You, Me & Julio Down By The Seaside, NewsRevue Lyric, 24 June 1997

This was an attempt at a perennial silly summer holiday song for NewsRevue. I’m not sure it works, despite a few good lines. I’m pretty sure it didn’t get used in NewsRevue.

YOU ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SEASIDE
(To the Tune of “You Me And Julio Down By The School Yard”)

 

VERSE 1 – BOTH

We’re Sharon and Tracy, plan to get away,
Want to fly to the Costa Brava;
Gary got sloshed, so we borrowed his dosh,
Which started the whole ffff palaver.
It’s not against the law,
It’s not against the law,
A bit of fun and more,
That’s what we came ‘ere for.

VERSE 2

SHAZZA: Julio waits in the “Cafe Ole”,
So we ordered his huge paella,
TRACE: Shazza got laid, while muggings here paid,
And got a bleedin’ dose of salmonella
We’re well on our way,
We don’t know where we’re staying,
We’re well on our way,
We’ll ‘ave some fun while we sort it out;
Goodbye to Gary and Wayne back in Essex,
It’s you, me and Julio down by the seaside;
Screw you, me and Julio down by the seaside.

VERSE 3

In a couple of days, coppers took us away,
And the Spanish cells are not well nice;
The judge looked delighted when he had us extradited,
We was all over El Pais;
(TRACE: You was all over the bleedin police ‘n’ all
SHAZZA: Shut up you fat slag. You can bleedin’ talk)
We’re well on our way,
We’re flying back to England,
We’re well on our way,
Hopin’ Gary and Wayne don’t mind;
Goodbye to Julio and his Tapas on the ‘ouse
(SHAZZA: Tap us on the arse – ha ha
TRACE: Shut up you fat slag),
You, me, Wayne and Gary down home in Southend,
You, me, Wayne and Gary sloshed down in Southend,
Shaz, Trace, Wayne and Gary sloshed down in Southend – Ole.

Below is the official Paul Simon video of Me And Julio Down By the Schoolyard which I’d never seen before and is well worth the three minutes investment required.

Click here for the lyrics to Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard.

Ffion, Newsrevue Lyric, 23 June 1997

The suggestion, back in 1997 when William Hague, the then Tory leader, married Ffion Jenkins, was that this was a marriage of convenience.

Writing more than 20 years later, in May 2019, it appears either that the chatterati were mistaken or that it remains convenient.

Anyway, my lyric below was in the show for some while, until someone else came along (was it Debbie Barham? John Random? Noel Christopher?  Other?) and wrote a wonderful version of Wimoweh – “Ffion Sleeps Tonight”, inferring even less subtly than my lyric below that there was little intimacy between William and Ffion.

FFION
(To the Tune of “Rave On”)

 

CHORUS 1 – OTHER FEMALE

We-e-e-e-e-ll the little bitch dates William Hague,
I’d sooner have bubonic plague,
F-Ffion,
A crazy moniker,
I’d need,
A gin and tonic or
Prozac,
To get laid,
F-F-Ffion with him.

CHORUS 2 – FFION

The way he dances on the floor,
You’d think he’s pushing eighty four;
F-F-F-Ffion,
I’m William’s totty,
And folk say,
I must be potty,
He’s like,
A three pound note,
Straight as a claw.

MIDDLE EIGHT

F-F-F-F-FFion,
A crazy party,
Votes in,
Her bloke, a smarty,
Pants who,
Takes a tarty,
To look cool.

OUTRO

F-F-F-F-F-FFion
He’s like a willow,
Hague would
Prefer Portillo
Than spend,
A night with you,
F-F-F-F-F-F-F-FFion, you knew,
F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-FFion, true blue.

Below is a video of Rave On by Buddy Holly with lyrics on the screen.

Life Support by Simon Gray, Richmond Theatre, 20 June 1997

We went on a Friday evening to see part of a preview run of this play/production, which went on to have a good long stint at the Aldwych and which had previously been tested at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford (according to my notes) and/ot Theatre Royal Bath according to the Theatricalia entry.

Anyway…

…I have always been partial to a bit of Simon Gray and also partial to a bit of Alan Bates’s acting and Harold Pinter’s directing, so this was a “must see” for me and Janie – hence the Friday evening booking.

Below is a rare review of the actual Richmond performances from the Ealing & Acton Gazette:

Life Support Ealing & Acton Gazette Tim HarrisonLife Support Ealing & Acton Gazette Tim Harrison 20 Jun 1997, Fri Ealing and Acton Gazette (Ealing, London, England) Newspapers.com

Below is a charming interview piece from the Guardian about the genesis of this play:

Life Support Simon Gray Claire Amitstead GuardianLife Support Simon Gray Claire Amitstead Guardian 26 Jul 1997, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard didn’t much like the play when he saw it at The Aldwych:

Life Support de Jongh StandardLife Support de Jongh Standard 06 Aug 1997, Wed Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Whereas Suzannah Clapp liked it more in The Observer:

Life Support Clapp ObserverLife Support Clapp Observer 10 Aug 1997, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

We voted it “good”, which is not great, but we did rate the piece and the performances highly enough.

Laurie Johnson’s London Big Band, Barbican Hall, 8 June 1997

This was a weird but memorably fun evening.

Janie had known Laurie & (especially) Dot Johnson for a great many years – the latter being one of Janie’s clients.

Laurie was very well known in show business and media circles, primarily for writing TV theme tunes such as the following, which Janie and I both remembered fondly from our childhoods:

In 1997, it seems that Laurie, in an attempt to stave off dotage, was launching an autumnal recording and touring career with a new combo; Laurie Johnson’s London Big Band.

Dot kindly invited us to the 8 June concert and the star-studded after show party.

We were among the youngest people in the audience that night. Actually, I think our combined ages at that time (75-ish) might still have made us among the youngest people at the show that night.

Titter ye not, people – lounge music was “a thing” that year. Further, one of Laurie Johnson’s recordings with that new combo, Theme From the Professionals, had been in the pop charts during the preceding few weeks, making the event far more of a hip event than any of us might have imagined:

Janie and I, seated among the guest celebs in that central block of seats deemed the best in the Barbican Hall, enjoyed watching the bobbing heads of the elderly concert-goers in front of us, making micro-movements in recognition of the swinging beat of the music.

Indeed, for years…nay decades after the concert, Janie and I would mimic the uber-syncopation, not least the cymbal beats, of the Big Band’s rendition of the This Is Your Life Theme:

That one seemed to go down especially well with the elderly bobbing-head brigade.

The after show party was very enjoyable. I guess that we technically met a great many celebs: Laurie Johnson, Ron Moody, Jack Parnell, Don Lusher, Kenny Baker, Benny Green and Tommy Whittle were all on the bill…

…as was a lovely young woman named Alexia, who was a singing waitress at a restaurant that Laurie and Dot liked. They had taken Alexia somewhat under their wings and were promoting her through this show/tour.

Clipping from The Evening Standard 19 June 1997

We had a long chat with her – she seemed a really delightful young person – and resolved to try her Ripe Tomato eatery. To our shame never got around to eating there. It has only recently (25 years on) closed down and is only a few doors down from the All Saints Road location where we find my [Harris] family during the first world war, soon after arriving in Britain.

We didn’t meet John Dankworth & Cleo Laine that evening, much to Dot’s chagrin, as she seemed very keen for Janie to meet them, but for some reason (health we think) they were unable to attend. Nor was Lionel Bart there, possibly for the same sort of reason.

I do however remember chatting at length with Herbert Kretzmer, who was a good friend of the Johnsons and was very interesting company for quite a while at that function. Fellow lyricists and all that – me and Herbie had a great deal in common. 😉

Go on, bob your head gently to the swinging strains of the This Is Your Life theme again – you know you want to:

The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht, Olivier Theatre, 7 June 1997

We were tending to book RNT things in preview or very early in runs, so this was an unusually late visit to see this one – perhaps we couldn’t get the seats we wanted until later or perhaps we missed it in the first block of dates.

Anyway, we thought this was “very good”.

One of our favourite troupes, Théâtre de Complicité, was responsible for this one. Juliet Stevenson played the lead along with Simon McBurney who also directed. The Theatricalia entry can be found here.

This was the first of those “in the round” productions that the RNT did at The Olivier while it was being refurbished.

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard was not too keen on it:

Caucasian de Jongh StandardCaucasian de Jongh Standard 22 Apr 1997, Tue Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Charles Spencer in the Telegraph imagined that his cordial loathing of this show would be a minority view:

Caucasian Spencer TelegraphCaucasian Spencer Telegraph 23 Apr 1997, Wed The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Predictably, then, our friend Michael Billington loved it:

Caucasian Billington GuardianCaucasian Billington Guardian 23 Apr 1997, Wed The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

But Robert Butlet in The Independent didn’t much like it either:

Caucasian Butler IndyCaucasian Butler Indy 27 Apr 1997, Sun The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Oh well.

Closer by Patrick Marber, Cottesloe Theatre, 31 May 1997

No equivocation from us nor the critics on this one. While my “very good” report on many pieces covers a range of satisfaction, for this one I wrote:

One of the very best…

…which is not something I wrote often. I very clearly recall Janie and I walking out after Closer saying “wow” to each other.

Patrick Marber himself directed it and we were skilful/fortunate to see the original cast at the Cottesloe as this production upscaled in the light of rave reviews, multiple awards and huge audiences. We saw Liza Walker, Clive Owen, Ciaran Hinds and Sally Dexter. Here is the Theatricalia entry.

Here are the pick of the reviews.

First up – Charles Spencer in the Telegraph raving about it:

Closer Spencer TelegraphCloser Spencer Telegraph 30 May 1997, Fri The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Michael Billington in The Guardian described it as a triumph and a great play:

Closer Billington GuardianCloser Billington Guardian 31 May 1997, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

David Bennett in The Independent was perhaps a lone unequivocal voice, who saw it as essential viewing but dangerously autobiographical:

Closer Bennett IndependentCloser Bennett Independent 31 May 1997, Sat The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Yet Robert Butler the next day in the same paper was very excited about the play/production:

Closer Butler IndyCloser Butler Indy 01 Jun 1997, Sun The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Janie and I both just so remember that “wow” feeling and still remember this as one of the very best plays/productions we have ever seen.

When You Fall Out With That Widdicombe Woman, Newsrevue Lyric, 28 May 1997

Ann Widdicombe was a high-profile Tory MP back in the 1990s. She did not get on well with the then home secretary and aspiring Tory leader, Michael Howard, if this lyric is to be understood. Writing this up in 2019, she is back in the news as a very Brexity person. 

WHEN YOU FALL OUT WITH THAT WIDDICOMBE WOMAN
(To the Tune of “When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman”)

VERSE 1 – MICHAEL HOWARD

When you fall out with that Widdicombe woman, its hard,
When you fall out with that Widdicombe woman, you know it’s hard,
(WIDDICOMBE AS CHORUS: your job is hard, but your knob’s not hard);
Everybody boos me,
No-one will choose me,
Nobody wants me for the top Tory post.

VERSE 2 – HOWARD

When you fall out with that Widdicombe woman, watch your friends,
(WIDDICOMBE AS CHORUS: what’s a friend, you’ve never had a friend);
When you fall out with that Widdicombe woman, it never ends,
(WIDDICOMBE CHORUS: this bloke’s the end, it’s known as Howard’s end);
She says I faked it,
Screwed up at Parkhurst,
{Everybody hangs up when I call on the phone},
{WIDDICOMBE: everybody hangs up when he calls on the phone};
When you hang out with that ghastly old woman, you go it alone.

MIDDLE EIGHT – HOWARD WITH MINY HOWID VOWILS

Maybe its just a legal problem,
People might still rally round my flag;
But they’re fair weather friends,
I’m a faint hearted candidate,
And every time she speaks out,
I want to kill that old bag.

VERSE 3 – WIDDICOMBE

When I speak out on that Parkhurst fiasco, watch his eyes,
(HOWARD: better watch my eyes, don’t want to catch her eye);
When he reposts on that Parkhurst fiasco, you should be looking for lies,
(HOWARD: I never tell a lie, I might save the odd truth for a rainy day);
You know that he’s crazy,
You cannot trust him,
BOTH: There is something of the night in this jerk,

(HOWARD: (aside) That’s why they call her Doris Karloff)

BOTH: Since we fell out with the people of Britain, we’re both out of work.

Below is a video of Dr Hook singing When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman with the lyrics on the screen:

Maggie Might, NewsRevue Lyric, 27 May 1997

Soon after Tony Blair became Prime Minister, news broke of him having “secret” meetings with Mrs Thatcher. This lyric for NewsRevue examined the possibilities around such meetings. I’m not sure whether or not it was used. I don’t recall seeing it performed.

MAGGIE MIGHT
(To the Tune of “Maggie May”)

VERSE 1 – BLAIR

Come back Maggie, I think I’ve got something to say to you,
We’re deep in Europe and about to join the EMU;
I’ve got a summer of summits this year, and still have no idea,
Oh Maggie, I can’t stand Leon Brittan’s face.

MIDDLE EIGHT 1 – BLAIR

You led us away from home, you’ve even read The Treaty of Rome,
You sold us out and that’s what really hurts.

VERSE 2 – THATCH/BLAIR

THATCH: All you need now is a mum to lend a helping hand,
THATCH: That damned fool Major did the same with old Jim Callaghan;
BLAIR: I laughed at all of your jokes, like your Tory Cabinet blokes;
THATCH: Those sleaze bags have all gone without a trace.

MIDDLE EIGHT 2 – BLAIR

You led us for donkey’s years, you might allay the worst of my fears,
The Germans think the EMU is world war three;

VERSE 3 – THATCH/BLAIR

THATCH: You should give that ghasty Kohl a mighty gagging,
THATCH: Take me with you and I’ll give Helmut a handbagging;
BLAIR: I’ve listened to the words that you’ve said, think I’d sooner stay at home in bed;
BLAIR: Oh Maggie, I wish I’d never won this job.

MIDDLE EIGHT 3 – BLAIR/THATCH

BLAIR: You’ve made a first class fool out of me,
THATCH: That job was pitifully easy,
BLAIR: Our secret meeting was on every damned front page;
THATCH: You’ve made me look like a prize bender,
THATCH: James Goldsmith’s livid back in his hacienda,
BLAIR: Mandelson and Tony Benn are in a rage.

OUTRO (as they exit)

BLAIR: Same time next week, then, Maggie?
THATCH: Certainly. It was great fun. I’ll bring the whips and amyl nitrate next time.

Below is a video of Rod Stewart singing Maggie May – click here to find the lyriics in the notes below the vid.

That’s Feng-Shui, NewsRevue Lyric, 28 May 1997

I very much regret that no-one saw fit to give this lyric a go in NewsRevue. I know it isn’t exactly topical but feng-shui was all the rage that year.

I probably should have written the lyric with a particular type of plant pointing in a particular direction on my desk. My bad.

THAT’S FENG-SHUI
(To the Tune of “Whip Crack Away”)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The phrase “Feng-Shui” is pronounced “Feng-shoe-way” (really)
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTICE: This song should only be sung facing North with the stage door at 45 degrees from the nearest staircase

VERSE 1

Well the Feng-Shui craze is at it all over the place,
That ancestor energy thing from the Chinese race;
Replace your bed,
And paint your lounge red;
That’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui.

VERSE 2

Yes the Californians love Feng-Shui’s appliance,
It makes Scientology seem like pure science;
Replace your floor,
And move your front door,
That’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui.

MIDDLE EIGHT

The Chinese are inclined,
To divine,
Where you need a fish tank;
In Hong Kong China lurks,
While the British –
Bank (or wank, take your pick)

VERSE 3

Yes, the Feng-Shui craze is rampant all over the hills,
Even Downing Street should really be rebuilt,
Relight your halls,
With spherical balls;
That’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui.

This craze is all,
Such spherical balls;
That’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui, that’s Feng-Shui.
Crap Feng-Shui!!

Below is Doris Day singing The Deadwood Stage (Whip Crack Away):

Click here to see the lyrics of The Deadwood Stage (Whip Crack Away).

Me And Paula Jones, NewsRevue Lyric, 28 May 1997

This one ran and ran in NewsRevue in the summer of 1997. My log shows that I wrote it in late May.

John Random sent me a note recently (July 2017) mentioning a visit to the show in August 1997 and this lyric, so it felt timely to place this one in cyberspace asap.

Slow numbers don’t often work in NewsRevue, but this one was a surefire winner.

ME AND PAULA JONES
(A solo for Bill Clinton to the Tune of “Me and Mrs Jones”)

VERSE 1

Me and Paula Jones,
We had a thing going on;
I know right from wrong, but I took my dong,
And let it show now.
I showed Paula my mark,
In the trailer park;
(My troopers), my troopers made sure she’d be there;
Holding hands, shaking my growing glands,
As those troopers helped me service my shlong.

VERSE 2

Me-ee a-and Paula, Paula Jones (Paula Jones, Paula Jones, Paula Jones)
We’ve got a case going on;
We both know that it’s long, but she claims I’m wrong,
When I let it show now.
I’ve now gotta be extra careful,
I can’t afford to get my bone up too high,
Cos she has her own litigation,
And so, and so do I

VERSE 3

Me-ee a-and Paula, Paula Jones (Paula Jones, Paula Jones, Paula Jones)
We’ve got a case going on;
We both know that it’s strong, but it’s much too long,
To let it go now.
Now it’s time for us to be courting,
The Supreme Court, the Supreme Court inside;
Now she’ll brief her silk and I’ll brief mine,
Tomorrow we’ll meet, the same court the same time

OUTRO

Me-ee a-and Paula, Paula Jones (Paula Jones, Paula Jones, Paula Jones)
We’ve got a thing going on;
Sax solo voters – I’ve always been extra partial to playing with my sax

(Bill wanders off, playing his sax)

Here is the original video of Billy Paul singing Me and Mrs Jones, which is absolutely cracking! So 1970’s; the fag hanging out of Billy Paul’s mouth is massively symbolic. In any case, although the song has now been so overplayed as to seem a cliché, in truth I still think it is a fabulous song: