Charles Exford writes: Here’s the list of “Curse of Half Man Half Biscuit” victims in order of how long they outlived being mentioned in the band’s songs. This list was compiled after many hours of work by Tony Blews on the HMHB Yahoo Group, with a little help from his friends on there, and we’ll try to keep it up here now.
Before suggesting anybody else, please do check when they died in relation to the earliest release of that particular song. It’s not much of a curse if they were already dead. And please don’t ask questions like “Is so-and-so dead?” in this thread. That would get very tedious too. Look them up yerself and make sure they are dead before suggesting. MAKE SURE THEY’RE DEAD. And don’t leave any evid… (sorry that bit was from another message I need to send).
Other rules: members of groups, teams or organisations mentioned do not count. Yes we know about 8 members of Buena Vista Social Club have died since that august company was mentioned, but it still doesn’t count ‘cos there have been dozens of them over the years. And that one out of Motley Crue died before they were mentioned anyway. Unfortunately.
Abandoned footy grounds, demolished gig venues, defunct companies or discontinued brands don’t count on this list either. Though do feel free to start your own list for those. Note that the list contains both a royal, a pontiff and a premier: a nice hat-trick. Lech Walesa will one day add a president to the illustrious pantheon.
Talking of hat-tricks, I note that the list also contains the only Wembley FA Cup final hat-trick scorer, the only man to score 2 European Cup final hat-tricks, a man highly skilled in rabbit-from-a-hat tricks and the man who decided Brazil could keep the World Cup after their hat-trick.
Davies, Dickie
first mentioned 8/9/1986 – died 19/2/2023
outliving the curse by 36 years and 164 days
Blair, Lionel
07/10/1985 – 4/11/2021
36 years and 28 days
Stubbs, Una
07/10/1985 – 12/08/2021
35 years and 309 days
Mikkola, Hannu
??/01/1986 – 26/02/2021
c.35 years and 41 days
Stiles, Nobby
03/03/1986* – 30/10/2020
34 years and 241 days
Large, Eddie
07/10/1985 – 2/4/2020
34 years and 186 days
Baynham, Grant
??/10/1990 – 29/07/2022
c.31 years and 347 days
Noakes, John
07/10/1985 – 28/05/2017
31 years and 233 days
Cant, Brian
10/11/1985 – 19/06/2017
31 years and 221 days
Harris, Keith
07/10/1985 – 28/04/2015
29 years and 203 days
Fosbury, Dick
25/10/1993 – 12/03/2023
29 years and 138 days
Royal, Bert (Herbert Faulkner)
25/10/1993 – 20/08/2022
28 years and 299 days
Lees, Ian “Sludge”
??/10/1990 – 31/07/2018
c.27 years and 349 days
Trautmann, Bert
??/01/1986 – 19/07/2013
c.27 years and 186 days
Barnes, Chester
25/10/1993 – 19/03/2021
27 years and 145 days
Quax, Dick
??/10/1991 – 28/05/2018
c.26 years and 225 days
Savile, Jimmy
07/10/1985 – 29/10/2011
26 years and 22 days
Ganley, Len
07/10/1985 – 28/08/2011
25 years and 325 days
Lane, Carla
??/10/1990 – 31/05/2016
25 years and 288 days
Rossi, Paolo
15/05/1995 – 10/12/2020
25 years and 209 days
Prowse, David
15/05/1995 – 29/11/2020
25 years and 198 days
Titmus, Fred
07/10/1985 – 23/03/2011
25 years and 167 days
Sarstedt, Peter
??/10/1991 – 08/01/2017
c.25 years and 85 days
Hodges, Chas
25/10/1993 – 22/9/2018
24 years and 332 days
Heyhoe Flint, Rachael
??/??/1992 – 18/01/2017
c.24 years and 200 days
Mauger, Ivan
25/10/1993 – 15/4/2018
24 years and 172 days
Lemon, Meadowlark
??/10/1991 – 27/12/2015
c.24 years and 73 days
Bream, Julian
02/02/1997 – died 14/8/2020
23 years and 194 days
Bongo, Ali
07/10/1985 – 08/03/2009
23 years and 152 days
Kitt, Eartha
07/10/1985 – 25/12/2008
23 years and 79 days
Fenton, Shane
(aka Stardust, Alvin)
??/10/1991 – 11/09/2014
c.23 years and 9 days
Meat Loaf
25/04/2000 – 20/01/2022
21 years and 270 days
Bastable, Tony
07/10/1985 – 25/05/2007
21 years and 230 days
Puskas, Ferenc
??/01/1986 – 17/11/2006
c.20 years and 300 days
Houston, Whitney
??/10/1991 – 11/02/2012
c.20 years and 120 days
Farm, George
??/01/1986 – 18/07/2004
c.19 years and 180 days
Manson, Charles
29/06/1998 – 19/11/2017
19 years and 143 days
Quinn, Harry
??/10/1991 – 1/10/2009
c.18 years
Eco, Umberto
29/06/1998 – 19/02/2016
17 years and 235 days
Hird, Thora
07/10/1985 – 15/03/2003
17 years and 159 days
Hassell, Sven
15/05/1995 – 21/09/2012
17 years and 129 days
Sinden, Donald
29/06/1998 – 11/09/2014
16 years and 74 days
Mount, Peggy
07/10/1985 – 13/11/2001
16 years and 37 days
Wolstenholme, Kenneth
03/03/1986* – 25/03/2002
16 years and 22 days
Thatcher, Margaret
29/06/1998 – 08/04/2013
14 years and 283 days
Moore, Brian
08/09/1986* – 01/09/2001
14 years and 358 days
Shankar, Ravi
29/06/1998 – 11/12/2012
14 years and 165 days
Michael, George
23/09/2002 – 25/12/2016
14 years and 93 days
Roddick, Anita
25/10/1993 – 10/09/2007
13 years and 320 days
Vandross, Luther
??/10/1991 – 01/07/2005
c.13 years and 260 days
Marks, Howard
23/09/2002 – 10/04/2016
13 years and 199 days
Gubba, Tony
25/04/2000 – 11/03/2013
12 years and 320 days
Hull, Rod
08/09/1986* – 17/03/1999
12 years and 190 days
Vine, David
02/02/1997 – 11/01/2009
11 years and 344 days
Spencer, Di
??/01/1986 – 31/08/1997
c.11 years and 230 days
Mugabe, Robert
28/04/2008 – 06/09/2019
11 years and 131 days
Cohen, Leonard
12/09/2005 – 10/11/2016
11 years and 59 days
Beefheart, Captain
25/04/2000 – 17/12/2010
10 years and 236 days
Most, Mickey
25/10/1993 – 30/05/2003
9 years and 217 days
Ball, Ernie
15/05/1995 – 09/09/2004
9 years and 117 days
Hall, Eric
25/09/2011 – 16/11/2017
9 years and 52 days
“Harry The Dog”
25/10/1993 – 09/08/2002
8 years and 290 days
Rayner, Claire
04/08/2003 – 11/10/2010
7 years and 68 days
Todd, Bob
07/10/1985 – 21/10/1992
7 years and 14 days
Vengloš, Dr. Jozef
20/10/2014 – 26/01/2021
6 years and 98 days
Haley, Alex
03/03/1986* – 10/02/1992
5 years and 344 days
Rimell, Mercy
25/09/2011 – 06/07/2017
5 years and 254 days
Mortensen, Stanley
??/01/1986 – 22/05/1991
c.5 years and 130 days
Grosvenor, Gerald, 6th Duke of Westminster
25/09/2011 – 09/08/2016
4 years and 319 days
Jackson, Gordon
07/10/1985 – 15/01/1990
4 years and 100 days
Yashin, Lev
??/01/1986 – 20/03/1990
c.4 years and 60 days
Pope JP2
25/06/2001 – 02/04/2005
3 years and 281 days
Queen Mother, The
29/06/1998 – 30/03/2002
3 years and 274 days
Gilzean, Alan
20/10/2014 – 8/7/2018
3 years and 261 days
Monopoly, Tony
??/10/1991 – 21/03/1995
c.3 years and 160 days
Greenhowe, Jean
18/05/2018 – 28/06/2021
3 years and 41 days
Gerulaitis, Vitas
??/10/1991 – 17/09/1994
c.2 years and 340 days
Dali, Salvador
08/09/1986* – 23/01/1989
2 years and 138 days
Savalas, Telly
??/10/1991 – 22/01/1994
c.2 years and 100 days
Kwango, Johnny
??/10/1991 – 19/01/1994
c.2 years and 97 days
Gow, Gerry
20/10/2014 – 10/10/2016
1 year and 355 days
Lee, Arthur
26/09/2004 – 03/08/2006
1 year and 311 days
Warhol, Andy
07/10/1985 – 22/02/1987
1 year and 138 days
Rushton, Willie
05/08/1995* – 18/08/1996
1 year and 13 days
Pele
25/02/2022 – 29/12/2022
307 days
Moult, Ted
20/11/1985* – 03/09/1986
287 days
Rous, Stanley
??/01/1986 – 18/07/1986
c.180 days
De Paul, Lynsey**
20/10/2014 – 01/10/2014
minus 19 days
* Note: Peel session dates have been given, if these preceded the particular track going on sale.
** Lynsey De Paul is the first and only person to hand back her ticket between the recording of the song and its release. Maybe she’d heard an advance copy of the album.
Matt
Based on the above, is it possible to produce a list of predictions of people’s deaths who are still alive and have been mentioned in HMHB songs?
I think this information is vital. Full statistical analysis please!
29 October 2010
John Anderson
T for Thatcher God willing.
29 October 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Major revision, Nov 2010: Claire Rayner added; dates recalculated to account for confirmed “Back In The DHSS” release date; some dates recalculated to use Peel session dates if these preceded the particular track going on sale; some manual recounts.
4 November 2010
Scott
No mention of Rob Fisher (Ballad of Climie Fisher)? I think he lasted about two weeks after Nigel had written the lyric. Someone should know the timelines involved.
8 November 2010
BrumBiscuit
@Scott: I thought that too, but did some research a while ago and discovered:
“Now, I could’ve sworn that (Rob) Fisher’s death was post-Trouble over Bridgwater, but disappointingly he shuffled off this mortal coil exactly eight months prior to that – 25/8/1999 and 25/4/2000 respectively.”
Wikipedia says he died following bowel surgery, which considering the shite he produced is very fitting.
8 November 2010
Bobby String
Alas, the curse of Blackwell strikes again!
“Avant-garde musician and visual artist Don Van Vliet, who performed under the name Captain Beefheart, has died aged 69. Van Vliet died of complications from multiple sclerosis at a hospital in Northern California, it was reported.”
Ô¿Ô
18 December 2010
Charles Exford
A Christmassy poem by Captain Beefheart
A Tin Peened Reindeer
A tin peened reindeer
Metalically hoofed on glass
Scorched cotton snowmen edged the corners
Flesh coloured powder mountains
Yellow lights melts cobwebbed articles
Vague wire tunnels resembling
Peeled flesh caterpillers
Housing very tiny red Christmas tree lights
The Nativity scene
Re-enacted in Ivory soap
A bone shade from age complete
With tiny straw manger
The Christ child its face replaced by an elephant’s head
Intricate lace cups each ear and bands the trunk
18 December 2010
Bobby String
10 years 236 days is not a bad innings compared to some who suffered the Biro of Blackwell (a sort of musical version of the Sword of Damocles). To my eternal shame (considering I was born in 1962 and therefore had plenty time) I never in my life heard a single Captain Beefheart track. Now I’ll have to go and find some and see what I was missing! 🙁
Ô¿Ô
18 December 2010
Bobby String
According to the duly added data in red he won’t die for at least another 10 years so that has to be some kind of record!
Yours sincerely
A.Nitpicking-Pedant
Ô¿Ô
Thanks – Ed
18 December 2010
Bobby String
Just a thought, Ed, but do you include band members in the above list? For instance, ELO get a mention in the same song as Captain Beefheart and I know at least one member of the band is brown bread, just can’t remember which one. Or do we have to wait for the whole band to die, perhaps in a Jim Reeves style plane crashing into a mountain scenario? Just wondered.
Ô¿Ô
21 December 2010
Chris The Siteowner
Before Charles sees that and writes anything so cutting it’ll saw teh interwebs in half, I’ll draw attention to paragraph 4, rule 1 above. And leave it right there.
21 December 2010
Bobby String
Yeah, good point, I should put my brain in gear before going anywhere near a keyboard!!! As a bit of a computer geek I often ask clients “Did you RTFM?” so maybe I should take my own advice now and again.
Mr. Exford, please feel free to let me have a full (Vatican) broadside if you wish, it will be thoroughly deserved!
Ô¿Ô
22 December 2010
Bobby String
Whilst posting a thread on antoher music forum, asking for lists of non-HMHB songs that mention other bands / musicians, I discovered that Joe Strummer also had a Nigel-type premonition. ‘1977’, the B-side of ‘White Riot’ contains the line “No Elvis, Beatles or The Rolling Stones in 1977”. It was released in March 1977, a full five months before the demise of the “burger-eating king of rock ‘n’ roll”. However, with the exception of Lennon and Harrison the others are, to the best of my knowledge, still alive and Strummer, of course, is dead, so his curse perhaps wasn’t as strong as Nigel’s!
Ô¿Ô
18 February 2011
Groucho Merckx
Conny Plank is now also deceased… he shall nevermore require a strobe.
1 March 2011
Charles Exford
Well he certainly was deceased 3½ years before his PBR, so I trust he still is.
The man, of course, who when Eno suggested a collaboration, refused to produce U2’s “The Joshua Tree” because “I can’t work with this singer”. Nuff respect
1 March 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
I’m tempted to put in a claim.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12751227
But the prior trip around Katharine Hamnett’s warehouse, will probably tell us a different story.
In which case I will claim the pedant of the week award ‘cos that David Emanuel is a single ‘m’.
http://davidemanuel.com/home/
Whilst the recently deceased one is a double ‘m’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley_Culture
So the lyrics of A Country Practice need to lose one letter or we need to acknowledge that Badmouth has struck again.
16 March 2011
murf
RIP Fred Titmuss
23 March 2011
chedgzooy
Fuckin’ ell
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/9433563.stm
RIP Fred
23 March 2011
Nick Howe
Fucking hell, it’s Fred Titmuss.
23 March 2011
nigel, no not that one (n3to)
@Murf
“One ‘s’ in Titmus, there’s only one ‘s’ in Titmus…”
🙂
23 March 2011
Ben
Rather randomly I once spotted the now late Fred Titmuss in Hemel Hempstead in 1981! I’m afraid I didn’t say “Fucking Hell – it’s Fred Titmuss” I think I may have uttered – “Ooh look, is that Fred Titmuss?” He was wearing his Middlesex CC v-neck pullover at the time, which helped to confirm the celebrity spot!
Anyway – RIP Mr Titmuss!
23 March 2011
murf
F*ckin Ell there’s only one S in Titmus!
(although I had heard Abi likes a second one in there……)
PS Does Liz Taylor count as she starred in the film version of Who’s afraid Of Virginia Wade?????
23 March 2011
TWO FAT FEET
That must put Fred top of the list? A momentous day, for maybe not the right reasons.
23 March 2011
Toerag
Letter in today’s Guardian points out omission of HMHB track mention from Fred Titmus’ obituary. His family are no doubt relieved that the balance has been redressed. Apparently he was some kind of cricketer.
26 March 2011
Treadmore
Eddie Stobart (who’s been referenced live):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-12923203
31 March 2011
TWO FAT FEET
I know this one doesn’t count except as a tenuous footnote, but Sidney Lumet, the director of Equus [On The Buses], died the other day.
11 April 2011
Sawbo
As an incredibly pedantic man I feel compelled to point out that George Farm died at the relatively ripe old age of 80, not 19. (13/07/1924 – 18/07/2004)
Also the Oi! revival never eally took off….does that count?
20 April 2011
TWO FAT FEET
You could easily apply that to all the other entries on the list – it’s how long they outlived the curse, not how old they were when they died.
20 April 2011
SAWBO
That’s true but, like I said, I’m an incredibly pedantic man!
28 April 2011
Phillip Wright
Sadly, Len Ganley is no longer with us.
28 August 2011
2 Chevrons
Confirmation that Len is no longer in need of the white gloves…
28 August 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
No no no no, no more Locomotion.
This puts Len top of the pile at 25 years and 325 days.
28 August 2011
2 Chevrons
With 90 Bisodol (Crimond) almost upon us, I bet there are a few people shitting themselves. Possibly a builder from Hackney among them.
29 August 2011
Charles Exford
Len Ganley, may he pass the long rest in peace, makes Back in the DHSS the first Biscuit album with a curse tally into double figures. Its surviving nominees can however at least comfort themselves that this album also now occupies all of the top 5 spots for post-curse longevity.
29 August 2011
Toerag
BBC news site records of Len..
“His cult status was officially confirmed when the Merseyside post-punk band Half Man Half Biscuit penned a song about him, The Len Ganley Stance.”
So its official!
29 August 2011
gordo
The Belfast Telegraph not only mentioned it, but put a YouTube link at the bottom of their article.
29 August 2011
TWO FAT FEET
It’s fair to say that anyone from the first album who cops it will automatically go to the top of the table. Those from later albums really need to cling on for at least a year or two after every last one of them has gone to see the great gig in the sky if they wish to take their place at the top.
30 August 2011
TWO FAT FEET
Looking forward to seeing Eric Hall in this list VERY VERY soon.
28 September 2011
waldron76
You seem to be missing Johnny Kwango, from Prag Vec At The Melkweg – he died January 19th, 1994. Also, would Maharishi Mahesh Yogi count from Ready Steady Goa? If so he died February 5th, 2008.
2 October 2011
Alarming Svarc
Rather ironically I think you are missing Alex Haley from carry on cremating
11 October 2011
Charles Exford
Jimmy Saville always relished announcing a new entry at number one – 7/10/85 – 29/10/11 = 26 years and 22 days, fixed it for himself to go straight to the top.
29 October 2011
Steve Nicholls
St Peter: About this asterisk, Sir Jimmy….
29 October 2011
Charles Exford
Hmm. Not sure about adding any dodgy honorific titles not mentioned in the lyrics. Quite a few of the others on the list have been awarded, or inherited, such honorifics but this would not seem to be a band who approve of them or the institutions that confer them.
30 October 2011
John Anderson
Though not mentioned by name, Bob Holness has died. He’ll be missed more than the handclapping sequence. RI.
6 January 2012
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
Apparently Harry the Dog died several years ago.
Stumbled on this devastating news today; it completely passed me by at the time. What time, I don’t know as all internet mentions I can find are a bit vague as to the when. Seems to have been a few years prior to 2007 but I’m not sure how you can use this temporal vagary to place him in the list.
BTW, this little Youtube clip shows a few seconds of the delightful chap from about 1:50. I thought he was the hardest man in the world when I was 14. That’s an ominous example of the power of TV.
12 January 2012
Paul Rodgers (Crimond)
Whitney’s gone.
11 Feb 2012 American time I believe.
Houston no longer has a drug problem.
12 February 2012
STEVE NICHOLLS
The most distressing thing about Whitney’s death is, through this column, to have it confirmed that it is 20 Years since McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt was released.
20 February 2012
MIKE IN COV
No-one, whatever their taste in music, can have wanted this curse (from £24,99 From Argos) to work its malevolence.
2 July 2012
MIKE IN COV
I wasn’t aware of the Radiohead reference in On Passing Lilac Urine, so my earlier post fits that also.
10 July 2012
New York Skiffler
Stapeley Water Gardens have gone bust!
18 July 2012
Chigley Skin
^^^ A nice day out, but best to take a £10,000 donation?
18 July 2012
Washboard Overnight
Peter Glaze must be about 200!? Also, The Outdoor Group (including Millets) are in administration.
25 September 2012
John Burscough
@WO: Peter Glaze passed away in 1983, unfortunately, aged 65 (10 years before This Leaden Pall was released, so not on the TNLINOST list).
26 September 2012
Charles Exford
Which reminds me to reply to Vendor (comment 45 above) that Harry the Dog (real name David Triggs!) went to the great Den in the sky on 9th August 2002, as posted by his son on a Millwall forum.
25/10/93 – 9/8/02 gives him 8 years 9 months 15 days or so, a comfortable if not exactly respectable top twenty entry.
26 September 2012
vendor of quack nostrums
Mid-table mediocrity. Quite apt really.
26 September 2012
Charles Exford
Just found out that Sven Hassell*, aged 95 (so for a long time the obvious pick in the “who’s next?” sweepstake), finally joined Harry the Dog in the fiery pit last Friday… I was away at a festival, so seem to have missed the obits.
??/06(?)/1995 – 21/9/12 = approx 17 years & 3 months, slipping into the legion of the damned between Thora Hird and Peggy Mount.
(*Sven’s real name my well have been Børge Villy Redsted Pedersen …though he denied it)
I was just trying to check my immediate impression that Sven’s exit leaves his fellow survivor of both fronts Bert Trautmann (89 next month) and then Thatcher (87 next month) as the oldest extant cursees -anyone know any different? Bert’s still looking a lot fitter than Maggie on his regular appearances at Man City games so here’s hoping she’s next, eh?!
26 September 2012
Washboard Overnight
By virtue of Reasons to be Miserable the late great Ian Dury surely qualifies, albeit at one remove?
27 September 2012
Charles Exford
As a follow-up to Steve’s comment & mine both last October (42 & 43 above), can we get rid of the ‘Sir’ Jimmy now please? It looks out of place.
Surely we won’t be putting ‘Lady Margaret’ when she gets hers?
And if the Lady id for titling, then Di Spencer’s ghost will be well miffed. Not to mention Stanley Rous’. He might come in. To our houses. To search for bootlegs off YouTube. And demand his title.
2 October 2012
John Burscough
As might Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. And Kenneth Wolstenholme, DFC & Bar.
2 October 2012
Chris The Siteowner
Charles: if Mercy Rimell is still with us (and in the absence of any reported unfortunate news, she appears to be), then she is 93.
3 October 2012
Charles Exford
Hi Chris,
Harry the Dog still needs to be added – see post 54 above. I am convinced of the date – no reason for his son not to be telling the truth – it wasn’t somebody claiming to be his son answering a question on the Millwall Forum, it was a new thread (“8 years ago today since my dad Harry the Dog went to the great Den in the sky”), and it does fit in with other “died a few years ago” posts about him on football forums in the mid-to-late noughties.
8 October 2012
Mr Galbraith
Just heard of the sad demise of Ravi Shankar at the age of 92. Honourable passing mention of him in Ready Steady Goa from FLWSTW. It’s 6.40am and only been up for 40 minutes (I don’t want a medal though) so my bleary reckoning makes that about 14 years? Over to you, Chris…
12 December 2012
John Burscough
RIP Ravi (and see RSG comment 16 re the Maharishi while you’re at it, Chris).
12 December 2012
Mathematically_Safe
Look’s like Stringy Bob’s been missed too? Although it it may or not be a cliche, I’d like to wish you all a merry xmas…
24 December 2012
BrumBiscuit
Stringy Bob passed away a couple of years ago…
26 December 2012
Paddy
Poor old Tony Gubba
11 March 2013
Gordo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/21740038
11 March 2013
Mark C
Bloody Hell Paddy – that was quick. Is it wrong that my first thought on hearing the news was to look for this article?
11 March 2013
Gordo
it was the first thing I thought of when a colleague told me of the news
11 March 2013
EMERGING FROM GORSE
If only they’d mention old Bacon Face, manager of the scum, in one of their songs. Oh how we’d laugh if he became a victim.
11 March 2013
BrumBiscuit
Paul Lambert?
11 March 2013
Alan
@ Mark C
Same here.
11 March 2013
Chris The Siteowner
12 years and 320 days.
“When I walk towards the light
Something somewhere won’t be right”
Only the second to go from “Trouble Over Bridgwater”, after Capt. Beefheart. Which still leaves us with Luis Arconada, Michael Ball, Joël Bats, Joseph-Antoine Bell, Bonnie Prince Billy, Hamilton Bland, Simon Climie, Chris de Burgh, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Daryl Hall, Mary-Anne Hobbs, Katrina Leskanich, Meat Loaf, Steve Madden, Thurston Moore, Giorgio Moroder, Neil Morrissey, Charles Nove, John Oates, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Vreni Schneider, Patti Smith, Sly Stone and Carol Vorderman, several of whom wouldn’t be missed as much as Tony Gubba…
11 March 2013
Peter Gandy
Third casualty of TOB: Rob Fisher too.
12 March 2013
Peter Gandy
…or was he already dead when the album came out?
12 March 2013
Chris the sIteowner
Yep, a pre-emptive strike from the popsters; HMHB fell foul of the Curse Of Climie Fisher, which is ironic. See the very first comments at the top of this page.
12 March 2013
Paul F
Does Noel Edmonds not count then? (Comment 73)
12 March 2013
Jim Wickham (NOW IN THE BAY OF BENGAL)
Or Vanessa Feltz? (Comment 73)
14 March 2013
Paul F
Whereas the line “You’re a dead man Fisher” might be seen as the exact opposite of ironic.
14 March 2013
Exxo
I wanted to be the first in here to kick her rotting corpse into the baying crowd behind the goal
All the obvious songs on the playlist here but Attila the Stockbroker’s. “Maggots 1 Maggie 0” is one track you may not all have.Look it up on the web or something and enjoy.
Curse stats will follow from somebody more temperate I’m sure.
8 April 2013
EMERGING FROM GORSE
Beat me to it Exxo. After backing the 2nd and 3rd in the National (and losing out on £hundreds to a 66/1 rag made it all the more galling), that’s really put a smile on my face again.
Just need Fergie to croak on the touchline tonight for the best win double in history!
8 April 2013
ACIDIC REGULATOR
You beat me minutes only @Exxo.
Thatcher, Margaret. 13 Oct 25 – 8 Apr 13. 24 years and 283 days since A Country Practice (29 Jun 88) by my calculation.
Songs of funereal tribute by The Not Sensibles and Alan Dean.
As Dylan nearly said, “And I’ll dance on your grave now I’m sure that you’re dead.”
8 April 2013
Nige
Sad day for us southerners who like to see the great unwashed northern hoi-polloi kept in their place
Can I take my tongue out of my cheek now?
8 April 2013
BrumBiscuit
Maggots 1 Maggie 0 taken down off YouTube. Bastards!!!
What is the opposite of National Shite Day?
8 April 2013
Exxo
Good recording here, someway down this list of Attila classics. Partyyyyyyyy:
http://www.reverbnation.com/attilathestockbroker/songs
8 April 2013
ACIDIC REGULATOR
In her own words.
8 April 2013
Exxo
Some more songs for a party today.
http://dingdongdead.org.uk/
Best just avoid mainstream media for a fortnight I think. It’s all my arse. State f*cking funeral! Was planning to go Tranmere’s next match but it’s odds-on that a minute’s silence will be respected there. If anyone needs me, I’ll be with some like-minded people and 5 gallons of homebrew.
8 April 2013
Duchess of Westminster
Mother Knows Best. Richard Thompson and his “tribute”.
I have been off the booze for a month but tonight I am intending to party till dawn.
8 April 2013
Chris the siteowner
On hols at the moment – will update the list when I get a moment. Despite being a few thousand miles from home, I heard the news while standing in a bus queue behind a family of Liverpudlian origin, where the mother was remonstrating with her menfolk: “Look, I disliked what she stood for as much as yous lot, but it’s disgraceful to say you’re glad that someone’s died. And as for people like Stevie G sayin’ they’re going out partying tonight, well, they really should know better.” I don’t think she convinced any of them, to be honest. And it was odd that although she didn’t actually say *who* had just died, I knew…
8 April 2013
Sober Chiropodist
Not Forgetting Elvis.
Got this typed before the Champagne hits.
8 April 2013
ACIDIC REGULATOR
Stealing from an on-line friend (you know who you are @k) – “Witch” with a capital ‘B’.
8 April 2013
vendor of quack nostrums
Ref: comment 82.
Thatcher, Margaret. 13 Oct 25 – 8 Apr 13. 24 years and 283 days since A Country Practice (29 Jun 88) by my calculation.
ACP released June 98 so subtract 10 years from the milk snatchers curse survival stats. I don’t care if it was warm from sitting in the morning sun until playtime, it was mine by rights and its removal taught this 10 year old that Tories always punish the working man (or in this case, boy).
9 April 2013
Dr Desperate
And not forgetting Martin Carthy.
9 April 2013
ACIDIC REGULATOR
An American friend of mine has asked an apposite question on Yahoo! Answers. Feel the lovvve…
9 April 2013
Paul F
Shame she couldn’t have hung on another 14 months and been back together with her beloved Jimmy at the top of the list. But well done to CNN for using a picture of the two of them together to illustrate her demise.
9 April 2013
Little Eve
Saw that picture of Savile and Thatcher, now I know where Nadine Dorries came from.
13 May 2013
BrumBiscuit
Bill Pertwee has croaked, so does he count as Warden Hodges?
27 May 2013
Warden Hodges
I would say so , yes.
Another name to the list.
27 May 2013
Charles Exford (sTill in HALF CENTURY CELEBRATION MODE, IN FACT ONLY JUST GETTING STARTED REALLY)
Yes, and thrice yes. It just seems meet, right, and our bounden duty that he should be included – as Warden Hodges (Bill Pertwee). Rather than the other way round.
27 May 2013
cyclops
dammit, missed out on the sweepstake at work ……..again
27 May 2013
CHRIS THE SITEOWNER (ON HIS OWN HALF-CENTURY TOUR)
Hmmm, anyone think this might be a dangerous path? Who next? Derek Jacobi because he played Cadfael? Whoever was Wally out of Crossroads? We might have a whole lot more research to do.
27 May 2013
BrumBiscuit
I think this is a special case. Apart from some radio work, Pertwee was so typecast as Warden Hodges that he was one and the same. I do take your point though and am not personally that bothered, which was why I put the question. He won’t exactly be jumping to the top of the league, anyway.
28 May 2013
vendor of quack nostrums
We could end up on a very sticky wicket indeed if we leave this particular pitch uncovered. Whilst I can see the logic of including those who carry their bats, such as William Roach, or those who occupy the crease for significant periods of time, like Bill Pertwee, I think we are heading down the corridor of uncertainty if we include ferrets, rabbits and nightwatchmen (what about the bloke who drums in The Bootleg Beatles when the real Beatles drummer calls a full house – to quote some Ringo bingo lingo).
To put it in simple terms, don’t include the trundlers, the dibbly dobblers or the pie-chuckers, but only those who can bowl a good line and length, who come up with the occasional jaffa or who have an in-swinging Yorker or wrong-un up their sleeve.
Problem solved. Move on.
Congrats on nurdling one to fine leg to bring up your 50 btw.
28 May 2013
Third Rate Les
I always thought Bill Pertwee was that chap who played Dr Who and Wurzel Gummidge. It turns out he was a distant cousin.
I share Chris’s slippery slope concerns. Mainly because I have a strong dislike of Derek Jacobi (as he’s a fairly prominent “Shakespeare must have been written by someone who went to a nice school” snob). I have never even been to The Globe because it’s full of those idiots too.
However, the “we might have a whole lot more research” to do objection swayed me the other way. It’s nice to have lots of research to do about such weighty matters rather than, say, work. So yes, put Warden Hodges on there, and Wally Out Of Crossroads too.
28 May 2013
Charles Exford (sTill in HALF CENTURY CELEBRATION MODE, IN FACT ONLY JUST GETTING STARTED REALLY)
The mannequin was not ‘Dressed up as Dads Army,’ therefore we surely need have no worries about having to include Derek Jacobi, even as an eponymous character.
Off the top of me head v. few characters from shows & films are actually named in the lyrics. It’s surely quite a short list, though obviously not one I can be arsed making right now.
28 May 2013
Gordo
other than being referred to as Jim(will you fix it for me) did “Jimmy Saville” get mentioned by name in a song? If not then I think Warden Hodges is as synonymous with Bill Pertwee as “Jim will you fix it for me?” is with Jimmy Saville and should count even if that does irk the purists
28 May 2013
Buzz Killington
If you want to be pedantic (form a queue), warden Hodges ‘as a person’ isn’t mentioned.
It’s a “mannequin dressed up as Warden Hodges”
Just saying, like
28 May 2013
Dr Desperate
Assuming he was in his early forties when War broke out (as Bill Pertwee was when Dad’s Army started), then Warden Hodges would have been around 115 if he’d died yesterday. I’m with Chris on this one.
28 May 2013
Chris The Siteowner
If nothing else has come out of this discussion, I’ve at least discovered that “Wally Out Of Crossroads” (first mentioned 03/03/1986*) was played by the great Max Wall (died 21/05/1990). Here he is (at 1 min 25). I have been thinking for some time of doing a page on the site listing the characters (fictional or otherwise) mentioned in the songs, maybe we can mourn the demise of the Bill Pertwees of this world there.
31 May 2013
vendor of quack nostrums
Max Wall – A jewel in the crown of England’s Glory indeed.
And I for one agree with a separate page for demised fictional characters. Leave Those No Longer In Need Of Season Tickets for the living (so to speak).
31 May 2013
JOHN aNDERSON
Not a person I’ll grant you, but sadly you can no longer get Shawshank Redemption for £5 at HMV.
4 June 2013
ACIDIC REGULATOR
@Gordo, I’d like to say that I’m sorry to say this, but actually I’m filled with savage beer-fuelled glee. Post 106: there’s only one ‘l’ in “Savile”.
8 June 2013
CHARLES EXFORD
“Hello Fritz, fancy a cup of tea?” may or may not have been St. Peter’s welcome to the great Bert Trautmann this morning. Gone to hang in that great goalkeeping glade in the sky and always likely to spend some time at the top of our illustrious list.
19 July 2013
Bobby SVARC
Brave statement Charles, I can’t get a bet on Gazza with any of the big four, he must be imminent.
19 July 2013
CHARLES EXFORD
The top of the list isn’t the most recently deceased though Micky/Bobby. Gazza would need to survive at least 12 more unlikely years, probably much longer, to make it to the top….
19 July 2013
Bobby SVARC
Ah right, All a bit complicated for us Leicester thickos 🙂
19 July 2013
BrumBiscuit
Well, far be it for me to celebrate a legend’s passing, but he did beat my team in ’56, even with that in/famous broken neck. It also makes my latest project a little easier too.
19 July 2013
Bobby SVARC
Not a season ticket holder but RIP Mel Smith, Died Today aged 60
20 July 2013
BrumBiscuit
My google-fu has let me down. Can anyone find a half decent photo of Harry the Dog and, less likely, Harry Quinn?
29 September 2013
Bobby SVARC
I Know a man who writes football books, He may well have a HTD photo, Can’t promise but I’ll do my best
29 September 2013
BrumBiscuit
I’ve got a very grainy one on a train, but not good enough for my uses. I don’t suppose he was one to court publicity.
30 September 2013
Bobby SVARC
I’ve got a lot of video of Harry but poor quality, There will be a photo of him somewhere, I have my contacts on the case as I type
30 September 2013
Exxo
So if the Pope in question is soon to be sainted, this presumably makes him the first martyr to the HMHB curse?
I am going to write to the appropriate Vatican committee. Seriously.
30 September 2013
Dr Desperate
There’s a picture of HQ here http://mightyquinnbike.wordpress.com/ (2nd one down), at the publicity launch of his race team at Kirkby Track, sometime in the 60s. Ken Dodd and fellow Knotty Asher Stan Brittain are in attendance, with Kenny Hill from Liverpool Mercury CC is in the background.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a newspaper clipping with another (rather smaller) picture.
30 September 2013
BrumBiscuit
Lovely, smashing, super!
Thanks Dr. D. The newspaper one will do the trick nicely.
Only Harry tD to go, though he & Harry Q might have to wait for the next version of my soon to ready creation.
30 September 2013
CHARLES EXFORD
Dunno how I missed this fine example of curse cheating from 3 years back.
Any other readers got any examples of minor celebs quite literally swerving the curse? The best entry wins a night out with the CAMRA man.
While googling to find out what Elton’s up to these days (prompted by a recent image of him looking a lot more than his 62 years on a football forum), I noticed the dryly amusing third item in the ‘cultural references’ section of his Wikipedia entry, and by some of the other Google results I note that it’s been left there unedited for at least 2 years, teehee.
4 November 2013
Bobby SVARC
How long do you think the A to Z will run for? serious question
12 December 2013
CHRIS THE SITEOWNER
That would be telling. But three months in and we’re only a little way into “B”, so get extrapolating.
12 December 2013
Bobby SVARC
Is it not worth starting up another TNLINOST for forum members who shuffle off this mortal coil during the A to Z?
12 December 2013
Chris the siteOwner
Well, if someone fails to stay the course I’m sure we’d mark their demise appropriately. As it happens, the entire A-Z is preprogrammed and scheduled, so even if the bus I’m typing this on at the moment takes a diversion down Bridge Steet, the A-Z will happily go all the way to Zondervan and Zurich without further human intervention. Not sure if the Lux Familiar Cup 2015 will take place though.
12 December 2013
BrumBiscuit
Could not “To take a diversion down Bridge Street” be employed as a euphemism for the death of a fan, or indeed anyone eligible croaking in future?
13 December 2013
CHARLES EXFORD
When I heard that a certain band had announced their own funeral I was almost tempted to suggest changing the rules when
a whole group dies at once but then perhaps we should reserve that honour for groups who are actually assassinated. Three bullets could be enough with the right man lined in front of the drummer. Still about 72 more chances.
31 January 2014
Mr Larrington
Although he’s only mentioned on a sleeve rather than in the lyrics, James Alexander Gordon will no more yodel Division 2.
18 August 2014
Bobby SVARC
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab321/Micky_Bates/CSHED_zpsa3122111.png
19 August 2014
Bobby SVARC
I see that D List Paul Ross has been giving the Miow Miow a fair hammering, might be worth a visit to Will Hill for a small wager eh Exxo?
1 September 2014
Vendor of quack nostrums
All theatrical memories told, laughter on hold, for the final time Libby goes home.
12 September 2014
jitsu_g
I do believe there is a mention in False Grit, on UfO, of someone who was probably still with us when the CD was pressed (or whatever they do to make a CD). Obviously no spoilers for those still waiting for their copy.
11 October 2014
Bobby SVARC
Yes they were Jitsu
11 October 2014
warden hodges
Sssshh! Yeah I twigged on that on 1st listen too. I’d like to know what happened to the dickheads who got stuck in quicksand walking out to Hilbre (Island), more West Kirby than Hoylake. Probably saved by the RNLI.
11 October 2014
Chris The Siteowner
I guess anyone who pegs it between a song being written and its release will have to be counted as someone who’d left us prior to the song. And therefore, like Rob Fisher, they won’t appear in the list. Shame really.
12 October 2014
EXXO
Or we could just change the rules with a clause saying if we know when the album was finished and sent to the pressing plant (and in this case we do) then it counts.
12 October 2014
EXXO
PS – I haven’t got it yet so I don’t know who it is. No spoilers please.
12 October 2014
Bobby SVARC
£1.24 postage, Went in the box at 11.30am Friday, useless rob dogs
12 October 2014
EXXO
It’s going to brighten up a Monday now though Mick so that’s all good. Really appreciate it.
(PS not arsed about spoilers really).
12 October 2014
MURF
That has to count!
RLIDPP
(trying to blur the spoiler…..)
18 October 2014
Bobby SVARC
Not according to the captain
18 October 2014
EXXO
As the thread-starter, the twisted thread-starter, I’m arguing for inclusion, which will require re-calibration of our criteria, but it’s just like any rule, any law of the land, needs tweaking every now and then to keep the powerful people powerful.
18 October 2014
MURF
Harry Quinn was a make of bike not a person in this instance. Can swap him out for the person now in the lead (or is it last? – which she didn’t).
18 October 2014
EXXO
It was also a rabbit. Which presumably has broken no leporid longevity records and is no longer with us.
I’m all for widening inclusion, me.
18 October 2014
Chris The Siteowner
Yep, Alvin Stardust – aka Shane Fenton, mentioned here.
23 October 2014
John AndErson
Pleased that Alvin Stardust met a more dignified end than the one envisaged in Christian Rock Concert.
23 October 2014
MURF
Is there some sort of cosmic link between Lynsey De Paul getting it backwards and dying before being officially cursed and Shane Fenton dying after only being mentioned backwards?
Or have I got it all back to front?
23 October 2014
EXXO
Oooh, that may be the first time I’ve heard of a famous clog-popping through this thread (strangely satisfying in an awful way of which I’m not proud), and it came on the news seconds after I read it here.
@ Murf. Lynsey de Paul will surely be included officially. We just need to insert another clause, whether on this site or elsewhere.
(Already added her – CtSO)
23 October 2014
Peter Gandy
Another one bites the dust with Alvin Stardust (aka Shane Fenton). Was the body found in the laundry room of the New Ambassadors Hotel near Euston station?
23 October 2014
Peter Gandy
Sorry Murf. Hadn’t seen you’d beaten me to it.
23 October 2014
Peter Gandy
And Chris and John too.
23 October 2014
Jim in the caribbean sea
Wikipedia says – Alvin Stardust aka Shane Fenton, born Bernard William Jewry – not sure if he ever officially changed his name, so not sure how his name should appear in Exxo’s listing…
By the way, being stuck on a bloody boat with you lot all raving on about UFO and me unable to download anything on this crappy internet link….just so you know that there’s real suffering in the world! Not that anyone cares……..roll on October (31) when I get home….
28 October 2014
acidic regulator
Try Primark FM.
28 October 2014
SIMON P
Not quite on topic, but at Bilston, Nigel’s musing on “are they dead yet?” included Magnus Pyke, Heinz Woolf, and … Acker Bilk
3 November 2014
Cold in dundalk
@Simon P: Well in the case of Acker Bilk he is now no longer with us, last Sunday at age of 85! Does not count I guess as not checked in a song.
(Er… I think that was Simon’s point – CtSO)
4 November 2014
sam
Pleased that Alvin Stardust met a more dignified end than the one envisaged in Christian Rock Concert. Pool Tables Try Primark FM
17 November 2014
CARRIE ANNE
RIP Keith Harris, and presumably the monkey and the duck, too
28 April 2015
this leaden paul
Cuddles is currently working on his magnum opus “Only Famous For Being A Puppet” in collaboration with Nick Clegg.
28 April 2015
Bobby SVARC
Orville just gone to red on the endangered list. Attenborough on the point of flying out to the last known location of a pair of Goliath Green Bouffant Ducks (a B and B on the outskirts of Ingoldmells).
28 April 2015
peter mcornithologist
Never really gathered what a celebrity is but for the death of Keith Harris to be on the news baffles me. I was wondering if Ian “Sludge” Lees snuffed it, would anyone know.
28 April 2015
PROF. LEGIN WAHS (U.N.W.E.D.)
The Univesity of North Wirral Eschatology Department have asked me to give the inaugural Keith Harris Memorial Lecture on the subject of ‘The Curse of HMHB: Is it Worth the Paper its Written on?”
I have nearly a year to research my material before the lecture next April, so this is an appeal for comparative case studies. Take any band, preferably a band that have been going a while or who were going several decades ago, and send us your data on the longevity of all celebrities mentioned in their lyrics. same release date rules apply as per The Curse of HMHB.
For example, The Beatles:
Ted Heath – mentioned August 6th 1966 – deceased 18th July 2005 – nearly 39 years later
Harold Wilson – mentioned August 6th – 1966 – deceased 24th May 1995 – 28 years 9 months later
Matt Busby – mentioned May 8th 1970 – deceased 20 January 1994 – 23 years 8 months
Doctor Robert (Freyman) mentioned 5th August 1966 – deceased 1st August 1987 – nearly 21 years later
Charles Hawtrey – mentioned May 8th 1970 – deceased 27 October 1988 – 18 years 5 months later
Chairman Mao mentioned 26 August 1968 – deceased September 9, 1976 – 8 years later
************************************
Her Majesty – mentioned Sept 26 1969 – still alive at 89 – nearly 46 years later
Prudence Farrow – mentioned 22nd Nov 1968 – still alive at 67 – over 45 years later
BB King – mentioned May 8th 1970 – still alive at 89 – nearly 45 years later
Doris Day – mentioned May 8th 1970 – still alive at age 93 – 43 years later
Bob Dylan – mentioned May 8th 1970 – still alive at age 78 – 43 years later
It seems that the average for deceased celebs already ‘cursed’ by the Beatles is around 23 years, and that this is likely to rise to around 37 years, going by reasonsble projections, by the time all celebrities mentioned by them have gone beyond the pale.
And they never ever cursed anyone to less than 8 years. Beatles got nothin’ on HMHB, baby.
29 April 2015
Eric olthwaite
@Peter McO – it’s because of who he was associated with. cf the recent death of Cynthia Lennon. Orville = John.
29 April 2015
TAYLO
Christopher Lee….tenuous but he did star in The Wicker Man (Adam Boyle)
11 June 2015
EXXO
Instead of Christopher Lee I’d have much preferred hearing about the turbulent demise of Christopher Lowe.
11 June 2015
Martin a
He was Dracula as well of course
11 June 2015
EXXO
Nah he was in the Pet Shop Boys.
(you’ll thank me – it’s been officially rated the hardest ‘easy’ pub quiz answer to remember, when rated on a scale of how many times you’ve forgotten it)
11 June 2015
Dr Desperate
Christopher Lowe – best man at my brother’s wedding. I kid you not.
Nice bloke, but crap at ordering drinks at the bar.
11 June 2015
Dr Desperate
RIP Elio Fiorucci, stretch denim pioneer.
22 July 2015
Chris The Siteowner
Good spot, Dr D. What do we think? Is the reference in the song specifically to the man, or is it to his “label”? If the latter, should he be added to the list above?
22 July 2015
Mr galbraith
If we don’t include the late Signor, we may have Jimmy Clitheroe’s son shouting his question repeatedly.
26 July 2015
Chris The Siteowner
But he died in 1973 so he was never eligible. And his son didn’t exist.
26 July 2015
Mr galbraith
Go on Chris, we should include him just to knock Keith Harris off the top of the list. It’s putting me off my lunch…
27 July 2015
John anderson
Blakey will no longer be sending buses out to the dark satanic mills.
13 August 2015
steve nicholls
Over to you, Mister Ed…
13 August 2015
EXXO
It’s another warden Hodges innit. Plenty of pseudonyms on the list, but never a character when the actor has died.
Maybe one day we’ll include a character that died in a work after being ‘cursed’, but we’ll cross that grave when we trip over it.
13 August 2015
dickhead in quicksand
Or even tend or excavate the grave.
14 August 2015
Dr Desperate
One doesn’t wish to be too pedantic, but the original Shane Fenton (real name Johnny Theakstone) died at the end of 1960 from complications of rheumatic fever, and the Fentones’ roadie Bernard Jewry took over his stage persona. Interestingly, Jewry’s transformation to glam rocker in 1973 had similar origins, as ‘My Coo Ca Choo’ was recorded by the founder of Magnet Records, Peter (not Pete) Shelley, who had no interest in performing as Alvin Stardust. Well, would you?
22 November 2015
nige
you know you’re too much of an HMHB anorak when a “celebrity’s” death is announced, and your first thought is “has he ever been mentioned in a song?”
19 December 2015
Bobby SVARC
Wouldn’t class Greville Janner as a celebrity. UTC
19 December 2015
Nigel
Thought he was in Leicester?
19 December 2015
Dickhead in quicksand
You too? I was there when Cov played Bristol City in 1977. The long-chinned club chairman delayed the game for about 15 minutes because of crowd congestion or something. After the Sunderland result was broadcast over the Tannoy, the ball didn’t get out of the centre circle. My feeling was that the spectators as a whole thought that that was not cricket.
Which in more ways than one, it wasn’t.
19 December 2015
peter mcornithologist
@ Mr. Dickhead. 38 years later the very mention of that game brings forth an expletive explosion in Sunderland.
19 December 2015
Chris The Siteowner
Meadowlark is the first name on the list for over 8 months; quite a gap.
28 December 2015
Dickhead in quicksand
Unless, that is, someone can google up a reference to Jimmy “Bulbarrow” or “Henman” Hill.
28 December 2015
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
As he’s not mentioned in any of the songs it’s appropriate not to discuss it here, but this must be the only music site in the world where the death of the Laughing Gnome is not being discussed or referred to
11 January 2016
EXXO
Not much mention of him on the Qawwali discussion boards today either to be fair.
11 January 2016
dickhead in quicksand
Until just now.
11 January 2016
this leaden paul
It’s at a time such as this that we should be grateful that the line “D. Bowie look-alikes permeate car parks” had already been used by The Fall, perchance.
12 January 2016
Brumbiscuit
Is it only me that hopes Steve Wright or Chris Evans are Arsenal fans?
http://screamer.deadspin.com/aaron-ramsey-cant-stop-killing-famous-people-1752949031
15 January 2016
Steve nicholls
Umberto Eco
http://gu.com/p/4gqq4
20 February 2016
featureless tv producer steve
Umberto Eco died? Wow, put this one solidly in the “Wait, he was still alive?” category for me.
20 February 2016
Chris The Siteowner
New entry at number 15, pop pickers.
20 February 2016
Schoon
@brum you are not alone, hopefully also: pretend West Ham fan Russell Brand, Russell Howard, the woman with glasses on Bake Off, Greg Wallace, etc
20 February 2016
dr desperate
Can we assume that the E in (H)ELP was Keith ‘Fingers’ Emerson? Anyway, Tarkus in black vinyl, please.
11 March 2016
Peter mcornithologist
Who will receive his monster moog?
13 March 2016
EXXO
Almost an interesting one for the committee.But I’ll open the debate by proposing that Stephen Stills will qualify but C, N & Y won’t. Seconder?
“The geezer with the double-necked guitar”, however, will qualify.
13 March 2016
Chris The Siteowner
All sorts of reasons why “E” shouldn’t go on the list (the narrator is talking about a tribute band, for one thing!) but the over-riding reason is the obvious one: he was a member of a group, and it was the group which was mentioned. So I’m not even convening the committee or wasting a call on Hawkeye.
13 March 2016
EXXO
It’s a bit more complicated than that, though (as well as more right, cos ELP are named in the song. The nameless tribute band isn’t named, just that they should be called H.E.L.P.)
The name of the group is Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Because that’s who they were. The name of the group is a list of the members.
‘Her Majesty’ is in. ‘The Pope’ is in. ‘Harry the Dog’ is in. And all rightly so, as the individuals concerned are indispute-a-bubble. ‘E’ is indisputably Emerson.
I still don’t think it should be in, but I always find your sweeping-ness grating, just I’m sure plenty find mine.
13 March 2016
Chris The Siteowner
Ha ha. Good.
13 March 2016
dr desperate
Fair enough. Just waiting for the surviving members of the band to get back together and release an LP LP. Or join the remaining members of The Who to form a supergroup called The Wholp.
14 March 2016
Hendrix TATtoo
Dr d are you the fellow honved top wearer i met in the e&c ? if you are thank you and your friends for a lovely night ….hope thorsten got home to germany o.k….just turning the light off with my chin as i’m having tea. & toast….
14 March 2016
paul f
I believe the fact that they frequently used the abbreviation ELP in no way influenced their decision to replace Carl Palmer with Cozy Powell.
14 March 2016
dr desperate
@HT No, the Honved top wearer was Jitsu_G; I was the King of Hi-Vis wearer. While we’re at it, thanks also to the lovely lady who came over at the end of the gig to say she liked my posts (not a euphemism).
14 March 2016
dr desperate
Blimey.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/03/14/coroner-keith-emerson-killed-himself-gun/81768862/
14 March 2016
EXXO
They said he always suffered from terrible moog swings.
14 March 2016
Chris The Siteowner
I wanna meet Howard Marks if I can but …I can’t.
11 April 2016
driag
4949 days
11 April 2016
dr desperate
RIP Mr Nice.
11 April 2016
featureless tv producer steve
Ahh – I get it now. Your comment puzzled me at first, CtSO, but then I noticed the thread you put it in.
So I did a little reading about Mr. Marks, and now I’m just disappointed that his greatest distinction – repeated mentions in an HMHB song – isn’t even noted in his Wikipedia page. How can this be? Is there a higher achievement a person can obtain?
11 April 2016
Chris The Siteowner
The first loss from not only TDSN, but the whole of Cammell Laird Social Club, I believe.
11 April 2016
featureless tv producer steve
In his honor, tonight I have enjoyed the legal consumption of cannabis (since I live in Oregon, USA).
May God rest his progressive soul.
11 April 2016
EXXO
Tomorrow’s edition of the Radio 4 statistics programme ‘More or Less’ (4.30 pm 15/4/16 or i-player) examines whether ‘celebrities a’re expiring at an increasing rate and whether this apparent trend is set to continue.
14 April 2016
Jeff dreadnought
Sad to hear that Prince has gone to join Sheba.
21 April 2016
TAYLO
Saw him at Manchester Academy 1 in 2014. 3 Hours, 39 songs, 6 encores. Best gig I’ve ever been to.
Loop always takes great pleasure that she has played with Biscuit on the same stage Prince has played.
22 April 2016
Hendrix TATtoo
Billy paul….83 and counting….
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/663347/Prince-dead-2016-celebrity-deaths-worst-year-ever
25 April 2016
Peter mcornithologist
Is it not because the word celebrity is now used for hosts of individuals who basically have done feck all. I give you David Guest as one of the 83. Doubtless many others.
25 April 2016
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
The More or Less edition referred to by Exxo (post 217) suggested that 2016 has so far been higher than previously (though we need a full year to get a representative figure) but that the trend will increase as the growth of TV and pop music in the 1960s meant that the number of people defined as “celebrities” increased dramatically and they are all now at an age where it’s not unlikely they will die. Let’s face it, Billy Paul at 83 and Ronnie Corbett at 85 are hardly people cut down in their prime
25 April 2016
dr desperate
RIP Carla Lane.
31 May 2016
steve nicholls
@Dr Desperate Welcome to Nigel’s world, everyone.
31 May 2016
Schoon
Everything is now done without Carla Lane.
1 June 2016
Chris The Siteowner
OK gang, here’s a thing: I can’t add Carla Lane to the list above until I know when she first appeared in song, and for that I need to know the date in 1990 when the “Let’s Not” single was released. Any ideas?
1 June 2016
Peter Mcornithologist
When a new entry appears, I invariably check the health of the still living members of Can.All well but I was astonished to discover that Cain Dingle is an ex-member. Some beastly person has been fiddling with Wikipedia page.
1 June 2016
dr desperate
Welll… the back cover of the 7″ claims it was recorded in August ’90 (at Shabby Rd Studios, Kilmarnock, a year after they’d been bought out by Frank Reader of The Trashcan Sinatras and had their name changed from Sirocco Studios). The HMHB Wikipedia page says it was released “by the end of the year”, and the 45cat website narrows this down to October, which would place Carla at No 5, between Len Ganley and Fred Titmus.
(Incidentally, never having owned any version of the record, I hadn’t noticed the pastiche of van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ on the front cover, nor seen the pictures of the golfer on the label, which also look suspiciously like him.)
1 June 2016
Bobby SVARC
October 1990.
(Thanks both – Ed)
1 June 2016
EXXO
Searched the whole site to see what I’d written in the past about that artwork. Can’t find anything. Anyway, the whole quadriptych is brilliant. There even seems to be a reference to the magic mushrooms that Wirral teenagers forage for on golf courses. I am told that Wirral Ladies hosts a particularly fine variety.
And at first I thought the downswing and the whole stance looked a bit dodgy, but nice recovery there Vince.
1 June 2016
dr desperate
Nice depiction of the overlap grip, there.
1 June 2016
EXXO
So you’re applying head-to-head results (in which the away goals of Nerys Hughes enable Ms. Lane to surpass Len Ganley) rather than goal difference? Or does it go on number of leap years?
(OK, thank you, I’ve put Carla firmly in her place – CtSO)
1 June 2016
knackered man
Master Puppeteer Gordon Murray got his strings tangled for the last time today. Not strictly a man no longer in need of a Season Ticket, but surely cherished by Biscuits and others for the Trumpton / Chigley / Camberwick Green trilogy.
You were famed for your stop-motion work.
Now your motion has stopped
E. J. Thribb.
30 June 2016
dickhead in quicksand
Another link from The Guardian to this site. Apparently the Trumptonshire puppets haven’t needed season tickets for many years.
1 July 2016
Dagenham dave
The Duke of Westminster has passed away. Don’t know about his good lady wife though.
9 August 2016
STeve nicholls
Yep, plenty of room for everyone now.
9 August 2016
Chris The Siteowner
I guess that given there are a succession of them, this particular one doesn’t get in the list above.
9 August 2016
EXXO
Well I can’t see why there’s any doubt that he belongs on the list and anyway it’s about time Bisodol claimed someone. He is mentioned due to his ownership of many of the pavements in central Birkenhead at the time of release and his addition to the list is more definite than Pope or Queen mum. Anyway, surely the curse can be inherited (in deserving cases) and I personally think it would be appropriate if we (and indeed our successors) kept adding the Duke’s successors to the list until the end of the line.
He is also the list’s first Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron and Baronet.
10 August 2016
paul f
I think this specific Duke of Westminster is clearly the feller Nigel was referring to so he’s definitely in, but I don’t think tracking his descendants is necessary, although as always with Exxo it’s very hard to gauge the location of his tongue when he posts (ooh err missus, titter ye not).
Somebody may correct me but I don’t recall any “curse of the pharaohs” deaths being visited on the first born of notable tomb raiders.
10 August 2016
dr desperate
This Duke of Westminster (Gerald Grosvenor) didn’t inherit the Liverpool ONE area; his Grosvenor Group was selected as developer by de Council in 2000. None of the previous Barons, Earls, Marquesses or Dukes owned the narrow path mentioned in L’EC’ELA.
The new Duke (his son Hugh) is unmarried. He inherits the property portfolio, but not the season ticket.
10 August 2016
Chris The Siteowner
Never let it be said we don’t work on democratic principles here (well, we do whatever those who shout the loudest want). He shall be added to the list. In the meantime, this.
10 August 2016
EXXO
Well played Chris, though as is traditional your actual positioning of the deceased has been a little casual up there ^^ (Wouldn’t want to disappoint – Ed)
Paul I hope you’re not letting young Hugh off the hook from inheriting the curse just because he supports the same team as you? I don’t suppose he ever had to spend very long on the season ticket waiting list even before his pater snuffed it.
Though he did once have a trial down Junction 16 way, surprisingly, inspiring this jaunty chant among the jolly railwaymen:
There was a posh knob called Hugh
Who once had a trial for Crewe
They watched and said “laters”,
He said “but my pater’s…”
They said “yes we’ve heard he owns the County but we hate them and we fucking hate Chester too”.
10 August 2016
EXXO
PS – I’m very proud that an air of mystery surrounds the precise location of my tongue at key moments.
10 August 2016
paul f
I had no idea he was a red Exxo, until I read all over the land about it, as it were. Anyway – does he have a good lady wife? As without one he can’t really inherit the lyric.
11 August 2016
John andedson
Sadly Gerry Gow has lost his battle with cancer. RIP.
10 October 2016
Hendrix-tat
R.I.P Gerry Gow.
10 October 2016
EXXO
Ironically he only started smoking when he started collecting cigarette cards.
10 October 2016
Nige
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristol-city-legend-gerry-gow-dies-after-losing-battle-with-cancer/story-29793674-detail/story.html
surely this should be the link as he was there in 78 😉
10 October 2016
2 Chevrons
Had 2 of Gerry Gow in the whole collection, never 3 in one pack though!
10 October 2016
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Wonderful typos in the MEN piece referred to above: he played for Bristol City before “singing for John Bond’s City” and stated after his testimonial that he would “always feel part of the cub”
11 October 2016
eXXO
Len will lie next to Captain Beefheart. Between Don & Diana in fact.
Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
Through the graves the wind is blowing.
Freedom soon will come;
Then we’ll come from the shadows.
11 November 2016
paul f
So who will be the first to top the leader board with more than 30 bonus years following their being cursed? My money is on a former Give Us A Clue captain.
And who is in with a chance of being the ultimate winner, long after the band have hung up their guitar straps? Presumably it will be somebody name-checked at an early age. I’m struggling to think of anybody younger than Gok Wan but I’m sure there will be someone.
11 November 2016
Chris The Siteowner
We’re assuming here that Len (from “Letters Sent”) is Mr C., because of the rest of the clue, are we? Fair enough, although looks like we should have had an A–Z entry too.
First loss off Achtung Bono?
11 November 2016
dr desperate
Now you come to mention it, Chris, Ann Summers was named after Annice Summers (née Goodwin), the secretary of the company’s founder, Michael Caborn-Waterfield.
She died in October 2012, 7 years after the release of AB.
11 November 2016
Chris The Siteowner
We must be in contentious territory here, Dr. D.
I’m going to rule, as you might expect, that the reference is to the shop, not a person, so it doesn’t appear. Although fine research.
11 November 2016
POP-TART MARK
Interesting one that Dr. D. Hmm. Consults rule book.
But cripes how the so ever did we miss Arthur Lee? 325 days after ‘Achtung Bono’ I make it.
11 November 2016
POP-TART MARK
Oh yeah, he’s there, of course he is, with the session date.
Anyway he was the first off of ‘Achtung Bono’.
11 November 2016
Chris The Siteowner
Oh, well spotted. I just searched the page for “2005”. So perhaps Len is the first off “Achtung Bono” with the exception of anyone (Arthur) whose mention was in a 2004 session (gives up and goes back to work)
11 November 2016
paul f
On the grounds that Bird on the Wire is a Cohen song, and that he is indeed “the dog’s”, it’s surely beyond question.
11 November 2016
BOBBY SVARC
Len Glover
11 November 2016
Peter mcornotholgist
@ Bobby Svarc .Arthur Daley with a hint of wizardry .
11 November 2016
BOBBY SVARC
Arthur didn’t get locked up for five years, though.
11 November 2016
Chris The Siteowner
Just a reminder: we don’t include here deceased individual members from bands which received a namecheck.
8 December 2016
dr desperate
Not even if the band’s name is made up entirely of the initials of their names.
And bang go my hopes of an LP LP.
8 December 2016
Mr galbraith
No longer challenging social taboos through his music, George Michael went on Christmas Day. 14 years and 53 days by my reckoning.
26 December 2016
John Anderson
RIP Mr Irony
http://tinyurl.com/jo5pa7d
8 January 2017
BOBBY SVARC
My monkey is a junkie
8 January 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Well Bobby. Either shock,spank or hang the miscreant .
8 January 2017
Peter gandy
From a sleve note rather than a lyric, but Rachel Heyhoe-Flint is no longer in need of a season ticket. Mitch Fenner from the same sleeve note went last year.
18 January 2017
EXXO
She is in a lyric Peter, so she’s very much a curse victim, though we may have to put an approximate curse-length* for her.
*we need a better word for this. Something like “cursegrip”, but better than that. Something which conveys the inevitability of the stranglehold of doom even while performing several sports simultaneously at international level. In the midst of life we are in death, etcetera.
18 January 2017
John Anderson
Apparently Rachael Heyhoe-Flint was giving a talk when she was England captain and a man in the audience asked her:
“Those skirts you wear while playing look extremely tight-fitting, how on earth do you get into them?”.
She replied: “Well you could always start by buying me a gin and tonic”.
18 January 2017
dr desperate
“Hourglass”, perhaps, @Exxo, (as used by Ingmar Bergman in ‘The Seventh Seal’ as a memento mori conveying the inevitability of the s of d)?
18 January 2017
EXXO
Hmm, what if I accept that suggestion greatefully that but latinise it and add an enigmatic ending?
How do you like ‘clepsydrim’? The ‘-im’ is supposed to hint at ‘interim’.
It was either that or get Damocles in, somehow.
18 January 2017
dr desperate
Bobby String referred to it as the ‘Biro of Blackwell’.
19 January 2017
dr desperate
Not really NLINOST, but RIP Deke Leonard, Welsh rocker.
1 February 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Blimey. Old lad here saddened . Marvelous memories of many live performances
1 February 2017
FLINTLOCK
Another not quite NLINOST entry from yesterday – I’ve just found out that John Wetton of Asia, King Crimson, Family and UK was also the singer/bassist in Mogul Thrash.
1 February 2017
Chris The Siteowner
Straight in at number one! None of us normally liked tomatoes, but he made them delicious.
29 May 2017
Gok wan acolyte
@paulF (post252) John Noakes is first to pass 30 years. If this were Twitter, Ctso’s comment above would be receiving hundreds of ‘likes’ at the moment, and deservedly so.
29 May 2017
Paul f
Thanks GWA – I had completely forgotten I’d posted that.
29 May 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Health and safety, John….
https://youtu.be/p4YFCJETmwI
29 May 2017
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Not quite since 1966 but I’m guessing Brian Cant will go to the top of the list.
19 June 2017
Chris The Siteowner
To put a date on Brian Cant, we need to know when the song was first heard. The earliest I can find is the Peel Session of 10/11/1985, so that’s what I’m going with for now. The EP didn’t come out until early 1986 (I have no specific date). Any better information gratefully appreciated.
19 June 2017
rubber faced irritant
The website Cat45 lists the EP release as March 1986. The list of the independent singles chart number one’s has Trumpton hitting the top spot on 15 March 1986, where it spent a total of 3 weeks.
21 June 2017
Huddersfield’s very own… Steve malkmus
Mercy Rimell has just handed back her season ticket. Didn’t dodge the “Biro of Blackwell” anywhere near as long as the last two, though.
7 July 2017
John Anderson
I know this doesn’t strictly qualify but Walter Becker has aborted his Steely Dan routine.
3 September 2017
bobby svarc
Grant Hart RIP
14 September 2017
dr desperate
I see David Prowse has decided to take the mask off; might be worth Exeter City fans scraping acquaintance with his lovely wife Norma.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41199638
18 September 2017
dr desperate
On the other hand, it may be possible (if difficult) for the Preston to make alternative arrangements.
http://www.pne-online.net/forum/showthread.php?77411-Refund-for-dead-season-ticket-holder
18 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Poor old Green Cross Code man.
18 September 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Charlie Manson gone.
20 November 2017
EXXO
When you look at the list it’s amazing that he’s the first to die in carceration. I doubt he’ll be the last.
20 November 2017
dr desperate
I reckon that puts him in at No 18 between Whitney and The Cat, on 19 years 153 days.
20 November 2017
Chris The Siteowner
Even if you were right there, Dr. D., that’d put him one position lower. But I also make it 19 years and 143 days. Trust no-one.
20 November 2017
dr desperate
That’s what I meant.
20 November 2017
Irish Niall
Seems like as good a place as any to raise the apparent demise of the Half Man Half Biscuit Information Service page on FB (so long facebook dad from Petty Sessions).
Anyone got any info on what happened there? It appears to have been ‘archived’. You can still visit and view but you can no longer join, post or comment.
Bit of a shame. It was a handy bit of fun even if at times seemed a constant stream of “That’s not how I would spell….” gags. https://www.facebook.com/groups/hmhbsociety/
5 December 2017
dr desperate
Bit of a shame indeed, I Liked it.
FB has major problems, but it does have the advantage of allowing you to post your own images without going through Flickr or similar. Where will people send their tattoo pictures now?
(I don’t suppose there’s any chance of posting pics here in the future, CtSO?)
5 December 2017
Chris The Siteowner
These things take a huge amount of time to maintain and moderate, even if on Facebook at least they don’t cost any money. If you don’t look after it properly, it gets filled with junk in hours. Speaking from experience, giving up the time is fine when the incoming stuff is such a source of entertainment. But on the Facebook site, the constant stream of non-HMHB-related nonsense must have been really dispiriting. I’d never have lasted as long as Andy did. I’m guessing that’s why he’s decided to give it up, but maybe he’ll come on here and tell us.
And no, I’m not going to let people post pics here, because the admin required for that would be scary. It’s really very easy to put a photo on some free web space like Flickr, Google Photos or Dropbox and then link to it in your comment here.
5 December 2017
dr desperate
Fair enough. (New Year’s resolution: more entertaining, less nonsensical.)
5 December 2017
Dave n barbara
However will I cope without Richard Webster and his zero knowledge of the band posting some lol he’s nicked off the “Top lads’ banter like and share!” page?
10 December 2017
Chris The Siteowner
I’ve spoken to Andy who ran the group and trust me, nobody would want to deal with the amount of crap which he had to deal with, running that site. You do these things out of love and for the giggle, but there are always people who treat you as if they’re paying customers, complaining about things they don’t like and expecting apologies. On top of the stuff I get here (which the Facebook group got many times over), Andy would also have had to deal with machine-generated postings from an endless stream of people selling non-existent, machine-generated ‘souvenirs’ for sale on eBay or Amazon. Many of these sellers have literally millions of products listed for sale, none of which exist until some fool orders one, then they get it made. There’s also a lot of off-list name-calling from people with, shall we say, issues. Sad from every angle really.
10 December 2017
Irish Niall
That’s a real shame. I know that even a lot of the stuff posted by actual, genuine fans of the band could be ‘tangential’ at best and I’m at least as guilty as anyone else in that regard. But having to wade through that lot, the odd bout of bickering and then deal with Amazon and assorted bot-generated ‘Shengzou Sportswear Production Concern’ carry-on would wither me in a whole lot less time than Andy hung on.
11 December 2017
Polly Tunnel
Keith Chegwin RIP…
11 December 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Cheggers plays pops his clogs….
11 December 2017
Webbie Webbster
The evangelist Billy Graham has finally popped and I was surprised not to find any mentions of him in any of the lyrics. Could have sworn…
21 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
And similarly Roger Bannister. No, the Bannister & Shamrock does not count, that’s gone to VAR and the FA appeals committee.
4 March 2018
dr desperate
He did get a shout (from Tony) at the last gig.
4 March 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Not mentioned in a song, but very much worthy of a mention here, I’ve just been told that Jackson Nesbitt (‘Jacko’), who featured in the ‘No Regrets’ video along with the cardboard guitar he so famously played in Mathew St, died on 27th February at a Liverpool nursing home. Thanks to John C.
4 March 2018
dirk hofman
.. post 306- not in Hall, Stairs and Landing either?
4 March 2018
The harbinger of sod all
Ken Dodd, Stephen Hawking and Jim Bowen have all revoked their multi-day passes – and not one lyric between them!
14 March 2018
transit full of keith
Heard Hawking referred to on the radio yesterday as Hawkins, as is usual even in his home town. He must (have) despair(ed).
15 March 2018
CArrie anne
Presuming the new album has already been recorded, those who have recently departed are in with a shout of knocking Lynsey De Paul off her perch.
17 March 2018
Bobby svarc
Every chance I’d say, I can remember a chat with Nigel at Bilston in 2012 and he was quite pleased to have found a line in a song for Gerry Gow, I’d forgot all about it until UFO landed on my turntable. I would imagine that the songsmiths head is awash with names for songs. If I was a betting man I’d have ‘bottle’ about Stephen Hawking
17 March 2018
Brumbiscuit
Yebbut, as with Fisher, of Climie Fisher ‘fame’, a pre-release departure rules them out of contention, doesn’t it? Or am I missing something, as I often do?
17 March 2018
Gok wan acolyte
Wasn’t the ‘exception’ that if the person was still alive at the time of recording but died before the release? So, assuming that the band aren’t still writing and recording the songs at the moment, a mention of Ken Dodd on the new album would qualify, whereas a reference to Prince wouldn’t
18 March 2018
Gok wan acolyte
Which reminds me – why isn’t Prince on the list? Surely the Lennox loving couple named their German Shepherd after the 1999 hit maker?
18 March 2018
Rude kid
Just seen Precious McKenzie on the news.
He will be presenting medals at the Commonwealth Games if he can just hang on.
He’s looking well, still lifting weights and still producing those legendary rivulets. No clues as to what he did with the money though.
4 April 2018
Dick Quax Running Shoes
Merciless despots with nothing to lose should now hang up their Dick Quax running shoes (as of 28 May 2018, NZ time).
27 May 2018
Huddersfield’s VERY own Steve malkmus
Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus Quax, to give him his full name… having read a bit about his politics, the nickname “Dick” seems appropriate.
28 May 2018
Brumbiscuit
Typo in the Dick Quax entry. Should be 26 years, shouldn’t it? (Yes. Ta. – CtSO)
13 June 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Bloody Hell! RIP John McNamara, reporter and editor of Maryland’s Capital Gazette. Bet Monty Don’s bricking it.
29 June 2018
The harbinger of nothing
Called to the great cash office in the sky.
30 June 2018
Compton mofo
Alan Gilzean, star of Urge For Offal’s first EP, shuffles off this mortal coil. About 3 years 9 months by my reckoning (pedantry invited).
8 July 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
You’d have got good odds on Vengloš (82 and going strong) being the last footballer alive from Urge for Offal, less than 4 years on.
9 July 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
It also means that for the first time ever there are more outfield players on the list than keepers*.
Professionals only, so not counting Stanley Rous.
9 July 2018
BOBBY SVARC
Jackie Dobbs RIP
25 July 2018
Warden Hodges
Aye, killed off in Corrie.
25 July 2018
Chris from futuredoom
Always wanted my first foray onto the messageboard to be a celebrity death. Ian Sludge Lees 74.
31 July 2018
Cream cheese and chives
https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2018/07/31/one-of-a-kind-sludge-was-a-trooper-to-the-end/
Unbelievable. His word.
31 July 2018
Chris The Siteowner
New entry at number four. Well played, sir. Although he will eventually be overtaken by Peter Grummitt, Grant Baynham and Vanburn Holder.
31 July 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Nobody going on after Chas & Dave any more.
22 September 2018
Cathedral juice
He comes in at no. 12 in the table, I think. (Their highest position since Snooker Loopy.) A widely underrated combo, about whom much will doubtless be gleaned from BBC4 repeats next Saturday.
22 September 2018
dr Desperate
Lest we forget.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Snfr0vefY
23 September 2018
dr Desperate
That Sam Moore off Sam & Dave is still available to form a new duo.
24 September 2018
Third Rate Les
I once had dinner with Chas in the posh seats at Spurs vs Lyon (I was supporting l’OL, although had to keep that fairly quiet). I mainly chatted with Chas’s much more interesting son, who was his drummer and general manager and a fluent French speaker, and we mainly chatted about HMHB; he knew them quite well and was a bit of a fan.
Chas himself struck me as someone who’d got stuck playing a role and no longer knew how to get out of it. The Spurs officials got him to stand up and talk abaaaaht ve owd dies cor blimey guvnor, which he duly did in that thick Cockney accent that actually no-one really has any more except him. Accents are such an oddly transient thing – have a look at someone like Kate Adie in the early 80s on You Tube.
I keep reading that actually C&D were really good and underrated, but I can’t really see it; I just picture lots of Viz stereotypes and Grant Mitchell and big blokes with gold chains who call their wife “bibe” and have a mastiff in the back running loose, and I have to run away and listen to Creative Hub or Jacques Brel before my blood pressure goes haywire.
26 September 2018
Chris The Siteowner
If you want to hear his story – and it’s really worth hearing – then have a listen to a Word Podcast he did with David Hepworth back in 2012. I put it on YouTube here some time ago, as it was one of my favourite Word Podcasts ever. I think they grabbed it from my YouTube recording this week and re-posted it on their relaunched podcast stream.
26 September 2018
Third Rate Les
Thanks for that Chris – it’s fascinating.
Apologies for the unpleasant and ignorant stereotyping, and happy to be corrected. It was obviously loads of fun meeting him and it’s churlish of me to claim otherwise.
26 September 2018
Chris The Siteowner
I noticed we’re in a particularly long stretch without losing anyone (just coming up to 300 days since Chas Hodges gave up waiting for White Hart Lane to be rebuilt). Going back, we had 419 days between Bert Trautmann and Shane Fenton in 2013/14, 472 days between Anita Roddick and Eartha Kitt in 2007/08 and an almost endless 899 days between Rod Hull and Brian Moore at the turn of the century (there were no disappearances at all in 2000). The reason the current stretch is a surprise is because of the much greater rate at which we’ve been losing members over the past three years. Are we set for a rare scoreless year?
1986: 2 ██
1987: 1 █
1988: 0
1989: 1 █
1990: 2 ██
1991: 1 █
1992: 2 ██
1993: 0
1994: 3 ███
1995: 1 █
1996: 1 █
1997: 1 █
1998: 0
1999: 1 █
2000: 0
2001: 2 ██
2002: 3 ███
2003: 2 ██
2004: 2 ██
2005: 2 ██
2006: 2 ██
2007: 2 ██
2008: 1 █
2009: 3 ███
2010: 2 ██
2011: 3 ███
2012: 3 ███
2013: 3 ███
2014: 3 ███
2015: 2 ██
2016: 7 ███████
2017: 6 ██████
2018: 5 █████
16 July 2019
dr desperate
Joke on this week’s ISIHAC about Lionel Blair going on holiday to The Galapagos Islands, being mistaken for an ancient tortoise and not being allowed to leave.
16 July 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Malcolm Nash has died. Appeared in a fragment of a song performed live a few years ago that never got any further. Roger Green’s review of the Cambridge gig in 2010 said: “Then we had a bit of “Revenge” about a bitter Malcolm Nash going to Barbados to seek out Gary Sobers – a fuller version to follow?” Perhaps Roger could seek out his notes and tell us if it ever got any other airings, or even what the actual lyrics were?
1 August 2019
Paul f
A cheaper spot of revenge would have involved him seeking out Lancashire’s Frank Hayes who once hit 34 off a Nash over.
1 August 2019
EXXO
Unusually, that’s one where I remembered more detail than Roger (comment #26 in the gig thread):
“Around this point in the gig Nigel announces a few bars of a putative new song called ‘Revenge’, which is about Malcolm Nash roaming around Barbados with six bullets, presumably looking for Gary Sobers.”
I suspect that Nash may have been name-checked in the intro’ rather than the lyrics. Sobers was not specifically mentioned. And as far as I know it was not aired again – apart from the one the following night, I went to all the gigs in the year that followed and no, it did not appear. I suspected it might have been a spoof of a C&W muder ballad that I did not recognise. The topicality of Nash’s final walk to the pavilion may give me an excuse to ask the man himself on Saturday at Prenton Park.
Anyway because it wasn’t recorded I guess it’s not a case of The Curse in the same way as Her Royal Baronesship Sir Rachael.
Of course, my bad review continued in unnnecessary but accustomed arch-pedantic vein (sudden horrible thought – ooh ooh – maybe my bad review killed the nascent song before it had a chance?):
“But doyens of cricketing pedantry were surely thinking that if Nash needed revenge, he did get Sobers out a few times in his career in the years that followed the ‘six sixes’ over. And anyway Nash claimed he was only experimenting with slow left arm bowling in that over, under instructions from his captain, so it wasn’t really off his proper bowling anyway. So he never took it personally, or so he claimed. And anyway Nash and Sobers apparently became golfing buddies after they retired. Not a Climie Fisher situation, then.”
1 August 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Sorry I missed that, Exxo! Thanks.
1 August 2019
EXXO
Mr. B said he barely remembered having conceived the fragment and even less recollection of having aired it that evening, and only that evening. Anyone with a recording would have something quite unique.
3 August 2019
Nigel
Robert Mugabe, aged 95
6 September 2019
dr desperate
I won’t say RIP, but congratulations, Exxo.
6 September 2019
Bobby Svarc
E-ba-gum, I hope he suffered.
6 September 2019
Chris The Siteowner
First man down from CSI:Ambleside, I believe.
6 September 2019
Dick QUAX Running Shoes
After the Queen Mother, did Mugabe have the second longest innings of those on the list?
6 September 2019
EXXO
Think so, Mike. I should compile a list of their ages. And also a % of their life living under the curse, e.g. Mugabe 95 – about 12.2% of which was under the curse.
Anyway, 47 days. The Curse of Exxo. Beat that. In the Game of Death I’m just a dreadful goal-hanger, so it has to be Chomsky.
Hope I lose. I bloody love Chomsky. He nails it every time. How good is this?
https://truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-trump-is-consolidating-far-right-power-globally/
And talking of my favourite writers, here’s one of the bleakest voices of the 20th century on Mugabe:
https://medium.com/@tinsmush/what-would-dambudzo-marechera-say-a1ca26c05d65
6 September 2019
EXXO
All of those quotes from the very early years of the Mugabe regime, well before Marachera’s death in 1987.
I’d forgotten that cynical joke about the wailing sirens of Mugabe’s motorcade, known in Zim as “Bob Mugabe and the Wailers” from the start (Marley had played at Mugabe’s inauguration of course).
6 September 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Not quite the same thing, but maybe NB10 has some competition. I just read that Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” came out 30 years ago today. 59 people are namechecked in it, but only 5 are still alive: Brenda from Windsor, Brigitte Bardot, Chubby Checker, Bob Dylan, and Bernhard Goetz.
28 September 2019
dr desperate
Congratulations, @CtSO, getting the answer to Bobby’s Quiz Question so quickly.
28 September 2019
EXXO
Breaking news?
Well, nearly …
https://twitter.com/i/status/1199733271346712578
27 November 2019
dr desperate
So sad about (the other) Clive. James would have been amused also by the fact that his and Gary Rhodes’ departures bumped Sir Jonathan Miller’s off the BBC news headlines tonight.
His poem ‘Japanese Maple’ described his hopes of seeing the tree his daughter planted one more time in its glory before he died.
“Come autumn and its leaves will turn to flame.
What I must do
Is live to see that. That will end the game
For me, though life continues all the same.”
He lived another five years; the tree died in 2016.
27 November 2019
brumbiscuit
Forgive the non-HMHB reference, but I wasn’t around in Blighty when this was first done – presumably for some charity thing. Anyway, I was struck by the number of dead ‘celebs’ who appear in this video. The Proclaimers are another of my favourite bands, so forgive the cringeworthiness of the whole thing and count the corpses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO6lSDL1i7A
7 December 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Note: for speculation on upcoming celebrity deaths, please see From Verse To Hearse here.
12 December 2019
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
The first taken by COVID-19 – Eddie Large joins the list
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/apr/02/comedian-eddie-large-little-and-large-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus-son-says
2 April 2020
dr desperate
Smashing the previous record by nearly 3 years.
2 April 2020
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Am guessing that any others still alive from “God Gave Us Life” will be automatically straight in at number one.
3 April 2020
EXXO
Not a cursee of course, but it has to be said Mr. B was very fond of the joke, probably after hearing it from Taylo.
“How do turn a duck into a soul singer?”
“Leave it is the microwave till its bill withers.”
3 April 2020
EXXO
In the microwave. It’s the way I tell them.
3 April 2020
ROBISCUIT
Doubtless on the song’s thread but what was the story with the long-held note in Knobheads?
3 April 2020
Lord lEominster
I’m not sure if P.R.S. Yearbook – Quick, The Drawbridge’s “See what we’ve gone and done
To the band who got a bit pompous
They called their fan club an Information Service” was directed at The Stranglers who set up their Information Service in the very early 1980s. One of the first, I should imagine (lack of research on my part hereby creating a Misinformation Service). Probably not but RIP Dave Greenfield, anyway.
5 May 2020
dr desperate
Karl may have been a member of the Status Quo Information Service, founded in 1983.
(The Beatles used to have a London News and Information Service, but if you ring them now you get No Reply.)
5 May 2020
brumbiscuit
I used to be a Beatles completist.
Now I just need Help!
7 May 2020
CHRIS FROM FUTUREDOOM
Tonight Matthew, Julian Bream’s going to be with Jesus.
14 August 2020
Chris The Siteowner
A rare disappearance from Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road which (other than NOCAYCHSGYFHC’s failure to get off the mark yet) was jointly propping up the table with just one previous ‘loss’.
Here’s our updated table of losses per year:
1986: 2 ██
1987: 1 █
1988: 0
1989: 1 █
1990: 2 ██
1991: 1 █
1992: 2 ██
1993: 0
1994: 3 ███
1995: 1 █
1996: 1 █
1997: 1 █
1998: 0
1999: 1 █
2000: 0
2001: 2 ██
2002: 3 ███
2003: 2 ██
2004: 2 ██
2005: 2 ██
2006: 2 ██
2007: 2 ██
2009: 3 ███
2010: 2 ██
2011: 3 ███
2012: 3 ███
2013: 3 ███
2014: 3 ███
2015: 2 ██
2016: 7 ███████
2017: 6 ██████
2018: 5 █████
2019: 1 █
2020: 2 ██
15 August 2020
Neil
I’m currently discussing “The Curse” with Robin Askwith on Twitter. The things you do eh?
14 October 2020
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Frank Bough, RIP, is evidently stored in an area of my brain full of people I could swear have been in Biscuit songs, but on closer investigation, haven’t.
25 October 2020
Poolio
“Time for breakfast Frank Bough”
RIP Mr B
26 October 2020
BOBBY SVARC
@TFOK: He might have been.
26 October 2020
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Surely not Frank with the haliborange overdose?
26 October 2020
Simon
Is there a HMHB track that ends “Time for breakfast Frank Bough” ? Thanks.
26 October 2020
dr desperate
No.
(I, Ludicrous mentioned him in ‘Quite Extraordinary’ and The Babysitters had a song named after him, later covered by The Gutter Cats.)
26 October 2020
BOBBY SVARC
Very Close, Keith
26 October 2020
transit full of keith
Are you saying there’s a definite reference to him, but without mentioning his name? Gissa clue then … Colombia’s famous export and the beak in Leek don’t seem specific enough …
26 October 2020
John Anderson
Last night’s Frank Bough obit on BBC News featured Precious McKenzie.
26 October 2020
FERENCVáROS FAN
PM featured on the ITV obit too. Only caught the end of the clip. Just sat there in time to watch him excel at lifting up BF.
27 October 2020
Chris From FUTUREDOOM
Just look at Nobby Stiles.
30 October 2020
Chris The Siteowner
A new leader, on the basis that the song was first aired in March ’86 on the Peel show as The Continuous Cremation of Hattie Jaques.
30 October 2020
John anderson
According to legend, before the 1966 semi-final against Portugal, Alf Ramsey said “Nobby I want you to take Eusebio out of the game”. To which Nobby replied “what, permanently?”
30 October 2020
Ferencváros fan
Favourite Nobby Stiles stories:
1. Got told to ‘take care‘ of Charlie Cooke whilst on England under 23 duty against Scotland. Problem was he had left his contact lenses at home and instead he did Billy Bremner, who spent the remainder of his career extracting revenge.
2. Got lost coming back from the loo during the banquet to celebrate the World Cup win. Finished up sitting amongst a wedding party without realising he was at the wrong celebration. .
Despite what they say about his managerial track record he did a good job in guiding Preston North End to promotion in 1978. RIP Nobby.
30 October 2020
Paul f
Given what the Portuguese had tried to do to Pele, you could see Nobby contemplating the same approach.
31 October 2020
dr desperate
RIP Norm Crosby.
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/norm-crosby-dead-malaprop-borscht-belt-1234825326/
(Oh no, wait, it’s Noam Chomsky isn’t it. As you were.)
8 November 2020
Lord leominster
I see what you did there, Doc. The link reveals that Norm’s comedic specialty was malaprops — words that sound correct but are completely wrong.
8 November 2020
EXXO
“Does she stay over, or does she communicate?”
First quarter of this very long interview entertainingly explains the origin of the malaprop-based act, the photos adding some evocative atmosphere:
http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-with-norm-crosby.html
(the rest of the interview consists of a reel of showbiz memories of various old school stateside comedy acts)
8 November 2020
EXXO
Bill Grundy from ‘Mars Ultras.’
Peel session First broadcast: 27 June 1992.
Died 9th Feb 1993, aged 69.
= 227 days.
(session repeated: 29 August 1992 and 18 December 1992)
16 November 2020
Chris The Siteowner
Is it Bill Grundy referred to in Mars Ultras? We haven’t put him in the A–Z, or above, because that’s never been brought up before. Not saying it isn’t, but…
16 November 2020
EXXO
I must admit I thought I had brought it up in the thread in the A-Z, first with a post pointing out that it surely shouldn’t be in the A-Z under ‘surrogate’ ‘cos it was just an ordinary adjective at the beginning of a line (like various others in the A-Z), then with a later post pointing out that two talk show hosts in the same couplet was very unlikely to be a coincidence.
The play on words does not work if it’s not Solomon Grundy + another Grundy, and it’s definitely not Eddie Grundy. Must admit I’d never had any doubt whatsoever until folks in that A-Z thread seemed not to get it, and even then not much.
I’ll add it to a list of things I keep forgetting to ask.
16 November 2020
Gok wan acol
No more “monster, monster” – Eric Hall dies ar 73 https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/eric-hall-dead-football-agent-23020979
16 November 2020
EXXO
I wouldn’t want to paint it, but he set up the Bill Grundy – Pretzels interview, and (separately) he supposedly wasn’t as homophobic as Justin Fashanu’s brother.
17 November 2020
BOBBY SVARC
RIH
17 November 2020
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Not quite sure why I was captioned as Gok Wan Acol in post 391 above, but in the scheme of things I don’t suppose it matters…
18 November 2020
Mr galbraith
Who’s going to Sponsor the Mos(h)pits now Dave Prowse has left us? I hope he wasn’t run over…
29 November 2020
Chris The Siteowner
Rossi retired at the age of 30 claiming to be “tired of football”. Now retired from everything else too. Second Biscuit-referenced World Cup winner to pass away in six weeks. The likes of Dino Zoff will be hoping that this is not a hat-trick, sub-see-quent or otherwise.
10 December 2020
Lux inferior
Originally thought Rossi was actually the third Biscuit-referenced World Cup winner to pass away in the last six weeks, after Nobby & Diego. Then realised I’ve been listening to too much I, Ludicrous of late. I knew Maradona was referenced somewhere …not within the HMHB canon, however.
“Ask any man on any street
He’ll tell you
Maradona’s a cheat
His goal had the whole world enticed
If that’s the hand of God then I’m Jesus Christ
Incredible, remarkable
It’s quite extraordinary”
Apologies – going rather off-topic now.
10 December 2020
EXXO
Rossi’s life would make a great rock opera. One final project for PFM perhaps?
Leaves only Jim Beglin alive from HMHB-referenced players who played at Heysel in 1985*. Hope his fate won’t be as horrible as the only other players who have passed away since that match.**
As for Maradona ‘cheat’ songs, the best one was number one in 2017 in South Africa in 2017, where Nigerian house-pop goes down a treat. In Yoruba, ever since the 1994 (not the 1986) world cup, a “Maradona” is a cheat in any field, especially a ‘love rat’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCbjK4259RM
(also sampled by Beyoncé last year of course)
*OK, Rossi was the only other one.
**Burned alive in a crashed car (Scirea), lung disease (Rossi).
10 December 2020
EXXO
“On the lap of honour, I only got half-way round the pitch with the rest of the team, then I stopped. I was exhausted and wracked with cramp. I sat down by an advertising board, dripping with sweat, just watching the crowd going mad, Italian flags everywhere. I was blubbing like a child,” Rossi recalled.
“But I felt a bitterness deep inside, and I kept thinking: ‘Stop time. It cannot be over already. I will not experience moments like these again.’ Because true happiness, the complete kind, only lasts for moments. Those were my moments.”
He always spoke engagingly about such emotions and it always rang very true for me personally. I reckon football has prepared me for my own death better than anything else.
10 December 2020
peter mcornithologist
Beautiful Exxo. Brings wonderful memories of 1973 and the absolute joy my grandfather expressed after Sunderland won the F A Cup.
10 December 2020
Mark Boyle
Gerry Marsden of Gerry & The Pacemakers – when he walks through a storm, he will now neither hold his head up high or get wet.
28 years between a passing mention (‘Turned Up, Clocked On, Laid Off’: 1993) and no longer needing a pension.
3 January 2021
John anderson
Venglos no longer in need of energy drinks.
26 January 2021
Vendor of quack nostrums
Hannu Mikkola’s wonderful dexterity has infinitely declined. I’m away to shake hands with the whole of Finland as a mark of respect.
27 February 2021
EXXO
I always had a suspicion he might be the first to dextrously dodge the mighty curse for over 50 years but he only made it for 35. Sarah Ferguson now installed as bookies’ favourite for the 50-year mortuary swerve.
27 February 2021
Lord leominster
Mikkola’s HMHB mention is, on the face of it, one of the rare breed of HMHB celeb mentions that is wholly positive.
27 February 2021
John Anderson
There does seem to be a fairly short list of praiseworthy celebs. I humbly offer:
Kenneth Wolsteholme (summed up the moment really well)
Leonard Cohen (the dogs)
Vreni Schneider (queen of the slopes)
Ronnie Boyce (far out)
Arthur Lowe (preferable to Arthur Lee)
Bert Trautmann/George Farm (both great)
John Noakes (delicious tomatoes)
Ali Bongo (good at contortionism)
Precious McKenzie (excelled)
Howard Marks (wanna meet)
27 February 2021
Lord lEominster
That’s a longer list than I thought could be gleaned. But I’m not sure about Precious McKenzie. Probably incorrectly I read into “What have you done with the money? How much did Singleton pay?” an inference that something untoward was going on, in which case not a wholly positive reference. *If* we were to remove Precious from the list we could replace him with (Just look at) Nobby Stiles.
28 February 2021
EXXO
Hmm. Can it be gleaned, though? ‘Moaning’ is undoubtedly the default setting of the lyrics, and that is on the record, confirmed, albeit in a self-deprecating way, by the lyricist. But the liberal deployment of sarcasm and the multiplicity of characters’ voices in the lyrics, some of the characters we hear from being downright stupid, sometimes leaves it open to interpretation what the attitude towards the subjects of the moaning (or occasional praise) really is. [ That’s also why we can have a debate as to what the prevailing attitude to, for example, religion in the lyrics really is]
For example, personally knowing that Mr. B is more concerned with general commentator uselessness (excepting present company of course, John) than he is with anything achieved by the Ingerlund football team, I’d say the Wolstenhome/Stiles thing is no “Three Lions” style paean, but just a bit of daft irony in an unfathomably daft song. Old-school footballers (and referees) do generally seem to come off well in the songs, though. Cricketers? Dunno, but we surely must add Hedley Verity to the short list of heroes.
The Noakes comment is undoubtedly satire of the shite kids TV that we were pretty much forced by boredom to watch (the comment is in the voice of a fellow presenter, not the lyricist), and can’t be included on such a list IMHO. The McKenzie comment on the other hand is from the lyricist’s voice, but the comment is steeped in satire, albeit somewhat mysterious satire to me..
To me the list of named heroes should mostly be populated by heroes of the musical world. Even before, ‘Irk the Purists,’ Nigel was in the habit of compiling spoof set-lists which alternated the great and the ridiculous. ‘Irk’ definitely supplies us with between 8 and 12 out of the 20 acts being supposed to be seen as unquestionably brilliant by both purists and non-purists, and between 8 and 12 of them being occasional guilty pleasures. They don’t alternate, for reasons of rhythm, rhyme and of spoofing other ditties, so we are left to speculate, but surely the 8 definites are pretty definitey on the ‘heroes’ list, hanging with the great goalkeepers (rather than the rancid ones?)
28 February 2021
dr Desperate
Mostly musical and custodial, but not necessarily all. Bearing in mind the multiple voices, I think we could include a couple each of mountaineers (Kirkus and Edwards) and engineers (Stephenson and Faraday). Among the guilty pleasures I’d include Charles Nove and Sally James.
Some celebrities are mildly impressive (Brad Friedel), some comparatively so (Arthur Lowe, Lesley Judd and Lou Barlow), and some only for specific reasons (Ali Bongo and Johnny Cash).
Of the rest, only Mickie Most seems wholly admirable.
28 February 2021
Brumbiscuit
I’m not sure if it clarifies matters, but Precious McKenzie would appear from time to time on Blue Peter, in the Noakes era, to demonstrate his record-breaking abilities. His personal thread mentions one or two.
28 February 2021
Lord leominsteR
I know that I’m reading too much into it. It just hints at financial impropriety to me. Executive(?) Producer Biddy Baxter was the controlling force at Blue Peter, not Val Singleton, and Biddy would have held the purse strings. Very tightly I would imagine.
28 February 2021
paul f
I seem to recall much was made of his ability to lift weights significantly above his own bodyweight (being a very small chap – 4 foot 9, if Wikipedia be believed). McKenzie that is. Not Noakes.
1 March 2021
Lux inferior
RIP Chester Barnes.
See you again in 42 years.
19 March 2021
CARRIE ANNE
RIP Chester Barnes
19 March 2021
Lux inferior
Make that 142 years.
19 March 2021
Chesneywold
Chester Barnes, poor old Chester. Just announced on ITV Racing as he was Martin Pipe’s assistant. Matt Chapman said he had been Britain’s number one tennis player in the 60s and 70s which was a shame. RIP Chester….for now
19 March 2021
Facebook Mum
Sad news
RIP Mrs Greenhowe.
30 June 2021
EXXO
‘Hedge’ is on the board then after 3 years. There’s a couple of albums have had to wait around a decade for their first victim.
30 June 2021
Borough surveyor
The drummer out of Slipknot will no longer be joining the papal entourage.
28 July 2021
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
I know it’s been commented on elsewhere but, in the manner of a TOTP presenter we can say that it’s ‘Straight in at number one’ for Una Stubbs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58190446
never quite sure why she attracted the Blackwell ire unless he just hated ‘Give Us A Clue’
12 August 2021
BOBBY SVARC
Lived on Goosehills Drive in Burbage in Leicestershire when she was a lass
12 August 2021
EXXO
As this sinks in, in terms of the season ticket requirement table, it’s one of the most decisive results ever. It means essentially that from the first HMHB song ever released, only 3 people can outlive the curse longer than Stubbsy did.
And OK, others from other songs on the first 2 albums may live longer, and plenty of relative youngsters have been mentioned recently – Chris Froome or Wiggo, for example, may live another 65 years despite all the dangerous go-faster d**gs – but let’s face it, Matthew Kelly is now right up there as bookies’ favourite, just ahead of Nerys Hughes.
I do think it’s appropriate that many on here myself included will not know in our lifetimes how this table pans out. Only the certainty of my own painful, bitter end justifies my cold-hearted deathpoolery in all of this.
12 August 2021
EXXO
I think there’s a slight misunderstanding of the spirit of the song there. She didn’t do anything, but those in charge of the only three TV channels did – they gave us boring, repetitive programmes with stultifying values and there was almost never anything on that wasn’t boring, repetitive and stultifying. The people in the song were OK. Pleasant. Nice. But they weren’t interesting enough to be on as often as they were and they got paid to stultify us.
3 channels until 1981. or was it 1982? 4 channels after that. Closing down at midnight. AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.
12 August 2021
EXXO
@Gok Wan Acolyte that last comment should have said of course.
Soz in case I seemed to be telling myself I’d misunderstood. I probably have, but I wasn’t.
12 August 2021
CArRIE ANNE
@Exxo, re: comment 422, actually 5 are still with us (at time of writing). Blair, Craig, Little, Kelly and Charlton.
13 August 2021
EXXO
Thanks Karen, I was probably slightly pissed after cricket there – always a bad time for statistical euphoria – and mangled my own train of thought. I was probably thinking that there were only 3 realistic candidates to eventually be the final survivor from the first song, but with their ages at 92, 87, 83, 78 and 71 who knows.
13 August 2021
irish Niall
This is the content I sought out today. So with the field narrowing am I correct in thinking, based on seniority at time of being namechecked + continued time above turf, Wendy Craig (b. 20.6.34) is now (remains in fact) clear leader in longest dodge of the curse of HMHB? Unless …is there someone named in a later title older enough than Wendy Craig to surpass her record? Surely not.
13 August 2021
EXXO
I’m not sure the curse applies retrospectively back to when they were born. If so, that would be Chomsky, born on 7/12/28, 5 days before Lionel Blair.
But Chomsky has only survived the curse for 8,446 days of his 33,852 – about 25%. All the surviving Back in the DHSS namechecks, including Blair, have outlived the curse for 13,094 days.
So Sarah Ferguson – I now realise by far the youngest person namechecked on DHSS (ignore my Dif Juz ramblings from last night), has survived the curse 13,094 of her 22,583 days – about 57% of her life, and I suppose she could easily outlive it for 65+ years in total if she survives past 90 …
I’ll wager a tenner she’s never been on the roof to adjust a TV aerial in a storm and probably never will.
Mine came down a while back and I won’t even ask someone to go up there for me. Strictly the i-player for me now. I just think of poor old Rod and his orphaned Emu.
13 August 2021
Irish Niall
I completely forgot Lionel Blair was still alive -or misremembered his being dead.
I’ve form for this. Others I frequently and confidently declare dead only to have their condition upgraded to alive include Carol Decker from T’Pau, that lad from Pearl Jam, Ben from Curiosity Killed The Cat and Anne from The Famous Five. Jennifer Tannisch who at 11 or 12 was still too old to be my first crush is I’m happy to confirm still very much with us. Sadly and quite tragically George/Georgina is not. You’d get long odds on Timmy the Dog too I daresay.
13 August 2021
ALICE van der meer
Mo Drake has died. Not actually mentioned in a song, but he came up with the slogan uttered by a million housewives every day:
(truncated obit as its behind a paywall)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mo-drake-obituary-thxj0tmzg
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/beanz-meanz-heinz-slogan/
26 October 2021
Huddersfield’s Very Own Steve Malkmus
Lionel Blair joins the choir invisible… no hope of a mix-up with Tony, it would appear.
4 November 2021
Paul f
In at number one to overtake his rival Give Us a Clue captain…
5 November 2021
transit full of keith
True story, apparently:
“I love the story of the Clash, sitting very hungover in the foyer of Glasgow’s Albany hotel, having had a sleepless night in jail, when Lionel Blair breezed through in a fur coat with a cheery ‘THAT’S SHOWBIZ BOYS!’”
5 November 2021
EXXO
Meatloaf gone when the morning came and tucking in between Tony Bastable and Shane Fenton.
21 January 2022
Chris The Siteowner
I reckon there are around 30 people mentioned on Trouble Over Bridgwater and he’s only the third to make it into the list above (although a further half-dozen or so were already in the past tense when the album was released, so couldn’t appear).
21 January 2022
Nigel
Not mentioned by name, but Manny Charlton, guitarist with Nazareth, has died.
8 July 2022
Toxteth
Hope to see Witchell and McKenzie added to this list soon
22 December 2022
Chris The Siteowner
I haven’t updated this for a year or two, so here’s the bar chart of deaths by year. 2022 appears to have been a relatively low-risk year for celebs, especially as one of the three was first mentioned and then departed in 2022.
Here’s our updated table of losses per year:
1986: 2 ██
1987: 1 █
1988: 0
1989: 1 █
1990: 2 ██
1991: 1 █
1992: 2 ██
1993: 0
1994: 3 ███
1995: 1 █
1996: 1 █
1997: 1 █
1998: 0
1999: 1 █
2000: 0
2001: 2 ██
2002: 3 ███
2003: 2 ██
2004: 2 ██
2005: 2 ██
2006: 2 ██
2007: 2 ██
2009: 3 ███
2010: 2 ██
2011: 3 ███
2012: 3 ███
2013: 3 ███
2014: 3 ███
2015: 2 ██
2016: 7 ███████
2017: 6 ██████
2018: 5 █████
2019: 1 █
2020: 5 █████
2021: 6 ██████
2022: 3 ███
31 December 2022
EXXO
We just need the missing data for 2008 and then we may be able to conclude with reasonable confidence that the data strongly suggests that the release of an HMHB album in any given year actually saves lives.
3 January 2023
Chris The Siteowner
2008: 1 █
3 January 2023
CHRIS FROM FUTUREDOOM
Is the Marquee Moon namecheck in Irk the Purists enough to grant Tom Verlaine entry?
2 February 2023
Chris The Siteowner
No.
2 February 2023
John anderson
No indeed. The album’s still alive and well.
2 February 2023
dr desperate
Unlike Ol’ Television (the band was named after Verlaine’s pseudonymous initials).
2 February 2023
Lord hereford
Dickie Davies dies
https://twitter.com/rosenthal_jim/status/1627397651716100105?s=20
19 February 2023
Phyllis Triggs
Another season ticket up for grabs. RIP Dickie Davies.
19 February 2023
Iguana andy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickie_Davies?wprov=sfti1
19 February 2023
John anderson
When I was at IRN (qv) in the 1990s Dickie used to come to our studios to record his sports bulletins for Classic FM. He was absolutely charming and very humble. He always insisted on paying for our teas when the trolley came round.
19 February 2023
Brumbiscuit
So if he donated his organs and someone got his corneas, they could really sing Dickie Davies’ Eyes.
20 February 2023
dr desperate
I wonder if David Gilmour will donate his corneas.
20 February 2023
dr desperate
(Actually, now I come to Google it, I see that Gary Gilmore’s were received by two different people, so The Adverts should really have sung “Looking through Gary Gilmore’s eye”.)
20 February 2023
Crown Green Bowler (29)
RIP Dickie Davies.
And now it’s time for wrestling from Dewsbury Town Hall.
20 February 2023
paul f
CtSO’s bar chart suggests correlation between Biscuit references and celebrities in general, with 2016 representing a heavy toll for both. 18 days in we’d already lost Bowie, Rickman and Frey (the supergroup that never was) and by the end of the year we’d also lost Cruyff, Cohen, George Martin, two-thirds of ELP, Merle Haggard, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Princess Leia and R2D2, and many, many more.
20 February 2023
EXXO
Must say I quite like it when we miss one for yonks.
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/20894362.tributes-bert-royal-british-wrestling-legend/
4 May 2023
dr DEsperate
Well spotted, @Exxo, and commiserations to @Tehla (see Bert’s A- Z page).
By my (Google’s) calculations, that puts Bert in at No 12, between Dick Fosbury and Ian ‘Sludge’ Lees.
4 May 2023
EXXO
Millican and Nesbitt though!
Somebody, somewhere must know if, or more likely when.
But nobody’s told the internet yet.
5 May 2023
EXXO
My ancestry.com subscription, so useful or accessing the 1911 census in the ‘Frequent Electric Trains’ thread, has expired. It could have probably helped in the search for Registry mentions of the dynamic duo. Anyone else have such access?
5 May 2023
nige nnto
Can’t remember if it counts when one member of a mentioned band goes – Bruce Guthro of Runrig today
6 September 2023
EXXO
It doesn’t. Even if it did, the song was released 11 months before he joined the band (and written over 12 months before that).
6 September 2023
dr DEsperate
No season ticket, but Geoff Davies passed away this morning.
May he rest in peace.
12 September 2023
murf
They never mentioned Roger Whittaker did they.
That one down to the very slow curse of Splodgenessabounds.
18 September 2023
Paul F
Never more to be told by pedants that Durham is a city, and isn’t on the Tyne.
19 September 2023
EXXO
@Murf
Well maybe Neil’s ‘Awkward Sean’ whistling is a hat-tip to Roger W and thereby an indirect curse?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVemfYdYNTI
19 September 2023
A Lancashire lad
It appears that Daniel Boone won’t be enjoying any more Beautiful Sundays
30 September 2023
Chris The Siteowner
Good spot. Less than a year. Had nobody else noticed that omission?
1 October 2023
dr DEsperate
I suspect most people will have assumed as I did, that the song reference was to the frontiersman (1734-1820) from whom the pop star (Rolling Stone’s “Most Likeable Singer” in 1972) took his stage name, but it could easily be either.
The latter co-wrote ‘I Believe’ for Kathy Kirby and ‘Blue Is The Colour’ for, er, Chelsea.
1 October 2023
dr DEsperate
(q v).
1 October 2023
Transit full of keith
I’d never heard of either of them, to be honest.
1 October 2023