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Conference marvin::uk_music

Title:The UK Music Conference
Notice:Welcome (back) to UK_MUSIC on node MARVIN.
Moderator:RDGENG::CROOK
Created:Mon Mar 28 1988
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1381
Total number of notes:39269

735.0. "Rolf Harris" by XSTACY::PATTISON (A rolling stone gets the worm) Tue Sep 11 1990 14:42

    
    This topic discusses the merits of one Rolf Harris, bearded
    contemporary neo-impressionist painter, prolific songwriter and
    composer, inventor of the wobble board, and impressario of the
    "Stylophone", the instrument that inspired the modern day synthesizer.
    
    Dave
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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735.1two little toysSHAPES::FIDDLERMTue Sep 11 1990 15:096
    Who could forget 'two little boys', a seminal tune whose influences can
    be heard throughout the major musical movements of the last twenty years.
    
    Mikef (who used to know all the words)
    (actually, when I was 5, I fell in the pool at the bottom of the
    garden, scared my parents to death...)
735.2Deedle-deedle-deedle-dumXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormTue Sep 11 1990 15:194
    
    Not forgetting, "Jake the Peg", a moving ballad about the life of a man
    who suffered the cruellest of handicaps, being surplus in the limb
    department to the tune of one leg.
735.3Animal haterXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormTue Sep 11 1990 15:244
    
    But Rolf, believe it or not, has his critics too. In the sixties, he
    shocked the animal-loving world with his "Tie me kangaroo down, sport",
    a song which promoted barbaric ill treatment of marsupials.
735.4Rolf, pah! What about Boycey!CRATE::SAXBYTime to say something contentious!Tue Sep 11 1990 15:2912
    Re .3
    
    Wasn't there a Welsh cover version of this by Max Boyce (a real talent
    and he could hold a giant leek too!). I think it was called 'Tie me
    down when there're sheep around, Boyo' :^)
    
    Mark
    
    PS You can say what you like about his singing, but despite myself
    I'm still in awe of his ability to make a picture out of  seemingly
    random splodges of paint!
    
735.5WELMTS::GREENBApache Twins: Where Are They Now?Tue Sep 11 1990 15:347
    I think Rolf peaked with 'Sun Arise', a record which predated and
    predicted the whole rave scene over twenty years before it happened. 
    
    This, in addition to the aforementioned 'War Canoe', is living proof of
    Rolf's status as a true pioneer.
    
    Bob
735.6Could it be...XSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormTue Sep 11 1990 15:488
    
    Now I've had time to think about it Bob.....
    
    I'd say Adam and the Ants "Prince Charming" was almost certainly a
    rip-off of Rolfs "Fijian Girl", the B-side of "Sun Arise". (Yes, I have
    it at home!). 
    
    Dave
735.7Rolf For President Of The WorldCHEFS::PRICETOh no its...Tue Sep 11 1990 16:077
    
    Lets face it the man is an all round entertainer, singer, painter,
    cartoonist, stylaphone player, the list is endless, move over Terry
    Wogan now is the time of Rolf.
    
    Tim
    ---
735.8MACNAS::DKEATINGI've ran out of personal_names!Tue Sep 11 1990 16:554
    Terry Wogan...aaarrrggghhhhh!!!!
    
    Didn't he have some *silly* little tune in the charts all those
    years back! Now what was it's name???
735.9Terry's got a WIG-onIOSG::WILCOCKAYo Guys! ... Yo Stan!!Tue Sep 11 1990 17:104
    Something about mnorris men - Choral Dance??? rings a bell.
    
    	Andy.
    
735.10SHAPES::FIDDLERMTue Sep 11 1990 17:353
    Floral dance (Brighouse and Rastrick brass band??).
    
    mikef
735.11WELMTS::GREENBApache Twins: Where Are They Now?Tue Sep 11 1990 17:598
    And I can tell you, consulting my Gambo and Rice 'All-time Hits' book,
    which I just borrowed off Dave, that it was in 1978. 
    
    It's probably only a matter of a year or two until the 'Floral Dance 
    Megamix' is snapped up by Levi's, used on an ad, re-released, and gets
    to number 1.
    
    Bob
735.12More RolftriviaXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormTue Sep 11 1990 18:129
    
    "Two Little Boys" was also a hit for Splodgenessabounds, and was issued
    with a free boomerang guaranteed not to come back if you threw it.
    
    Memorable only for the line...
    
    "Up goes a shout... OI!!!"
    
    Dave
735.13Can you see what it is yet?FORTY2::ETHERIDGEA right Jack BloaterTue Sep 11 1990 18:564
	Only two men in entertainment really cut it for me, them being Rolf 
	and Bruce 'The Guvnor' Forsyth.

	Echo	
735.14CHEFS::PRICETOh no its...Tue Sep 11 1990 18:586
    
    How could you leave out Jimmy Tarbuck, Little & Large, Bob Monkhouse
    and all those other greats.
    
    Tim
    ---
735.15ARRODS::WHITEHEADJAlan Yeomans: Security Guard?Tue Sep 11 1990 19:031
   What about Des O'Connor?
735.16WELMTS::GREENBApache Twins: Where Are They Now?Tue Sep 11 1990 19:074
    Brucie's 'I'm a Good Boy' c/w 'My Little Budgie' rates right up there
    with Rolf's finest.
    
    Bob
735.17hey c'mon...VOGON::ATWALDreams, they complicate my lifeTue Sep 11 1990 19:0710
the bosses:


Val Doonican 
&
Roger Wittiker (sp)


....art

735.18No insults, pleaseXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormTue Sep 11 1990 19:2711
    
    I don't know how you dare mention Brucie in the same breath as Rolf.
    
    Rolf Harris is still, today the best Rock n' Roll act Australia has 
    ever produced.
    
    When Kate Bush recorded her "The Dreaming" album, she insisted that
    Rolf play didgeridoo. And when the In Crowd sang "You'll never walk
    alone", they were right, because Rolf was in there with them.
    
    Dave
735.19PEKING::GLYNNPSET CURSOR FREE!Tue Sep 11 1990 20:546
    
    Rolf, for me, was an inspiration.  From the very first day I got my
    Stylophone I felt my musical abilities increasing.  Without Rolf I
    probably wouldn't be the Stylophone player I am today.
    
    Paul
735.20It's Rolf's Cartoon Club .....IOSG::WILCOCKAYo Guys! ... Yo Stan!!Tue Sep 11 1990 21:296
    Rolf was an inspiration to many lesser musicians,
    I mean, David Bowie could have never have got space oddity to be the
    hit it was without the stylophone which is on it.
    
    	Andy.
    
735.21CRATE::SAXBYTime to say something contentious!Wed Sep 12 1990 13:4411
    Quite right.
    
    Let's face it INXS owe a lot of their style and even material
    to Rolf. Listen carefully to the Kick album and tell me that it isn't
    almost song for song an eighties remix of the Two-little boys album
    which featured Rolf's best music and also some great cover versions
    of Max Bygraves songs (my favourite being I'm a Blue toothbrush, you're
    a Pink toothbrush, somehow it says everything about being a rebelious
    teenager without a toothbrush!).
    
    Mark
735.22More RolftriviaXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormWed Sep 12 1990 15:5912
735.23Rolfee BabyCOMICS::SAYERSThu Sep 27 1990 15:116
    Although I was half a sleep this morning (as usual), Listening to 
    Chrissy Wissy on Capital I'm sure I heard him mention that Rolf was
    bringin out a new trendy version of "Sunerise" with "Tie me kanger" on
    the B-side.  I could have been dreamin...
    
    Tig
735.24Honest!IGETIT::BROWNMAre you WARPed yet?Thu Sep 27 1990 16:521
    It's true!  I read it in Mixmag.
735.25WELMTS::GREENBApache Twins: Hell no we won't goFri Sep 28 1990 13:575
    Oh yes, I can just hear it now, Sunarise with that Manc groove......
    
    Should be an instant classic.
    
    Bob
735.26I need a fudgeIOSG::WILCOCKAMay you live in interesting timesFri Sep 28 1990 14:404
    Yeah, get a few 'Oh yeah's' (aboriginal of course), put on a tribal
    backbeat, and you have the world's ears at your fingertips.
    
    		Andy.
735.27A classic in the makingCHEFS::PRICETFlippin CrazyFri Sep 28 1990 14:466
    
    Not to mention the Rolling Stones style Woo Woos which can be done by a
    couple of dingoes.
    
    Tim
    ---
735.28IGETIT::BROWNMAre you WARPed yet?Mon Oct 01 1990 15:202
    They won't use the Manc sound as backing - It'll be Techno bleeps and
    computer game noises!
735.29MACNAS::DKEATINGIt's 3 o'clock in the morning...Mon Oct 01 1990 15:422
    I thought they were going to use some Denny's rashers sizzling on
    the pan as background music...!!!
735.30Rolf "homeless" shockXSTACY::PATTISONA rolling stone gets the wormMon Dec 17 1990 20:509
735.31CHEFS::PRICETFrom the global village....Tue Dec 18 1990 13:297
    No that was Rolf and his new group, he is so talented he can teach
    Kangaroos to play instruments.... times must be hard, never, he could
    always fall back on his stylophone playing if he needed to, I'm sure
    he'd make loadsamoney busking on street corners.
    
    Tim
    --- 
735.32all together now!!GLADYS::CRAVENYou are a case and a halfSun Aug 08 1993 15:009
    The legend in his right  - while wobbling his way up the stairs to
    heaven has made it to number one (I think - I wonder if there is a
    later Ralph Harris topic.    Any takers?????
    
    
    Nick