Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)
From: GUEST,Eleni M
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 08:18 AM

OMG. I played this song on an old record I found in the 1980s.
I can't believe how much of it I remember!
I wish I still had the record, what a hoot!
Wow, I'd love to hear the flip side song again too!

Cheers,
Eleni

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Oct 10 - 03:46 PM

Benny Hill sang a song called BROKEN HEARTED LOVERS' STEW, which contained many puns involving names of vegetables. One of them was the line:

'A beetroot for the time I said that I'd "bee-troot"-to you.'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 02:40 PM

I think the beetroot song was by Joe Brown & the Bruvvers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Oct 10 - 01:36 AM

yes I remember a bit of this song.I emmigrated to Australia in 1968.
Remembered the tune and the line "We ordered steak and chips it cost us 12 and 9 and I said to the wife we,d be better off in Blackpool"
I was singing it this morning whilst ou riding my push bike and came hohe a googled it .Didnt know it was by Lance Percival but it sounds like Lance.I remember Him singing "Gossip Calypso" and "If you like beetroot I`ll be true to you" but I have never been able to find the beetroot song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Riviera Cayf (from Lance Percival)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 02:50 PM

Ha. I have a copy of this song. Well, it's in my mum's attic somewhere.

It's a Parlophone double A side, and the other song is called "You're joking of course", and is even more memorable.

I have it in original cardboard sleeve.

Anybody interested in more details, I am [e-mail]

Cheers m'dears.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 05:56 PM

And a fine job you did, too. But that's beside the point. I was wondering whether there might be more than one version of the song out there. Maybe you transcribed one version and the Wikiquote came from another version. I see nothing strange about that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 03:48 PM

I transcribed the words from the record on the youtube link, Jim. And you don't believe everything you read on wikis do you?!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 09:36 AM

Wikiquote says the song is GREEK HOLIDAY and it attributes it to Myles Rudge (who also wrote RIGHT SAID FRED (CUP OF TEA) and A WINDMILL IN OLD AMSTERDAM). It gives these quotes:

We asked for steak and chips,
They brought us something stewed,
It smelt like it was off,
And it looked extremely rude.
...
I told the wife, "We'd be better off in Blackpool."

Is there more than one version out there?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Leadfingers
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 06:25 PM

Probably sound better with a Hard C in GarKon !!

Subject: Lyr Add: RIVIERA CAYF (from Lance Percival)
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 02:25 PM

Riviera Cayf (Percival, Martin, Rudge 1963)


We sat there in this cayf, this Riviera cayf,
The menu was in French and the plumbing was unsafe.
We ordered tea for two, it cost us 12/9,
And something in a bag was floating round in mine.

And all the while the music played,
And people fraternised right up the esplanade.
I told the wife we'd be better off in Blackpool;
It's more genteel and you can get a decent meal.
This French high life–we'd be better off in Blackpool.
I told the wife, and the wife she said to me,
'Mais oui.'
NO WE MAY NOT!

We sat there in this cayf, an hour or two went by.
A garcon in a vest was giving her the eye—
THE DIRTY SWINE!
We ordered steak & chips, they brought us something stewed;
It smelt like it was off and looked extremely rude

And all the while the music played,
And what went on put Dolce Vita in the shade.
I told the wife we'd be better off in Blackpool;
They've got a pier, which is more than they've got here.
Frogs on my knife–we'd be better off in Blackpool.
I told the wife, but the wife & this garcon—
They'd gone!

[12/9 = 12 shillings and 9 pence, about 68P
I've forgotten how to do a cedilla in HTML
47 years Roger!]]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 06:38 AM

Steve,
When you've transcribed it please post it here for the DT and for those of us too lazy to do it themselves! Listening to the clip I was surprised how much of it I remembered, given that I hadn't heard it for (30?) years and that I can't remember what I logged on to do just now!

RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 02:26 PM

Triffic!! Thanks ... I'll see how long it takes meto learn it.

Much better to come here to the Isle of Wight for your hols; at least they speak the lingo more or less), and they have a folk festival, which you've just missed.

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 12:15 PM

Riviera Cayf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: GUEST,Paul Goode
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 09:14 AM

I've been searching for the full lyrics of this song for 40 years

I remember this much
"We ordered fish and chips
they brought us something stewed
It smelt like it was orf!
and it looked extremely rude
And all the while the music played"
Thanks Michael G

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: GUEST,Michael G
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 11:19 AM

It is called Riviera Cayf. Search Youtube for Lance Percival

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: GUEST,John Wood
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 06:01 AM

Does anyone know where a copy of the original recording can be obtained?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 03:36 PM

Not that -- it was defionitely before TW3. Good song though -- old Lance was pretty witty, wasn't he?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Jun 08 - 08:25 AM

I remember it

I told the wife
we'd be better of in Blackpool
It's more genteel
And you can get a decent meal

Frogs on my knife!
We'd be be better orf in Blackpool

lance Percival it was.

It was after 1963.

I'd never heard of LP til he did his topical calypso spot in TW3. he must have got record deal on the back of the show.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Jun 08 - 03:37 PM

NOT the Brit Hoiday abroad that I do - Thats Leon Rosselsson's Tourists Lament ! - I'll send myself a postcard every day !
Your query sounds like a good one though !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 02 Jun 08 - 02:59 PM

Could it have been Lance Percival and was it performed on TW3?
I rember something like it with a repetitive line
"Well I said to the wife, We'd be better off in Blackpool"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 02 Jun 08 - 01:59 PM

Refresh ... in hope!

Subject: Lyr Req: Brit holiday-abroad shock-horror song
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 24 May 08 - 04:10 PM

Can anyone remember this song from around 1960, give or take a couple of years? I can't remember who recorded it; it was about an English couple going to France and suffering what can only be described as culture shock. I can remember:

We ordered tea for two,
It cost me 12/9 [twelve shillings and ninepence]
And something in a bag
Was floating round in mine ...

And later:
The wife she said oui, oui.
No we may not!

My brain is obviously going sofrt in my old age. Don't ask what I had for breakfast today...!