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Tie Me Kangaroo Down / Gene Queenie

Catalogue Number - Joke 1

Label - If You Can't Take A Joke Records

Year Of Release - 1981

Quantity Pressed - 1000

Recorded at "IPS Studio", Shepherds Bush June 1978

Recorded at "RMS studio", Thornton Heath in April 1979

The Single was released by 'Heath Levy Music' but not until June 1981 – 1,000 copies were pressed but none were distributed to record shops.  A single play on Radio One may have occurred. 

Tie Me Kangaroo Down was recorded on a very rainy Sunday afternoon and evening at IPS studio off the Goldhawk Road at Shepherds Bush Green in June 1978.  The choice of the Rolf Harris track followed events leading up to Christmas 1977 which culminated in Colin, Guy, John and Max attending Rolf Harris’s Christmas show at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon.

Colin was visiting Max at his mum’s flat above the shops in Orpington High Street when he found the attraction of the bargain records in Woolworth’s a better prospect than an early morning meeting with the podgy git.

At £1.50 Rolf’s greatest hits (amazingly all on a single album) swiftly founds its way into a swinging red and white plastic bag in Colin’s hand.  The meeting with Max became a singalong and the start of a career-making relationship for Max.

In the following weeks the whole group learned the words to the most famous songs in Rolf’s repertoire to make car journeys a delight.  The favourite was The Court of King Caractacus which Max was, despite his masterful prowess as the band’s vocalist, unable to sing to the end.

Rolf’s Christmas spectacular at the Fairfield Halls was a welcome alternative to the usual round of Christmas house parties that Colin, Guy, John and Max had been banned from anyway. So the four of them found themselves in an audience of parents and kids in their own party mood. The band had their own party moods boosted by alcohol.

Max crashed one of Rolf’s jokes.  “I went to the nudist beach the other day and there were two old fellas sitting in deck chairs and this old lady went running past them into the sea.  One turned to the other and said, ‘What the hell was that?’”.  Max yelled “I don’t know but it needed ironing”.  Rolf froze.

When Rolf could hear Colin, Guy, John and Max joining in with the songs he called out, “Hey you African boys at the back can you stand up - we want to really hear you this time”.

While the band’s favourite Rolf song was, without doubt, The Court of King Caractacus” it was Tie Me Kangaroo Down that lent itself to a three chord punk thrash.  But the band wanted Rolf’s blessing to release the song so they phoned him and played the studio recording down the phone.  He gave his approval but the dream of a punk homage to the antipodean was not realised until June 1981.  Heath Levy, a small publishing firm based in Regents Street, wanted to sign Colin and his band, The Heartbeats.  While reviewing their recordings they thought they could take a chance on releasing Tie Me Kangaroo Down.  While 1,000 copies were pressed and a sample copy even got an airplay on Radio One the publishers got cold feet about their own reputation.  The vast bulk of the pressed singles were dumped.

The Court of King Caractacus

(Arranged by Rolf Harris)

 (C)1964 Black Swan Music (London) Ltd

International Copyright Secured. All rights reserved.

Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

All together, now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

All together, now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

 Now the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

[Repeat 4 times]

 Now the fascinating witches who put the scintilating stiches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.

[Repeat 4 times]

 Now if you want to take some pictures of the fascinating witches who put the scintilating stiches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King Catactacus...

 ...you're too late! Because they've just... passed... by!  

Early 1977
John Silcock Guitar	Kevin Coney Drums	Guy Smith  Vocals	Colin Donaldson Bass

Thanks to Brad & Michael Diamond

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