KNOWING PHILIP ASTLEY & 'WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY'

Today, The Grandma has been reading about Philip Astley, the father of the modern circus. She has been also listening to some music. She has chosen her favourite singer, Bruce Springsteen, and one of his songs that talks about circus.

 

The family is still accepting the departure of Cristina Foster, and they have sent some messages to say goodbye to her.

Philip Astley (8 January 1742-20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the father of the modern circus.

Modern circus, as an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domesticated animals, acrobats, and clowns, traces its heritage to Astley's Amphitheatre, a riding school that Astley founded in London following the success of trick-riding displays given by him and his wife Patty Jones in 1768.

Astley's first competitor was equestrian Charles Hughes, who had previously worked with Astley. Together with Charles Dibdin, a famous author of pantomimes, Hughes opened a rival amphitheatre in London, which Dibdin called the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy.

Astley and his wife Patty put on their first public show on Easter Monday, 4 April 1768 extending the equestrian performance with exhibitions of warlike sabre-work and sword-play. The initial performances were done in the open air at Ha'penny (=Halfpenny) Hatch, a field in Lambeth, London, near the present site of Waterloo railway station.

The Astleys also performed at other locations in London. Astley performed his stunts in a circular arena, though Astley never used the title of circus for his shows. Astley's Ride (he also called it the Circle) was a ring 19 metres in diameter. Later, the size evolved to become standardised at 13 metres which is the size used by circuses ever since. Leasing more permanent premises at Westminster Bridge from 1769, he improved conditions for audiences with a covered stands. The performances themselves, however, were still performed in the open.

In 1770 he hired acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers and a clown to fill in the pauses between acts and so initiated the format which we now know as a circus and which has since spread to many countries.

More information: Philip Astley

Wild Billy's Circus Story was inspired by the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus that visited Springsteen's hometown of Freehold, NJ, every summer. The song was written in mid-1972 as Circus Song, and according to Brucebase, it was recorded for the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. album, but that version has never surfaced. It was recorded again for The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle album under a new title, Wild Billy's Circus Story.

The band line-up on this track is unknown, but as far as one can tell, Bruce Springsteen sings vocals and handles acoustic guitar, Danni Federici plays accordion, and Garry Tallent plays tuba which simulates an elephant trumpet. The track also has drums and harmonica, and possibly mandolin. The track, as well as the whole album, was recorded at Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY and produced by Mike Appel and Jimmy Cretecos.

Circus Town is a rumoured song from the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. period (April 1972 to February 1973). It is is probably an early draft of Wild Billy's Circus Story, or possibly just an alternate title for it. The song may also be related to Wild Billy's Lullaby. 

Ah, one, two, three, four

The machinist climbs his ferris wheel like a brave
And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of the heatwave
Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallower's blade
And circus town's on the shortwave

Well, the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
Whoa, fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffing pop-corn
As the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
And circus town's been born

Whoa, and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to and fro
Cartwheelin' up on that tightrope with a cannon blast lightin' flash
Movin' fast through the tent, Mars bent, he's gonna miss his fall
Oh God, save the human cannonball

And the flying Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck twist
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along
"95, 96, 97"

A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus grounds
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin

Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
Jesus, send some good women to save all your clowns

And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
And now the elephants dance real funky
And the band plays like a jungle fire
Circus town's on the live wire

And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget little Tiny Tim way up on his shoulders
Way up and carries him on down the midway past the kids
Past the sailors to his dimly lit trailer
And the ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
And the circus boss leans over, whispers into the little boy's ear
"Hey son, you want to try the big top?"
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop

 When it comes to luck, you make your own.

Bruce Springsteen