Dagenham Dave was the one who had the Bright Idea for this: a page where everyone can write whatever they like about the songs HMHB have covered live. With the exceptions of the few cover versions the band have committed to vinyl/tape/polycarbonate/MP3bits, we won’t be adding the lyrics here, so it’s your big chance to reminisce about that cover of Hallelujah you’re sure you vaguely remember them doing at the 1982 Orkney Folk Festival (or somewhere like that). Links to any songs posted online will be appreciated, I’m sure, and it’d be nice to make a definitive list of HMHB covers. So over to you.
Update: we have a Cover Versions page as part of our videos initiative now.
dagenham dave
Blimey that was quick! Cheers Chris.
I suggested this having recently become slightly obsessed with ‘Song to the Siren‘, you know the kind of thing when you feel the need to play the same song over and over and over. Only recently have I bothered to look into the original, despite being an 80/90s indie kid (adult) I wasn’t aware of it. I’ve now heard the original done by a number of artists and I still think Nigel’s version is best.
There is something very special about the delivery of the “was I a fox?” line. It connects with me in the same way that Mark E Smith does when he says the words ‘style magazine’ in Elastica’s ‘How I Wrote Elastica Man. It’s genius but I don’t know why….
Anyway, I’m off to play it again, and again……
18 February 2010
Chris The Siteowner
There’s a good list of live cover songs on Gez’s website. It includes:
Trail of the Lonesome Pine
Mr. Blue Sky
No Regrets
Novelty
24 Hours
Disorder
Match Of The Day theme tune
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
Sunday Bloody Sunday
White Man In Hammersmith Palais
Transmission
Help Me Rhonda
King of the Hill theme tune
Wreck Of The Ol’ ’97
Statesboro Blues
Song From Under The Floorboards
Caroline
What Do I Get?
19 February 2010
dagenham dave
We can add ‘Apache’ to that list, played at Leamington Spa recently.
19 February 2010
Nigel E
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau (Welsh national anthem) was played in Cardiff on St Davids Day 2007 and then went straight into Help Me Rhonda (Rhondda valley) which I thought was a bit clever.
19 February 2010
Neil G
I Think We’re Alone Now at Sheffield Boardwalk. I wasn’t there, sadly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mluCZBGtjW8
Nice recording. It says that it’s a cover of a Tiffany song but the original was by Tommy James and the Shondells. They made some great records. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMFLUXTEwM
19 February 2010
Stuart
you can add a ‘cover’ of Ivor Cutler’s ‘Glasgow Dreamer’ to the list, from the last show at the Arches. For those too young to remember the tune, it lasts around 10 seconds and goes, a cappella: “Glasgow, Glasgow, where are you? 224* from my door”
*I forget the exact mileage quoted by Nigel, from Central Station to his house
19 February 2010
Ben
I think we’re alone now – Tiffany, and someone else originally, think this has had a couple of run outs.
Also Holiday in Cambodia by Dead Kennedy’s @ The Astoria in about 2000 my first Biscuits gig.
19 February 2010
Rusty Spanner
Exellent version of The Hollies ‘The Air That I Breathe’ at the last Manchester gig, to a very appreciative crowd. Remember turning round to my partner during the intro and patronisingly informing her that we were to be treated to ‘Creep’ by Radiohead. Oh, the shame. In my defence they do sound pretty similar.
19 February 2010
Charles Exford
I wonder, as I did at the time, how many of the audience realised there was an Albert Hammond cover in the house.
19 February 2010
John Anderson
“I Think We’re Alone Now” was originally by The Rubinoos..
20 February 2010
Peter Gandy
Electricity by OMD last lime they played the Forum in Kentish Town.
Ben, the Astoria was the first time I saw them live too. Neil played lead guitar on Holiday in Cambodia if I remember correctly.
20 February 2010
Neil G
John Anderson,
The Rubinoos released ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ in 1977, ten years after Tommy James and the Shondells.
20 February 2010
Dave F.
Goodnight Irene, the Bristol Rovers terrace tune, or are you including Peel tracks as recorded Chris?
21 February 2010
dj
magazine – shot by both sides
v.u. – sunday morning
21 February 2010
John Anderson
Neil G
Never knew that. Cheers for putting me straight.
22 February 2010
Charles Exford
Reminded by this thread of a couple of storming live versions of “Song From Under the Floorboards”, I started wondering if I’d imagined a brilliant
rendition of the equally immense “Shot By Both Sides”, but no, the memories were real – the last time they played the Junction Cambridge in fact. The Lads do tend to play the Manchester post-punk stuff with especial brilliance, and “Container Drivers” went down particularly well in its home city in Jan ’07 I think.
Can’t quite remember if I’ve sen them do “Another Girl, Another Planet” or not, but I notice they did do it at Edinburgh ’04.
And has anyone mentioned “His Latest Flame”, which has been rolled out at least twice ?
22 February 2010
Hedley Verity
AGAP was played at Sheffield in 2004, I didn’t know they had played it again. Here Comes Your Man (Derby 2006) and what Do I Get? (Manchester 03) was two other personal faves.
27 February 2010
San Luis Obispo
Rusty Spanner – Radiohead pay royalities to The Hollies each time they perform ‘Creep’. There was some court case malarkey.
‘King Of Rome’, ‘I’m Throwing Rice (At The Girl That I Love)’, and ‘Transmission’ are some obvious HMHB covers that spring to mind. I’d love to hear the Match Of The Day theme one, mind.
Buenas suerte; adios.
1 March 2010
Rusty Spanner
Ah, cheers Luis, just thought I was having a ‘senior moment’.
1 March 2010
Mr Graham Burgess
I saw them do a gig at The Brook in Southampton around the time of “Trouble Over Bridgwater”, I think, and they performed a copy of “Witchita Lineman”, written by Jimmy Webb and made famous by Glen Campbell.
1 March 2010
Ben
@ San Luis Obispo (I’ve been there by the way!) The song was written by Albert Hammond (not a bootleg either) and Mike Hazlewood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Air_That_I_Breathe
1 March 2010
s.g.d A Shropshire Lad
The Southampton gig was in May 1999,I am sure that Nigel also recently sang “I am the linesman at Notts County”
s.g.d.
2 March 2010
John Anderson
He sang that line at the last Cambridge gig. He also, memorably, sang “why, it’s Tomasz Radzinski” duing Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis.
4 March 2010
Ben
We should have a thread for Nigel’s own spurious ‘spotteds’ in the audience.
I’ve heard Cornelius Lysert (5 Live Racing correspondent) and “ladies and gents….The Princess Royal!” amongst others.
5 March 2010
Neil G
Barbed Wire Love – Stiff Little Fingers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI1YKU7EXaM Ulverston – 17/4/2008
5 March 2010
Blackout
Anyone else remember they did the old country standard “You Picked A Fine Time To Leave Me, Lucille” at Manchester Academy 3 (I think, may have been Academy 2) sometime around 2002.
5 March 2010
San Luis Obispo
Ben – I stand duly corrected. And I’ll be scratching SLO off my Big List Of Pseudonyms. And won’t even bother to note that it’s Lysaght by way of bitter retribution… He’s an Evertonian, donchaknow.
“I shot a man in Tesco… just to watch him die” another mini-cover that springs to mind. Off to giggle about Tomasz Radzinksi and Tweet about Joy Division Oven Gloves for another few hours.
Tara.
5 March 2010
Gez
The full set of covers is cleverly hidden on the ‘Radio’ page on the website these days – the ‘Livesongs’ link above is a bit out of date (and shouldn’t have been on the site).
http://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/hmhb/Peel.htm#covers
Note: Thanks Gez; the link has now been amended – Chris
17 March 2010
Al Bundy
Yeah, I seem to remember them doing a cover of ….fine time to leave me Lucille. Manchester about then.
18 March 2010
s.g.d A Shropshire Lad
At Roadwater and Bath they did what appeared to be a cover version of The Saints’ cover version of Elvis Presley’s Kissin’ Cousins.
s.g.d.
21 March 2010
PaulLobster
The Damned’s Love Song in Aberdeen a couple of years back.
24 March 2010
Lynd
Last night in Cambridge: The Shadows’ “Apache”.
25 March 2010
s.g.d A Shropshire Lad
River Deep Mountain High tonight in Shrewsbury.
I hope everyone made it there in time.
26 March 2010
Alan. K
“Apache” & “River Deep…” last night in a full house in Shrewsbury.
26 March 2010
smithsocksimon
Shepherd’s Bush, 21 Dec 2006, they played What’s My Name? in memory of Joe Strummer, who died on 22 Dec 2002.
26 March 2010
TWO FAT FEET
Never one to worry about being several months late, the first time I heard the “was I a fox?” line I wondered whether it was delivered thus in honour of Martin Tyler.
6 April 2010
smithsocksimon
And there is the cover of Legend In My Time that they did for John Peel’s 60th birthday. It was pressed onto an acetate with The Fall (Job Search I think) on the other side, only one copy ever made AFAIK.
7 April 2010
Charles Exford
Sorry, I feel like I’m scoring against my own team, but first and foremost I’m a pedant so I stick the open goals away and worry about it afterwards.
65th birthday.
8 April 2010
Neil G
“Charles Exford: 65th birthday.”
Is that a euphemism?
8 April 2010
king tubbs
Recently in Bath (I think) Nigel broke into an a capella version of Dark Side of the Street, a Dan Penn classic famously best recorded by James Carr. He only got three or four lines in before proclaiming that this was a flash back to his other role as a tribute act.
19 April 2010
BrumBiscuit
Nigel E, that Point gig in Cardiff was really memorable. St David’s Day, Brains beers beforehand and a drive to Budapest the day after. Shame the Point’s closed down. ‘Twas a great venue.
The Welsh National Anthem/Help me Rhonda songs are on YouTube. Not exactly HD, but then neither are HMHB – and all the better for it.
21 April 2010
madmic1967
Have heard all the usual covers but my favorite was way back in 1995/96 at the Phillibuster and Firkin in Darlington. A crappy pub (now a “Flares”) in a crappy town. Eye opener of a gig as I hadn’t seen them for some years. Brilliant. Loads of banter, and ad-libs during broken strings. Encore included a blinding version of Transmission which gave a perfect end to a perfect night.
20 June 2010
Mr Bigjobs
Rubber Bullets (10CC) at Cheese and Grain, Frome, 2007
21 July 2010
Dave F.
Two lines of a hymn, ‘Am I A Soldier of the Cross?’ by Isaac Watts mixed in with Uffington Wassail at the Queen Elisabeth Hall ’99
http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bwatts4.html
28 July 2010
dj
at glasgow arches last year, the jesus and mary chain’s a taste of cindy
9 September 2010
Ricardo
Managed to celebrate the Silver Jubilee by finding a HMHB song I’d never heard before. Their version of King of Rome was recently posted on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjzddQQLIv4
Accompanied by a nice picture of Dukla Prague (wearing their home kit) including the legendary Josef Masopust.
8 October 2010
Jonathan
Covered Gorky’s Zygotic Mynky’s ‘Patio Song’ at Holmfirth the other night. One to add to the list of cover versions.
19 December 2010
Danny
They covered The Who`s I`m A Boy at the Live lounge Durham
25/11/2010
24 January 2011
theautistformerlyknownasflinch
Holidays in Cambodia on Thursday night was amazing, suddenly everything made sense. There were plenty of iPhones aloft – has anyone found it posted online?
19 February 2011
Neil G
Links to a few of the songs mentioned above. The first one is particularly good.
Transmission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pzjA2Tj5NM
The Welsh National Anthem/Help me Rhonda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdOJziRZXIM
Help me Rhonda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hujce9-lQ0w&feature=related
Kissin’ Cousins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tdhsr7rgP8
Electricity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvrq8UObXA
3 March 2011
Neil G
Readers might be interested in David Wainwright’s Feet, which was recorded for a children’s album. Not a cover version but fun.
3 March 2011
Chris The Siteowner
…and which we do have on the site…
4 March 2011
Neil G
True, Chris, but no longer available on Spotify, as I have shown on the other page.
4 March 2011
Shirley Dimensions
I need some help in deciphering the lyrics of a track entitled ‘Why Can’t You Be Yourself For A Change?’ by the ‘mostly ignored by a spectacularly large number of people including the other two cat owners who expressed a preference albeit not for Whiskas, a good proportion of those remaining who didn’t but still had a cat anyway and all the cats’ lo-fi late eighties to early nineties, sometimes had a drummer but not that often really, indie popsters ‘The Losers’. Rather than blatantly using Chris’ excellent HMHB site selfishly, and with scant regard for its intended purpose and only to blatantly attempt to recruit volunteers with proven track records in this specialised field, who quite simply will not be deterred nor beaten down when faced with a particularly nasty ‘Bert hears bells / is it wanking in the zeitgeist?’ type offering, I’d like to mention that I probably once asked the band if they liked HMHB and they probably said yes (or no). Probably.
4 March 2011
Shirley Dimensions
I apologise for the blatant use of the word ‘blatant’ twice in succession in the above volunteer adver…errr…in the above ‘topical and relevant point concerning the excellent HMHB’ 🙂
4 March 2011
Charlie
I wonder how many punters noticed that tonight’s wonderful cover of the Blondie classic ‘Dreaming’ was embellished by a topical one-word adaptation:
“I don’t want to live on Anglesey.
Pleasure’s real or is it fantasy?”
More recollections from a cracking gig in another thread tomorrow. Well I suppose it’s already tomorrow but you know what I mean. Night night.
29 April 2011
Gregg Z
I’m fairly certain I’d be a willing candidate for ‘live organ transplants’ in exchange for someone uncovering HMHB covering ‘Container Drivers’.
Just enjoyed using the words ‘uncovering’ and ‘covering’ in such close proximity.
8 July 2011
argieuk
for Container Drivers try http://tarquinlive.blogspot.com/2011/03/half-man-half-biscuit-manchester.html about 90 mins in
No live organs needed though Gregg Z
9 July 2011
Gregg Z
Superb, ArgieUK. Many thanks–you’re one of the world’s finest gentlemen.
9 July 2011
Jim Wickham
This is a wonderful website – thank you! I can waste hours in here, and frequently do, since discovering it a couple of months back.
I only saw HMHB once – at Glastonbury in ’86. Shortly thereafter I moved to Australia, famous as a non-venue for HMHB gigs, inter alia.
Anyway, what I came to say was that I can’t find a reference here to the one cover version (that I know of) performed by HMHB – I refer to “The King of Rome”, in a session with Andy Kershaw a few years ago.
I reckon The HMHB version is an absolute doozie, and knocks spots off both the original by Dave Sudbury (I think?), and June Tabor’s excellent cover.
That’s all I came to say – keep up the good work…
1 September 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
Re: The King of Rome
The story is told here;
http://www.derbyphotos.co.uk/features/kingofrome/
Plus a link to the original version.
1 September 2011
Jim Wickham
Vendor – thanks for the link. I’d found lots of relevant stuff via Wikipedia, but I’d missed the tribute page.
3 September 2011
Steve G
The one and only cover without compare is …. What’s My Name at Shepherds Bush ~ basically co-inciding with anniversary of Joe Strummer’s death … made me tingle
15 October 2011
One Skinny Indie Kid
The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies was a poignant cover at the Aberdeen Lemon Tree back in May ’09.
Wish I was at the Shepherds Bush Empire to witness the Holiday in Cambodia cover. The youtube footage is incredible sound quality wise.
28 October 2011
dagenham Dave
HMHB get a mention and a YouTube link in today’s Guardian in an article about the various versions of ‘Song to the Siren’.
18 November 2011
Charles Exford
“nothing ever matched Song to the Siren’s knee-buckling beauty”
Bollocks. Almost that whole first album was exquisite, though it always seemed more symphonic than, errm, song-based.
Not sure I’d want to listen to it now though. Would bring the whole mid-eighties crashing back*
* oh wait a minute the government has already done that, so I mght as well go and dig out a cassette.
18 November 2011
Paul F
“Shambolic”. Like it’s a bad thing.
18 November 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrums
24 covers and not one of them a patch on the original, although Nigel comes closest with the “was you a hare, was I a fox? line. Fantastic delivery. Segue into Vatican always makes me smile too.
Shambolic? Shambolic? Peter Cook was shambolic, Vivian Stanshall was shambolic, Ludwig Wittgenstein was shambolic. When mixed in equal measure with talent it produces genius. Mock not the shambolic for they will be capturing the zeitgeist.
18 November 2011
Duchess of Westminster
That’s outstanding. Sort of sea shanty style. The sudden break into VB is a musical embarrassed cough.
Bryan Ferry gives it a good go too. Shame about all the synth stuff.
I’m a Plant-a-holic so this version is the one for me.
18 November 2011
Vendor of Quack Nostrum’s Conscience
Err Vendor, you haven’t listened to all 24 covers so how can you say ‘not one of them a patch on the original’?
Why don’t you just say that you love the original and like the Biccies version muchly and leave it at that?
18 November 2011
Steve G
Ah yes ….. Holidays In Cambodia was good .. but nowhere near as poignant as Whats My Name ~ Come on it is without compare
9 December 2011
Lotte
I saw HMHB in Manchester last night and they did a cover of Tragedy by the Bee Gees. Better than the original, I’d say. And they threw in a snippet of gratuitous Joy Division.
18 December 2011
Andy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Becu5DqlbFk
Cover of new dawn fades, from Manchester uni 1991
4 March 2012
Dave Wiggins
I can dubiously sneak in Ken Dodd’s (“what, m’lud, me? Keep thousands of pounds of unaccounted for cash ‘neath my bed in a hopeless naive exercise in tax avoidance”) seminal work ‘Happiness’, from the Llandudno West Shore gig of 1999 / 2000. It was the Everton fanzine When Skies are Grey editorial team’s Summer day out, and how we guffawed at Nigel changing the lyrics of the said ‘classic’ to; “Radiohead, Radiohead, if you come to Birkenhead. I’d lock you in me grandad’s shed, for being poncy shite”. Unless I am very much mistaken, it was the same show were he debuted the “when the Gods that came before the Gods were on the earth, that’s when I got into the Manics” (tune not recalled, sadly). At that time, everyone was claiming to have been into the Manic Street Preachers “from when Richie was still in them”, hence Nigel’s understandable cynicism. Anybody else got nothing to do until Poland v The Czech Republic kicks off?
16 June 2012
MIKE IN COV
If you don’t know them, you might like Edith Piaf’s versions of No Regrets in English and in French. The latter includes a line of French vernacular which you might not have been taught at school.
19 July 2012
Aiwacat
Browsing YouTube, in that way you do when on an extended enforced break from gainful employment, and I stumbled upon a vintage live cover of These Boots Are Made for Walkin’. Doesn’t seem to have been mentioned up to now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfsAMX-lEw
Yep – it’s on the “Cover Versions” page – Ed
31 January 2013
Rob S
Rhinestone Cowboy during the first of two encores, tonight in Bilston
24 May 2013
Precocious McKenzie
S.O.S – Abba.
John Peel Centre Stowmarket on 03/07/13
4 July 2013
BrumBiscuit
There are times when one feels a certain need to get something off one’s chest. The time feels right now to admit that my first ever “proper” gig was to see ABBA’s first ever UK gig at the Birmingham Odeon in February 1977. Second row back, I was, and sitting right behind their parents. S.O.S. is one of my favourite ABBA tunes too, so a personal feeling of sorrow that they didn’t repeat it in Cambridge sort of alleviated by the brilliant rendition of Holiday in Cambodia. There now, I feel better for that. Jag kan, till och med, snacka svenska nu, så det känns ännu bättre.
5 July 2013
carl
Hi, I just uploaded a gig from 1993 in Leeds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3u2XTloxs
Twenty Four Hours by Joy Division at 39.45
27 April 2014
99%
You can add – Dreaming – Blondie to the list and Tragedy by The Bee Gees as well, plus bits here and there of Joy Division’s Transmission. Favourite cover is Holidays In Cambodia which was superb in Cambridge about a year ago
6 June 2014
EXXO
Recent WW1 commemorations have reminded me that there was a gig twenty-odd years ago, in East Anglia I think, possibly Colchester or Ipswich or somewhere like that, where NB10 recited a Wifred Owen poem, possibly ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, over a doom-laden bassline from Neil.
12 August 2014
This leaden paul
After the Gold Rush (Neil Young) – Ritz, Manchester 28/11/2014
29 November 2014
Dr Desperate
NB10 introduced ATGR with “It sounds like West One”, and sang a couple of lines from the chorus of that song (The Ruts’ last single). This may have been because The Ruts DC were playing The Academy 3 in Manc the same night, supported by Steve Ignorant from Crass (who were also mentioned).
The line “And I felt like getting high” in the second verse was rendered “And I smelt like shepherd’s pie”.
3 December 2014
EXXO
Quite a lot of ‘King of Rome’ birdy song influence on The Unthanks’ marvellous ‘Mount the Air’ and ‘Flutter’ methinks.
I mean they’ve been influenced by their own collaboration with the Brighouse & Rastrick on ‘King of Rome’ (discussed on here somewhere else) to produce more soaring birdy stuff on themes perhaps more worthy of their portentousness. Not influenced by HMHB.
16 February 2015
Greenlander
I notice a few Joy Division covers and think I have another possible contender. Saw HMHB at the Mean Fiddler in 1995 and a mate who keeps a record of every gig he’s ever attended is convinced they did ‘Shadowplay’ that night.
27 February 2015
dickhead in quicksand
@@Greenlander, was he a mate of a mate of the bloke who set up the PA?
27 February 2015
Porkypie
no mention of their version of Webb Pierce’s there stands the glass? Was on a kershaw session from what I remember, and tremendous, obv.
15 April 2015
Dr Desperate
It’s in the video section, Porky. http://www.halfmanhalfbiscuit.uk/videos-on-this-site/cover-versions-on-video/
They also played a verse as lead-in to Vatican Broadside at Solus, Cardiff in 2011 and at the Lomas Hall, Sheffield in 2013 (possibly others).
16 April 2015
Dave Wiggins
Speaking of cover versions….. I went to see fabulous Scouse Punk veterans ‘Invisible Heroes’ (@DadPunksNotDead) just the other week. A packed audience were treated to two of the band opening for themselves with stupendous versions of ’24 Hour Garage People’ and ‘Dukla Prague Away Kit’. Could this actually be the genesis of the real ‘It Ain’t Half Man Mum’?
16 July 2015
EXXO
Learn a few more and you… ahem I mean they… are assured of a booking at the 30th Anniversary HMHB Convention
16 July 2015
Dave Wiggins
Exxo; what can you be suggesting? Wait ’til our PR man hears of this.
16 July 2015
Steve malkmoose
Old time poster, returning for a while….
I do remember them playing SLFs Wasted Life at a Manchester gig maybe 7-8 years ago?
Also does anyone remember another Manchester gig (I think) which was literally a few days after Jonathan King first got arrested, where NB strummed a jawdroppingly funny version of “everyone’s gone to the moon”..which listed a number of likely witnesses to or victims of his shennanigans and finished it off with the epic line “everyone’s gone to the police”!! 🙂 {Ive tried looking for it on youtube in vain!}
10 September 2015
Dagenham dave
“Use it Up….” by Odyssey was covered at the Forum 15th October 2015. And yes it was excellent.
15 October 2015
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Spoiler: Clicking on this link does not take you to a video of the performance from last night but the original song
(yes, I did it and was disappointed when I got there)
16 October 2015
Urge Falafel
I am a huge Fall fan (even more so than of the Biscuit), so was gutted to find the download link for that Manchester gig with Container Drivers has expired. Does anyone have it and the ability to kindly pass it this way?
Cheers
26 October 2015
Telly savalas
The Container Drivers:
https://youtu.be/V7C1AL7qmkI
(Cheers Telly. Added to the Cover Versions On Video page. ANyone else spotting YouTube or Soundcloud cover versions, do let me know – CtSO)
7 November 2015
steve
Heard them play Rubber Bullets at Frome a few years back.
4 December 2015
Simon Finch
Oh my God! Holmfirth last night (12th. March 2016 – do keep up). Their take on The Fall’s wonderful ‘Tempo House’ was not only brilliantly executed – with some real S.Hanley bass bashing – but done with a clear sense of appreciation for the original. Nigel doing a very passable MES impression, shame it wasn’t the full nine minutes, alas.
Surprised by the rather underwhelming response from the crowd, though. I assumed your average HMHB audience would be all over it like a rash. Guess we Fall trainspotters don’t get out as much as we used to…
13 March 2016
Schoon
I went to see 10CC last week, Dead Kennedys tomorrow. Have any of your readers been to a more unlikely pairing of bands HMHB have covered, in the same month?
14 October 2016
EXXO
Well if we stretch it to mentioned rather than covered, and a month in length rather than the same calendar month, I saw Rush on 2nd May 1979 and The Police on 2nd June 1979 (Sting stripped off his dripping wet clothes after the encore and had to do a second encore in his dressing gown).
But during Thin Lizzy on 3rd May 1979 something came to pass which rather took the gloss of the wonderful musical year currently being celebrated all day (for no apparent reason that anyone appears able to express) on 6 Music.
14 October 2016
dr desperate
Well if we stretch it to bands covered and songs mentioned, I saw Blondie supporting Television (who did Marquee Moon) at the (Greater) FTH on 26th May 1977. This was four days after seeing Talking Heads supporting the Ramones at the Electric Circus, you understand. 4 quid the lot.
16 October 2016
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Just out of interest, are there any HMHB songs that have been covered by other artists? I know there have been some live versions and a few YouTube versions (the woman with the ukulele doing “It’s Cliched to be Cynical…” for example) but are there any commercially released recordings?
6 April 2017
EXXO
A wonderful cover of ‘Mandy’, as a gift to help celebrate Radio Merseyside’s golden anniversary, was the first song on last night’s Spencer Leigh programme, originally broadcast the previous Sunday night, on PMS.
(These’ll disappear into the archives, so I’ve put the song on YouTube as a permanent record – CtSO)
Amongst Mr. B’s additions and interjections towards the end are:
“Hello Clive Garner here” (an impression of former presenter).
[then various arcade-game style sound effects which I visualise as push-button on a hand-held device by Mr. B]
Then as the final outro chorus begins, something like:
Oh Mandy “and you driving a purple Toyota
And there’s a head in the footwell
Oh Mandy I never thought I’d be out on probation
Wearing shoes in the bedroom.”
[then pints for anyone who can decipher the final spoken bits]
Then:
“Maincrest car and van hire
Maincrest car and van hire
Seven double three three two o-one.
Seven double three three two o-one.”
[which, we assume, was an old advert on BBC Radio M’s deadly rivals Radio Shitty]
After looking up the lyrics to Mandy, so I could see exactly what Mr. B has adapted, added or abducted, Google helpfully tells me that “people also ask: what is the song Mandy by Barry Manilow about?” (Well I suppose they would, wouldn’t they?).
Answer: Scott English wrote the lyrics and recorded this song in 1971 as “Brandy.” His version was a hit in the UK. In the US, this was changed to “Mandy” to avoid confusion with the Looking Glass hit “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl).”
So it’s actually about Brandy. Which has often been known to stop people from shaking, shivering and generally aching. Now we know.
Incidentally kids, I think that old phone number off the jingle will probably still get you through to the new proprietors of the old Maincrest premises.
And what’s Neil’s bassline at the beginning referencing? It’s very Peter Hook but also quite ‘Batman’.
And I nearly forgot to mention the line spoken at the beginning:
“That’s for some clown in a Yaris.”
We may never know Mr. B’s issues with this brand or manufacturer, but we can perhaps conjecture that the one he has an issue with wasn’t driven by a goddess of charm and beauty.
Same show last night reminded me of summat I wanted to write about I, Ludicrous.
27 November 2017
Paul F
One of the most effective Radio City advertising jingles of all time, along with “7-0-8, 7-0-8-0, if you need a cab just let us know. Call Davy Liver Caaaaaaabs!”
27 November 2017
Peter Mcornithologist
Mindy sang by Homer Simpson when foolishly tempted to stray .
27 November 2017
dr desperate
Excellent stuff! I think the opening comment may be Neil saying “Ah, it’s just some clown in a Yaris” (which I myself drive, as it happens), possibly referring to the extra verse:
“Oh Mandy, I’ve been driving a purple Toyota
And there’s a head in the footwell
Oh Mandy, who’d’ve thought I’d be out on probation
Wearing shoes in the bedroom?”
I can’t claim the pints, but the song proper ends with Neil saying “I’m stopping now”, and the jingle with “Spofforth Road, Wavertree. It’s a lemon.”
27 November 2017
EXXO
Blimey it’s like me mum’s been in the thread and tidied up me room. Where’s the other subbuteo goalie gone? But ta for the tidy-up as ever Chris.
Anyway, to further tidy things up, silly me, I’ve been away from my home planet far too long. Of course I’d long since forgotten that Roger Hill, the presenter of the show which commissioned the track, is AKA Mandy Romero … hence the choice of cover for this ‘commission’. So it wasn’t a gift. Well OK, it was when you’re getting BBC fees (trust me).
It’s a real affectionate tribute to the great Roger Hill, Liverpool icon, AKA Mandy Romero, Liverpool’s unofficial Queen of Culture. Though I’m not sure where s/he came in the 100 Greatest Merseysiders polls.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054pp6c
What else? You’re right John – that’s Neil at the end, and you’re right Keith, what he’s saying about a lemon is a reference to Billy Butler’s Radio Merseyside comedy quiz ‘Hold your Plums’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7APmG5qN5A
But John – that’s Nigel not Neil at the beginning about your car. Probably about you in fact. Almost certainly.
But I’ve probably forgotten other stuff and generally made a mess of this again.
28 November 2017
dr desperate
Having listened to the bit before “I’m stopping now”, it sounds like two “Oh, Mandy”s followed by “____ on support with ____” (the ____s possibly representing the names of incongruous personalities rhyming with Mandy).
Any suggestions?
28 November 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Having listened again through my Bose noise cancelling headphones(bought from P.c world in the black friday sales)it sounds to me Mmm-Mandy, upperblondie, my-andie….
28 November 2017
dr desperate
You’ve got to watch what you say there.
In PC World.
29 November 2017
EXXO
Rooting through my memory glands for Mr. B’s previous deployment of the toy sound effects machine, I’m pretty sure that at least one of the sound effects (the “wrong answer” one) was the same as directed towards the Rotherham Postie’s interjections at the Wakefield gig in 2015. Can’t help wonder if will feature at any point on the next LP.
The Radio 4 documentary (broadcast early 2015) about Roger Hill & Mandy (link above) maybe a bit off-topic for some of our readers, but if you haven’t got the full 28 minutes available, do fast forward and enjoy a 20-second snatch about 16:35. As Roger shows actor David Morrissey his ample CD collection, he says something like “There’s one thing I’d like to show you … I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with them …. ” and Morrissey (who is clearly far from a knobhead) explains enthusiastically “Half Man Half Biscuit, yeah!” and a short clip from ‘Westward Ho!’ kicks in.
It isn’t a music documentary, but Jayne Casey of Pink Military (shower curtain), the brilliant Cook Da Books and the unforgettable It’s Immaterial are the other local acts honoured by having their music briefly featured along with HMHB – all wonderful choices – and Roger’s erstwhile theme tune from an early Billy Bragg is there in pride of place too.
And isn’t “I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with them” a great way to bring up HMHB in conversation. What a star.
29 November 2017
Philip Couch
Hello. It’s probably worthless but I’ve created a Spotify playlist of all the original cover versions I’ve found on Spotify. Just search for :Covered by Biscuits’ if you’ve really got nothing better to do! Sorry everyone!
24 January 2018
Philip Couch
https://open.spotify.com/user/1190974539/playlist/2vGVE4BL80P4gPgnQkAtYp?si=uZVHHycwS5CdjE_65QSMQA
24 January 2018
Attempted moustache
Can’t remember many covers way back at early gigs (late 80s or so) , probably due to my cerebral condition during most gigs. Did play before HMHB a couple of times (We didn’t even have an album out!) , I’d say ‘support’ but it was far from that…
I do remember seeing them at the long gone ‘Duchess of York’ in Leeds in late 98 or 99? They finished with a just perfect version of ‘Transmission’. I remember shutting my eyes and thinking how much it actually sounded like Joy Division.
I’ve always liked the was HMHB tend to just recreate these songs in the original style rather than try to do their own. Holiday in Cambodia being another where they just became The Dead Kennedys for a few minutes.
Just a few thoughts.
22 September 2018
EXXO
Well I recently saw new guitarist Karl’s punk covers band, and trust me they’re just going to get better and better at such covers. He’s surprisingly adept at mockney vocals himself (Pistols, Jam, Jilted John, Sham 69, etc), but I don’t expect he’ll be taking over from Mr. B for songs like theirs any time soon.
22 September 2018
BOBBY SVARC
Lots of Jalapenos on YouTube.
22 September 2018
EXXO
Yes, Karl’s more regular outfit the Jalapenos (R&R covers from Chuck Berry to Hendrix to Feelgood & Quo) gig a lot more regularly than the Band-Its (broadly punk covers with the odd track by the aforementioned).
25 September 2018
Lawrence
Does anyone have a video/recording the Barbed Wire Love (SLF) cover please?
25 September 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
I remember Mr. B once told me that at an early gig (in Essex I think he thought it might have been? Colchester?) he had recited Wilfred Owen’s ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ over some doom-laden JD-inspired bass from Neil.
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
11 November 2018
Transit full of keith
“He’s a good lad, is Wilf.”
12 November 2018
dr Desperate
As Jitsu_G could no doubt confirm, since 2003 Bruce Dickinson has often recited the first part of the sonnet at Iron Maiden gigs during performances of ‘Paschendale’ (sic).
The Libertines’ third album is called ‘Anthems For Doomed Youth’.
12 November 2018
BOBBY SVARC
Wasn’t it Dulce et Decorum Est?
12 November 2018
EXXO
It’s quite possible – especially if that’s what you’ve been told, Mick. Also possible that the conversation – which took place shortly after a visit to B’head’s mini-museum “The Wilfred Owen Story” – might have even contained some doubt as to which poem it was.
12 November 2018
Charles Exford
Pete Shelley gone at just 63. Devo(to)-ed
And the worlds built of age are a stage
Where we act out our lives
And the words in the script seem to fit
‘Cept we have some surprise
I just want this to last
Or my future is past and all gone
And if this is the case
Then I’ll lose in life’s race from now on
Homosuperior in my interior
But from the skin out
I’m Homosapien too
And you’re Homosapien too
And I’m Homosapien like you
And we’re Homosapien too
And I just hope and pray
That the day of our love is at hand
You and I, me and you
We will be one from two, understand?
And the world is so wrong
That I hope that we’ll be strong enough
For we are on our own
And the only thing known is our love
I don’t wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you’re Homosapien too
I’m the shy boy, you’re the coy boy
I don’t wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you’re Homosapien too
I don’t wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you’re Homosapien too
I don’t wanna classify you
Like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know
That you’re Homosapien too,
6 December 2018
PETER MCORNITHOLOGIST
i REALISE THAT CONSTANT REFERENCES TO CAN MAY BORE . HOWEVER I AM CERTAIN THAT PETE SHELLEY STATED THAT IF HE HAD NOT HEARD MICHAEL KAROLI THEN HIS GUITAR PURSUIT MAY HAVE DIMINISHED
8 December 2018
Sean curran
Sure they covered “something better change” live somewhere
2 October 2019
POP-TART MARK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MfmcV08AZQ
Middle of the encore..
2 October 2019
dr desperate
From a brilliant idea by Philip Couch (post 114): here’s my updated Spotify playlist of songs covered by HMHB at gigs in the past ten years. Search Spotify for HMHB Covers if the link doesn’t work.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/190h1rNIPEC9CW3yw9l3mf
4 July 2020
kendo nagasaki
‘The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine’ is something that, as a teenager still at school, I had on audio cassette. I was led to believe this was recorded at Croydon Underground in early 1986. Sadly I no longer have this cassette although from the research I have made since (via setlist.fm) it may very well have been from the Bull & Gate in Camden at around the same time. There is a recording on youtube from the Camden gig but doesn’t include TTOTLP.
I have 2 questions:
1) Which is right – Camden or Croydon?
2) Does anyone have this available to share? (either just the song or preferably the full gig)
Many Thanks
Richard
13 June 2022
EXXO
I probably had the same bootleg cassette, purchased of course at Camden market in ’86, but don’t know which gig it was. Don’t have it now. They did play OTTOTLP at the Bull & Gate Feb ’86, and I then saw them 4 more times in London by the May, and for most of the time since I have “remembered” that they always played it, but it may be the cassette that made me remember this.
13 June 2022
KEndo nagasaki
Thanks for the info EXXO. Sounds like it could have been both and could also mean the Bull & Gate recording is incomplete. If I remember rightly this was on side 2 of the tape so could very well have been part of the encore.
The quest continues….
Regards
Richard
13 June 2022
EXXO
Oh yes, it was 100% definitely in the encore at the Bull & Gate after Nerys Hughes. SetListfm is correct about that, and I have never doubted my memories of that gig, my first, which were vivid even before the video.
14 June 2022
EXXO
Just found for the first time a Youtube of a Chelmsford gig 3 weeks after the Bull & Gate, where the first encore was again Nerys Hughes, but the second, introduced as “a new song,” was Dean Friedmann, so although that was not one of my 5 gigs in spring ’86 (when I would generally have done about 3 gigs a week in total) it does suggest that my ‘memories’ of Lonesome Pine being a regular encore then are likely to have been implanted by the bootleg cassette, and that the bootleg cassette is quite likely to have been from the first gig I attended.
It also makes better showbiz sense, as it does seem the band had decided to start and finish with more oomph than was provided by Busy Little Market Town & The Trail of the Lonesome Pine in Camden.
14 June 2022
EXXO
OK, it’s been a while since I looked on setlist.com and there have been some new additions. So the next evening again, Thursday 27 Feb 1986, when I was present at Dingwalls, they played pretty much the same set as the night before in Chelmsford, but without a second encore. Basically pretty much every song off DHSS & Trumpton EP, minus Busy Little Market Town plus DPAK, so no Lonesome Pine.
Further setlists for Spring ’86 suggest that a crap audience (Norwich) got no encores, a tolerable one got Nerys Hughes and an enthusiastic crowd got Nerys Hughes plus Dean Friedman.
My Lonesome Pine memories were indeed largely implanted and your cassette is very probably Bull & Gate, Richard.
14 June 2022
KEndo nagasaki
Seems that the ‘Croydon’ gig was perhaps mis-sold to me then….where’s me receipt??
Equally annoying is that I ran a copy of this tape of for my brother at the time with a photocopied inlay. He gave me a box of old tapes during a clear out about 15 years ago and the case with inlay was in there, but no tape. Shortlived joy 🙁
Thanks for all the info EXXO.
Once again if anyone has the full version of either of these 2 gigs (Croydon & Camden) then any help would be most appreciated.
14 June 2022