Entertainment For Lively Minds
Are you ready to...WOMBLE!
Posted by Beany on 2 July 2011 - 1:15pm.
BBC footage of the greatest rock and roll band on Wimbledon Common.
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I love the Wombles
Without irony, without retro-tinted nostalgia. And to paraphrase Not The Nine O Clock News' Gerald the Gorilla sketch, the production on their first album, Wombling Songs, is amazing.
I'm perfectly serious about this. There is stuff on there - 'Dreaming in the Sun', the outro to 'Wombles Warning' that wouldn't embarrass the catalogues of Nick Drake, John Martyn or Pentangle. To be written off as some comedy glam band is an insult to fine songwriting and superior production, better than it has any right to be. Childrens' records in the 1970s, there. Do, please, track it down. It's still languishing about in the corner of the Blogosphere. And it's got Chris Spedding on it. Yeah, that one.
I met Mike Batt 10 years ago, when I was coming out of a radio studio to publicise a book and he was walking in, to publicise a new album. I walked up to him, and told him I thought Wombling Songs was a classic. "It's one of the worst records I ever made" he sneered. And walked off.
I wonder how he feels
about "The Snooker Song"?
Or
that Snark business.
one of the worst records I ever made
In all fairness, Mike was never satisfied with the arrangements on Wombling Songs. That might explain why the album was under-represented on the Reader's Digest and Wombles Collection CDs. There's also the possibility that he realized he had played it too safe with the first album after the success of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums.
As to the Nick Drake reference, in his Family Tree CD there is a picture of a music folio Nick used as a child in learning piano - On Wimbledon Common. Nick also had his picture taken on Wimbledon Common - and I wonder if the location was chosen with regard to that music folio.
Brought a tear to my eye
And I think 'Let's get ready to Womble!' is just about the best band introduction I have ever heard.
Wouldn't a tour be
a good idea, now...?
I'm in agreement ...
... and if I can make a case for Wombling Merry Christmas as a first rate Christmas song ...
Degrees of Separation: The Wombles & The Beatles
Follow the link and all shall be revealed: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150236754485629
I'm guessing that's Ric Sanders..
..on violin.