It's Only Rock and Roll (Only Fools and Horses)
Encyclopedia
"It's Only Rock and Roll" is an episode of the BBC
sitcom, Only Fools and Horses
. It was the fourth episode of series 4, and was first screened on 14 March, 1985.
loads up the van with the latest item to flog called Kandy Dolls, Rodney
tells him that he just joined a band that are styling themselves on Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Del points out that Rodney doesn't have any drums, as well as mention that he shouldn't be hanging with that "bunch of wallies", especially their wild lead singer, Mental Mickey Maguire, who once bit another man's ear off. It is then revealed that each Kandy Doll has a different voice chip meant for another toy, and the Trotter Brothers then drive off.
Later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Del tells Albert
that the Shamrock Club in Deptford, the "Paddies' Moulin Rouge", doesn't have an act for St. Patrick's Night
since their resident band, the Dublin Bay Stormers, are in jail for their violent behaviour. Del manages to secure a booking for Rodney's band at the Shamrock Club with a clever ruse which involves a carefully timed slamming door and a Bachelors
LP on the record player, then calling Liam, the owner of the club on the phone, and telling him that it'll require £300 to hire the band for St. Patrick's Night. Once the conversation is over and Del hangs up, he heads off to the community hall to tell Rodney.
That night, at the community hall, Rodney and his band are rehearsing a song they wrote called "Boys will be Boys", with Mental Mickey providing vocals, two other guys named Stew and Charlie both playing rhythm guitars, and Rodney playing drums on packing cases until Del enters, listens to the band playing their song rather badly, then tells them that he wants to be their manager and will buy them brand new equipment, as well as get them bookings. Mental Mickey allows Del to take the position. Del then asks the band if they know any of the Bachelors' songs, and the band look at him nonplussed. Now their manager, Del promises the band that this time next year, they'll be millionaires.
On St. Patrick's Night at the Shamrock Club, a massive riot has broken out due to the performance of Rodney's band. Rodney, Del, Stew, and Charlie exit the club with their instruments and equipment and drive off into the night in the Trotter van, while Mental Mickey enjoys himself fighting various club patrons.
A few days later, at the Trotters' garage, Rodney has invited a policeman in to tell him that his band's instruments were "stolen". But Del appears at the garage door and explains to his younger brother and the policeman that he had them on a sale-or-return basis, much to Rodney's surprise. Del gets rid of the policeman, and tells Rodney that the "bunch of wallies" weren't destined for the Albert Hall, and Carnegie Hall; the only hall they were destined for was "Sod 'All". After explaining that he got kicked out of the band for defending his older brother, Rodney asks Del why he always interferes in everything his younger brother does. Del answers that their mother Joan said to him on her deathbed
to give Rodney all the encouragement he could, but Rodney points out that whatever they're arguing about, their mother always had something to say about it on her deathbed. Del then pays Rodney his share of the £300 booking fee and tells him to just forget about that "bunch of wallies" and move on. With the conversation over, the Trotter Brothers head off to the market to flog hooky Maltesers
.
The next evening, as Del Boy is talking to Monkey Harris on the telephone about the Kandy Dolls, he watches the TVs and discovers to his complete horror that the group, now named A Bunch of Wallies, are at #26 on the UK Singles Chart
and performing their song on Top of the Pops
. Suddenly, Del hears Rodney entering the flat, and quickly turns both TVs off, as Rodney wants to watch Top of the Pops, but Del tells him that both TVs are broken. And so, Rodney decides to enter Albert's bedroom and tell him some good news. While that happens, Del quickly puts on his camel coat, while Albert exits his bedroom and tells Del that Rodney's busy watching Top of the Pops on the portable TV. Just as Del is about to escape, a fuming Rodney exits Albert's bedroom and tells Del that Mental Mickey and his band are in the charts and have a great chance of making it to #1. It seems that without Del's interference, Rodney could've been a star. Del protests that he too has lost out as he was the band's manager. Rodney produces his old drumstick and threatens to hurt Del with it.
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
! Actor
! Role
|-
| David Jason
| Del Boy
|-
| Nicholas Lyndhurst
| Rodney
|-
| Buster Merryfield
| Uncle Albert
|-
| Geoffrey Leesley
| Policeman
|-
| Daniel Peacock
| "Mental" Mickey
|-
| Marcus Francis
| Charlie
|-
| David Thewlis
| Stew
|-
| Mike Read
| Himself
|}
This episode featured a brief cameo by ex-Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who was on the TV presenting the Bunch of Wallies on Top of the Pops.
One of the dolls says Exterminate like the Daleks from Doctor Who
.
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...
sitcom, Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. It was the fourth episode of series 4, and was first screened on 14 March, 1985.
Synopsis
At a warehouse, as Del BoyDel Boy
Derek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...
loads up the van with the latest item to flog called Kandy Dolls, Rodney
Rodney Trotter
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.-Personality:Rodney's personality was based on the experiences of series creator John Sullivan, who also had an older sibling and, like Rodney, claimed to have been a dreamer and...
tells him that he just joined a band that are styling themselves on Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Del points out that Rodney doesn't have any drums, as well as mention that he shouldn't be hanging with that "bunch of wallies", especially their wild lead singer, Mental Mickey Maguire, who once bit another man's ear off. It is then revealed that each Kandy Doll has a different voice chip meant for another toy, and the Trotter Brothers then drive off.
Later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Del tells Albert
Uncle Albert
Albert Gladstone Trotter is a fictional character from the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was introduced during the fourth season as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the death of actor Lennard Pearce...
that the Shamrock Club in Deptford, the "Paddies' Moulin Rouge", doesn't have an act for St. Patrick's Night
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
since their resident band, the Dublin Bay Stormers, are in jail for their violent behaviour. Del manages to secure a booking for Rodney's band at the Shamrock Club with a clever ruse which involves a carefully timed slamming door and a Bachelors
The Bachelors
The Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
LP on the record player, then calling Liam, the owner of the club on the phone, and telling him that it'll require £300 to hire the band for St. Patrick's Night. Once the conversation is over and Del hangs up, he heads off to the community hall to tell Rodney.
That night, at the community hall, Rodney and his band are rehearsing a song they wrote called "Boys will be Boys", with Mental Mickey providing vocals, two other guys named Stew and Charlie both playing rhythm guitars, and Rodney playing drums on packing cases until Del enters, listens to the band playing their song rather badly, then tells them that he wants to be their manager and will buy them brand new equipment, as well as get them bookings. Mental Mickey allows Del to take the position. Del then asks the band if they know any of the Bachelors' songs, and the band look at him nonplussed. Now their manager, Del promises the band that this time next year, they'll be millionaires.
On St. Patrick's Night at the Shamrock Club, a massive riot has broken out due to the performance of Rodney's band. Rodney, Del, Stew, and Charlie exit the club with their instruments and equipment and drive off into the night in the Trotter van, while Mental Mickey enjoys himself fighting various club patrons.
A few days later, at the Trotters' garage, Rodney has invited a policeman in to tell him that his band's instruments were "stolen". But Del appears at the garage door and explains to his younger brother and the policeman that he had them on a sale-or-return basis, much to Rodney's surprise. Del gets rid of the policeman, and tells Rodney that the "bunch of wallies" weren't destined for the Albert Hall, and Carnegie Hall; the only hall they were destined for was "Sod 'All". After explaining that he got kicked out of the band for defending his older brother, Rodney asks Del why he always interferes in everything his younger brother does. Del answers that their mother Joan said to him on her deathbed
Deathbed
A deathbed is a place where a person dies or lies in during the last few hours before death.Deathbed may also refer to:* Deathbed conversion, a religious faith conversion...
to give Rodney all the encouragement he could, but Rodney points out that whatever they're arguing about, their mother always had something to say about it on her deathbed. Del then pays Rodney his share of the £300 booking fee and tells him to just forget about that "bunch of wallies" and move on. With the conversation over, the Trotter Brothers head off to the market to flog hooky Maltesers
Maltesers
Maltesers are a confectionery product manufactured by Mars, Incorporated.Maltesers consist of a roughly spherical malt honeycomb centre, surrounded by Milk chocolate. They are most popular in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Poland, France, Hong Kong, and Portugal...
.
The next evening, as Del Boy is talking to Monkey Harris on the telephone about the Kandy Dolls, he watches the TVs and discovers to his complete horror that the group, now named A Bunch of Wallies, are at #26 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 ...
and performing their song 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...
. Suddenly, Del hears Rodney entering the flat, and quickly turns both TVs off, as Rodney wants to watch Top of the Pops, but Del tells him that both TVs are broken. And so, Rodney decides to enter Albert's bedroom and tell him some good news. While that happens, Del quickly puts on his camel coat, while Albert exits his bedroom and tells Del that Rodney's busy watching Top of the Pops on the portable TV. Just as Del is about to escape, a fuming Rodney exits Albert's bedroom and tells Del that Mental Mickey and his band are in the charts and have a great chance of making it to #1. It seems that without Del's interference, Rodney could've been a star. Del protests that he too has lost out as he was the band's manager. Rodney produces his old drumstick and threatens to hurt Del with it.
Episode cast
{||valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
! Actor
! Role
|-
| David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
| Del Boy
|-
| Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies...
| Rodney
|-
| Buster Merryfield
Buster Merryfield
Harry "Buster" Merryfield was an English actor best known for starring in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.-Early life:...
| Uncle Albert
|-
| Geoffrey Leesley
| Policeman
|-
| Daniel Peacock
Daniel Peacock
Daniel Peacock is an English actor, writer and director best known for his work with the team of The Comic Strip Presents.... He is also known as Danny Peacock.-Acting:...
| "Mental" Mickey
|-
| Marcus Francis
| Charlie
|-
| David Thewlis
David Thewlis
David Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
| Stew
|-
| Mike Read
Mike Read
Michael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
| Himself
|}
This episode featured a brief cameo by ex-Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who was on the TV presenting the Bunch of Wallies on Top of the Pops.
One of the dolls says Exterminate like the Daleks from Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Errors
- The Trotter garage is a lot bigger than the one seen in "Time On Our HandsTime On Our Hands"Time On Our Hands" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was originally billed to be the last ever episode of the show, it was first screened on 29 December 1996...
", where it was linked up with other garages and was much smaller. - At the near end of the episode, Del tells Monkey Harris that he's had the dolls for a week, shortly before seeing the Bunch of Wallies on Top of the Pops. On the day Del bought the dolls, Rodney was still in the band and another member said later he reckoned his friend's cousin could get them a contract. So in the tight space of one week, the Bunch of Wallies have played the Shamrock Club, fired Rodney, found a new drummer, got some instruments of their own (which they never had previously), gained a contract, recorded their song "Boys will be Boys", released it as a single, entered the charts, and appeared on Top of the Pops.
- When Del's on the phone to Liam at the Shamrock Club, he starts playing "DianeDiane (song)Diane is a song by Erno Rapee and Lew Pollack originally written as a theme song for the 1927 classic silent movie Seventh Heaven. In 1928, The Nat Shilkret Orchestra had a hit with the song....
" by the Bachelors. However, when he puts the phone down, and turns the volume up, it jumps to a different point of the song.
Music
- The BachelorsThe BachelorsThe Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
: Diane - ShakatakShakatakShakatak are an English jazz-funk band, founded in 1980.-Career:Shakatak scored a number of chart entries, including two Top Ten hits in the UK Singles Chart, "Night Birds" and "Down on the Street" plus a further 12 entries in the Guinness book of British Hit Singles...
: Toot The Shoot - Daniel Peacock : Drivin' Hard, Boys Will Be Boys