Week 6 - A Week of Departures

So, Patrick Swayze, Keith Floyd and Felix Bowness all gone. What a depressing week. Although it did take me a while to realise Swayze wasn't like his character in Donnie Darko - a child abuser. But, after I got past that, I was quite upset that in such a short space of time three people who had a large influence over my youth were no longer with us.

As I've mentioned, Swayze, apart from starring in Dirty Dancing, was also in Donnie Darko. A great film that, although relatively recent, has left its mark on my psyche. There's also some great music in it. Not just Mad World, but mainly Under the Milky Way by 80s Australian rock band Church.

Next was Keith Floyd, the maverick chef who arguably changed British cooking programmes for ever. Even as I write this I'm watching his influence on TV. Jamie Oliver's getting down and dirty with rednecks and African Americans in Georgia - going somewhat off the beaten track to discover real food that doesn't always get its 15 minutes of fame. This is what Keith Floyd did. Instead of standing prim and proper in front of the studio camera, he could often be seen cooking a Thai curry on a little boat, or whipping up a creamy desert in a provincial French kitchen. All this to a soundtrack of the Stranglers. Fanny Craddock eat your heart out. (I'm very glad I didn't mis-type that sentence).

But, for me, the saddest of the aforementioned three was Felix Bowness. Felix played grouchy jockey Fred Quilley in classic sitcom Hi-De-Hi. I loved Hi-De-Hi. A proper homage to holidays past - not for me, but for thousands of Brits. Good old fashioned comedy. It also had a great theme tune: Go, go, go do the holiday rock...yeeeahh! Brilliant.

However, I can't help feeling I've led you all down a blind alley here. Even though there are enough good songs mentioned previously to fill a blog, this week's song of the week is nothing to do with anything that has gone before.

Instead, I have gone for another sad departure from that week. While they may not have wriggled from this mortal coil, they have stopped touring and called it a day - after 34 incredible years.

They may not have a lengthy back catalogue that fits in with their long career, but what they do have are songs that everyone knows and surely loves.

Yes, that's right, Chas n Dave. I had the pleasure of seeing Messrs Hodges and Peacock at Glastonbury. It was in a bursting tent, with thousands of festival-goers outside. It was also the time when Michael Eavis and Bob Geldof were telling everyone to 'Make Poverty History'. Chas n Dave did their piece too. They said 'Make Poverty History' and then did the Cockney intro, saying 'Oi' at the end. It's the thought that counts...

So to honour the Cockney rockers, here are my three top Chas n Dave songs.

3) Snooker Loopy
It's educational, alright! Everytime I play snooker I sing it in my head to figure out what to pot next. Plus, who can argue with the line 'cos I wear these goggles'?



2) Rabbit
Ever tried doing this at karaoke? Don't. even with two people, it's nigh on impossible.

1) Sideboard Song
Scruffy little teds? Arcane furniture? Beer? Perfect! Ok, so it conjures up the image of Alf Garnett, but it's still a corking song. Oh yeah, god knows what the video is about, but it's summat to watch eh? Enjoy.