and selling 250,000 copies, proved to the world that the Wurzels were not a one-hit wonder and were indeed here to stay!

Despite all of this the version we prefer is by Alestorm. It might have something to do with their theme.

What do you think?

"I Am a Cider Drinker". the Alestorm version.

Capt'n first found Alestorm back in 2010 on Spotify. Their seminal track Heavy Metal Pirates from the 2009 EP Leviathan struck an instant chord. Who can resist true Scottish pirate metal?

"I Am a Cider Drinker". the Wurzels version.

On a side note the 'introduction is done by two Arrows (1974-77) band members, guitarist Terry Taylor, and the group's chronically eccentric singer Alan Merrill' who seems to be, in this clip, the epitomy of why Brits laugh at Americans as he insists 'I said it right this time' after mispronouncing the name of the City of Whitefield (said Whitfield like a paddock with a sense of humour).
Despite this slip-up, Mr Merrill is clearly an accomplished musician. All props and kudos to him.
Wikipedia quote

In the early 1970s Merrill was the first westerner to achieve pop star status in Japan.

He was literally the first outsider to get "big in japan".

Cider!

Living in New Zealand as we do, Capt'n and Wench find it nigh impossible to get our grasping mitts on any real Cider. Both coming from countries of proud drinking heritages we just cannot be satisfied with apple flavoured sugar water or fizzy pish. In New Zealand, the Cider culture is sadly still lacking...by about two centuries. Still, it is to be expected in a country that is so young (even the natives got here yesterday geologically speaking).

Last year (2016) when family from the old countries came to visit and celebrate the birth of a daughter we were invariably asked one question.