Russ Abbott's Spinners parody

Subject: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 02:28 PM

The Spinners have made an appearance in a recent thread which reminded me of this parody from Russ Abbott.

I think it just goes to show how popular they were when another popular entertainer could parody them on mainstream TV - I think Russ was on a Saturday night wasn't he? I don't think he would get away with some of the stuff he did nowadays. I remember his 'The Spanners' doing a song where they all wore white Arran jumbers apart from the Cliff character who had a coloured one on. They were doing a parody of 'Little Boxes' and they all sand something about a white one apart from 'Cliff' who sang 'I get to wear the coloured one'. Wonder what would happen if it was shown now? :-)

Enjoy

DeG

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 02:57 PM

LOL!

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Smedley
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 03:04 PM

The content of the jokes is one thing, but having a white actor 'black up' is quite another.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Acorn4
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 03:55 PM

I remember the first line:-

We're a folk group, we're a folk group
And we all come from Liverpool
And we all wear cuddly jumpers
And we always sound the same

a later one

"I can play this"
"I can play this"
"And I can play a bit of this"
"But I stand and do the talking 'cos I can't play anything"

His "Julio Doubleglazias" was also very entertaining

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 04:16 PM

Jere's Julio...

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Acorn4
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 06:35 PM

"Oh you lucky, lucky ladies
To have someone like me to adore
How I wish we could change places
So that I could love me even more"

Comedy genius!- still makes me cry laughing after all these years.

What I haven't been able to find on Youtube is Jimmy the Scot doing that completely incomprehensible bit of Glaswegian gobbledegook - I always wondered how he did that!

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:29 AM

Definitely a one off star - I first saw him with the Black Abbotts in cabaret some time in the 70s - Talk of the North Club, Patricroft. Caberet artists, Chicken in a basket and bleedin' Watneys Red Barrel. Definitely stood out as something special even then.

Did I dream it or do I remember him actualy appearing as Guest on a Spinners show, or them with him?

Aside from the two Ronnies folk and Morris skits did any other popular comedians do parodies of folking folk?

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:48 AM

I think Mike Harding does occasionally.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Will Fly
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:51 AM

Well, of course, there was always Kenneth Williams as Rambling Syd Rumpo on "Round The Horne" and "Beyond Our Ken". I still wurdle my grummits to some of his stuff.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 10:57 AM

The Fast Show occasionally featured an Irish Folk duo.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 11:12 AM

I like that Silas:-) Even if I do think Mr H can be a fine performer in his own right!

Of course - How could I forget Rambling Sid - I have a double cassette of his classics. Can't remember the Irish folk duo on the FS.

I know we all know someone like Rambling Sid or Jehosophat and Jones but are there any other recognisable parodies like the 'Spanners' though?

Cheers

D

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Bernard
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 11:34 AM

Then, of course, there are the folk performers who have gone on to become 'mainstream performers' - Jasper Carrott seems to have been the most enduring of them. I remember doing support for him at Deane Folk Club in Bolton in the days when he still had a beat up old Eko Ranger guitar! I think his agent was Tony Capstick... 1973 or thereabouts.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 09:04 AM

Wasn't it Vic & Bob did the Irish folk duo?

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Paco O'Barmy
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 10:11 AM

Yes, Mulligan and O'Hare.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Paco O'Barmy
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 03:41 PM

ps:I think the blacked up character is Dustin Gee, now long gone, but one of the funniest comedians I have ever seen live.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 07:20 AM

Listening to an old radio programme on Radio 7 last night, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor did a whole series of take offs including Dylan and Nina & Frederic.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 07:44 AM

I think you could be right, Paco - Details and picture here.

Were the Oddie/Brooke-Taylor take-offs part of the Goodies by any chance, Manitas? I wouldn't mind re-visiting those sometime for other reasons but if they have that stuff in as well I will make it sooner!

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 07:52 AM

I think it was "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again"

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 08:06 AM

I can't identify the actual episode but I note that there is a lot of parodying of folk song in the series.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Acorn4
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 09:22 AM

Benny Hill did a parody of Bob Dylan in the song "What a world" and also one of Micky and Griff -remember them?

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: kerry and Mandy
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 11:03 PM

hi guys
does any one know if the "little box's" parody by the Spanners is about on the web any where. we have been looking for it for years, but cant find it!!!
another verse went

i've a bright smile
i've a white smile
and i've got the whitest smile of all

guess who sang that verse?????
here's hopeing
take care all
kerry and mandy

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Acorn4
Date: 06 Feb 10 - 09:47 AM

If loads of people can come up with a couple of lines we might be able to reconstruct it.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Feb 10 - 10:38 AM

All I can remeber is the wooly jumper bit - Wonder if we can email Russ Abbott for it?

D.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Jogun
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 07:47 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLpOpTgQLQA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Jogun
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 07:51 PM

Came across this forum while searching for the answer to why I know 'thatsong' from the O2 advert. I thought my dad used to sing it to us but realised I was remembering this! This is what I remember.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 08:09 PM

Here's a clicky for The Spanners :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLpOpTgQLQA&feature=related

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 08:43 PM

Thanks. Didn't think I'd managed the clicky!

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Jogun
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 08:45 PM

Just depicts the 80's folk superbly! (all be it slightly un-PC) Love it all the same though.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 06:59 AM

Some intersting parodies in my old thread Little Tourists

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Mr Happy
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 07:09 AM

1st time I saw Russ Abbott perform was about 1964 at the school concert with his group, the Black Abbotts, a rock band doing Beatles, Stones etc covers.

They & I were all still attending the same school in Chester then!

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 02:19 PM

Brilliant - I had forgotton this thread and was very pleasenly surprised it had been refreshed with the very skit I was thinking of :-)

What I had not realised was how good the group actualy were with the harmonies! I know Russ is a good singer - were the others as well or was it mimed do you think?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: banjoman
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 07:06 AM

Just watched this and have to say that its great. They have got the Spinners off to a tee.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: goatfell
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 10:54 AM

i liked it and I like the Spinners (liverpool)

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: davyr
Date: 15 Mar 12 - 11:43 AM

I expect manitas at work was thinking of Bob Fleming when he mentioned the Fast Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yqOipq7VZk

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 11:28 AM

Putting my tin hat on just in case - I thought that Russ Abbot got Tony Davis' body language mannerisms more or less spot on.

It is a pity that their is little or no Spinners archive TV material on YouTube - I used to love their Christmas show when I was young - that and school music classes would have been my earliest introductions to folk song.

I suppose the BBC at the time saw no value in keeping any in archive.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Paul S
Date: 22 Apr 12 - 11:00 AM

Still first rate. You have got to be first class yourself to take off a band who were held in such high regards nationally in the 60's and early 70's. We need more of such archive material.

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 02:55 PM

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but does anyone remember Russ Abbott's second Spinners parody - the Christmas one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBXUjO7qNwQ

Subject: RE: Russ Abbott's Spinners parody
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Apr 17 - 03:21 PM

Wasn't that the one in the opening post?

Lovely to see the old thread resurrected anyway

:D tG