BILLY CONNOLLY - “D.I.V.O.R.C.E.”
The Tammy Wynette original has one of those gimmicks so deathless that every songwriter in Nashville must have wished they’d hit on it first. Connolly’s parody skewers it without sneering at it, and a lot of the spelling-out fun is just carried over from the source. It doesn’t have a great deal of replay value but it makes me smile, which is as much as you can reasonably ask of it.
In a way its gentleness surprises me - Connolly had a playground reputation for unbridled filth, the kind of comedian wicked older brothers would own albums by: I didn’t have an older brother so I never got to confirm or deny it. Surely “D.I.V.O.R.C.E.” wasn’t this clean live? Of course he wouldn’t have been allowed any more than the bleeps he gets, but anyhow this works better clean - an affectionate pastiche rather than a dunk in the gutter. 5
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jeff w on April 21st, 2008
I remember a Worthington E advert in the 70s that used the song. Any connection, there?
I really wanted one of those E-shaped pint glasses that they used as a logo in the Worthington ads.
FT's DJ Punctum on April 21st, 2008
I dimly recollect some attempted Remembrance Day tie-in (30 years since the end of the war etc.).
o sobek! on April 21st, 2008
great parody records: ‘blank generation’, ‘pump up the volume’, sid’s ‘my way’ arguably, too many 2 live crew tracks to mention but special notice to their kinks take (plus their ‘pretty woman’ even established 1st amendment precedent). plus on the 2 live crew tip: BLOWFLY.
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
Do you mean “Pump Up The Bitter” by Starturn on 45 (Pints) - an unlikely Club Poptimism semi-regular and a serious candidate for worst single ever?
a logged out p^nk s lord sukråt wötsit on April 22nd, 2008
“a serious candidate for worst single ever”
+
“unlikely Club Poptimism semi-regular”
=
the word “unlikely” is doing all kinds of counter-intuitive work here –:D
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
Other contenders include:
“Stand Up And Be Counted” by Hughie Green;
“Camden Town” by Suggs;
“You’re All That Matters To Me” by Curtis Stigers;
At least one future Popular entry which, unlike the above, I have definitely heard at least once at Club P.
Billy Smart on April 22nd, 2008
Marcello OTM on ‘Pump Up The Bitter’ - something amazing travestied as something witless (and, as I recall, slightly racist).
I think that ‘Jennifer Eccles’ by The Hollies might just be one of the worst things ever - though there are future Popular entries which are as bad.
FT's CarsmileSteve on April 22nd, 2008
ooh, it’s barely a semi-regular, i may have played it twice in the last year and once very early at that…
…it is slightly r4ci5t though, yes. also the b-side “are you affiliated?” is far superior.
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
I just recall DLT liking/playing it a lot, especially the “Mrs Patel” bit.
Tom on April 22nd, 2008
*visions of the Hairy Cornflake crouched over a pair of decks, cutting ‘n’ mixing to get a Mrs Patel extended 12″ re-fix*
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
DLT liked “mad” records, just before slipping on the new platter by Sad Cafe/Mike & the Mechanics/Chris de Burgh/insert Pick Of The Pops regular of your choice.
Billy Smart on April 22nd, 2008
From memory - “There are still songwriters in this country, hiding in bunkers, waiting to come out again, not like somebody who says ‘I can make a few quid out of this rap record I’ve made’ ” - 1992 DLT rant, as sampled by Bubonique on ‘20 Golden Showers’.
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
That was more or less the gist of it (must get out those Bubonique records again: “He’s the famous Michael Nyman and he’s off to Wem-ber-ly,” “Webel wock has had its day…it has!”
Billy Smart on April 22nd, 2008
From Mark Ellen’s obituary of John Peel: “Once the tape recorder had been switched off, John would tell you stories about Dave Lee Travis that would make your hair curl”
a logged out p^nk s lord sukråt wötsit on April 22nd, 2008
DO NOT WANT
FT's DJ Punctum on April 22nd, 2008
DLT was inclined towards state of the nation rants towards the end of his time at Radio 1 but nothing for me has surpassed his incandescence at having to play “Complete Control” by the Clash as part of the Tuesday lunchtime chart rundown back in Oct ‘77.
“I think this is a TOTAL LOAD OF CRAP!” he proclaimed. “But YOU bought it..YOU put it into the chart…”
Instant generation gap!
a logged out p^nk s lord sukråt wötsit on April 22nd, 2008
haha EVEN I* LIKE “COMPLETE CONTROL”
*i = famous punk-rock hata** of the clash
**ftb they are NOT IN FACT PUNK see***
***this debate to be continued at high volume the other side of the PUNK ROCK BUNNY
crag on April 22nd, 2008
Re#57- aw, Billy- and we were getting on so well too! Jenifer Eccles is great!(Though not as good as Carrie-Anne).
I presume you’ve all heard the story about DLT and his wifes tights, yes?
Billy Smart on April 23rd, 2008
That sounds interesting.
Does Popular have a libel bunny?
crag on April 23rd, 2008
One day, somewhere in the mists of time, DLT invited some of his fellow DJ chums round to his home in bonkers Berkshire for dinner. His lovely wife was doing her wifely duty, dishing out the nosh to the assembled guests, when Travis noticed a small hole just above the ankle of her black tights. In front of everyone he gleefully stuck his finger in the hole then ripped at it till the garment was in shreds, causing his wife bashfully running off to get changed, leaving The Hairy Bastard sitting looking pleased w/ himself to the the disbeleif of his fellow DJ dinner guests..
What a deeply unpleasent man.
I’m working from memory but i’ve definitely seen the story in print (Q magazine i think) about 8 years ago..
Erithian on April 23rd, 2008
This could be a rich seam! Anyone got chapter and verse on the Bruno Brookes v Bob Harris case? Apparently Brookes loaned Harris money to buy a flat, and when Harris lost his job and couldn’t replay the loan, Brookes laid claim to his record collection. Harris protested how important the collection was to him, and Brookes said something along the lines of “what are record libraries for?”
crag on April 23rd, 2008
Well of course DLT didnt actually own any records- when questioned about this by visitors to his house his reply was along the lines of “do you expect a mechanic’s home to be full of car parts?”
FT's DJ Punctum on April 23rd, 2008
I remember the Bob Harris case very well, and good on him for using the “tools of trade” defence since radio record libraries are from experience not all that useful (and even less so now, I would have thought - Brookes is a hideous man in all respects but would probably have had a better chance today since he could say “well, you could download all the tracks you need”).
Mark G on April 23rd, 2008
DLT Rant tale…
He went into one about how Salt and Peppa had ‘done’ Edwin Starr’s hit into a rap track and were RUINING the track, then went into one about how Edwin was one of his best friends and he’d be absolutely gutter, etc…
Fifteen minutes later, Edwin phones in and gets put straight on air, and basically puts DLT right:”we are both bigger people than this, these young kids have a great appreciation for their past musical heritage…” etc.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!
FT's DJ Punctum on April 23rd, 2008
I remember that but it was the Cookie Crew (”Got To Keep On,” which was based on a sample from “25 Miles”) and Edwin was actually helping them promote the record, including appearing on TOTP.
The Hairy Monster was duly shamefaced.
FT's Lena on April 23rd, 2008
YAY Edwin!
I am confused re The Clash. Over here they are understood to be punk…
FT's DJ Punctum on April 23rd, 2008
heheh…everywhere they are understood to be punk except by mark s…
(and ben w, and occasionally marcello c…) ;-)
FT's Lena on April 23rd, 2008
Sigh. Clearly, I have much to learn. I don’t even know the original song here, let alone the parody!
FT's pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør on April 23rd, 2008
it won’t agitate the spoiler bunny much to outline the korrekt line:
punk = b-side of “gary gilmore’s eyes” by the adverts
not punk = everything else
jeff w on April 23rd, 2008
the category narrows every time you lay down the law :(
sorry I meant :D
a logged out p^nk s lord sukråt wötsit on April 23rd, 2008
if by “narrows” you mean becomes more precise and exact then wahey!
FT's DJ Punctum on April 24th, 2008
Hang on, I thought “korrekt” = anti-mark s!