Skiffle

Country blues groups in the pre-war American south were sometimes described as skiffle acts, but it was Glasgow-born Lonnie Donegan who popularised the idea of making music with improvised instruments such as a washboard and tea-chest bass in the mid-50s. ❋ Unknown (2011)

But knowing that it does adds meaning and weight to each moment, especially when John discovers his idol, Elvis Presley, his fledgling "skiffle" band embarks on its first performances and John is introduced to two promising young musicians named Paul and George. ❋ Jonathan Kim (2010)

"It's an Italian term and it's short for the word skiffle and skiffle means disgusting but it doesn't really mean disgusting in the way we use that word in English.

So John effects a truce with Aunt Mimi, who buys him a guitar to pursue his aspirations of starting a skiffle band. ❋ Marshall Fine (2010)

But Bean has set the action in 1963 in Brighton, and the key point is that Francis Henshall, a failed skiffle player, finds himself working for two guvnors. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The images may be mute but the bill includes skiffle band The Dodge Brothers (featuring Mark Kermode on double bass), a piano improv session (to old newsreels, like they used to), the world premiere of a 1925 score (to Soviet fairytale Morozko), plus archive recordings of early cinema audiences that promise to reveal the "indecent behaviour" of our forebears. ❋ Unknown (2011)

For good measure there is even a prefatory skiffle session and musical interludes by Grant Olding. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The band will be playing the skiffle and early rock 'n' roll songs that they played together with Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison in the years up till 1960 when the John/Paul/George nucleus changed the band's name to "The Beatles" -- and thereafter enjoyed some modest success ... ❋ Martin Lewis (2010)

The lyrics betray less knowledge about baseball ( "The catcher hits for .318") than lust ( "Oh elope with me in private and we'll set something ablaze!"), but the song's melody and skiffle beat overpower such shortcomings. ❋ Click Track (2010)

It's a rare reunion for the Old Line Skiffle Combo, a Maryland six-piece that plays traditional skiffle and rockabilly tunes using everything from a washboard to pedal-steel guitar to recreate the shufflin' '50s vibe. ❋ Fritz Hahn (2011)

It's a shame that TV channels keep on making reality shows following Paris Hilton around or scripting the lives of the young and dumb for our amusement when they could be catch a psychedelic hippy skiffle group as they surf a drug- and BBQ chicken-powered wave across America. ❋ Unknown (2011)

Rockabilly and doo-wop provide the sturdy structures, with a nod to the skiffle of the Quarrymen as he sings "Long, long lost John" over the fade of "I'm Losing You", in a deliberate echo of Lonnie Donegan's version of a song borrowed from Woody Guthrie. ❋ Richard Williams (2010)

Set in Brighton in 1963 on the cusp of Beatlemania, there's a terrific skiffle band playing before each act, and each principal actor takes a solo turn on a bizarre instrument, ranging from washboard to tuned car-horns. ❋ Paul Levy (2011)

We got together and always sang together right up until our dads bought us guitars and we started playing skiffle. ❋ Mike Ragogna (2011)

Then skiffle turned into rock 'n' roll and we started doing The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly stuff. ❋ Mike Ragogna (2011)