Born on November 18th 1927 at Bury in Lancashire and named Allan Smethurst, he died on 22nd December 2000 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. His parents brought him to Sheringham, Norfolk as a two year old where he spent the rest of his childhood. His invalid father died and his mother re-married and he moved to Cleethorpes with them as a teenager. He had attended Paston Grammar School, North Walsham and, this being a fine seat of learning, it is remarkable that he kept his strong, Norfolk accent.
Smethurst, a real life postman, hummed his tunes on his daily round, He had bought his guitar from Woolworths in 1949 and started writing and playing his own dialect songs, initially confining his activities to his bedroom. The nostalgic songs were based on his young life in Norfolk. “It was ten years afore I dare let people hear them,” he once admitted.
Plucking up the courage to send a tape to the BBC in Norwich containing ‘Hev Yew Gotta Loight Bor’ it landed on the desk of Ralph Tuck. Ralph was part of a milling family but, at the time, circa 1964, he was working as a presenter on a regional radio programme.
Ralph liked what he heard and promptly founded a record label called 'The Smallest Recording Organisation In The World' in Lowestoft to promote the Singing Postman. The 100 discs which Tuck had cut promptly sold out and Smethurst became an overnight star.
A four track EP made the EP charts in 1965 and after another EP release by Ralph Tuck and an album 'The Singing Postman's Year' he was signed to EMI who re-released earlier songs and recorded new items. He made numerous live and promotional performances, including Top Of The Pops but was afflicted by nerves and stage fright.
In 1966, the Singing Postman's best known hit "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?" won Smethurst the Ivor Novello Award for best novelty song of the year. The hit knocked The Beatles from the top of the East Anglia hit parade and remained in the charts for nine weeks. Rolf Harris recorded a cover version without success. The song had a small comeback in 1994 when it was featured on a tv commercial for Ovaltine.
He quit the music business in 1970, later admitting he had an alcohol problem and that he'd spent all his money and was penniless. He spent his last few years living quietly in a Salvation Army hostel in Grimsby where he died in December 2000.
Selected Discography
The BBC Singing Postman EP (RTP 1965) #20 in UK EP charts
First Delivery EP (EMI 1966) # 7 in UK EP charts
The Singing Postman's Year (RTP)
Second Delivery EP (EMI 1966)
Third Delivery EP (EMI (1966)
Fourth Delivery EP (EMI 1966)
Recorded Delivery LP (EMI 1966)
The Sound Barrier LP (EMI 1967)
CD Track Listing
The Devil's Hoofprints
The Washday Song
Railway Song / Runton Man
Devil's Hoofprints
Old Tom Tide
Labour On Principal
Poacher's Lament
Wroxham Broad
Tommy Dack
Whut Yew On Holideer
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Allan Smethurst
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English
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