Ian Louis Harris

A Weekend Without Janie By The Looks Of It, 6 to 8 November 1992

My diary shows me playing bridge with Daniel & Marianne on the Friday evening (probably also with Andrea).

Then it shows spending the day on Saturday with Michael Mainelli writing “Zen Things You Wanted To Know About Business”…which was the working title of the subsequent hit book Clean Business Cuisine...

…what do you mean, haven’t read it?

It’s as topical now as it was when it was written…

…it’s set c500 b.c.e. for goodness sake…

...read all about it here…

…or better still, buy it here.

Anyway, it looks as though Janie worked all day on the Saturday and there is no sign in the diaries of us seeing each other on the Sunday. There are some electronic signs of me working on my canon of NewsRevue material ahead of the Christmas run, that Sunday.

My First NewsRevue Christmas Run Submission, To Jacqui Somerville, 8 November 1992

This submission helps me to realise which of my songs (at least those that had a bit of longevity to them) had been in the show during that first year of writing for NewsRevue.

I think this might have been the first time I submitted a table-style note in this fashion along with a cassette and wad of lyrics. Perhaps Jacqui suggested same when we met a few week’s earlier.

The old WordPerfect table doesn’t replicate, sadly, but I have tweaked to show the information reasonably clearly, I hope.

I cannot remember which were used, but I think I had perhaps three songs in that Christmas run – not bad for a newbie.

LIST OF SONGS SUBMITTED AND TAPE TRACK LISTING
JACQUI SOMERVILLE (XMAS) RUN

Song Title/OriginalTitle/Artist on Tape Aprox. No. of Performances
7+ 4-6 1-3 Nil*

Side A of Tape

Coal Digger/Goldfinger/Shirley Bassey 1-3^
Closed to You / Close to You/Carpenters 4-6^
Kate Adie / Dream Lover/Bobby Darin 7+^
Ultimate Love Song / Nothings Gonna Change My Love/Glenn Medeiros 4-6^
Mama Mia Farrow / Mama Mia/Abba 1-3^
You Can’t Hurry Trusts / You can’t Hurry Love/Supremes 7+^
Snowbush / Snowbird/Anne Murray 1-3^
Mick’s Unpleasant Things / My Favourite Things/Sound of Music Cast 1-3
Coppers Dressed as Hippies Teddy Bear’s Picnic/Henry Hall 7+
Eugene Terre’Blanche Sweet Gene Vincent/Ian Dury & Blockheads 4-6
We’re a Member As Well I Remember it Well/Gigi Cast 4-6
Midnight Plane to Jordan Midnight Train to Georgia/Gladys Knight & Pips Nil
Snatchbroker Snatchbroker Matchmaker Matchmaker/Fiddler on the Roof Cast 1-3
Stand By Your Bank Stand By Your Man/Tammy Winette 1-3
Steroids I Just Don’t Know What To Do/Dusty Springfield 4-6

Side B of Tape

Come Back Labour / Come Back My Love/Darts 1-3
Trucker Strikes / Summer Loving/Grease Cast 1-3
Maxwell’s Wife / Mack the Knife/Louis Armstrong 1-3
You’ll Never Watch a Game / You’ll Never walk Alone/Gerry & Pacemakers 7+
Mrs T / I Will Survive/Gloria Gaynor 7+
John Major Rock / Crocodile Rock/Elton John 4-6
Norman Lamont / Norweigan Wood/Beatles 4-6
Bye Bye NHS / Bye Bye Love/Simon & Garfunkle 4-6
As Time Goes By (Sketch and Medley) Falling in Love Again/Techno Twins / Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree/Andrew Sisters
We’ll Meet Again/Vera Lynn / Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 Mov 2 1-3^

* but should have been in by now.

^ still running in the show at the moment 8 November 1992

White House, NewsRevue Lyric, 8 November 1992

Bill Clinton was elected President and I felt motivated to write about it straight away for NewsRevue. This lyric did very well in the show; but not until early the following year when Mark Bowden and his troupe used it, when the Clinton’s actually entered the White House.

Writing exactly 25 years later, it is an interesting reminder that most of us weren’t too sure about Bill Clinton at the very start, although what would we give to have someone of his stature, albeit flawed, in the White House today…

…his wife, for example?

I didn’t know how to spell “Hillary” back then but I’ll cut and paste the lyric as I wrote it.

The writing log says 8 November 1992 but the electronic file reads 20 November, so I must have tweaked slightly – perhaps in response to it not being used immediately.

One slight regret about this lyric is that it has rather messed up my perception of “Our House” by Crosby Stills Nash and Young. It is a simply superb song (enjoy the link below whether you know the song or not), but for a quarter of a century now, hearing it has relentlessly made Bill and Hillary Clinton pop into my head.

WHITE HOUSE

(A song for Bill and Hilary Clinton to the Tune of “Our House”)

VERSE 1

HILARY:I’ll light the fire, you use the powers,

As the Governor of State;

BILL:Sittin’ by the fire, with Gennifer Flowers,

While the wife’s out working,

She’ll be earning,

Ten times more than me, ee, ee,

All legally, ee, ee.

VERSE 2

HILARY:Deep in the South {BILL:Deep in the South}

With gravy, grits and gingham dresses,

God, Guns, Geeks and Goops;

BILL:Joint in my mouth,{HILARY:Joint in his mouth}

I smoke my spliff without inhaling,

Voters bought it,

They must be e-ven more stoned than me, ee, ee,

Ill-legally, ee, ee;

CHORUS 1

BOTH:Our house, is a very very very fine house,

Electric chairs will shock,

In down town Little Rock,

We rednecks kicked the shit out of George Bush;

We say, (cocking a snook)

Na, na, nananana, nananana, nanana nanana, nanananananananana,

(OptionalNa, na, nananana, nananana, nanana nanana, nanananananananana);

CHORUS 2

BOTH:The White House, is a very very very fine house,

White marble on the floor,

This sure beats Arkansas,

Though everything is hicky since George Bush….

….moved out;

VERSE 3

HILARY:I’ll light the fire,

BILL:While I wear the pointed hat,

And sheets that we bought to-day-ay-ay-ay-ay.

If you click through this link – here – you can also read the lyrics…or just watch by clicking below:

A Long Weekend In Stratford-Upon-Avon, 29 October to 1 November 1992

Twelfth Night Guest House/Bed and breakfast Image borrowed from Google on fair use grounds for identification – we believe this place has now closed down.

Janie and I talk about our short trip to Venice in December 1992 as the first holiday we took together, which is sort-of true.

But before that, only a couple of months after getting it together, we took in some theatre and dining on a long weekend in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

My diary is not terribly helpful with the details:

In those days, bookings and arrangements would have been made by telephone, so there is no electronic trail to speak of. But I did save programmes and started retro-logging theatre visits a bit later in the 1990s. That, combined with our memories, gets us quite a long way towards remembering this trip, even as I write 25 years later.

29 October 1992

We drove up from London to Stratford-Upon-Avon, probably in quite good time (if Janie was already hopeless at packing she would have hidden this from me back then and been ready with her bags, even if had taken her hours to pack).

We would have driven up in Red Noddy, my (or I should say, at that time, still Binder Hamlyn’s) Honda Civic.

We checked in to Twelfth Night Hotel in Evesham Place…recommended by Janie’s client Margaret if Janie’s diary is anything to go by…£22 per person per night according to Janie’s diary…

…(I originally thought The Shakespeare Hotel in Chapel Street, but Janie’s diary is explicit and I now recall that The Shakespeare was from our second visit)…

… and went to see a preview of The Changeling at The Swan – written up here – in the evening. We probably ate in Fatty Arbunkle’s that evening, one of the few places in Stratford that offered decent, Bistro-style food after theatre in those days. No photos from this trip, but Fatty’s (now long gone) looked like this wonderful watercolour from the outside. Inside were lots of pictures of silent movie stars, including Fatty Arbunkle himself, of course.

30 October 1992

I think we did a bit of gentle sightseeing during the day. Both of us had been to Stratford-Upon-Avon several times before, but neither of us had done much of the “Shakespeare trail” sightseeing stuff. So much so, that I recall we left some sightseeing stuff over for a future visit.

We weren’t going to the theatre this evening, so we booked a “top notch” place to eat; Lamb’s in Sheep Street. We had a very good meal on that visit and at the time of writing (October 2017) if TripAdvisor is to be believed it has become top notch again. But I do recall a subsequent visit (perhaps late 1990’s or more likely during the twenty-noughties) when the place was in dingy decline. Anyway, top notch it was for our first long weekend together.

31 October 1992

I think we chose to hold back on the sightseeing today (deferring to a future visit) to avoid the weekend crowds. So we mooched around and had a light lunch, ahead of a marathon effort to see a preview of Antony and Cleopatra at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, where Janie recalls we ate and drank in situ, before during and after the performance.

1 November 1992

We drove home. The diary suggests that we went to see NewsRevue at the Canal Cafe Theatre that evening. I suppose I was hopeful to see some of my stuff in the show and I don’t suppose I was disappointed at that time. It might have been Janie;s first visit, although we shall do some archaeology into Janie’s old diaries in the fullness of time. Janie’s diary appointment notes might reveal more details about her NewsRevue experiences and perhaps also about our very first long weekend away together in Stratford-Upon Avon.

Antony And Cleopatra by William Shakespeare, RSC Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 31 October 1992

This was the second of the two previews Janie and I went to see on our first long weekend away together in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

It seems that Janie decided to “give Shakespeare a go” with me (we have done a few in our time) but in truth she has never got on with Shakespeare. I have got on with Shakespeare but didn’t get on so well with this play and/or this production.

It is a very long play and in truth I don’t think one of Shakespeare’s best. My log records:

We didn’t go great guns on this one.

Good cast: Richard Johnson (Antony), John Nettles (Caesar) and Clare Higgins (Cleopatra).

There is a single fixed camera video of the production apparently, click here for details, including lots of details about exactly who played whom and stuff and where you might find the odd review.

This production probably helped to put Janie off The Bard, but fortunately did not seem to put her off me, despite the fact that (as I recall) the back-aching and thirst-inducing length of the play did little for our moods, especially mine.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Below is Michael Coveney’s Observer review:

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra, Michael Coveney Sun, Nov 8, 1992 – 57 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra Michael Billington Mon, Nov 9, 1992 – 30 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton & William Rowley, RSC Swan Theatre, 29 October 1992

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

This was the first of two plays Janie and I went to see on our first long weekend away together in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

I had seen The Changeling before, at the RNT in 1988, thought highly of it as a Jacobean revenge tragedy and thought Janie might like it. I didn’t yet realise that she was not so keen on classics/old plays. I’m not sure she realised it yet either.

My log reports:

Not quite to Janie’s taste – I rather liked it.

It was a superb production. Looking through the cast and creatives list you can see why. Cheryl Campell as Beatrice-Joanna, Malcolm Storry as De Flores, Michael Attenborough directing. Also a stellar list of youngsters who would break through in their own right later; Sophie Okeonedo, Barnaby Kay, Dominic Cooke (assisting Attenborough). Even Tracy-Ann Oberman (prior to her NewsRevue & SportsRevue days) puts in an appearance as an inmate of the asylum.

The Swan is an ideal venue for this type of play, much better than the Lyttleton. Very high production quality both times though – hard for me to rank one production above the other.

There’s a picture from The Swan production in a Guardian Gallery – click here and scroll down – but no on-line reviews of course.

Below is Michael Coveney’s Observer review:

Changeling, Antony & Cleopatra, Michael Coveney Sun, Nov 8, 1992 – 57 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

I GATT Round, NewsRevue Lyric, 27 October 1992

I don’t suppose the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was the funniest topical subject in late 1992, unless you happened to be an economist.

Seems a bit topical again now at the time of writing (December 2016) with protectionism hoving back into political view.

Evidence shows that this one wasn’t used before Christmas 1992 and I doubt if it was used afterwards either, although I can see I submitted it in the January 1993 Bowden submission and there is evidence that I tweaked the text in February 1993.

This isn’t really a funny enough song, I’ll be frank. Although the following line made me smile:

“My buddies and me we’re not at all well known, But the IMF know us so they give us a loan.”

Here’s the whole lyric:

♬ I GATT ROUND ♬

(To the Tune of “I Get Around”)

INTRO

Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round.

We Gatt round,{Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

We have found,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

That we are bound,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

To make contentious sound.Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round.}

VERSE 1

We’re getting bugged trying to subsidise your oil seed crops,

We’re goanna stick a huge tariff on your goods in our shops.

My buddies and me we’re not at all well known,

But the IMF know us so they give us a loan.

CHORUS

We Gatt round,{Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

We’ll astound,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

When we propound,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

That quotas still abound.Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round.}

We Gatt round round round round round round round,

Wupwah-ooh, wupwah-ooh, wupwah-ooh-ooh.

VERSE 2

The West spends a fortune hoarding crops and meat,

While the Third World countries have got nothing to eat.

We’ve been talking for years but we can never agree,

So we’re goanna fuck up the world economy.

We loathe Leon Brittan and hate Jacques Delors,

So we’re goanna fall out and have a global trade war.

We Gatt round,{Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

It’s renowned,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

That we shall impound,Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round,

Any goods we’ve found.Round, round, Gatt round, Uruguay round.}

We Gatt round, Gatt round round round round round.

Click here or below for a link to the Beach Boys song, I Get Around, upon which the lyric is based.

Dinner At Sandall Close With Kim, Micky, Victor & Kim, 24 October 1992

Janie’s diary says:

8.00 Kim & Micky & Ian Dinner. Victor & Kim.

Victor was Kim’s dad who, after being widowed, had remarried, confusingly a woman named Kim. Janie used to refer to Victor’s Kim as:

Kim The Chickidoo

…to distinguish her from “our” Kim.

Not much memory remains of that particular evening. I’m sure Janie will have cooked a super meal and I’m sure that, by then, Janie and I took it for granted that I’d stay.

Janie’s diary says that she went to an SAC (chiropody committee) meeting on the Sunday afternoon. I recall that she was quite frustrated with committee stuff when we first met and that her “being on the committee” days didn’t last long into our relationship.

Nor did Janie’s midweek French lessons, not that they were getting in the wway of anything we wanted to do together…I think Janie felt she wasn’t getting much out of them.

Janie Visits NewsRevue For The First Time Along With Kim & Micky, Canal Cafe Theatre, 22 October 1992, Plus Relics & Questions From The Next NewsRevue Run

Janie’s diary for that evening reads:

6.30 Kim & Micky 8.00 Canal Cafe Theatre 9.15 Review [sic]

Bridge House Pub, Delaware Terrace…

…etc.

Mine just reads:

Canal Cafe

I have more than a sneaking suspicion that Janie, Kim & Micky turned up with a view to surprising me that evening. I’m pretty sure I’d have written more in the diary otherwise. I also do not recall missing out on the writers’ meeting to be with those three, although I do recall us sitting together to watch the show.

The running order from that week is missing, presumed dead, sadly.

But I do, strangely, have the running order and writers’ list from the following week:

I say “strangely” because I wasn’t at the Canal Cafe the following week (Janie and I were in Stratford), nor indeed for the next few weeks, with a mixture of work and Janie commitments. But some kind person saved the running order and writers’ sheet for me.

Why?

Because that late October to early December 1992 run was “peak Harris” in the material use department. Eight of my songs on one show. Too many, frankly.

Whose handwriting is that renaming the show after me?

When Janie, Kim & Micky came to the show, I think there were probably only three or four of mine in the show. I say “only”, I considered three or four pieces to be a good return. I’m guessing:

I especially remember Kim latching on to the Kate Adie one – she still (27 years later) teases me with the opening line of it sometimes.

The irony of the following run, which was “peak Harris” material-wise and also “peak Harris” other commitments-wise is not wasted on me. Looking through my diary, I could only have got to see that run once, in late November, hot-footing it from a works team evening in the City, probably just to see the show.

The Director was Michael Eriera who was clearly not offended by my absence, as he and his team used a lot of my material the next time he directed, in mid 1993. I was a better attendee thee next time around for Michael.

But the $64M questions are:

who was the kind person who saved the 29/30 October 1992 papers for me in my absence?
who was the mischievous person who renamed the show on the writers’ sheet?

Nude For Thought, NewsRevue Lyric, 17 October 1992

I don’t think this one about Madonna was ever used. Certainly it forms part of the Bowden submission of January 1993 and was unused before then.

I don’t think it is a great lyric for a NewsRevue performance, although it does have its moments as a read.

Strange to think that, at the time of writing (December 2016) Madonna is still hanging around and UB40 are doing a comeback tour.

♬ NUDE FOR THOUGHT ♬

(To the Tune of “Food for Thought”)

CHORUS 1

I can see Madonna,

Posing in the nude,

She’s got nothing onna,

And some bits are quite rude.

VERSE 1

Customs at the airport,

They have seized her book,

While they file their report,

They’ll have a closer look.

VERSE 2

Look at nuns in custard,

See her with a sheep,

And I see she’s mustered,

A costume like Bo-Peep.

VERSE 3

Rude things with a candle,

Having oral sex,

Now she has her hands full,

Of fat enormous cheques.

CHORUS 2

I can see Madonna,

Standing in the buff,

I shall be a gonna,

If my wife sees this stuff.

I can see Madonna,

Posing in the raw,

She is not a stunna,

What did I buy this for?

Click here or below for a link to Food For Thought by UB40 with the original lyrics.

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