Entertainment For Lively Minds
So Chris Evans is the Candyman now?
Stuck on the M25 on Friday evening, I was listening to Chris Evans and was heared him play Candyman by Sammy Davis Jnr. He didn't just play it, but turned it into a "thing" by getting the entire presenting team to sing along. He's done it before so I imagine it a regular "here comes the weekend" sort of caper.
So what's the big deal? Well, as many Word readers know, Danny Baker is the Candyman. He can't stop other people playing the record of course, but its unquestionably his thing. I was so appalled at the lack of imagination shown by the Ginger One that I texted the show to remind them exactly who the Candyman is. I've yet to recieve a reply. Does anyone know what Danny thinks of this, after all,he was (is?) bezzie mates with Evans.
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Hanging's
too good.
cretin
Wishing
Danny Baker is the man Evans wishes he was, shame he's inferior in every way.
Passing of the torch?
Mind, maybe Dan's passing it on now - remember he did become The Dame for a couple of shows in pretty recent memory.
Surely he's
The Gingerbread man.........
“Twirling a cane made of peppermint“
Why not? It’s a better song than The Candyman. Suits the mood and tone of the Chris Evans show too.
?
It sounds like a couple of fleas claiming ownership of the dog to me.
How you can be bothered to get even mildly concerned regarding anything about radio DJs is beyond me.
Enjoy yourseves though.
You're right, lets debate
You're right, lets debate Brown's planned Afghan handover talks instead. I'll go first; I'd like to remind our "so called" leader that a dog is not just for Christmas but for life. If he thinks he can persuade someone to into taking a hound off his hands without a serve reprimand from the canine loving public, he is very much mistaken.
I hope that's elevated the level of discourse adequately.
He has a point, Andy
What makes you think you can come here and talk about popular culture? Honestly. All that Danny Baker does is sit there and play records, and it's not as if Chris Evans is about to take over the most popular show on British radio.
Pardon me
I'm all for debating and discussing all manner of popular culture, none of which is intrinsically worthwhile. No argument from me.
However, personally, I'm surprised that anyone is remotely interested in which of two media personalities - neither of which has the slightest connection to the recording in question beyond enjoying it - is claiming to BE the titular 'hero' of the record in question.
That's all I'm getting at.
If you want to talk about the instrumentation of it, the lyrics, the melody of it, its cultural significance or even the studio personnel involved in its creation, that all sounds alright.
But, sweet jebus, which DJ has the most reasonable claim to BEING it? Nah.
I don't mind Danny Baker or Chris Evans. But surely, among the least interesting things anyone could say about either one must be - which of them OWNS 'Candyman'?
Still, if that's what does it for you, I envy you. Because you're more easily pleased than I am, that's why.
I don't want to get silly about this
It is, admittedly, the slightest of subjects, and I know sarcasm's not big or clever. I just felt you were being a bit dismissive, simply because you had no interest personally. Both Danny Baker and Chris Evans are very individual broadcasters, and if one of them appears to be copying the other, that's of interest to some of us.
Danny is much the better singer anyway.
Alright.
"I just felt you were being a bit dismissive, simply because you had no interest personally."
That's what I'm getting at, isn't it? Neither of them has any interest, personally in 'Candyman'.
Think of people who ARE associated with recordings - Sinatra/Sid Vicious with My Way, John Lennon with Imagine, Madonna with Like A Virgin. At least they all recorded it. The closest you're going to get is John Peel's association with Teenage Kicks - at least he was instrumental in getting it noticed and made into a hit. Even Simon Bates' association with Nino Rota's Romeo & Juliet theme (Our tune) is less tenuous than either Baker or Evans' 'claim' - and I've heard neither of them claim it as their own. Previously did Evans 'claim' The Riverboat Song as his? Or the Man In A Suitcase theme? Nah.
BOTH of them are copying Goldfinger hitmakers, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, via Gene Wilder, via Sammy Davis jr. None of whom appear to be too upset at either one claiming it. This, admittedly, may be due in no small part to their collective deaths. And perhaps most pertinently, neither Evans nor Baker, to my knowledge, own a chocolate factory. A crucial element in claiming to cover things with chocolate and baking sweets, I would have thought.
It's a bit playground, isn't it? This is MY record, people think of ME when it gets played. No, they don't. And it's not even the people actually involved who seem to give a monkeys.
Hence the fleas owning the dog comment.
I'm not knocking you, I just find it a little bit odd that you seem to care about something more than people who (may) have a vested interest in it.
But
I can't comment on Danny Baker, but Chris Evans doesn't actually think he's the Candyman or think he's anything to do with the record. It's a sing-a-long.
A few months back it was Delilah, and you were meant to sing a along at home or in the car with the record. And now it's Candyman listeners are invited to do the same.
I don't think he actually thinks he has any connection with the record other than that.
I think it's known as 'just a bit of fun'.
'Fun'!? Not to some people.
"Danny Baker is the Candyman. He can't stop other people playing the record of course, but its unquestionably his thing. I was so appalled at the lack of imagination shown by the Ginger One that I texted the show to remind them exactly who the Candyman is"
It may have begun as a 'fun' thing, but see where this 'fun' you speak of, leads us.
;)
The long and short of this
The long and short of this is that its a blatant steal by Evans from Baker, and because of that the item falls completely flat on its face. It's meant to be a big old post-modern this-is-so-naff-but-jolly-and-silly-that-it-lifts-our-spirits-for-the-weekend, but for those familiar with Danny Baker's work, all you end up thinking is "what a rip".
Given the meticulous documenting of every percieved steal of Baker's sctick by Steve Wright on Baker's Internet Treehouse website http://www.internettreehouse.co.uk/wright.htm ,I imagined that Baker might have a view on this latest incident. As Baker is a chum of the Word, I wondered if anyone might know what he thought about it.
I thought this was also interesting in the context of this quote from Rob Fitzpatrick's interview with Evans in the current issue of the Word: "He insists the key to radio is to "overload" it. Everyday he tells his team, "That's not enough stuff! I want people to know we're working here."
What's this about Christina Aguilera?
Sorry - I'm on me way to the cloakroom now.......
I've also noticed that on his new Radio 5 show
he's not being referred to as the Candyman. He even brushed someone off when they greeted him on the phone with "Ahoy-hoy".
He still plays Candyman at
He still plays Candyman at the top of his BBC London show.
There's only ONE Candyman
And it's the Baker boy. And Chris Evans knows it… he came into Danny's studio a couple of weeks ago and addressed him thus. I think Chris Evans used to produce Danny's GLR show, before getting a show of his own. Those were the days, Chris Morris, Danny Baker and Chris Evans, and the lovely Emma Freud.
Chris, your a talented man… you don't need to rip of your elders and betters!
Conspiracy theory:
There's always the possibility they've cooked this up between them to generate a bit of controvesy, and maybe heghten Danny's profile… I'm sure he'd jump at the chance of taking over Wossy's job when he leaves the BBC.
Whatever the real story, I'll be listening to BBC Radion London 94.9 at 3pm!
Well...
Dan did mention on his 5live show a couple of weeks back that he would be interested in the R2 10-1 gig and that he was "throwing his hat in the ring". He may of course have had his tongue rammed so far in his cheek he may have been in danger of poking out his own eyball, but...
TGIFriday
Danny used to write it IIRC.
I think Chris is OK but he isn't half the broadcaster Danny is...
Had I heard Chris playing it, I'd have texted in too.
He's not only playing
He's not only playing it… they're using it as a TV ad to promote his show, with him singing along!
Well Danny hasn't mentioned
Well Danny hasn't mentioned it on his show directly, but he opened with 4 or 5 different versions of the Candyman song…
Is this not a case of...
...two showbiz chums conducting an orchestrated publicity campaign?
Are they still....
...showbiz chums, though?
If someone starting nicking all my ideas, I'd be fairly annoyed...
me and Tarby
are like that :::
unfortunately it's her dad I'm, like that with :(