You may have spotted the 'man eaten by lion' doodle in the last post, a scribble entirely influenced by two of my compulsive pre-teen reads: The Goodies File and The Goodies Book of Criminal Records (along with the regulation Python books)
Almost the missing link between The Monkees and Monty Python, I've never become bored of The Goodies at their best. And even now, my two tots drip fed on a digital diet of untold rolling, scrolling satellite channels and rapid-fire, multi-format entertainment, regularly ask for an episode of The Goodies..
So what a result then to bag a copy of their New LP for just one Earth pound in a local vinyl shop (Genie, Leigh Broadway). Untypically for TV comedy albums it's not all sketches, skits and sound effects. No, no,no - some slinky 'Superstition' style riffing can be found amongst the comedy songs - putting the fun into funky.
The Goodies Theme
The Goodies - Custard Pie
The Goodies - The Cricklewood Shakedown
PS does anyone know what The Goodies Spangles style font's called ? I'm gagging to get a copy..
20 comments:
Agreed - the Goodies at their best is top... alas, the Goodies at their worst... Hmmm
History seems to have tried to alter how we see them. I too was mad on them as a kid, and when Sky re-showed them from the beginning (must be 15 years ago), I couldn't wait. I didn't have Sky at that time, and E.F Rice was taping them for me and a few pals... they were awful!! Unfunny and a tad racist (at least Series 1 was, we didn't get any further).
There are one or two episodes that are still great, but I think there was a large dollop of 'not all that good' in there too!
Giant Dougal, Eki-Thump etc etc was quality though!
P
Fantastic post!
I had regular ongoing fights with my Dad over The Goodies. They seemed to represent the decline and fall of modern civilisation in his eyes. His regular refrain was 'three grown men...behaving like eedjits' (though rather than leaving the room in disgust, he always seemed to need to hang around and repeatedly make his point while the programme was on.).
When I then developed a fondness for ITV's 'Hello Cheeky' with Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin, he finally put his foot down.
While TBT and GG remain good eggs (I saw them both at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall recently as part of I'm Sorry I haven't A Clue) it's a shame BO turned into a c**k.
I loved the Goodies as a kid. Their best episodes were like live action cartoons (if that makes sense). When my eldest son was 12 we watched Kitten Kong and he said it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen, which was exactly what I thoght when I was 12.
Does your record have 'Sick Man Blues' on it? I haven't heard that song since the 70's but I could still sing most of it.
Dodgy material happens to the best of 'em if you plough through the whole catalogue P. Early Python (racist in places too) and the Two Ronnies are almost unwatchable. But yeah, the highlights are genius..get the two best of DVDs if you haven't yet.
Cheers Paul.
'Hello Cheeky' - OMG as the young'uns say - I'd forgotten all about that. Was it on at the same time as Joker's Wild ISB..
Did you ever hear Bill's Sunday morning show on Jazz FM in the early 90s John? He played some killer funk and jazz obscurities. Apart from that I've heard he's meant to be a first class arse
Sorry Mick no SMB, but Funky Gibbon and Wild Thing are on it (did Bradleys Records release anything else?) That's it - a live action cartoon - my two (9 and 13)love Kitten Kong, Beanstalk and all the classics - but they're also big Python and Harold Lloyd fans - the Goodies are a combo of the two
“Kitten Kong” is brilliant!
Their silly style of humour really appealed to me when I was a kid...
(& even now sometimes too?)
I always thought that this Goodies parody of fifties rock and roll was sheer observational genius - and far wittier than any of Peter Sellers' numerous attempts to take on the genre (although maybe Oddie and company had the benefit of hindsight):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvlMP7rAfY
There's a bit of slightly dodgy blacking up in the above clip though, sadly, which is probably why it's not shown more often.
And don't forget Goodies and the Beanstalk Lil another Bank Holiday cracker. Probably viewable on youtube if you haven't got it
Oh that's great Dave - got all the vintage gear too, and love the foot controlled arm - bit like the sugar tongs here
Always used to love the Goodies as a kid. I haven't atually seen any clips since back then so not sure how I'd rate them now. I remember being in a music shop in Denmark St with a couple of mates when Bill Oddie walked in. He was after a Barcus Berry pickup. Being young, and not particularly wordly wise at that time, I couldn't believe that famous people did normal things like go into shops.
A friend of mine with a surprising number of Goodies albums often plays them after the pub on the grounds that "they're genuinely funky".
In line with John Medd comment - I saw Bill Oddie being really rude to a presenter once because he mis-identified some bird or other. I'd have told him to shove it up his arse.
Dig about on Youtube Martin all the hits and highlights are there..I always got the impression Bill secretly wanted to be rock star (he did release a few singles in the 60s)
Yes, sideways and beak first Artog
Are you old enough to remember a Radio 1 programme called My Top Twelve? It was the Radio 1 equivalent of Desert Island Discs. I remember Bill Oddie coming on that in the mid-70s and choosing wall-to-wall jazz fusion tunes: Billy Cobham, Idris Mohammed, Herbie Hancock etc. As a teenager I'd just started listening to that stuff so it stuck in my mind. So he's had funky from since time.
I once saw all three Goodies standing on the corner of Russell Square, windswept and swaddled in big coats, having a morose and monosyllabic conversation round about 1977. No cameras in sight, so I always wondered about the context of that….
who can forget -- the funky gibbon... still embrasses my kids today :-)
"Don't Cry for me, Marge and Tina." Think it was all downhill after that for me.
Have a beaut of a tune by em which I'd been meaning to ping at you and Piles, one called Ride My Pony. Was always good for early doors DJ action. Found a YouTube link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJxyGuYtty0
Don't remember that show Spud - but he played similar sounds on his Jazz FM early 90s show - and was always banging in Prince tunes too.
Funky Gibbon is on the album pictured F-Ron, do you want me to rip a copy for you?
Hey ho Neil- that's superfunky, sounds like the sort of soundtrack or background bed to when they're out and about on the Trandem. Love the bass and semi-Bolan vox. Jamiroquai would go nuts for summat like that.
do you have permission to use the goodies artwork??? i may have to get my solicitors onto you mr mondo .... you will be hearing from Terribly, Terribly, Boring and Dull very soon
Ha! Remember that lot and Boots, Boots, Boots, Marchingup and Downagain.
Goodies Font:
http://www.goodiesruleok.com/download.php?cat=5
three slightly different ones...
c*
I also have most of the Goodies singles (including Sick Man Blues) and can rip them if you'd like them...
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