Ten Guitars ‘national anthem’

Rogers Rabbits covered some famous pop songs (The Weekend Sun, January 26) that some of us, if we had a radio and reception in those days), are familiar with. Most of those tunes are now classics.

One famous song that wasn't mentioned though, (and probably the most famous, and most played) was ‘Ten Guitars', which arrived from old Englebert Humperdinck in the 60s.

I spent a couple of years down Taihape way back then and that song was our ‘national anthem'.

Every ‘band of men' (and women) sang it with gusto, after a hard day's working and drinking, or after a good game of rugby.

It was normally to the accompaniment of a battered, broken five and a half string guitar, and someone with a voice like Billy T or Prince Tui Teka.

I think Patea adopted the song a bit later on and locals could be seen, still singing it, on the pub roof, in the very early hours of a Sunday morning (or any other morning for that matter).

P Kelly, Te Puna.

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