Mr Harry Champion 'While I Was Licking My Stamp' 1913

A lovely Pathe centre start recording of the great Harry Champion singing 'While I Was Licking My Stamp', I'm not 100% sure but I think the stamp to which he refers is the newly introduced National Insurance.
The chosen means of recording the contributions required the employer to buy special stamps from a Post Office and affix them to contribution cards. The cards formed proof of entitlement to benefits and were given to the employee when the employment ended, leading to the loss of a job often being referred to as being given your cards.
1. I went looking for work one day. Wherever I chanced to look,
The first thing that they asked for was my insurance book.
I was sent to clean the windows. The lady said to me,
"Before you start upon the job, your book I'll have to see."
I started sticking me stamp on. When I put out my tongue,
The lady thought I wanted a kiss, so up the stairs she run.
Her husband came with a knob on a stick. He said I was a chump
He landed me one on my dub-a-dub-dum while I was licking my stamp.
2. One day feeling a bit run down, a doctor I went to see.
He looked at my insurance book before he looked at me.
He popped some medicine down me throat; he thought I was a tramp.
He says, "The medicine makes you work; now don't forget your stamp."
I started sticking me stamp on as up the street I ran.
As I was running along the street, a mad bull saw me tongue.
He tossed me into a china shop. I thought I'd got the cramp,
For there I sat on a china cat while I was licking me stamp.
3. Every Monday a brand-new stamp inside my book I stick.
I always have to have a drink before me tongue will lick.
Last week I had to buy some scotch. Inside a tram I got.
Before me tongue got properly moist, I had to drink the lot.
I started sticking me stamp on as I sat in the tram.
One old girl with a wooden leg said, "Aye, come here, young man.
Who are you making faces at?" then sloshed me with her gamp.
There was I with her leg in me eye while I was licking me stamp.
4. Monday mornings I take for lunch a bit of cold meat with me.
One morning it was thick with mould when I woke up, you see.
I wrapped my meat in me handkerchief just like a silly Turk.
I put the pants on inside out, then off I rushed to work.
I started sticking me stamp on as I rushed in the fog.
By accident I went into a house that kept a dog.
He gave me a bite. I shouted with fright, "Will somebody bring a lamp?
Perhaps me lunch it was havin' a munch while I was lickin' me stamp."
The disc is recorded vertically in the wider grooves, known as hill and dale as opposed to side to side as other companies recorded the sound, this meant you needed a special ball crystal tip to play them, they also ran at 90 rpm, as you can see these idiosyncrasies are overcome with my AudioTechnica system

[@matthewrichards88]

Brilliant transfer of this amazing Pathe. Never heard this one before. It is a brilliant one!

[@GramophonicReevolution]

Excellent upload Al 👍😎 sound is excellent. 😎

[@tiga4180]

Not only are these records entertaining, but several reflect social & political history. Talking antiques indeed. Have tried playing Pathes electrically using a ball stylus, but sometimes the pick up skates across the record. Fortunately, my Marathon gramophone is dual standard, so given the right stylus, plays them with no trouble.

[@OldiesAl]

@@tiga4180 this is played with a normal 78 rpm stylus Paul, I'm having trouble playing the other side all the way through without it skating across the surface though

[@tiga4180]

@@OldiesAl You've achieved a remarkable result!

[@OldiesAl]

@@tiga4180 thanks Paul

[@andystrowman9938]

Al you arecwonder🎉ful

[@OldiesAl]

@@andystrowman9938 Thanks Andy I hope to get the other side up soon

[@UltimatePusheenLord]

Lovely song, but there isn't any audio in the right channel.

[@OldiesAl]

I'll re upload when I get chance, I never use headphones so I don't notice, thanks

[@IVORIESMAN]

Fascinating historic record Al - what was the reason for the inside out pressing?

[@OldiesAl]

I'm not really sure Joe, the only thing I can think is they wanted to sell their machines along with the records, the problem was the artists recorded the same songs for other labels. A bit of Betamax and VHS many years later

[@IVORIESMAN]

@@OldiesAl …I get it, the machine was designed for this format. I wonder if Paul’s got one…

[@OldiesAl]

@@IVORIESMAN I'm sure he has

[@GramophonicReevolution]

This Paul?? 🤣 I've had pathè machines and uploaded with them on here but I don't have one at the moment as I usually use the Marathon for them or a pathè soundbox on something else. Got a s few pathè that need an airing...... 👍

[@IVORIESMAN]

@@GramophonicReevolution …I don’t get the thinking - was it supposed to be better sound quality from inside out or maybe they just thought they were too important to muck in with the outside in plebs…😒