The Wombles (band)
| The Wombles | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wimbledon Common, London, England |
| Genres | Novelty Pop |
| Years active | 1973-Present |
| Labels | CBS Records |
| Members |
Mike Batt Chris Spedding Simon Chandler-Honnor Clem Cattini Ray Cooper Rex Morris Eddie Mordue Jack Rothstein |
The Wombles are a British novelty pop group, featuring musicians dressed as the characters from children's TV show The Wombles, which in turn was based on the children's book series by Elisabeth Beresford. Songwriter and record producer, Mike Batt, wrote the series' theme tune, and went on to perform and produce a number of successful albums and singles as 'The Wombles'. British Hit Singles & Albums jokingly referred to them as the "furriest (and possibly the tidiest) act... are natives of Wimbledon Common, London". In 2011, the band played at The Glastonbury Festival.
History
Filmfair acquired the television rights to The Wombles and commissioned Batt to write the theme song. He waived the flat fee for writing a single song, and secured the character rights for musical production to write songs under the name 'The Wombles'.[1] To help him get into character, Batt's mother made him a Womble suit, which he wore for a week prior to writing the first songs.[2]
The band released several albums and singles. All four studio albums went gold and four of the singles reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.[3] The Wombles were the most successful act of 1974, with albums in the UK charts for more weeks than any other act.[4]
A single called "Wombling U.S.A.", written to break into the American market, was recorded in 1974 but was not released.[5]
Several of the songs were included in the soundtrack of the 1977 film, Wombling Free.
Live performances
In January 1974, Mike Batt appeared on an edition of Cilla Black's television series as Orinoco, having been led onstage by guest Bernard Cribbins, to plug "The Wombling Song". Consequently, when the single charted, the "band" was invited to perform on Top of the Pops. Additional Womble suits were hastily made for the live performance.
When appearing as a band, the Wombles were always played by experienced musicians in full costume. Batt continued to perform as Orinoco, regularly accompanied by drummer Clem Cattini as Bungo and guitarist Chris Spedding as Wellington (complete with Spedding's trademark white Gibson Flying V)--both of whom had previously recorded with Batt. On one edition of Top of the Pops, the costumes were filled by members of Steeleye Span.
Tim and Andy Renton, who had worked with Batt in the latter incarnation of Hapshash and the Coloured Coat also donned the costumes, along with Robin LeMesurier,[6] who also had a Gibson Flying V, but was kicked out of the band following an arrest for possession of marijuana.[7]
The band was the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974.
Wellington's solo career
In 1976, Wellington left the band and released the solo single, "Rainmaker".
Legacy
Batt remains sensitive about the legacy of the band. In a 2008 interview he said "It is hard to be taken seriously with the Wombles hanging around my neck like a furry anvil."[1] More recently (in a programme with Aled Jones on the BBC in 2010) Batt pointed out that, in balance, the Wombles also served as a "furry balloon" as it gave him his first chart success.
Glastonbury Festival
In April 2011, Batt announced that The Wombles would play at The Glastonbury Festival in June.[8] Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, said that booking the Wombles was "a bit of a mistake".[9] Batt quipped that Uncle Bulgaria had been offended by Eavis' comments and had withdrawn an offer to tidy up the site after the festival.[10]The band pulled a huge crowd on the Glastonbury Avalon stage- bigger than the audience for the main Pyramid stage on the same afternoon, so Mr Eavis' Avalon stage booker was exonerated.
Personnel
The Wombles
- Orinoco Womble - vocals (Mike Batt)
- Wellington Womble - lead guitar (Chris Spedding)
- Tomsk Womble - bass (Les Hurdle)
- Bungo Womble - drums, percussion (Ray Cooper/Clem Cattini)
- Tobermory Womble - piano, keyboards (Simon Chandler-Honnor)
- Madame Cholet - saxophone (Eddie Mordue/Rex Morris)
- Great Uncle Bulgaria - violin, musical director (Jack Rothstein)
Additional personnel
- Eric Bulger - keyboards, saxophone, vocals
- Amy Adkins - percussion, violin, vocals
- Richard Kingston - keyboards, percussion, vocals
Discography
| The Wombles discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 4 |
| Compilation albums | 9 |
| Music videos | 42 |
| Singles | 16 |
| Soundtrack albums | 1 |
Studio albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Wombling Songs
|
| 1974 | Remember You're A Womble
|
Keep On Wombling
| |
| 1975 | Superwombling
|
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1975 | The Best of The Wombles - 20 Wombling Greats
|
| 1976 | The Best of The Wombles - 20 Wombling Greats (reissue)
|
| 1978 | The Wombles Christmas Party
|
| 1983 | The Wombles Christmas Album
|
| 1989 | Wombling Hits
|
| 1997 | Underground, Overground - The Ultimate Wombles Collection
|
| 1998 | 'The Best Wombles Album So Far - Volume 1
|
| 2000 | The Wombles Collection
|
| 2005 | The Very Best Of The Wombles
|
| 2011 | The W Factor
|
Singles
| Year | Single details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | "The Wombling Song" / "Wombles Everywhere"
|
| 1974 | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Bungo's Birthday"
|
"Banana Rock" / "The Womble Square Dance"
| |
"Non-Stop Wombling Summer Party" / "Wimbledon Sunset"
| |
"Minuetto Allegretto" / "Womble Burrow Boogie"
| |
"Remember You're A Womble" / "Wellington Womble"
| |
"Wombling Merry Christmas" / "Madame Cholet"
| |
| 1975 | "Wombling White Tie And Tails" / "The Wombling Twist"
|
"Superwomble" / "The Orinoco Kid"
| |
"Let's Womble To The Party Tonight" / "Down At The Barber Shop"
| |
"The Womble Shuffle" / "To Wimbledon With Love"
| |
| 1976 | Wellington Womble - "Rainmaker" / The Wombles - "Wombling in the Rain"
|
| 1998 | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Remember You're A Womble (Dance Mix)"
|
"The Wombling Song" / "The Orinoco Kid"
| |
| 2000 | "I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day" (with Roy Wood)
|
| 2011 | "Wombling Merry Christmas" / "The Wombles Warning" / "Miss Adelaide (She's Got A Lot Of Knowledge)" / "The Jungle Is Jumping"
|
Music videos
| Year | Video details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | The Wombling Song (TV Version)
|
Wombles Everywhere
| |
Exercise Is Good For You (Laziness Is Not)
| |
The Wombles' Warning
| |
Tobermory
| |
Dreaming In The Sun (Orinoco's Song)
| |
Madame Cholet
| |
Great Uncle Bulgaria's March
| |
Bungo's Birthday
| |
The Wombling Song (Full Version)
| |
| 1974 | Remember You're A Womble
|
Minuetto Allegretto
| |
Non-Stop Wombling Summer Party
| |
Wombling In The Rain
| |
Womble Burrow Boogie
| |
Wellington Goes To Waterloo
| |
The Womble Square Dance
| |
Wimbledon Sunset
| |
Banana Rock
| |
Womble Of The Universe
| |
The Orinoco Kid
| |
The Jungle Is Jumping
| |
Underground Overture
| |
The Hall Of The Mountain Womble
| |
Look Out For The Giant
| |
The Wombling Twist
| |
Tobermory's Music Machine
| |
Wipe Those Womble Tears From Your Eyes
| |
Invitation To The Ping Pong Ball
| |
Wombling Merry Christmas (Original)
| |
| 1975 | The Womble Shuffle
|
The Myths And Legends Of King Merton Womble And His Journey To The Centre Of The Earth
| |
Down At The Barber Shop (Singing In Harmony)
| |
The Empty Tidy Bag Blues
| |
Wombling White Tie & Tails
| |
Superwomble
| |
Miss Adelaide (She's Got A Lot Of Knowledge)
| |
Wombles On Parade
| |
To Wimbledon With Love
| |
Nashville Wombles
| |
Let's Womble To The Party
| |
| 1976 | Rainmaker (mix of "The Womble Square Dance", "Wombling in the Rain", "Look Out For the Giant", "The Orinoco Kid" and "The Wombling Twist")
|
| 2000 | I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Everyday
|
| 2011 | Wombling Merry Christmas (New)
|
Soundtracks
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Wombling Free - Original Soundtrack
|
Parodies
The BBC Four comedy program Don't Watch That, Watch This showed a dubbed footage of The Wombles from TOTP2, of the Wombles purportedly performing "Anarchy in the U.K." live in June 1988. The scrolling caption during the song read "During the early eighties the Wombles reformed as a funk soul fusion. But the project soon failed and the group disbanded, only to come together again as the Dixie Minstrel Wombles. In 1988 the original line up were reunited for the third time to record their version of this Sex Pistols classic.... for a Pot Noodle commercial. Later released as a single it reached 57 on the charts".
The film The Rutles featured a Ringo Starr-inspired character named Barrington Womble who "shortened his name to save time...he simply became Barry Wom."
References
- 1 2 McCormick, Neil (2008-04-10). "Mike Batt: he can't forget he's a Womble". The Telegraph.
- ↑ Kim Cooper, David Smay, Jake Austen (2001). Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth. Feral House. p. 160. ISBN 0-922915-69-5.
- 1 2 3 4 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 608. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ Phil Hardy and Dave Laing (1988). Encyclopedia of Rock. Schirmer Books. p. 38. ISBN 0-02-919562-4.
- ↑ Stanley, Bob (2004-02-27). "Bob Stanley on the man inside the Womble suit". The Times.
- ↑ The son of actors John Le Mesurier and Hattie Jacques
- ↑ Andrew Perry "The Wombles at Glastonbury 2011: interview", telegraph.co.uk, 15 June 2011
- ↑ "Wombles of Glastonbury festival are we". Daily Mail. 22 April 2011.
- ↑ "Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis regrets Wombles booking". BBC News. 8 June 2011.
- ↑ "Wombles re-form to play Glastonbury". BBC News. 22 June 2011.
External links
- Chris Spedding - Wombles index
- Obituary for Elisabeth Beresford, and Mike Batt's connections with the Wombles
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