Post by Nancy on Aug 25, 2009 17:58:25 GMT
It has been bought to my attention that the line "It may have been rubbish but it was British Rubbish" is not in fact from Viv at all. It comes from a song by the Albert's called Morse Code Melody and the actual line is "It May Be Rubbish But By Jingo It's English Rubbish".
I actually got the idea it was a quote from Viv as I read an extract from the radio times my friend had cut out claiming it was from Viv it was printed under a photo of him advertising a short autobiographical film he'd made, the short piece also used words like "eccentric" and when I read it I got the impression it was written by someone who didn't appreciate exactly who Viv was and had just lumped him in with all the other theatrical musical comedy bands of the era.
I received this message from Roger Ruskin Spear Himself:
"For a long time I've had the feeling that I would like to point out to the persons in charge that the line
"by jingo it's british rubbish etc etc," is wrongly attributed to Viv. It should be generally known that it was Douggie Gray of the Albert's
at the end of 'Morse Code Melody" and they even had a west end show named as such.
Viv would never have said that sort of thing, it was too "traditional" as it were and he would have been mortified if he knew people
credited him with someone else's material.
I don't know if you could put something on along the lines that I have asked you to point out that "By Jingo" is not a word Viv would have used.
A minute and silly point I know.
Thanks,
Roger."
So wanted to say something as I'd hate to think anything about this board would mortify any of the Band as it after all a tribute to them.
And I'd like to point out that even when I thought Viv did say it, I thought he said it ironically anyway to mock the kind of people who would say "By Jingo".
I actually got the idea it was a quote from Viv as I read an extract from the radio times my friend had cut out claiming it was from Viv it was printed under a photo of him advertising a short autobiographical film he'd made, the short piece also used words like "eccentric" and when I read it I got the impression it was written by someone who didn't appreciate exactly who Viv was and had just lumped him in with all the other theatrical musical comedy bands of the era.
I received this message from Roger Ruskin Spear Himself:
"For a long time I've had the feeling that I would like to point out to the persons in charge that the line
"by jingo it's british rubbish etc etc," is wrongly attributed to Viv. It should be generally known that it was Douggie Gray of the Albert's
at the end of 'Morse Code Melody" and they even had a west end show named as such.
Viv would never have said that sort of thing, it was too "traditional" as it were and he would have been mortified if he knew people
credited him with someone else's material.
I don't know if you could put something on along the lines that I have asked you to point out that "By Jingo" is not a word Viv would have used.
A minute and silly point I know.
Thanks,
Roger."
So wanted to say something as I'd hate to think anything about this board would mortify any of the Band as it after all a tribute to them.
And I'd like to point out that even when I thought Viv did say it, I thought he said it ironically anyway to mock the kind of people who would say "By Jingo".