The records, in the order they came
Shep Woolley songs have been released on vinyl, cassette, CD and, since 2014, on the streaming services. His own description of his output was "8 long play albums, music cassettes and CDs", and the first four of those LPs, Pipe Down, Songs of Oars & Scrubbers, Goodbye Sailor and Reunion, were later gathered onto a double CD with the very Woolley title Chips off the Old Bloke. The catalogue that followed leans in two directions at once: songs written for sailors, and songs written for everybody else who likes a chorus and a laugh.
| Title | What it is | Notable tracks |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe Down | Early LP, later on Chips off the Old Bloke | Collected on the double CD |
| Songs of Oars & Scrubbers | Early LP, later on Chips off the Old Bloke | Collected on the double CD |
| Goodbye Sailor & Reunion | Two LPs, later on Chips off the Old Bloke | Collected on the double CD |
| Chips off the Old Bloke 1 & 2 | Double CD of the first four albums; streaming since 2014 | Over two hours, general and Royal Naval content |
| Overboard | "Toons & Tales for sailors"; streaming since 2014 | The Long Covered Way, Down by the Dockyard Wall |
| Life in a Blue Suit | Live recordings plus studio work; streaming since 2014 | Up and Down Laundry Hill, Cornish Lads |
| Hands to Dance & Skylark | With the 'Ansom Cabin Buoys | Leaving of Liverpool, South Australia, The Oggie Song |
| Grumpy Old Matelot | Album; streaming since 2014 | "Matelot" is lower-deck slang for a sailor |
| Sailors on a Train | Album, 2016 | Yeee Ha! You Drunken Sailors, Down the Solent, In Good Lord Nelsons Days |
Life in a Blue Suit and the Ganges boys
Life in a Blue Suit is the record that shows most of Shep at once. It mixes live recordings from various venues with studio work, so the audience laughter is part of the sound, and the subjects run from political satire and general comedy routines to two songs that carry real weight. "Up and Down Laundry Hill" is about life for the boys at HMS Ganges, the Royal Navy's training establishment at Shotley in Suffolk, where boys of fifteen to seventeen learned seamanship in the shadow of a 143-foot training mast. "Cornish Lads" is a comment on the fishing and mining industries in Cornwall and what their decline left behind.
The same Shotley thread runs through his later work. On Sailors on a Train, "Bound for Sunny Shotley and Peter Fyfes" returns to Shotley by name, and the record also carries spoken pieces such as "Faith Hope & Charity", a poem paired with "The Rosetta Suite".
Streaming the albums today
Most of the catalogue, and most of the best Shep Woolley songs, can be heard without hunting for second-hand records. Five collections went onto the streaming services in 2014, and Sailors on a Train followed in 2016. The fullest place to start is his artist page on Apple Music, which lists Chip off the Old Bloke No 1, Chips off the Old Bloke No 2, Grumpy Old Matelot, Life in a Blue Suit, Overboard and Sailors on a Train. A handful of tracks, including "Yeee Ha! You Drunken Sailors" and "Stolen My Heart Away", are also on SoundCloud, which is what the player on the homepage uses.
The 'Ansom Cabin Buoys
Hands to Dance & Skylark was made with the 'Ansom Cabin Buoys, the shanty band he worked with for years and billed as possibly the liveliest shanty band in the UK. The record is a set of popular sailors' songs, monologues and tunes, including "Leaving of Liverpool", "South Australia" and "The Oggie Song", alongside naval pieces such as "Walking Through the Dockyard in Panic", "Aladdin" and "Blue Liners & Bubbly". On stage the band ranged far wider, from sea shanties, jigs and reels to rock'n'roll and a little country, with Beatles and Dylan songs next to "Drunken Sailor", and a barn-dance caller available when a booking wanted one.
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They were regulars aboard HMS Warrior in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and in demand for cruises, hotels, oil rigs, festivals, theatres and private functions. Their trick was range: quiet, unobtrusive tunes during dinner, then jigs, reels, shanties and rock'n'roll once the tables were cleared.
Shep Woolley songs worth hearing first
For a newcomer, three Shep Woolley songs explain the appeal quickly. "Yeee Ha! You Drunken Sailors" takes the best-known shanty of all and turns it into a party piece. "Up and Down Laundry Hill" shows the affectionate, slightly rueful way he writes about the Navy. And "Pompey Rock", his 1983 song for Pompey supporters, shows why the city treats him as one of its own. After that, any of the live material on Life in a Blue Suit gives the best sense of what an evening in his company is actually like: the songs are only half of it.
FAQ
What was Shep Woolley's first album?
His first four LPs were Pipe Down, Songs of Oars & Scrubbers, Goodbye Sailor and Reunion. All four were later collected on the double CD Chips off the Old Bloke.
Which Shep Woolley album is about HMS Ganges?
Life in a Blue Suit includes Up and Down Laundry Hill, about life for the boys at HMS Ganges. Sailors on a Train (2016) returns to Shotley with Bound for Sunny Shotley and Peter Fyfes.
Who were the 'Ansom Cabin Buoys?
A shanty band Shep Woolley worked with for years. They recorded Hands to Dance & Skylark with him and played regularly at naval evenings aboard HMS Warrior.
Can I stream Shep Woolley's music?
Yes. Chip off the Old Bloke No 1 and No 2, Grumpy Old Matelot, Life in a Blue Suit and Overboard went onto streaming services in 2014, and Sailors on a Train followed in 2016.
What does 'matelot' mean?
Matelot is a Royal Navy slang word for a sailor, borrowed from French. Shep Woolley used it in the title of his album Grumpy Old Matelot.