Russ Abbot's Christmas Special 1984

[Andy147]

Think those singers were a parody of a real act. There's at least one other sketch with the quartet singing joke lyrics to 'Little boxes,' about how past it they are, and Dustin Gee gets to make allusions to his being blacked up.

Here it is.

[Dr Rock]

Hmm, compared the YMCA one, it's at least competent.

[gib]

https://youtu.be/WjYLnclp74c

Burnley is Babylon - King Wilf and The Rastaplasts

The best track on the Russ Abbot's Madhouse album.

I liked that, Train to Skaville / 54-46 riddim, class.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Burnley is Babylon is surprising for two reasons: it's catchy and it isn't racially insensitive. Nice job, Russ.

[the]

check out the Village People 'parody' that opens the show. One commenter says 'I laughed my head off at the YMCA song..........god knows they couldn't do that now.'

What, poke fun at the Village People?

https://youtu.be/_gE2Wq12Ml8?t=164

As well as the unbelievably lazy shitness of the reworking of the song, what's funny? [...] Maybe it was enough to just reference something people knew. But how someone could watch that now and be in howls of laughter, fuck me.

https://youtu.be/_gE2Wq12Ml8?t=164

[imitationleather]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFQvHRfSwA&t=381s

This popped up on YouTube because algorythms. It's Freddie Starr's Variety Madhouse so of course Russ is there, but check out the Village People 'parody' that opens the show. One commenter says 'I laughed my head off at the YMCA song..........god knows they couldn't do that now.'

What, poke fun at the Village People?

As well as the unbelievably lazy shitness of the reworking of the song, what's funny? There are two jokes possibly, one man doesn't like the gay man touching him, but then he does. Maybe it was enough to just reference something people knew. But how someone could watch that now and be in howls of laughter, fuck me.

I think you'll enjoy this thread:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,62382.0.html

[Satchmo Distel]

Here it is.

Dustin Gee as Cliff Hall is OK in that. He doesn't overdo it or camp it up. It's just rather pointless, especially as The Spinners had been off the telly for a few years at that point, their last series being for Border TV in 1981.

[Dr Rock]

I think you'll enjoy this thread:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,62382.0.html

Thanks! I see my bafflement was widely shared.

[Glebe]

I'm embarrassed that I know this, but the "Songs Of Joy" theme was the one used in the BBC version from the late 80s onwards. The original ITV one is a number called "Livin' It Up Tonight" (I think).

Well that was a blast from the past! Had forgotten all about that theme, me and my brother used to love singing it! "Weavin' and a-deavin'"(?!), indeed!

Nice to see Jeffrey Holland involved there (not a bad Prince Charles, either), but Bella Emberg gets last billing?! Crikey, Susie Blake is the posh lady in Mrs. Brown's Boys!

The Spinners.

Anyone of similar age remember this blood donor ad? It must have run for a few years, I was only an infant when it came out... not to mention the ones with Sue Barker and Ernie Wise and Glenda Jackson!

As for the blacking up, if you thought that was bad, check out Dustin Gee in this! BLOODY NORA!

Time to cleanse the palate with Gee's incredible Robert Mitchum face.

I think you'll enjoy this thread:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,62382.0.html

"He'll be doing his Hitler next!"

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Dustin Gee as Cliff Hall is OK in that. He doesn't overdo it or camp it up. It's just rather pointless, especially as The Spinners had been off the telly for a few years at that point, their last series being for Border TV in 1981.

Remember French and Saunders doing a parody of an Abba song - in 1990!?

[Virgo76]

C'est la vie!

[Phoenix Lazarus]

By the time they did that, it had been eight years since Abba's last hit, so hardly a topical spoof.

[Gulftastic]

Anyone of similar age remember this blood donor ad? It must have run for a few years, I was only an infant when it came out... not to mention the ones with [

'It's red!' is still a catchphrase we use on occasion.

[NurseNugent]

Remember French and Saunders doing a parody of an Abba song - in 1990!?

They did a Mamas and Papas one around the same time. Mama Cass had been dead for over a decade.

[Chriddof]

By the time they did that, it had been eight years since Abba's last hit, so hardly a topical spoof.

To be fair, that was around the time Abba were just starting to get re-evaluated after being widely derided as naff for a decade. A couple of years later you had a mini-revival of Abba's music going on, with things like Erasure's "Abba-esque" EP being released (which went to Number 1) and that Australian Abba tribute band, Bjorn Again, being quite popular.

[Glebe]

`

EDDIE: Hullo everyone, we just popped in to-

SYD: SHUT IT, EDDIE, I'M IN CHARGE NOW!

EDDIE: Sorry, Syd.

SYD: We just popped in to give you a friendly warning... this forum is only big enough for the two of us, and we can't have the likes of Russ Abbot and the Madhouse lot muscling in. Our thread has been running for the best part of seven years now, is currently 58 pages long and has been read by almost 150,000 people, while this crap thread will probably only run to about six pages, tops. So fair warning: Sod off Abbot, get yer own forum!

EDDIE: Syd, can I just say-

SYD: -SHUT THE FUCK UP EDDIE!

[Glebe]

'It's red!' is still a catchphrase we use on occasion.

"Hi, Auntie!" was the one my brother used to do.

I always associated Russ Abbot with the BBC.... didn't realise the Madhouse was on 'the other side'.

[Glebe]

(It's Just as Well) We're Called Status Quo.

What was all that about? And can anyone detect any actual guitar there?

Syd and Eddie not only had Bob Holness in their Quo skit, they also had the band themselves on!

[Phoenix Lazarus]

(It's Just as Well) We're Called Status Quo.

What was all that about? And can anyone detect any actual guitar there?

Syd and Eddie not only had Bob Holness in their Quo skit, they also had the band themselves on!

I remember the guys who did the Meaningless Songs in Very High Voice parody of the Bee Gees, did a Status Quo parody, Boring Sound.  I can't remember the group's name, but wasn't Richard Curtis involved with them?

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Hee Bee Gee Bees. The song was " Boring Song" by Status Quid, and the lads themselves comprised Angus Deayton With A Beard, Phil Pope and Michael Fenton Stevens. Dunno if Richard Curtis was involved, but it was more than likely Popey who wrote the music. Another good song by these lads was " Too Depressed To Commit Suicide" by The PeeCees.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Another good song by these lads was " Too Depressed To Commit Suicide" by The PeeCees.

Was that another Bee Gees parody?

[Bobtoo]

(It's Just as Well) We're Called Status Quo.

What was all that about? And can anyone detect any actual guitar there?

Syd and Eddie not only had Bob Holness in their Quo skit, they also had the band themselves on!

Not all of the band, Alan Lancaster must have really hated that song.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Was that another Bee Gees parody?

Parody of The Police, mate,(Clever wording with the band's name, cheers) with a reasonable approximation of Sting's cod-reggae vocals # like Peach Melba without the peach in/ Like Debbie Harry's hair without the bleach in#. I dare say it's possible to find the accompanying video on YouTube.

[PowerButchi]

Russ Abbot's worst pardoy song is this for me, Clive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUAL9DZTYs8

[Glamorgan testicle ward]

The Four Bottoms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y22HM9b4rI0

I'd like to say it's a brilliant portray of how race is only skin deep, but I think it's actually saying that a white guy could have been in the Four Tops, no problem, because they were just a cabaret act with "Alabama" (??) accents (the Four Tops are transplanted from Detroit to Alabama for the gag because, you know, who cares?)

For extra desolation, think about this going out during the Miner's Strike. Your last chance to laugh before your livelihood disappears.

Oh my word, this is bad. Really bad. On so many levels.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Sting's cod-reggae vocals

Bruno Mars should sue Sting for ripping him off.

[dunelm]

As discussed, there's not much point judging old shows based on what's deemed acceptable in 2019 versus 1984. The Black and White Minstrel show was cancelled 6 years earlier, it was very popular at the time. What these clips do is show you how society has changed.

Abbott was likeable enough, end of the pier stuff. A sort of mid table team from this era, Syd and Eddie at the bottom, Eric and Ernie at the top.

 

[chocolate teapot]

As discussed, there's not much point judging old shows based on what's deemed acceptable in 2019 versus 1984. The Black and White Minstrel show was cancelled 6 years earlier, it was very popular at the time. What these clips do is show you how society has changed.

Abbott was likeable enough, end of the pier stuff. A sort of mid table team from this era, Syd and Eddie at the bottom, Eric and Ernie at the top.

wow russ abbott is above Syd and Eddie? That's high praise, I'm not being sarcastic.

[Glamorgan testicle ward]

As discussed, there's not much point judging old shows based on what's deemed acceptable in 2019 versus 1984. The Black and White Minstrel show was cancelled 6 years earlier, it was very popular at the time. What these clips do is show you how society has changed.

Abbott was likeable enough, end of the pier stuff. A sort of mid table team from this era, Syd and Eddie at the bottom, Eric and Ernie at the top.

I appreciate the place this kinda stuff has in comedy culture. I can't remember as much blackface..and lots of it has not aged well..but that's what family comedy entertainment was in the 80s. I saw many entertainers from this era at fondly remembered if fuzzy seaside holidays - Abbott, Bobby Davro, Les Dennis etc etc..I'm reconciled that this stuff exists in a different culturespace and was never intended to appeal to modern sensibilities or really mean anything.

[Virgo76]

wow russ abbott is above Syd and Eddie? That's high praise, I'm not being sarcastic.

Clearly.