Day 1: The Wombles – Wombling Songs

 

A disc a day, I said, and they will be roughly in chronological order (of when they came into my possession) so I’m starting today with the mighty Wombles. This is the first of the Wombles’ albums (1973) and I got it at some point in the mid 1970s. The Wombles, for those not acquainted with these fluffy critters, started life in children’s books – six written by Elisabeth Beresford and the first of those published in 1968. Apparently, the writer’s children misnamed Wimbledon Common one day and thus the Wombles were born. They live in burrows, collect rubbish from the Common and, as the theme tune has it, they make “good use of the things that we find, things that the everyday folk leave behind.” They were very ahead of their time.

 

I did have at least one of the books as a child but I came to it all via the TV show. Growing up in England in the early 1970s, kids’ TV on weekdays was mainly on around lunchtime and just before tea/the early evening news. In particular the last thing on before the evening news (on BBC1) was one of various animated series of short progammes (about 5 mins per episode) and these included such delights as The Magic Roundabout, Ivor the Engine, Paddington and, starting in 1973, The Wombles (head here for episode 1). Ivor Wood animated the first series and directed The Wombles as well as The Magic Roundabout, The Herbs and Paddington. Oh my, how I adored that Paddington series (narrated by Michael Hordern). It’s probably one reason I’ve never really fallen for the new Paddington films.

 

I loved the stop-motion Wombles of this era too though – their atlas names (Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tomsk etc.), their tiny adventures and the irresistible voice of the great Bernard Cribbins (1928-2022) who told us all their TV stories. Cribbins was a big feature of a 1970s child’s life (he shows up in classics like 1970's The Railway Children film, he was in some Carry Ons and so many other things) and his narration was a big part of the Womble appeal. The theme tune (The Wombling Song) was also one of the catchier TV theme tunes of that era and is definitely what we’d now call an earworm. 

 

The person responsible for the Wombles music is Mike Batt, a songwriter, musician and producer who’s been involved in all kinds of genres. He wrote Bright Eyes, for example, the Watership Down song that had Art Garfunkel at the top of the charts in 1979 for what seemed like forever (apparently it was actually only number 1 for six weeks but that’s a long time when you’re 12 and don’t like a song, and I didn’t). In the 1980s, as well as his own solo music, Batt also co-wrote the title song to The Phantom of the Opera (can’t stand it, how about you?) as well as songs for the likes of David Essex, Cliff Richard and Alvin Stardust (I mean...). I’m not going to list everything he’s ever done (that would take a while and you can read Wikipedia yourself). He has relaunched the Wombles at least once, as has TV, but there are quite enough reboots in the world, wouldn’t you say? And nothing beats a 1970s Womble.

 

As for this particular piece of vinyl, it was definitely a Xmas present. I have two older brothers who lived in my immediate family around then (older sisters were elsewhere being adults) and for some years in the 1970s vinyl albums were the main Xmas present in both directions between those brothers and me (generally bought in WH Smiths, Boots or Woolworths, they cost something like £3 each). I seem to remember one year (it must have been 1975) getting both this and 1975’s Superwombling (one album from each brother). Whether the brothers actually went out and bought the Wombles or Abba or whatever other 1970s delights I was after (or whether it was our Mum doing the shopping) I have no idea. So many things are blurred by this point, some were never clear. 

 

The Superwombling album is no longer on our shelves, but Wombling Songs is still here and it contains such nuggets as Madame Cholet (she was the only female Womble of this era, an icon), Dreaming in the Sun (Orinoco’s Song) and Exercise is Good for You (Laziness is Not) – things were a little more direct in the 1970s. Orinoco was the ‘lazy’ womble (and probably the most popular), hence the song, but I had a soft spot for Bungo, not sure why.

 

Anyway, that’s my first Disc A Day. There’s been very little planning for this month’s series so I’m not even sure what I’m choosing for tomorrow. Edge of seat stuff.

For the first intro post to this series go here. It has links to previous January projects (music, poems, stories etc.).