British Comedy Guide

Comedy Records Page 6

Quote: Kenneth @ February 11 2011, 8:50 AM GMT

"hauntingly futile"

What a brilliant phrase, you should be a music critic!

As for Chas and Dave, they are probably one of those acts where an unsigned record is rarer than a signed one. A combination of playing a lot of gigs to drunken people in pubs and always having a suitcase of CDs or records nearby... They had a really good run of comedy/novelty singles in the late 70s and early 80s, although strangely their biggest hit was 'Ain't No Pleasing You' which is fairly touching wistful and lovelorn ballad. Albeit with Chas and Dave's gruff cockney vocals and pounding piano.

I always though this was a decent comedy theme tune, the last of Chas and Dave's charting singles back in 1985:

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I used to like the Ian Dury theme 'Profoundly In Love With Pandora' from the first Adrian Mole series. Haven't managed to track that particular little beauty down yet though.

Quote: Agnes Guano @ February 11 2011, 9:49 AM GMT

... where an unsigned record is rarer than a signed one.

I heard (or read) this insult not long ago - in regard to a book - but can't recall by who to whom.

Quote: Agnes Guano @ February 11 2011, 9:49 AM GMT

I used to like the Ian Dury theme 'Profoundly In Love With Pandora' from the first Adrian Mole series. Haven't managed to track that particular little beauty down yet though.

I have an mp3 of it. Are you after the vinyl?

I'm currently converting my comedy vinyl - over 100 albums and numerous single - to my iPod. A labour of love.

I did buy Marty Feldman's I Feel a Song Coming Off which was converted to CD. You do forget that a lot of these comedians created songs. (Of course Marty was famous for writing Rumbling Syd, but still...)

Quote: Kenneth @ February 11 2011, 10:34 AM GMT

I have an mp3 of it. Are you after the vinyl?

Oh the vinyl naturally! "The tenderness with which I adore her, goes all bouncy in my dreams". There is a very scary 7 inch picture disc out there for the truly dedicated:

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Gian Sammarco is a psychiatric nurse now. Imagine the original Adrian Mole trying to coax you out of depression. How very odd.

Frankie Howerd (and June Whitfield) - Up Je T'aime

How ever did I resist the urge to buy Joe Dolce - Shaddap you face I'll always know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJLEXgkddPQ

Blimey, Joe Dolce. I actually have that album as well! I bought one second hand from the dusty vinyl infested cave that was Cheapo Cheapo Records in Soho, only to leave it on a train after a drunken night out. I figured it would be easier and less embarrassing to spend a quid buying another copy (they always had multiple copies of crappy records for some reason) rather than showing my face at London Underground's lost property office and asking them to look for a misplaced copy of Shaddap You Face while everyone collapsed in fits of giggles.

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Quote: Agnes Guano @ February 11 2011, 4:01 PM GMT

Blimey, Joe Dolce. I actually have that album as well! I bought one second hand.

Too much information.
Teary

Quote: Agnes Guano @ February 11 2011, 1:44 PM GMT

Oh the vinyl naturally! "The tenderness with which I adore her, goes all bouncy in my dreams". There is a very scary 7 inch picture disc out there for the truly dedicated:

Image

Gian Sammarco is a psychiatric nurse now. Imagine the original Adrian Mole trying to coax you out of depression. How very odd.

Not quite on-topic here but this picture has reminded me.

I think the Mole books are one of the best and funniest series of British humour novels ever. Up there with PG Wodehouse in fact. So seeing that image has recalled to mind just how dire the ITV adaptations were. I remember being so distraught as (imo) they got it just about as wrong as was possible. Even Julie Walters couldn't redeem them.

*Shudders at memory*

I remember watching the TV show in the '80s/early '90s/whenever it was. I thought it was great back then, but haven't seen it since.

Unless you mean the more recent thing with Stephen Mangan?

Quote: zooo @ February 11 2011, 10:35 PM GMT

I remember watching the TV show in the '80s/early '90s/whenever it was. I thought it was great back then, but haven't seen it since.

Unless you mean the more recent thing with Stephen Mangan?

No, it's the same one you're referring to. (For me) These caught none of the magic or atmosphere of the books (might just have been the one book back then). But then again I'm a miserable git and more often than not I think the film / TV adaptation of most books is pretty shit.

Quote: Blenkinsop @ February 11 2011, 10:31 PM GMT

I remember being so distraught as (imo) they got it just about as wrong as was possible. Even Julie Walters couldn't redeem them.

*Shudders at memory*

I didn't think Julie Walters was that bad but replacing her with Lulu for the second series. *SHUDDERS IN CAPITAL LETTERS*

Oh God! Will it ever end? You've just reminded me of that and now the memory's even worse.

Yes would agree that Julie Walters was fine but it was Adrian that killed it for me. Just not what I had imagined at all. I don't blame Gian Samarco's interpretation of Adrian because I think he had a pretty impossible mountain to climb. The character as written was so strong that everyone must have had a really strong visual in their mind's eye. Sadly for me this portrayal never even came close.

I expect I saw the TV version before I ever read the book/s.

The only bit I actually remember was the scene where he wears a plaster over a spot on his face and she tells him it looks stupid.
I always remembered it whenever I got a spot, but I generally found makeup to be the better option.

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