Grandad (song)
Encyclopedia
"Grandad" is a popular song by Clive Dunn
.
While starring in the long-running BBC
situation comedy
Dad's Army
, Dunn met bassist Herbie Flowers
at a party and on learning he was a songwriter
challenged him to write a song for him. Flowers wrote "Grandad" with Creation
vocalist Kenny Pickett.
The single was released in November 1970 and, aided by promotion such as appearing on children's shows such as Basil Brush
and DJ Tony Blackburn
claiming it as his favourite record, it soon reached the charts. Following an appearance on Top of the Pops
, it looked like being the Christmas number one that year, but a strike by power workers affected the EMI
pressing plant, causing distribution problems for the single, and so it missed out. However, the following January it reached #1 on the UK singles chart
for three weeks, during which time Dunn celebrated his 51st birthday, and went on to spend a total of 27 weeks on the chart. Dunn never had another hit but released an album Permission to Sing Sir!
In 1979-1984, Dunn starred as Charlie 'Grandad' Quick in a children's television show named Grandad, although the series did not use the song as the theme tune.
Clive Dunn
Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
.
While starring in the long-running BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, Dunn met bassist Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
at a party and on learning he was a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
challenged him to write a song for him. Flowers wrote "Grandad" with Creation
The Creation (band)
The Creation were an English rock band, formed in 1966. The most popular Creation song was "Painter Man", which made the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached #8 in the German chart in April 1967. It was later covered by Boney M in 1979, and reached the #10 position in the UK...
vocalist Kenny Pickett.
The single was released in November 1970 and, aided by promotion such as appearing on children's shows such as Basil Brush
Basil Brush
Basil Brush is a fictional anthropomorphic fox raconteur, best known for his appearances on daytime British children's television. He is primarily portrayed by a glove puppet, but has also been depicted in animated cartoon shorts and comic strips...
and DJ Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
claiming it as his favourite record, it soon reached the charts. Following an appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, it looked like being the Christmas number one that year, but a strike by power workers affected the EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
pressing plant, causing distribution problems for the single, and so it missed out. However, the following January it reached #1 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for three weeks, during which time Dunn celebrated his 51st birthday, and went on to spend a total of 27 weeks on the chart. Dunn never had another hit but released an album Permission to Sing Sir!
In 1979-1984, Dunn starred as Charlie 'Grandad' Quick in a children's television show named Grandad, although the series did not use the song as the theme tune.