When our children were young we used to listen to a cassette tape of songs played on the radio programme Junior Choice a programme that I enjoyed when I myself was young. These songs were chiefly humorous or novelty songs popular mainly in the UK, probably. One or two of these were by the actor and entertainer Bernard Cribbins, who died recently in his nineties. These songs portrayed the British working man and the best of them, Right said Fred, was all about Fred, Charlie and the narrator trying to move - unsuccessfully - what is may be a piano (the item has feet, a seat, handles and candleholders) into place in a town house. The movers eventually give up after dismantling the piano and partially demolishing the building – including removing a door, a wall and the ceiling! The continual stopping for a cup of tea is very British. The song came out in 1962 and was written by Ted Dicks with lyrics by Myles Rudge. They also wrote Hole in the ground for Cribbins and earlier Windmill in old Amsterdam. Dicks said that he was inspired to write the song by events that transpired when he employed movers to move a grand piano he had bought. The band Right Said Fred is named after the song. The record was a Parlophone release and Cribbins recorded it at the later famous Abbey Road Studios with musical accompaniment directed by Johnnie Spence. Sound effects were added by the producer George Martin, who later become famous for his work with the Beatles. The B-side was the comedy love song "Quietly Bonkers", another Dicks-Rudge composition. Other unremarkable recordings of the song were later made. A specimen of the clever lyrics - And Charlie had a think, and he thought we ought to take off all the handles And the fings wot held the candles But it did no good, well I never thought it would. I also like Had bad twinges taking off the hinges.
