“Dead Man’s Chest” (also known as “Fifteen Men On The Dead Man’s Chest” or "Derelict") is a fictional sea song, originally from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island (1883). It was expanded in a poem, titled “Derelict” by Young E. Allison, published in the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1891. It has since been used in many later works of art in various forms.(More from Wikipedia)
The two songs that introduced me to Phil Gammage were on a sampler album entitled The Electric Radio Sampler Music Test (1993). The album is probably intended to be played inside record stores as an inducement to purchase albums on sale by the label who released it, Marilyn Records. It doesn’t look like much, but there is some great music on this little CD. Besides the two Phil Gammage songs, there are two by Flamin’ Groovies guitarist Chris Wilson, one being the opening track, “If Wishes Were Horses”.
The other Chris Wilson song, “The Derelict” is even better – it is the “yo ho ho and a bottle of rum” pirate song. The original song was made up by Robert Louis Stevenson for his 1883 adventure tale, Treasure Island. Young Ewing Allison, a newspaperman of that era, wrote a full poem based on the short verse included in the novel. Accompanied by a gritty rock band called (appropriately enough) the Barbary Coasters (also from San Francisco), the lyrics are taken from that poem and I believe include all six stanzas. I also have the full CD by Chris Wilson that includes both songs, Back on the Barbary Coast.
(March 2015)
