BROTHERHOOD OF MAN – “Save Your Kisses For Me”
I’ve argued before that there are no good songs about how lovely small children are: some counter-examples were raised in the comments box, but not many, and this surely wasn’t one of them. “Save Your Kisses For Me” is the kind of chirpy material that used to give Eurovision a bad name before the smirkers got hold of it: catchy, but too winsome to really enjoy. I’d point to it as a classic example of cynical Britain fobbing off any old rubbish on the song contest, except Brotherhood of Man actually won the thing. Especially heinous elements: the root-i-toot toy trumpet riff, the persistent triangle accompaniment, the “awwww” final chords after the twist. THE TWIST. Path to redemption: the opening irresistibly reminds me of “Mother’s Little Helper”.
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Manchester born and bred though, Waldo, and when I was first old enough to know what football was (around the time Arthur Brown was gracing TOTP with that flaming colander) we were living in Stretford and it dawned on me that that lot who played just up the road were European champions. These days I’m still a Red, but more closely involved with Erith & Belvedere FC’s perennial struggle to get out of the Kent League, and so are my twins born within sight of the Millennium Dome.
When the appropriate time comes I’ll treat you to the lyrics of “Stretford Enders” – bet you can’t wait.
Respect, Erithian, especially with your efforts with Erith and Belvadere FC. My own surrogate side, Eastbourne Borough, are in good shape for the play-offs to the Conference, one step away from the League itself. Most exciting.
Marcello – I shall be watching the Champions League final at home. You’ll be pleased to know that I do not feature on the C.R.O and even those pesky Russkies could not deny a visa to a guy who’s just a harmless drunken eeedjut? If I was minded to try to obtain one, I would invite Maria Sharapova to act as my sponsor.
(Cue deep-rooted phlegmy growls from within…)
I met a Nolan Sister once, when I was invited backstage at the New Theatre, Hull, for the end-of-run party for the Christmas Pantomime. I can’t remember which Nolan it was, mind. I was too distracted by meeting one of my childhood heroes, Lenny the Lion.
Waldo – Eastbourne Borough passed E&B on their way up through the Dr Martens League, either side of their name-change from Langney Sports. As I understood it, there were no less than three Eastbourne clubs, but Borough got the council’s backing much to the annoyance of the other two and never looked back!
One of the “faces” at E&B is George Webb, who plays jazz dates at the club on the first Sunday of every month. His band the Dixielanders played at the Red Barn in Barnehurst just after the war and signed up players such as Humphrey Lyttelton, and the trad jazz boom started right there. George is in his 90s and still playing – he played at George Melly’s last gig.
Dale Winton’s verdict this afternoon: “Say what you will, I think it was a good record!”
Light Entertainment Watch Update: Yet more! The Brotherhood Of Man were also seen on;
BE MY GUEST: Featuring Ken Dodd, The Brotherhood Of Man, Paul Daniels, Sacha Distel (1977)
CRACKERJACK: Featuring The Brotherhood Of Man, Elaine Paige (1978)
THE GOLDEN SHOT: Featuring Charlie Williams, The Brotherhood Of Man, Ken Dodd (1974)
THE GRAND PRIX NIGHT OF THE STARS: Featuring James Hunt, Shirley Bassey, The Brotherhood Of Man, Henry Cooper, Patrick Moore, The Chris Barber Band, Lena Zavaroni (1976)
MIKE YARWOOD IN PERSONS: Featuring Mike Yarwood, The Brotherhood Of Man(1978)
ROLF ON SATURDAY O.K?: Featuring Rolf Harris, The Brotherhood Of Man (1979)
THE WHEELTAPPERS & SHUNTERS SOCIAL CLUB: Featuring Bernard Manning, The Brotherhood Of Man, P.J. Proby, Russ Conway(1974)
PJ Proby on the Wheeltappers I MUST see this!!
I’m still battered/bruised by his version on OpNox of “An American Trilogy” as the Masked Singer.
Billy (#56) – picking up on this a long time after the initial discussion, but does anybody else remember “Be My Guest”? It was a variety show with an ace twist – at the end of the show they put all the performers’ names into a hat, drew one out and the winner got to pick the line-up for the following week’s show. Probably ended up as a bonanza for the artist’s agent, so the show didn’t last long. One of my comedy heroes, Bob Williamson (the bloke who re-worked SYKFM as “You Gave Me Kippers For Tea”) got his national TV debut as a result. I think Ronnie Dukes’ mum (remember Dukes and Lee?) won it one week.
Where can I find clips of P.J.Proby on the Wheeltappers Club & also as the masked singer on Opportunity Knocks?
Ron
John Peel Watch: From an article in The Listener (‘Public & Private Taste, 22 April 1976);
“The Eurovision song is as highly specialised a creature as Miss World and, despite commanding our admiration for its wonderful laboratory freshness, the success of ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ indicates little other than the baseness of public taste.”
It was during this record’s run at the top that an era sadly ended with Pan’s People’s last appearance on TOTP. They did two numbers first “More More More” (Andrea True Connection)and finally “Silver Star” (Four Seasons) which featured an extended solo spot for Ruth (the only survivor from the original line up).
All I can say (apart from lamenting the lack of a zero) is…had it not been for some of the “twist” references here, there’s no way I would otherwise have listened to that all the way through. What unutterably dreadful tosh.
Regarding the twist ending, it makes me wonder if Michael Buble’s ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ would be improved by saving the title line until the very end of the song…so he talks about this girl for four minutes, but wait, he hasn’t met her yet! Obviously you’d have to change the title as well.
Just me, then.
Tom: “there are no good songs about how lovely small children are”.
I refer my Right Honourable friend to my previous answer:
http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/06/gilbert-osullivan-clair/
and on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX8BeqhCLic
Also, as mentioned elsewhere, “You Came” by Kim Wilde. Can’t think of any more recent ones offhand though.
The entire of the most recent Kelis album is about her kid, and it’s all absolutely terrific, probably the best pop record of last year. So I’ve changed my tune on the idea of songs-about-kids to some extent. But this is still an atrocity.
#65, add the Kinks’ “Days” plz.
Kooks by David Bowie.
Mark @68 – I’ve never heard or read that “Days” is addressed to a child. Hast thou evidence?
“Kooks” is fun, but twee by the Dame’s standards.
“Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder to twee?
How about “A Little Ray Of Sunshine” by Axiom…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWOJ6c9JUrA
Australian hit only, but considered the acceptable face of child songs in these parts (Rory may or may not confirm this :-))
#70 re: Days, I can’t find anything that backs it up!
Maybe it was something Kirsty McColl said at the time of her hit cover version. All the lyrics seem to suggest this reading, but it seems to have been taken as a “thanks guys” to the members of the Kinks where were about to break off…
@71 Glenn Shorrock with long hair! Crikey.
A bit before my time, I’m afraid (I was two in 1970), and I don’t remember noticing it on Oz radio in the ’80s/’90s. More enjoyable than Save Your Kisses, though, which unfortunately I remember all too well.
Erithian, reading your post at #21 has disabused me of a long-standing assumption that Manchester United’s eponymous Number 50 smash was sung to the tune of “Winchester Cathedral.” Well, it should have been.
A simple lesson in the difference between brilliance and ineptitude in songwriting: Chuck Berry had earlier used the same twist to heartbreaking effect in “Memphis, Tennessee” (although I find Elvis Presley’s little-known version much more moving than Chuck’s somewhat languid original – hear the King’s take on it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=uyipQ-oD5nk&NR=1)
Sorry Lazarus, you asked for it. Those Hiller lyrics in full:
United we stand, divided we fall
We’re gonna be the champions when we score that final gooooooaaaallll…
(bass drum: boom, boom , boom, boom)
Manchester United, Manchester United
We’re the greatest team in the land
Manchester United, Manchester United
Sing along and join in the band
We’re the great sensation, the pride of all the nation
We’re the boys who set them alight
We’re Manchester United and you’re all invited
To celebrate us winning the fight
We need you to cheer, we need you right here
As long as you support us we will never have a feeeeeeaaaarrrr…..
(boom, boom, boom, boom – you can guess the rest)
(and then they whistle the chorus. Steve Coppell was into Santana FFS…)
Ah, so is it to the tune of “United We Stand”, the early seventies hit by .. (hang on, i’ll look it up..) ..
“Brotherhood of Man” ?
No, but I guess once you get hold of a good lyrical theme you hang on to it!
You can sing Mother’s Little Helper to the tune of SYKFM. Pretty much. Great improvement.