Dengie Boy fever hits the Maldon district

12:13pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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A DENGIE boy is taking the world wide web by storm.

Enthusiasm for the unusual rap about living in the Dengie Peninsula is growing as word spreads across the Maldon district and beyond.

Burnham musician Cocker Freeman wrote the song, entitled Dengie Boy, for the town's new community radio station, Saint FM.

Its quirky lyrics, sung to the tune of The Shirelles' Soldier Boy, include: "Dengie Boy better than Chelmsford boy", "met a St Lawrence man who sold me a caravan", "I needed a new set of shocks, got them down at Dashes", "Dengie Girl came in my car to Bicknacre" and even "Chelmsford boys are ugly".

Most of the area's villages are given a mention, such as Tillingham, Althorne, Southminster, North Fambridge and Bradwell Waterside.

But as its popularity has spread it has been used as a mobile phone ringtone and has been posted on cult website YouTube where it has received more than 4,300 viewings.

Listen to the song by clicking the 'Play' button below

Cocker Freeman, whose real identity is being kept a closely guarded secret, said the way people have reacted to the tune is "unbelievable".

"I can't quite take it in - once it had been played on Saint FM a few pupils downloaded it as a ringtone and it has just grown from there.

"I've heard it's even now going round the Plume School.

"Someone has posted it on YouTube and it has had so many hits."

He added: "It is just a local song for local radio, although we can no longer play it on Saint FM as we asked for permission to use the tune of Soldier Boy and they said no.

"Nobody is making any money out of it, it's just fantastic how much everyone likes it.

"It's not the first time I've done something like that, I just put it together myself by taking the Soldier Boy tune and recording my lyrics over the top.

"It's just about life in the Dengie Peninsula."

Mr Freeman said many people have asked what his next production will be, and revealed he is following up on Dengie Boy's success with Latchingdon Fandango and Burnham Rockstar - both featuring the tunes of well known songs - which are both now available on You Tube.

He can also be heard presenting The Purple Programme on Saint FM, on Thursdays from 11am to 1pm.