Fred Wedlock Passed Away - the Oldest Swinger in Town is No More

Last night I felt the urge to go onto YouTube and find one of Fred Wedlock's old songs, to have a quick listen, and then share it with my friends on Facebook.

I did this, then noticed a comment from someone saying that Fred had passed away on 4th March 2010, which is almost 3 months ago, and I never knew.

Who Is Fred Wedlock? I Can Hear You Asking.

Most people outside of the UK have probably never heard of Fred Wedlock, and indeed most people in the UK only know of him because of the hit single that he had in 1981, "The Oldest Swinger In Town", which reached number 6 in the pop charts.

But to me, and a lot of other university students of the 1970's, Fred was a wonderful entertainer, probably one of the funniest entertainers that I have ever heard. I saw him in concert twice while at university, and he played to packed audiences, many of whom knew his comic folk songs off by heart, and who would sing along with him.

His songs were brilliantly funny, with titles like Robin Hood (the famous outlaw), Robin Head (the pusher of Sherwood Forest), The Vicar And The Frog, and The Talking Folk Club Blues. His music was often interlaced with burping sounds, words that unexpectedly didn't rhyme, and guitar going off key, all part of the fun of listening to Fred perform.

Fred Wedlock was born on 23rd May 1942, and was 67 when he passed away recently. He had been ill for several weeks with pneumonia, and then suffered a fatal heart attack.

Born and brought up in a pub, Fred loved the West Country of England, and his songs and distinctive accent reflected that. He started a career as a school teacher, teaching students in the East End of London, before beginning a full time career in music. His genres included Comic, Folk and the local to the West Country "Scrumpy & Western" (Scrumpy is a strong cider, local to the area). His full music and television career can be seen HERE on his web site.

He leaves behind Sue, his wife of 40 years, daughter Hannah, who is also a singer, and daughter Lucy, who is a television producer.

Looking at the lyrics to his songs does little to show just how funny they are. Several extracts from classics of his are listed below, together with links to recordings on YouTube. I hope you enjoy them.

ROBIN HEAD EXTRACT

Twas in the forest of She-er-erwood, in the year 12 hundred and 10,
Lived a Pusher by the name of Robin Head, and His band of very merry men,
They lived on nuts and Berri-ees, and occasional spotted de--ee--er.
Doing the Macro-biotic thing, and dispensing oodles of cheer!

The sound of merry laughter, echoed through the forest green
There was old Friar Tuck, with whom nothing rhymes, and Marion the Acid Queen
Said Little John, 'let's have some mead', said Robin 'Oh what's the point?,
I'm tired of doing this Venison thing, let's go and roll a joint!'

You can find a recording of this song on YouTube

TALKING FOLK CLUB BLUES EXTRACT

I saw this groupie standing there
All bosom bum and long blond hair
In a topless backless boiler suit
With high heeled hobnailed army boots

and

It was so dark and smoky there
I went a purler down the stairs
A voice said "miss a step there son?"
I said "no, I hit every bloody one"

THE HANDIER HOUSEHOLD HELP

It's rather hard to explain these lyrics, you just have to listen to the preceding story and the song itself.
It's well worth it.

You can find a recording of this song on YouTube

ROBIN HOOD EXTRACT

I wish I could find a recording of this, will have to upload something myself.

The Friar's name was Tuck, and he wouldn't help them hunt
He never ever helped them in a fight
He wouldn't help them hunt, the lazy rotten friar
He just sat around and fed himself all night

The chorus goes...

Oh Robin was a bloke, and he owned many bows
He kept them all nice and clean
He died in his prime at the age of 29 (age varies each chorus)
With a nasty case of eyeball gangerine

Fred Wedlock you will be sadly missed by those many fans who you have made laugh over the years, and also those many fans who I hope come to enjoy your music in the years to come. You will not be forgotten.

Sources:

The Bath Chronicle (Obituary)

Fred Wedlock (official website)

Wikipedia