The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe Posted Fri Oct 13 10:23:45 BST 2000 by 'RB'

Why is this forum so quiet about the talent of Mr Richard Stilgoe?

I well remember his paeon to the Austin Mini-Metro, the car that was hailed as the saviour of the British motor industry.

It was in 1980 and he sang it on Nationwide.

The lines that really touched me were:

#Mini Mini Mini Mini Metro
#If you think I'm gay I'll say I'm hetro.

His skills were recognised by a BBC management more enlightened than today's.
He was the man chosen to front A Kick Up the Eighties, the great show that started alternative comedy from scratch.

Mr Stilgoe was a comedic butterly, at once at ease in the company of the likes of Mr Kevin Turvey and then bantering cheerfully with Mr Frank Muir and Mr Robert Robinson on Call My Bluff.

Then there was the music. He's been robbed.
Was it not he and that other giant of the light-hearted, Mr Peter Skellern, who started Oasis?

The brothers Gallagher have been criticised for stealing the odd riff from The Beatles. But they stole their name - and all the goodwill that had been built up - from Messrs Stilgoe and Skellern.

Meanwhile, the standard of current affairs on television has slipped badly since the end of the whimsical topical song. Imagine how Newsnight could be improved if, instead of the papers at the end, Mr Richard Stilgoe could play the piano and sing about one of the issues of the day. We could all go to bed a little more light-hearted than now.

Mr Stilgoe has had no recognition. Surely he is a prime candidate for an "An Evening With . . ."

But no.

The world of light entertainment seems to be snubbing him for no good reason.

And I have it on good authority that not one single students' union has been renamed in his honour.

Britain should recognise this huge talent now, before it's too late.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jon' on Fri Oct 13 10:38:06 BST 2000:

It's easy to have a go at Richard Stilgoe. But he did write the lyrics to 'Starlight Express', y'know. Kids these days have no respect.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jon' on Fri Oct 13 10:39:32 BST 2000:

And don't forget "Stilgoe's Letters" - the 10-minute R4 show from the early 80s, where he would make up a humourous story involving characters whose names were anagrams of "Richard Stilgoe". It existed. Face reality.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'RB' on Fri Oct 13 12:22:28 BST 2000:

I forgot to mention his numerous humourous (cunning Stilgoe-esque rhyme there) appearances on Countdown.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jon' on Fri Oct 13 12:34:20 BST 2000:

Providing the foil to Richard Whiteley's manic clowning.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Nik' on Fri Oct 13 16:17:21 BST 2000:

And, of course, Carol Vorderman's manic gas bottling.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Mouse' on Fri Oct 13 20:49:58 BST 2000:

I think Richard Stilgoe is ace. Many (manymanymanymanymanymany) years ago I saw him live (yes live!) at somewhere like Croydon.........totally excellent lyrics.

And yes he did write the lyrics to Starlight Express - if you haven't seen it - GO it's GREAT!!

(Even before that he used to be on a news programme called Nationwide.............

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jeanette' on Sun Oct 15 12:43:30 BST 2000:

You've all forgotten his sublime appearances on 'That's Life'. Didn't he write that really clever song entitled 'Great Prawn of Paella' about Vesta ready meals not containing any of the aforementioned seafood? I still sing that around the house to cheer myself up on days when I haven't been able to find any humourous vegetables that look like willies down at the supermarket.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'RB' on Mon Oct 16 08:19:30 BST 2000:


>Mr Stilgoe was a comedic butterly, at once at ease


Whoops! I meant butterfly in the original posting.
He was never a substitute for butter.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jon' on Mon Oct 16 12:34:40 BST 2000:

I object to the double standards involved. No one ever showed off vegetables that resembled female genitals.

That's just sexism, as we used to say in the 80s.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Mouse ' on Mon Oct 16 22:14:38 BST 2000:

Yeah, that's right now you mention it I do remember him on That's Life (tho' not the prawns/paella song.

Did anyone ever see the series where they were trying to find the person with the worst laugh ever?? If I remember correctly the woman who won it sounded worse than Pinocchio when he got turned into a donkey!!

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'RB' on Tue Oct 17 07:58:43 BST 2000:

Remember Ben Somebody, the kid who was dying?

The ratings were inversely proportionate to his life expectancy.

Subject: Re: The debt we all owe Mr Richard Stilgoe [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Mouse' on Tue Oct 17 16:55:43 BST 2000:

Oh God yes, I remember that!!!!!!!!!

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