UKC

We recently reported that British climbing legend Joe Brown had passed away at the age of 89. One of Joe's longtime friends and climbing partners, Dennis Gray, has performed a musical tribute to Joe. Dennis kindly shared this recording of himself singing and playing Tom Patey's 'The Legend of Joe Brown' with UKC and agreed to its inclusion in a video.

Many in the climbing world, I'm sure, Dennis, will join me in giving thanks to you for this lovely tribute, using Patey's classic song. 

PS. I think it's something of a disgrace that Alan has left on the wretched Dislike button here. He's rightly removed it from the main JB tribute thread, but here Dennis's tribute has already garnered an utterly tasteless Dislike.

Have a like from me Gordon.

BRILLIANT Dennis - think Joe, and all of us, smiled with you there!! wonderful tribute

Thanks very much Dennis - that was brilliant

Perfect - brings back that sense of climbing community that we all fell in love with. Does for me anyway! 

Great job Dennis Gray

I'd like to hear Patey singing his own songs if tapes exist, but can't imagine a more apposite or touching version of this one!

I agree. I'd love to hear even an incomplete version of Patey singing his own song.

That was brilliant, though a shame three other verses seem to have been left out. And I was looking forward particularly to the memorable "Dennis Gray and me" line!  I've been prompted to dig out my copy of One Man's Mounntains and reread some of the others. Works of genius. - I think my favourite is Aiguilles ds Cairngorms which also has  reference to Joe Brown.

Brought tears to my eyes. A reminder that Patey was also a genius.

It's reversed here as 'Patey and me', which seems fair enough!

Yes, I know, and I thought that was a shame - Patey's original would have been great sung by Dennis Gray himself; I anticipated it and then felt let down!

I've always loved the line 'He cracked the crux by a crucial crack now known as the Fissure Brown."

That was great. I'll definitely be learning that and playing it at the Cloggy Old Boy's MC meet if it happens later in the summer. I won't be telling any of the participants about that or they won't come!

Do you still go down Henry Price Dennis? Not seen you for a bit, even ignoring this lockdown business.

A brilliantly sung song, thank you.

Lovely tribute Dennis, brings back many memories. Rubble Rouser (VS 4c)

Thanks Dennis that was a lovely tribute.

Tom

A lovely tribute from Dennis.

The Thumbs Up and Down system is automated and gets removed from a thread if we include RIP in the title. I could do that, and will if people want, however the mass of thumbs-ups throughout the replies reflects positively to me. Happy to go with what people think.

Also, if you don't want to see them then you can go to your User Options > Forums and select the option to remove them

Alan

A lovely tribute.

I've read the lyrics numerous times before, but it's great to hear it sung as Patey originally intended for it to be heard.

This is fantastic. I mean really fantastic. Thank you Dennis.

just great played it twice!perfect tribute

I echo that! Also, just heard from my brother and he’s going to join in on our Cloggy meet in September to perform the song in ear-shot of Vector etc. So if you hear something echoing around The Moelwyns that weekend, it isn’t a cat with its tail caught in an an archaic copper-mine winch mechanism.

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr thanks but if you're within ear-shot of Vector on a Cloggy meet you've got extremely good ears! (Or voice) Hope you have a great meet in September

Nice to have a Statue or tribute to Joe near Cloggy? 

Just seen this, absolutely brilliant and a fitting musical tribute all the names and places bring back the history and moments in time vividly Joe was a great climber and a cracking tribute well done Dennis.

Thank you Dennis - perhaps it’s time for a definitive version with all the verses, and a full set of Patey’s works?