The Wombles (band)

British novelty pop group

The Wombles

Origin| Wimbledon Common, London, England
Genres| Novelty, bubblegum pop, pop rock
Years active| 1973–1976, 1998–2001, 2010–2017
Labels| CBS Records
Past members| Mike Batt
Chris Spedding
Les Hurdle
Clem Cattini
Simon Chandler-Honnor
Paul Peabody
Rex Morris
Jack Rothstein
Eddie Mordue
Robin Le Mesurier

The Wombles were a British novelty pop group, featuring musicians dressed as the characters from the children's TV show The Wombles, which in turn was based on the children's book series by Elisabeth Beresford. Songwriter and record producer Mike Batt wrote and also performed many commercially successful singles and albums as 'The Wombles', including the TV series' theme tune. British Hit Singles & Albums jokingly referred to them as the "furriest (and possibly the tidiest) act... are natives of Wimbledon Common, London". In 2011, the band played at The Glastonbury Festival.

## History[edit]

Filmfair acquired the television rights to The Wombles and commissioned Batt to write the theme song. He waived the flat fee for writing a single song and instead secured the rights to write songs under the name 'The Wombles'.[1]

The band released several albums and singles. All four studio albums went gold,[2] and four of the singles reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.[3] The Wombles were the most successful music act of 1974 in the UK, with singles in the UK charts for more weeks than any other act.[4]

A song called "Wombling U.S.A.", written specifically to break into the American market, was recorded in 1975 but was not released until 2000 when it was included on the cassette version of "I Wish It Could Be a Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day".[5] However, a previous single entitled, "Wombling Summer Party" which was also written specifically to try to break into the American market charted on the USA Billboard Hot 100 Charts, peaking as high as No. 55 during August of 1974.

## Live performances[edit]

In January 1974 Batt appeared on an edition of Cilla Black's BBC television series as Orinoco, having been accompanied onstage by guest Bernard Cribbins, to plug "The Wombling Song". Consequently, when the single charted, the "band" were invited to perform on Top of the Pops. Additional Womble suits of the other main characters were hastily made for the live performance.

When appearing as a band, the Wombles were always played by experienced musicians dressed in full costume. Batt continued to perform as Orinoco, regularly accompanied by drummer Clem Cattini dressed as Bungo and guitarist Chris Spedding dressed as Wellington. Both had previously recorded with Batt. On one edition of Top of the Pops, the costumes were filled by members of Steeleye Span.

Tim and Andy Renton, who had worked with Batt in the latter incarnation of Hapshash and the Coloured Coat also donned the costumes, along with Robin Le Mesurier, who was later expelled from the band following his arrest for possession of cannabis.[6]

The band appeared as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, staged at the Brighton Dome, at which ABBA became internationally known.[7]

## The Wombles' split and Wellington's solo career[edit]

The Wombles 'split' in 1976 and, following a severe drought that summer, a single called "Rainmaker" (credited solely to Wellington Womble rather than the entire band) was released.

## Legacy[edit]

Although Batt was sensitive about the legacy of the band for a long time, more recently he has talked of their music with pride. In a 2008 interview, he said: "It is hard to be taken seriously with the Wombles hanging around my neck like a furry anvil."[1] In a programme with Aled Jones on the BBC in 2010 Batt pointed out that, in balance, the Wombles also served as a "furry balloon" as it gave him his first chart success.[citation needed] In 2021, interviewed by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, Batt stated: "I kept the momentum going by changing the style of the records. I used it as an exercise in teaching myself to arrange music...The Wombles were perfect for me because the very necessity to have to change from single to single, style to style...meant I could be as adventurous as I wanted. It was uncool but it was fun, and fun is often uncool...People remember it now with a lot more affection than I got for it at the time."[8]

In 2022, Batt revealed that he had destroyed the multitrack tapes from The Wombles' recording sessions so that the band's music could not be remixed after his death.[9]

## Glastonbury Festival[edit]

The Wombles played the Avalon tent at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2011 with Chris Spedding joining them as a guest guitarist for the final song.[10] Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, had said that booking the Wombles was "a bit of a mistake".[11] Batt quipped that Uncle Bulgaria had been offended by Eavis' comments and had withdrawn an offer to tidy up the site after the festival.[12]

## Personnel[edit]

### The Wombles[edit]

* Orinoco (Mike Batt) – vocals, piano
* Wellington (Chris Spedding) – lead guitar
* Tomsk (Les Hurdle) – bass
* Bungo (Clem Cattini) – drums, percussion
* Tobermory (Simon Chandler-Honnor) – piano, keyboards
* Madame Cholet (Rex Morris) – saxophone
* Great Uncle Bulgaria (Paul Peabody) – violin

### Additional personnel[edit]

* Amy Adkins – percussion, violin, vocals
* Eric Bulger – keyboards, saxophone, vocals
* Richard Kingston – keyboards, percussion, vocals
* Simon DeMarco - the local postie, Band PA
* Morgan Kent - Drums [Top of The Pops 1974]

## Discography[edit]

The Wombles discography

Studio albums| 4
Live albums| 1
Compilation albums| 11
Music videos| 47
Singles| 16
Soundtrack albums| 1

### Studio albums[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1973  | Wombling Songs

* Released: November 1973
* Label: CBS (65803)
* Format: 12" vinyl/CD/Compact Cassette
* Peak chart position: 19 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 17 (UK)

1974  | Remember You're a Womble

* Released: July 1974
* Label: CBS (80191)
* Format: 12" vinyl/CD
* Peak chart position: 18 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 29 (UK)

Keep On Wombling

* Released: December 1974
* Label: CBS (80526)
* Format: 12" vinyl/CD
* Peak chart position: 17 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 6 (UK)

1975  | Superwombling

* Released: September 1975
* Label: CBS (80997)
* Format: 12" vinyl/CD

[3]

### Compilation albums[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1974  | The Wombles (3 Record Collection)

* Released: 1974
* Label: CBS (66323)
* Format: 12" vinyl
* Box set of first three albums

1975  | The Best of The Wombles – 20 Wombling Greats

* Released: 1975
* Label: CBS (5022)
* Peak chart position: 29 (UK)
* Format: 12" vinyl/cassette

1976  | The Best of The Wombles – 20 Wombling Greats (reissue)

* Released: 1976
* Label: Warwick/CBS
* Format: 12" vinyl/cassette

1978  | The Wombles Christmas Party

* Released: 1978
* Label: SHM (977)
* Format: 12" vinyl/cassette

1983  | The Wombles Christmas Album

* Released: 1983
* Label: CBS (25805)
* Format: 12" vinyl

1989  | Wombling Hits

* Released: 1989
* Label: CBS (466118 1)
* Format: 12" vinyl/cassette

1997  | Underground, Overground – The Ultimate Wombles Collection

* Released: 1997
* Label: RDCD (2181–2)
* Format: CD/cassette

1998  | 'The Best Wombles Album So Far – Volume 1

* Released: 16 March 1998
* Label: Columbia (489562 2)
* Peak chart position: 26 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 3 (UK)
* Format: CD/cassette

2000  | The Wombles Collection

* Released: 20 November 2000
* Label: Dramatico (DRAMCD0001)
* Format: CD/cassette

2005  | The Very Best of the Wombles

* Released: 3 October 2005
* Label: Columbia (504418 2)
* Format: CD

2011  | The W Factor

* Released: 28 November 2011
* Label: Dramatico (B0062JIBLS)
* Format: CD and MP3 Download

[3]

### Singles[edit]

Year  | Single details

|

1973  | "The Wombling Song" / "Wombles Everywhere"

* Released: October 1973
* Label: CBS (1794)
* Peak chart position: 4 (UK), 5 (NZ), 81 (Can)
* Weeks in chart: 23 (UK), 19 (NZ)
* Format: 7" vinyl

1974  | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Bungo's Birthday"

* Released: 29 March 1974
* Label: CBS (2241)
* Peak chart position: 3 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 16 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Banana Rock" / "The Womble Square Dance"

* Released: June 1974
* Label: CBS (2465)
* Peak chart position: 9 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 13 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Wombling Summer Party" / "Wimbledon Sunset"

* Released: September 1974
* Label: CBS (2663)
* Peak chart position: 55 (US), 70 (Can)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Minuetto Allegretto" / "Womble Burrow Boogie"

* Released: October 1974
* Label: CBS (2710)
* Peak chart position: 16 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 9 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Remember You're A Womble" / "Wellington Womble"

* Released: 1974
* Label: (US) Columbia (3-10013)
* Peak chart position: 3 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Wombling Merry Christmas" / "Madame Cholet"

* Released: November 1974
* Label: CBS (2842)
* Peak chart position: 2 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 8 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

1975  | "Wombling White Tie And Tails" / "The Wombling Twist"

* Released: April 1975
* Label: CBS (3266)
* Peak chart position: 22 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 7 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Superwomble" / "The Orinoco Kid"

* Released: July 1975
* Label: CBS (3480)
* Peak chart position: 20 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 6 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

"Let's Womble To The Party Tonight" / "Down At The Barber Shop"

* Released: November 1975
* Label: CBS (3794)
* Peak chart position: 34 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 5 (UK)
* Format: 7" vinyl

1976  | "The Womble Shuffle" / "To Wimbledon With Love"

* Released: April 1976
* Label: CBS (4049)
* Format: 7" vinyl

Wellington Womble – "Rainmaker" / The Wombles – "Wombling in the Rain"

* Released: September 1976
* Label: CBS (4604)
* Format: 7" vinyl

1998  | "Remember You're A Womble" / "Remember You're A Womble (Dance Mix)"

* Released: 9 March 1998
* Label: CBS
* Peak chart position: 13 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 5 (UK)
* Format: CD single

"The Wombling Song" / "The Orinoco Kid"

* Released: 1 June 1998
* Label: CBS
* Peak chart position: 27 (UK)
* Weeks in chart: 3 (UK)
* Format: CD single

2000  | "I Wish It Could Be A Wombling Merry Christmas Every Day" (with Roy Wood)

* Released: 18 December 2000
* Label: CBS
* Peak chart position: 22 (UK)
* Format: CD single

2011  | "Wombling Merry Christmas" / "The Wombles Warning" / "Miss Adelaide (She's Got A Lot Of Knowledge)" / "The Jungle Is Jumping"

* Released: 12 December 2011
* Label: CBS
* Peak chart position: (UK)
* Weeks in chart: (UK)
* Format: CD single

[3]

### Film Soundtracks[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1977  | Wombling Free – Original Soundtrack

* Released: 1978
* Label: CBS (70155)
* Format: 12" vinyl

## Parodies[edit]

The BBC Four comedy program Don't Watch That, Watch This showed a dubbed footage of The Wombles from TOTP2, of the Wombles purportedly performing "Anarchy in the U.K." live in June 1988. The scrolling caption during the song read "During the early eighties the Wombles reformed as a funk soul fusion. But the project soon failed and the group disbanded, only to come together again as the Dixie Minstrel Wombles. In 1988 the original line up were reunited for the third time to record their version of this Sex Pistols classic.... for a Pot Noodle commercial. Later released as a single it reached 57 on the charts".[citation needed]

The comedy film The Rutles featured a Ringo Starr-inspired character named Barrington Womble who "shortened his name to save time...he simply became Barry Wom."

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (10 April 2008). "Mike Batt: he can't forget he's a Womble". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008.
2. ^ Neil Warwick; Jon Kutner; Tony Brown (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums. Omnibus Press. pp. 1203–1204. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
3. ^ a b c d Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 608\. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. ^ Phil Hardy & Dave Laing (1988). Encyclopedia of Rock. Schirmer Books. pp. 38. ISBN 0029195624.
5. ^ Stanley, Bob (27 February 2004). "Bob Stanley on the man inside the Womble suit". The Times. London. p. 13.
6. ^ Perry, Andrew (15 June 2011). "The Wombles at Glastonbury 2011: interview". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
7. ^ "#EurovisionAgain - Eurovision Song Contest 1974 - Full Show". YouTube.com. 17 May 2020. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
8. ^ "Underground, overground … Mike Batt: "fun is often uncool"". YouTube. Word In Your Ear. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
9. ^ Shutler, Ali (10 October 2022). "Wombles songwriter destroys master tapes to avoid The Beatles-style remasters". NME. London. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
10. ^ Leonie Cooper (26 June 2011). "The Wombles joined by Sex Pistols collaborator for Glastonbury show". NME.
11. ^ "Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis regrets Wombles booking". BBC News. 8 June 2011.
12. ^ "Wombles re-form to play Glastonbury". BBC News. 22 June 2011.

## External links[edit]

* Chris Spedding – Wombles index
* The Wombles at IMDb as the TV show
* The Wombles at IMDb as the band
* The Wombles discography at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Elisabeth Beresford's The Wombles

Television and film|

* The Wombles (1973 TV series)
* The Wombles (1996 TV series)
* Wombling Free

Music|

* The Wombles (band)
* Wombling Songs
* Remember You're a Womble
* Keep On Wombling
* Superwombling

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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