FAINT HISTORY
The Murder of Spratty Watts - Part 1 of "Faint History"
Inspired by actual events in Essex in the mid 1800's. My great great grandmother Mary Faint was a witness in the murder trial of Spratty Watts.
Spratty was poisoned with arsenic by Mary May for the insurance money "burial club money".
When I first started out writing my own songs back in 2017 all I intended to do was write a few tunes about what I had unearthed when I researched into my family history. Due to unfortunate life events things became a little more chaotic and my music became more angry including my dalliances into electro punk and indie which I still enjoy performing.
So here are my FAINT HISTORY songs in all their glory (or at least as far as I've got).
The songs go in chronological order starting with poisoning in Essex in the mid 1800's, then an improvised prayer to the demon drink.
Then it's onto my great grandfather's migration from rural Essex to Burton in the late 1800's, and then WW2 in India with my late grandfather (Lesley Eric Wallace Faint).
Part 4 "Essex Girl" is about my mothers early life in Essex and again migration to Burton,
Then finally a song about yours truly, a semi-autobiographical tune about an autistic boy in a mining town and not belonging.
Whur's Jack - Part 3 of "Faint History"
Based around the migration of my great grandfather from rural Essex /Suffolk border to Burton in the very late 1800's to work as a maltster. The work was hard and Burton was rough.
Complete with my fake Suffolk accent!
The Landlords Prayer - Part 2 of "Faint History"
Improvisational piece based on the much performed landlords prayer as a homage to the demon drink.
This version mainly came from this old documentary about migration from Suffolk to Burton:
Fight for the King - Part 4 of "Faint History"
My late grandfather (Lesley Eric Wallace Faint) was in India in WW2, not much was spoken about it.
I think he had a hard time if his records are anything to go by, as a kid in the 70's I vaguely remember a tale about a tiger in a tent
Essex Girl - Part 5 of "Faint History"
Valerie Dexter (my mother) 1939 - 2020
This is the 4th version I've made of this song, it was a difficult one.
Dead Centre of the Country - Part 6 of "Faint History"
About yours truly.
Growing up in a former mining town and not belonging.