The Wombles (band)
Encyclopedia
The Wombles are a British
novelty pop
group, featuring musician
s dressed as the characters from children's TV show The Wombles
, which in turn was based on the children's book series by Elisabeth Beresford
. Songwriter
and record producer
, Mike Batt
, wrote the series' theme tune
, and went on to perform and produce a number of successful album
s and singles
as 'The Wombles'. British Hit Singles & Albums jokingly referred to them as the "furriest (and possibly the tidiest) act... are natives of Wimbledon Common, London". The band's reunion was officially announced in May 2011.
and commissioned Batt to write the theme song. He waived the flat fee for writing a single song, and secured the character rights for musical production to write songs under the name 'The Wombles'. To help him get into character, Batt's mother made him a Womble suit, which he wore for a week prior to writing the first songs.
The band released several album
s and singles
. All four studio albums went gold
and four of the singles reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart
. The Wombles were the most successful act of 1974, with albums in the UK charts for more weeks than any other act.
A single called "Wombling U.S.A.", written to break into the American market, was recorded in 1974 but was not released.
Several of the songs were included in the soundtrack of the 1977 film, Wombling Free
.
. Additional Womble suits were hastily made for the live performance.
When the band performed on stage or television, the characters were always played by experienced musicians in full Womble costumes. This often including session players such as guitarist Chris Spedding
(complete with his trademark white Gibson Flying V
) as Wellington and drummer Clem Cattini
as Bungo, both of whom had played on Batt's recordings. Batt usually played the part of Orinoco. On one edition of Top of the Pops
, the costumes were filled by members of Steeleye Span
. The costumes were sweltering in the heat of television studios.
Tim and Andy Renton, who had worked with Batt in the latter incarnation of Hapshash and the Coloured Coat
also donned the costumes, along with Robin LeMesurier, who also had a Gibson Flying V, but was kicked out of the "band" following an arrest for possession of marijuana following an appearance of the Wombles on Clapham Common
.
The band was the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974
.
To split the group, Batt decided to have Wellington Womble leave to pursue a solo career. In 1976, Wellington released the solo single, "Rainmaker".
on the BBC in 2010) Batt pointed out that, in balance, the Wombles also served as a "furry balloon" as it gave him his first chart success.
in June 2011. Michael Eavis
, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, said that booking the Wombles was "a bit of a mistake". Batt quipped that Uncle Bulgaria had been offended by Eavis' comments and had withdrawn an offer to tidy up the site after the festival.
This may have come about due to the facebook campaign group The Wombles for Uk Christmas number one 2011 you can still join the group and get behind the campaign.
comedy program Don't Watch That, Watch This showed a dubbed footage of The Wombles from TOTP2
, of the Wombles purportedly performing "Anarchy in the U.K.
" live in June 1988. The scrolling caption during the song read "During the early eighties the Wombles reformed as a funk soul fusion. But the project soon failed and the group disbanded, only to come together again as the Dixie Minstrel Wombles. In 1988 the original line up were reunited for the third time to record their version of this Sex Pistols
classic.... for a Pot Noodle
commercial. Later released as a single it reached 57 on the charts".
The film
The Rutles
featured a Ringo Starr
-inspired character named Barrington Womble who "shortened his name to save time...he simply became Barry Wom."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
novelty pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group, featuring musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s dressed as the characters from children's TV show The Wombles
The Wombles
The Wombles are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures that live in burrows, where they help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in useful and ingenious ways. Wombles were created by author Elisabeth Beresford, originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968...
, which in turn was based on the children's book series by Elisabeth Beresford
Elisabeth Beresford
Elisabeth 'Liza' Beresford, MBE was a British author of children's books, best known for creating The Wombles. Born into a family with many literary connections, she worked as a journalist but struggled for success until she created the Wombles in the 1960s...
. 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...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Mike Batt
Mike Batt
Michael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
, wrote the series' theme tune
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, and went on to perform and produce a number of successful album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
as 'The Wombles'. British Hit Singles & Albums jokingly referred to them as the "furriest (and possibly the tidiest) act... are natives of Wimbledon Common, London". The band's reunion was officially announced in May 2011.
History
Filmfair acquired the television rights to The WomblesThe Wombles
The Wombles are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures that live in burrows, where they help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in useful and ingenious ways. Wombles were created by author Elisabeth Beresford, originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968...
and commissioned Batt to write the theme song. He waived the flat fee for writing a single song, and secured the character rights for musical production to write songs under the name 'The Wombles'. To help him get into character, Batt's mother made him a Womble suit, which he wore for a week prior to writing the first songs.
The band released several album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. All four studio albums went gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and four of the singles reached the Top 10 in 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 ...
. The Wombles were the most successful act of 1974, with albums in the UK charts for more weeks than any other act.
A single called "Wombling U.S.A.", written to break into the American market, was recorded in 1974 but was not released.
Several of the songs were included in the soundtrack of the 1977 film, Wombling Free
Wombling Free
Wombling Free was a 1977 film adaption of the children's television series The Wombles.-Humans:*David Tomlinson: Roland Frogmorton*Frances de la Tour: Julia Frogmorton*Bonnie Langford: Felicity 'Kim' Frogmorton*Bernard Spear: Arnold Takahashi...
.
Live performances
In January 1974, Mike Batt appeared on the Cilla Black show as Orinoco, having been led onstage by guest Bernard Cribbins, to plug "The Wombling Song". Consequently, when the single charted, the "band" was invited to perform on Top of the PopsTop 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...
. Additional Womble suits were hastily made for the live performance.
When the band performed on stage or television, the characters were always played by experienced musicians in full Womble costumes. This often including session players such as guitarist Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
(complete with his trademark white Gibson Flying V
Gibson Flying V
-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
) as Wellington and drummer Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
as Bungo, both of whom had played on Batt's recordings. Batt usually played the part of Orinoco. On one edition of 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...
, the costumes were filled by members of Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
. The costumes were sweltering in the heat of television studios.
Tim and Andy Renton, who had worked with Batt in the latter incarnation of Hapshash and the Coloured Coat
Hapshash and the Coloured Coat
Hapshash and the Coloured Coat is the name of an influential British graphic design and avant-garde musical partnership between Michael English and Nigel Waymouth, producing psychedelic posters and two albums of underground music...
also donned the costumes, along with Robin LeMesurier, who also had a Gibson Flying V, but was kicked out of the "band" following an arrest for possession of marijuana following an appearance of the Wombles on Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Clapham Common is an 89 hectare triangular area of grassland situated in south London, England. It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.43 hectares of the common are within the...
.
The band was the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom...
.
Break up
The Wombles were featured in theatrical shows all over the UK during the 1975 Christmas season. However due to a dispute over the rights to the stage shows, none of them had anything to do with Batt. It was a public relations disaster, with the media reporting that hundreds of children were disappointed with the "imitation Wombles".To split the group, Batt decided to have Wellington Womble leave to pursue a solo career. In 1976, Wellington released the solo single, "Rainmaker".
Legacy
Batt remains sensitive about the legacy of the band. In a 2008 interview he said "It is hard to be taken seriously with the Wombles hanging around my neck like a furry anvil." More recently (program with Aled JonesAled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
on the BBC in 2010) Batt pointed out that, in balance, the Wombles also served as a "furry balloon" as it gave him his first chart success.
Reunion
In April 2011, Batt announced that the Wombles would be reuniting to play at the Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in June 2011. Michael Eavis
Michael Eavis
Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis, CBE , is an English dairy farmer and the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place on his farm.-Personal life:...
, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, said that booking the Wombles was "a bit of a mistake". Batt quipped that Uncle Bulgaria had been offended by Eavis' comments and had withdrawn an offer to tidy up the site after the festival.
Wombling Merry Christmas
Following the success of the reunion at Glastonbury, the Wombles are re-releasing Wombling Merry Christmas on December 12th 2011, with the attempt to bring the fun back to the Christmas charts by getting it to the UK number one this Christmas.This may have come about due to the facebook campaign group The Wombles for Uk Christmas number one 2011 you can still join the group and get behind the campaign.
Personnel
- Orinoco Womble – vocals, keyboards
- Wellington Womble – guitar
- Tomsk Womble – bass
- Bungo Womble – drums, percussion
- Tobermory Womble – keyboards
- Madame Cholet – saxophone
- Great Uncle Bulgaria – violin, musical director
Studio albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Wombling Songs Wombling Songs Wombling Songs was the first album released by The Wombles. The songs were recorded by Mike Batt with session musicians Chris Spedding , Les Hurdle , Clem Cattini , Ray Cooper , Rex Morris , Eddie Mordue and Jack Rothstein...
|
| 1974 | Remember You're A Womble Remember You're A Womble Remember You're A Womble was the second album released by The Wombles. The songs were recorded by Mike Batt with session musicians Chris Spedding , Les Hurdle , Clem Cattini , Ray Cooper , Rex Morris , Eddie Mordue and Jack Rothstein .After the success of the previous album, Wombling Songs, Batt... |
| Keep On Wombling Keep On Wombling Keep On Wombling was the third album released by The Wombles. The songs were recorded by Mike Batt with session musicians Chris Spedding , Les Hurdle , Clem Cattini , Ray Cooper , Rex Morris , Eddie Mordue and Jack Rothstein .This was a marked departure from the first two albums, being concept... |
|
| 1975 | Superwombling Superwombling Superwombling was the fourth and final album released by The Wombles. The songs were recorded by Mike Batt with session musicians Chris Spedding , Les Hurdle , Clem Cattini , Ray Cooper , Rex Morris , Eddie Mordue and Jack Rothstein .The musical styles included rock, pop, blues, reggae,... |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1975 | The Best of The Wombles - 20 Wombling Greats
|
| 1976 | The Best of The Wombles - 20 Wombling Greats (reissue)
|
| 1978 | The Wombles Christmas Party
|
| 1983 | The Wombles Christmas Album
|
| 1989 | Wombling Hits
|
| 1997 | Underground, Overground - The Ultimate Wombles Collection
|
| 1998 | The Best Wombles Album So Far - Volume 1
|
| 2000 | The Wombles Collection
|
| 2005 | The Very Best Of The Wombles
|
Singles
| Year | Single details |
|---|---|
| 1973 | "The Wombling Song" / "Wombles Everywhere"
|
| 1974 | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Bungo's Birthday"
|
| "Banana Rock" / "The Womble Square Dance"
|
|
| "Wombling Summer Party" / "Wimbledon Sunset"
|
|
| "Minuetto Allegretto" / "Womble Burrow Boogie"
|
|
| "Remember You're A Womble" / "Wellington Womble"
|
|
| "Wombling Merry Christmas" / "Madame Cholet"
|
|
| 1975 | "Wombling White Tie And Tails" / "The Wombling Twist"
|
| "Superwomble" / "The Orinico Kid"
|
|
| "Let's Womble To The Party Tonight" / "Down At The Barber Shop"
|
|
| "The Womble Shuffle" / "To Wimbledon With Love"
|
|
| 1976 | Wellington Womble - "Rainmaker" / The Wombles - "Wombling in the Rain"
|
| 1998 | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Remember You're A Womble (Dance Mix)"
|
| "The Wombling Song" / "The Orinoco Kid"
|
|
| 2000 | "I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day" (with Roy Wood Roy Wood Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood... ) |
| 2011 | "Wombling Merry Christmas" / "Madame Cholet"
|
Music videos
| Year | Video details |
|---|---|
| 1998 | The Wombling Song
|
| Remember You're A Womble
|
Soundtracks
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Wombling Free Wombling Free Wombling Free was a 1977 film adaption of the children's television series The Wombles.-Humans:*David Tomlinson: Roland Frogmorton*Frances de la Tour: Julia Frogmorton*Bonnie Langford: Felicity 'Kim' Frogmorton*Bernard Spear: Arnold Takahashi... - Original Soundtrack
|
Parodies
The BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
comedy program Don't Watch That, Watch This showed a dubbed footage of The Wombles from TOTP2
TOTP2
Top of the Pops 2 is a British television music show broadcast on BBC Two, showing archive footage from the long-running Top of the Pops show, some dating back to the 1960s when the programme first aired on British television....
, of the Wombles purportedly performing "Anarchy in the U.K.
Anarchy in the U.K.
"Anarchy in the U.K." was covered by American thrash metal band Megadeth for their third album So Far, So Good... So What!, released in 1988.Notoriously, the song has incorrect lyrics...
" live in June 1988. The scrolling caption during the song read "During the early eighties the Wombles reformed as a funk soul fusion. But the project soon failed and the group disbanded, only to come together again as the Dixie Minstrel Wombles. In 1988 the original line up were reunited for the third time to record their version of this Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
classic.... for a Pot Noodle
Pot Noodle
Pot Noodle is a brand of ramen-style instant noodle snack foods, available in a selection of flavours and varieties. Its dehydrated mixture consists of wide noodles, textured soya pieces, assorted dried vegetables and flavouring powder. The product is prepared by adding boiling water, which softens...
commercial. Later released as a single it reached 57 on the charts".
The film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Rutles
The Rutles
The Rutles are a band that are known for their visual and aural pastiches and parodies of The Beatles. Originally created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a fictional band to be featured as part of various 1970s television programming, the group recorded, toured, and released two UK chart hits in...
featured a Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
-inspired character named Barrington Womble who "shortened his name to save time...he simply became Barry Wom."