Talking Tottenham - The Juke Box

The players have over the years enjoyed their celebrity by dashing into the recording studio and sharing (or inflicting) their musical talents with the fans. Here for the first time In one collection are all your favourites.

I normally manage to keep my footy and music separate but lets gather round and we will see what we can find and get those toes tapping. 

I suppose we should start with Chas ‘N’ Dave as they are the most well known. Local rockers Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock, have recorded a number of tunes with and about their heroes. 1981 saw them record ‘Ossies Dream / Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur’ Possibly Tottenham’s best attack on the music world as it managed number 5 in the top 20.

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Dream contains the great Ossie singing about his ‘Tottingham.’ This also featured on the ‘Tottenham Hotspur Party Album. ‘

The following year they produced ‘Tottenham Tottenham’ (only managed 19th) and for the 1987 final it was ‘Hot Shot Tottenham.’  This reached no 18 in the UK pop charts and contained the line “Danny all the goals are for you.” As a tribute to Danny Thomas who had suffered a career ending injury.  Tottenham’s next Cup Final in 1991 and the song was ‘When the year ends in one’ (number 44).  Later that year they recorded the ‘Victory Song’. Chas ‘n Dave once appeared on the pitch at an empty WHL for a TV Christmas special.  Chas Hodges now in his 70’s and still seen at the Lane, he has been going since he was 7! Tells how he and Dave (Peacock) one day were talking with their manager Bob England and (also a spurs fan) who suggested they write a Spur song. The rest as they say is history. Chas said these days he is delighted to see little kids singing ‘on our way to Wembley’ .

The players have led the way over the years with Paul Gascoigne recording with his home town band Lindisfarne, a version of their biggest number ‘Fog on the Tyne’ and performing it on ‘Top of the Pops.’ What I did not know until writing this was he then recorded an album with various people which was made up of tracks such as The Beatles ‘ All you need is love’ and an Elvis medley amongst the other treats.

Chas N Dave all kitted out with a backing band of Hoddle and Clemence, 1982.

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Also appearing on Britain’s top music TV show was Glen and Chris (Hoddle and Waddle) who had a hit with a number called ‘Diamond Lights‘.
They produced a second song ‘Its Goodbye’ but as is the case so often the band split, not because of musical difficulties but in this case Glen was transferred to Monaco.

And yes, that's what hip pop stars wore then.

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In 1973 A TV advert for a bakery had the punch line ‘Nice One Cyril’. At the time our left back was Cyril Knowles so this was quickly taken up by the WHL crowd. Knowles loved overlapping and crossing into the box. Then came the single of the same name by a band called Cockney Chorus. So ringing out around the ground would be “Nice one Cyril, nice one son, nice one Cyril lets have another one”. And yet no Grammy.

left - 1987 Clive Allen joins Chas N Dave.

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Just after Spurs won the Double a group appeared in the charts with a song called ‘Tip Top Tottenham’.
They were called the Totnamites.  I’ve read in several places that these were actually a group of ‘showbiz people’ but nobody seems to have a list of the band members.

Anyone out there have a clue?
I can tell you the B side was 'Danny Boy.'

The 1967 team recorded an album entitled ‘The Spurs go marching on’ which was recorded at the Abbey Road  studios, home of the Beatles who were top of the charts at the time with Sgt Pepper (guess which one of the two is in my collection).

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The tracks on the Tottenham album, include, and these took some ‘tracking’ down, Jimmy Greaves singing Strolling, Terry Venables, Bye Bye Blackbird.

The Scots (Mackay, Robertson and Gilzean ) with I belong to Glasgow while When Irish eyes are smiling was rendered by Pat Jennings Joe Kinnear and Mike England !!  

Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner came from Alan Mullery and Frank Saul. The ensemble then gathered for Hello Dolly and The Bells are ringing.

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There was also a record called ‘Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur’ (above) which was a compilation which was suppose to be a ‘greatest hits’ type production released in 1996 which pulled a lot of previously recorded numbers together.

Former player and manager Terry Venables has indeed led a busy life as well as designing board games and writing novels he actual sung with the Joe Loss Dance Band at one point.( Joes Los & Terry right).

He has been tempted into the recording studio, sometime in the seventies he recorded the old standard song ‘What do you want to make those eyes at me for.’  In 2002 he combined with a band called Rider and recorded “England Crazy’ for the World Cup which reached 46 in the UK charts.  Possible the high point came in 2010 when he took on the old Elvis number ‘If I can Dream.’ It was recorded with the aid of the Sun newspaper and featured 60 members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The video was filmed at Wembley Stadium. That performance included the talents (or otherwise) of as a backing singer, Harry Redknapp.  It was fame at last as it stormed up the charts to 23 which was ‘triffic’ as the proceeds went to charity.
 

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A piece of music which was dedicated to “Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in admiration of their many gallant games.”  This came from the composer Ezra Read when he wrote in 1908 a piece entitled “The Football March.”  


Then in 2010 Andros Townsend and some of the youth players were caught on camera singing ‘Stand By Me’ in the dressing room and that became an internet hit!

Various fans have climbed on the bandwagon over the years and sung about the side. One that does deserves inclusion here comes from 2015 when a group of fans calling themselves Ledley and the Kings, re-recorded Hot Shot Tottenham, with all the proceeds going to Tottenham’s Tribute Trust.

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In 1988 Gary Mabbutt achieved something special; he was back in the studio this time recording the song for the England team before the European Championships, even though he wasn’t selected for the final squad.

Stevie Archibald sampled the life of a rock star when in 1982 he appeared singing with Spurs ‘Tottenham Tottenham’ on TOTP then a quick change before joining the Scotland team on the  same show to perform ‘We have a Dream.’ 

That same period saw England’s record “We’ll take more care of you (fly the flag)” featured the talents of Ray Clemence and Glenn Hoddle. As well as being the theme for a British Airways advert and a Tottenham chant.  England’s earlier foray with ‘Back Home’ in 1970 had featured Alan Mullery and Martin Peters.

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Did you know that the highlights of the BBC commentary for the 1961 Cup Final were actually released on a 7” inch single record? You can see at copy at the National Football Museum in Manchester. The 1981 final later appeared on a long playing vinyl record. Several other games have since received similar treatment including the 1971 & 1973 League Cup finals (now that must be worth a listen) and more recently there was a BBC CD of edited commentary clips from various games from 61-99 made. Just trying dancing to that lot.

There is of course Glory Glory Hallelujah and McNarmas band, which we featured @ http://www.indiaspurs.com/blog/hotspur-towers-24.  As well as the anthem When the Spurs Go Marching in.

Clemence, Hoddle and Villa seem to be enjoying themselves.

Remember this collection is only available on India Spurs and cannot be found on E-Bay beware of imitations.

That’s the various snippets I’ve gathered together but I’m sure there must be more Spurs musical treats and stories out there,

For instance in the mid 60's the Dave Clark Five did a photo shoot with the players but this seems to be evading me. Help anyone.

so if you know of any or have info on these do let us know and we can start putting together the B Side !

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So until then, all together now.

COYS
Keith Harrison.
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