Spencer The Rover is one of the best-known songs in the repertoire of the Copper Family. Bob Copper collected it in about 1954 from Jim Barrett, at the Fox in North Waltham, Hampshire, and printed this version in his book Songs and Southern Breezes. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet. Bob and Ron Copper sang Spencer the Rover in a recording made by Peter Kennedy in 1955 on their 1963 EFDSS album Traditional Songs From Rottingdean; this track was also included in 1998 on the EFDSS CD A Century of Song and the whole album was reissued in 2001 as part of their Topic anthology Come Write Me Down.
Jim Porter sang Spencer the Rover in a recording made by Brian Matthews at The Three Cups, Punnetts Town in 1965. It was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology Just Another Saturday Night: Sussex 1960: Songs From Country Pubs. Rod Stradling noted in the accompanying booklet: A popular song in southern England (56 Roud entries), which has been made famous by the version collected from and sung by the Copper family of Rottingdean. However, instances have been found as far north as Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and one, only one, from Yorkshire. This, collected in 1907 by R.A.A. Gatty, was sung by George Hall in the village of Hooton Roberts which, I’m extraordinarily pleased to be able to tell you, really is “at Yorkshire, near Rotherham”—about three miles from the town, in fact!
Shirley Collins sang Spencer the Rover on her 1967 album The Sweet Primroses, accompanied by her sister Dolly Collins on her flute-organ. She noted: This song could be the synopsis for a very considerable 19th century epic novel. I imagine Spencer with ruddy cheeks, black sideburns and leather gaiters. The unsurpassed domestic bliss in the last chapter fadeout has everyone beaming happily. The lines of the verse are very long, and I appreciate the sound sense of Bob and Ron Copper of Sussex in sharing the third line out between the two of them. Dolly’s counter-melody is not in any way counter to the spirit of the song.
One of the most famous versions of Spencer the Rover is by John Martyn who picked it up from Robin Dransfield, then put through his own arrangements. Dransfield remembered the case well as late as 2003: “In the summer of 1966 or 1967 I was doing a gig at the late-night Glasgow Folk Centre with Alex Campbell and in my first set I sang the traditional English song ‘Spencer the Rover’, which at the time was part of my standard folk-club repertoire. In the interval this manic, enthusiastic, bubbly-haired young guy forced me out onto the stairs and insisted I teach him the song, which he was very taken with. His name was John Martyn! So, on the stairs and later at Alex’s flat I did so. I later recorded it on my own solo album but I’ve always thought John’s live and recorded version is the best I ever heard of this widely performed song. Not being an English folkie, he simply looked at it like any other song, Martynised it, and the result was simply wonderful.” . During the August 1980 concert at the Garrison Theatre, Lerwick (Shetland), John made an interesting remark introducing this song: “His name was Spencer the Rover […] He had the dubious pleasure of being the last man to be publicly hung in Sheffield.”
An Albion Dance Band recording of Spencer the Rover made in 1988 with Polly Bolton singing lead was included in 1995 on Ashley Hutchings’ anthology The Guv’nor Vol. 3. Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sang Spencer the Rover on their 2007 CD Sliptease. They noted: In true folk style this song was first heard in a pub session, the tune that we sing is the one that came home with us that night from the pub. Deviations from the ‘original’ must be attributed to Adnams’ Broadside. The tune was named for Andy Jackson who runs the fantastic Miskin festival where we discovered that we could sing! (another thing to blame Adnams for). Jon Boden and Fay Hield sang Spencer the Rover as the 4 November 2010 entry of Boden’s project A Folk Song a Day, and Fay Hield sang it in 2011 on the Woodbine & Ivy Band’s eponymous album The Woodbine & Ivy Band. Jon noted in his project’s blog: A brilliantly singable ballad from the Coppers. We sing it at Royal Traditions, partly because of the local connection in the lyrics.
