Here’s a truncated version of the set I performed at Lost Treasures of the Black Heart last Tuesday:
Before I tell you about my hero for the month I just want to say that we all know that some heroes have feet of clay and some people who have done wonderful things have also done some quite shameful things and this month’s hero is one of those people. And I’m going to start by telling about the bad thing that he first before I tell you about all of the good stuff he’s done. In 1973 my hero of the month wrote an episode of the sitcom On the Buses. Now I know what you’re all thinking, we’ve all done things we’re ashamed of, and now it’s all out in the open we can move on, because my nominated hero of the month is a man called Myles Rudge.
Myles Rudge was primarily a lyricist most notable for writing novelty records. Novelty records have a hard time because they’re not credible but what does “credible” mean anyway. Credible just means a record that someone else has told you that it’s OK to like, but we’re all individuals and you’re allowed to like whatever you want to, so instead of liking something credible why not like something IN-credible, because the word Novelty just means things that are new and different which I think is something to celebrate, especially at a time when being credible just means sounding the same as about eight other bands. And to be fair most novelty records are pretty dreadful but then most of them aren’t written by Myles Rudge. And Rudge was making records in the early 60s when there was less of a divide and they were just known as “records”.
Rudge was born in 1926 and started off his career an actor before giving it up to write comedy sketches for revue shows. In 1960 he wrote a folk song parody with his constant composer Ted Dicks that was sung in the show by a young-ish performer by the name of Bernard Cribbins (he was never that young – I’ve seen pictures). This song was something of a minor hit and was recorded by Parlophone records by a pre-Beatles era George Martin. The song was successful enough that it Rudge, Dicks, Cribbins, and Martin collaborated again and produced the songs Hole in the Ground and Right Said Fred, both of which became top 10 hits, which by definition stops them from being novelty records, at all. in 1962 they were bonifide pop hits. Myles Rudge and Bernard Cribbins ended up collaborating on two albums worth of material. These songs are all very British and are often really funny vignettes of class comedy that disguised as 3 minute pop tunes. There’s a really good best of Bernard Cribbins available that features all these songs. Noel Coward even chose Hole in the Ground as one of his Desert Island Discs and said that he would spend his time on the Island attempting to translate it into French. Hole in the Ground was one of Count Basie’s favourite British Jazz records. And just think without Myles Rudge the 90s band who had hits with Deeply Dippy, and I’m Too Sexy would be called something else entirely. Can any of you even imagine living in a world like that?
The success of these records meant that Myles Rudge was eventually sort after to write material for more legitimate acts (including Anthony Newley) but none of these really made that much of an impact, and by the 70s he was back writing for a lot of forgotten and forgettable sitcoms. When his obituaries were written in 2007 Hole in the Ground and Right Said Fred pretty much overshadowed all of his other work, and if he’ll be remembered at all, then they will be what he’ll be remembered for, and that’s enough for any man isn’t it? Even if he’d done nothing else he still wrote Hole in the Ground and Right Said Fred, but he didn’t Myles Rudge also wrote another famous song that hopefully some of you know called A Windmill in Old Amsterdam. It was one my favourites growing up and if I’m honest then it’s still one of my favourites now. I really think it’s a very beautiful record and hearing it for me is a bit like an Oyster Card to my own childhood.
My upcoming gigs now look like this:
Monday 15th March 2010
EDComedy at The Hob,
The Hob,
7 Devonshire Rd,
Forest Hill (opposite the station),
London,
SE23 3HE,
8pm,
£3
Reservations: 020-8855-0496 or email boxoffice@edcomedy.com
Website
Wednesday 17th March 2010
The Giggling Gibbon Stand Up Night,
The Compass,
58 Penton Street,
Islington,
London,
N1 9PZ
£1
8pm (7.30pm Doors)
Facebook
Tuesday 23rd March 2010
Richard Sandling’s Perfect Movie,
The Green Man,
36 Riding House Street,
London,
W1W 7ES
8pm (7.30pm Doors)
£6
Facebook
With Nikesh Shukla, Nick Helm, Robin Ince, James Mullinger and Richard Sandling (obviously).
Friday 26th March 2010
Comedy Rocket,
Upstairs at The Round Table Pub,
26-27 St Martins Court,
London
WC2N 4AL
8.30pm (8pm Doors)
£7 (£5 with Flyer, Student ID, Comedy Rocket Badge or Advance Booking)
Book Online
Box office: 07955 194 255
Website
Sunday 28th March 2010
Laughing Horse Richmond
The Hope of Richmond,
115-117 Kew Road,
Richmond,
TW9 2PN
8.30pm (8pm Doors)
£5 (£4 Concessions)
Reservations: 07913 460 295
Book Online
Website
Quarter Final of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year 2010 comptetion. Be nice to have your support.
Thursday 1st April 2010
Freedom of the Fringe,
The Torriano,
71-73 Torriano Avenue,
London,
NW5 2SG
8.30pm (8pm Doors)
£3
Facebook
Monday 5th April 2010
Every Other Monday,
The Camden Head Pub,
2 Camden Walk,
Camden Passage,
London,
N1 8DY
8pm
Free
New material night with Tom Goodliffe, Broderick Chow, George Ryegold, Hannah Warman, Rosie Wilby and others.
Facebook
Wednesday 14th April 2009
The Duke’s Headliners,
The Duke’s Head,
Lower Richmond Road,
Putney,
London
SW15 1JN
8pm (7.45pm Doors)
£7 (£5 in advance)
To book, tel: 07966 176 049 or email:
dukesheadliners@googlemail.com
Excellent line up with Simon Munnery, Brett Goldstein, Joey Page, Adam Tempest and Paul Laight.
Website
Tuesday 25th May 2010
The Lost Treasures of the Black Heart
The Black Heart Pub
3 Greenland Place
Camden
London
NW1 0AP
8pm
£5
With Josie Long, and others.
Thursday 24th June 2010
Cheeky Chimp Comedy!
Trent Park Golf Club,
Southgate,
London,
N14 4UW
8pm (Doors 7pm)
£7 (£5 in advance and Students)
Reservations: cheekychimpcomedy@live.co.uk
Website
Thursday 1st July 2010
Downstairs at the King’s Head,
2 Crouch End Hill,
London,
N8 8AA
8.30pm (Doors 8pm)
£4 (£3 Concessions)
Website
Monday 5th July 2010
West End Comedy Club,
The Comedy Pub,
7 Oxendon Street,
London,
SW1Y 4EE
8:30pm (8pm Doors)
£5
Facebook
Tuesday 6th July 2010
The Lost Treasures of the Black Heart
The Black Heart Pub
3 Greenland Place
Camden
London
NW1 0AP
8pm
£5
With Josie Long, and others.
