ROLF HARRIS – “Two Little Boys”
In rock terms you could locate the end of “the 1960s” at Altamont or Woodstock, or the Beatles’ final split. In the wider narrative of British life, you could point to the 1970 World Cup defeat and the end of the Wilson government. But in the world of the pop charts, the decade ends here, with Australian light entertainer Rolf Harris reviving a sentimental music hall ditty from 1912.
“Two Little Boys” is not without cultural significance, and not without merit either, but you have to work quite hard to get to either. Though it’s a record about war, you’d have to push to link its success to Viet Nam, but it does have another, odder political resonance: Margaret Thatcher on Desert Island Discs picked it as her favourite record of all time.
Why? The Internet is unfortunately silent on this point. It wasn’t current during her girlhood, and her children were 16 at this point, so she clearly liked it for herself. Selfless loyalty to ones friends isn’t an especially Thatcherite trait, but the song does take place in wartime when the supremacy of the individual can be suspended without ideological taint. Maybe – a reading Robin Carmody might enjoy – she liked the idea of this hated decade of statist government and progressive reform ending with such a simple, reassuringly moral tune.
Or, given that her only other pop-crit pronouncement was to praise the Thrashing Doves on kids TV, it may simply be that the Thatcher ears work in mysterious ways.
Is “Two Little Boys” any good, though? It fails the (quite important) test of me ever wanting to listen to it again, but it’s hard to hate the thing. Rolf Harris has become a minor national treasure partly because of the huge enthusiasm and sincerity with which he approaches everything he does – from teaching kids to draw, to entertaining students at Glastonbury, to painting a portrait of the Queen. “Two Little Boys” is no exception – no singer but a natural storyteller, he sells the song to a young audience with full conviction.
This is one of the entries where the ‘marking system’ on Popular breaks down a bit. There is nothing wrong with making records for children; there is nothing wrong with children (or their parents) buying them and getting them to No.1; the notion that young adults, particularly fashionable young adults, have some kind of moral lock on popular music is nonsense. But the starting point of this history is a thirty-something man asking which No.1s he enjoys, and why, and in that context all I can say about this is that it’s probably the best version of “Two Little Boys” ever recorded.
3
Never mind about Shocking Blue, Doc – in a few years’ time (in Tom’s timeline) you’ll be able to rave about Focus. (you’d enjoy the use of “House of the King” as the theme tune to “Saxondale” as well).
One last Beatles link to see out the decade. Rolf was the compere of the Beatles’ 1963 Christmas show, and told Q magazine about a run-in he’d had with them: “They stood in the wings with a microphone and made silly comments during one of my songs… I came storming off the stage and shouted, Get some bloody professionalism into you! Jesus! You don’t muck around with somebody else’s act! Don’t ever bloody do that again! And after that they didn’t bloody do it again, I can tell you.” Way to go, Rolf.
I stumbled upon “Popular” last year (while researching the link between Alma Cogan and Myra Hindley for a quiz!!) and it’s been an essential read ever since. Well done Tom and here’s to the 70s.
Erithian, do tell!
1. So when would I rave about Focus? Surely THEY never had a UK #1 (although stranger things have happened). I might also ask why I would rave about Focus? With the exception of Jan Akkerman, whom I respect as a serious musician, I found them to be an irritating mixture of pretension and absurdity. (HotK was Akkerman’s, I believe.)
2. But what I really want to know is what indeed is the link between Alma Cogan and Myra Hindley?!?!?
Aren’t they both morphed on the cov (and maybe the content) of the Gordon Burns’ nov?
The (very unpleasant) connection is that on the tape recording Hindley and Brady made of one of the murders, Alma Cogan can be heard on the radio in the background.
Focus indeed never topped the UK chart but early in 1973 they did enjoy two simultaneous hit singles, the larger being ‘Sylvia’. For some reason my Mum has loads of Focus albums, which is totally out of character for her. I’m a tiny bit Dutch myself, but it’s from my Dad’s side.
Onto Rolf anyway – for some reason I always assumed this song was about the American Civil War, although I realise that this makes no sense at all. At the risk of overplaying the family thing, this was the first record my uncle ever bought, which I don’t think he mentioned in his indie-band days. I don’t feel an instant urge to hear this again, and yet I wouldn’t be able to say I didn’t ever want to hear it; it’s sort of comforting to know it’s there, and as has been so astutely noted, it’s very difficult actually to dislike anything Rolf does (at least musically).
It’s a strangely likeable song this one, isn’t it? Not normally my cup of tea but for some inexplicable reason I’ve always liked it. Someone, I forget who, did a really, really fast punk version in the 70s which, besides being a wonderful piss-take, at least had the virtue of only being a minute or so long.
Onto Rolf anyway – for some reason I always assumed this song was about the American Civil War, although I realise that this makes no sense at all.
strangely i’d also thought this. i suppose it kind of maybe makes sense that it’s a civil war of some sort, otherwise how would they know each other. also it must be from a time with cannons, but when horses (obv) were still in use…
…also i seem to recall Oink! comic doing a skit of it which as well as marvellously changing the first lines to:
Two little boys had two little toys
Each had a wooden geegee
Gaily they played each summer’s day
Except when they stopped for a weewee
showed the boys in American Civil War uniforms in the later panels.
The punk version was by Splodgenessabounds, in 1980.
Rolf did shoot a promo film for the song which depicted him walking through the WWI trenches and the cemetery at Ypres.
Yes indeed Tom, the Hindley-Cogan connection is very unpleasant, and suffice to say that when I learned what it was, it wasn’t used in the quiz I was compiling.
Doc – I thought “Sylvia” was a terrific single and “Hocus Pocus” not far behind. Of course the other Dutch band in the early 70s UK chart was Golden Earring, whose cred was rather spoilt by their former drummer Jaap Eggermont later being the evil genius behind “Stars on 45”.
OK, Erithian, you win. Last night I downloaded both “Sylvia” and “Hocus Pocus.” I’d always liked the former, and I thank you for reminding me of it. And “Hocus Pocus” wasn’t as irritating as I had thought–I now find the yodel perversely amusing. So I ordered a copy of the “Best of” CD. Erithian made me do it. (A pun on a Golden Earring title.)
Speaking of GE, well, they’re downright redoubtable. They’ve been together since 1961 (with the same basic lineup since 1970) and are still performing, which, I think, beats the Stones in the longevity category.
“Stars on 45″ is truly unforgivable, but, in the most technical sense, it did return “Venus” to the charts as part of the medley.
Sounds good!
An interesting piece I spotted in the Times on Saturday which may explain a lot about this song’s history…any relation, Tom?
I saw the show Rolf sang it on as a child around 1970 in New Zealand.
The first impression I got of the songs era was European, 18-19th century. Boys in blue could only be french, therefore I surmise the song stems from the Napoleonic wars.
Toy wooden horses doesn’t fit 19th century America, but certainly with Europe. Young boys weren’t conditioned or expecting war between the states years before. Young boys in Europe always knew war was inevitable and it always came from England. if you look at 6 nations rugby every country in that competition has been plundered by or fought long hard campaigns against the English. Therefore you do not have to work hard to find cultural signifigance at all. In fact you could write at least a 1500 word referenced essay as a tertiary project. Also, the boys may have been well bought up as suggested by having a toy horse each and a comfortable lifestyle is subtly hinted at. The boys may well have been upper class and groomed as calvary officers as their forebears were. The whole piece speaks of nobility, gentility, bravado, dashing heroics of the officer class. Who knows, it could possibly have been interpreted from the French!
This was my favourite when I was seven years old as I remember rolf singing it on TOTP, during it’s last week there they just showed a photo of Rolf, the one they used at the beginning of the programme during the chart rundown as they used to play it at the beginning, there was Edison Lighthouse at the start the following week, so there was a new no 1 with Jimmy Savile introducing it.
[...] What’s Not There [explanation]: Thatcher’s other apparent favourite songs (“Telstar ”; “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?” (and c.f. David Cameron on “Ernie”)); Ted Egan’s politics re: indigenous peoples (likewise Rolf’s “‘racism’ apology”); JH Ewing’s influence on Baden-Powell re: the Brownies; Thatcher on the Good Samaritan. As with any track that got to Number One, I’d already got lots of my thoughts in order by reading and commenting at Popular. [...]
Interesting that as Thatcher’s health deteriorates, songs are being written and recorded about her death, such as Maggie’s death anthem and The lady’s not for Burning (Piss anthem) – Cashing in on her demise is very Thatcher-ite.
Via http://www.maggiethatcher.com/buymusic.html
Cheesy ol’ Rolf hit a sure fire winner with this charming little song over the yuletide. He must be one of the few people in the entertainment industry in this country whom has inspired nothing but affection over the course of his lengthy career. I can even remember a little run of “public information films” (remember them?) he presented about this time called “Swim With Rolf”. Glasses off! I really don’t believe there has ever been a bad bone in Rolf’s body and shame on the Beatles for taking the piss all those years ago.
My old dad (and he was bloody old) used to sing an old 1st WW song to my brother and me, “There’s a Long Long Trail A-Winding”, whilst most of my little friends’ dads, being twenty years younger, would plump for “Hard Day’s Night” and some such. Needless to say, TLB was right up Papa’s strasse. This might have been a reason for eight year-old Waldo to hate it but I didn’t. I just didn’t like it very much. Looking back at it through middle-age eyes, I can readily accept it as a song about love and friendship advancing through the years and the line about one day “our horses will not be toys” is particularly evocative. Evocative but uplifting too.
The Official Charts Company list of the twenty top-selling singles from 01.01.1960 to 31.12.1969 (as published in The Independent, 01.06.2010) reads as follows:
1 She Loves You The Beatles
2 I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles
3 Tears Ken Dodd
4 Can’t Buy Me Love The Beatles
5 I Feel Fine The Beatles
6 The Carnival Is Over The Seekers
7 We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper The Beatles
8 Release Me Engelbert Humperdinck
9 It’s Now Or Never (O Sole Mio) Elvis Presley
10 Green Green Grass Of Home Tom Jones
11 The Last Waltz Engelbert Humperdinck
12 Stranger On The Shore Acker Bilk
13 I Remember You Frank Ifield
14 The Young Ones Cliff Richard
15 Sugar Sugar The Archies
16 The Next Time/Bachelor Boy Cliff Richard
17 Telstar The Tornados
18 From Me To You The Beatles
19 Two Little Boys Rolf Harris
20 Hey Jude The Beatles
Lena has her say on Rolf, since her Number 2 blog is now expanding to include selected NME chart-only runners-up:
http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.com/2011/04/invocating-new-world-rolf-harris-sun.html
DESERT ISLAND DISCS WATCH:
Rolf Harris, Musician, Artist(1999)
Beryl Bainbridge, novelist(2008)
Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Scientist(2010)
and Margaret Thatcher. You’re flagging, Crag. And you’re still not getting an invite.
KY
Rolf Harris took his own record to the desert island? Isn’t there a law against that?
If you’ve been paying attention, quite a few of the castaways have taken their own records. Cilla Black is one. Alan Price (with his Animals hat on) is another
Actually although I felt much the same as you at first glance it makes sense. If you are going to be alone on a desert island you might well want to be reminded of what is probably the biggest achievement of your life.
Opera singer Elisabeth Schwarzkopf’s eight choices included seven of her own recordings.
Re 48: not surprising with Alan Price, a man so selfless he registered House Of The Rising Sun in his own name, behind the backs of his bandmates, to nab all the royalties.
Re 49: Elisabeth Grosskopf.
Among Dudley Moore’s selections was his own “Lust” from the “Bedazzled” soundtrack…though to be fair I can’t blame him.
C’mon get happy: http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/03/sunshine-punch-cuff-links-tracy.html Thanks for reading, everyone!
…and it’s again…:http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/unboundedness-elvis-presley-suspicious.html Merci beaucoup for reading, everyone!