Fabulous Poodles

The Fabulous Poodles were a British pre-new wave band formed in 1975. Known for quirky stage antics, such as exploding ukuleles, as well as songs with funny lyrics, The Fabulous Poodles toured with Meat Loaf, Sha Na Na, Tom Petty, Bill Bruford and Chuck Berry (as backing band). They appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test and for a long time were music critic John Peel's favourite group. The band released three albums between 1977 and 1979 on Pye Records.
The original Fabulous Poodles consisted of Tony de Meur (aka Ronnie Golden) on lead vocals and guitar, Richie Robertson on bass and vocals, Bobby Valentino on violin, mandolin and vocals, Bryn Burrows on drums and Bob Suffolk on piano.
(Read more on Wikipedia.)
== Links to Peel ==
Peel was an early supporter of the Fabulous Poodles, bemoaning the band's lack of recording contract in his column in the 1977-02-19 edition of Sounds:
“The little chaps play well and with wit, write good toons and can brighten the dreariest evening - and I speak as a man who knows a dreary evening when he sees one. Yet they are unrecorded. Fortunately, I have locked away in the one of the vaults beneath Peel Acres a couple of demo tapes the Fab Poos (as they are known to those of us who love then) have recorded, and it is a treat to settle down in front of the log-effect at the end of a cloudy day and let the subtle magic of this most under-rated ensemble wash over one.”
On his website, Fabulous Poodles singer Tony de Meur (aka Ronnie Golden) recalls Peel writing a "glowing review" in Sounds in 1975 of the band's first single, 'Chicago Boxcar' on the Private Stock label, although the 45 still "sank like a brick". He also credits the "support of the esteemed deejay", including numerous sessions, with eventually helping the band to secure a deal with Pye.
On 28 December 1977, Peel chose the band's second session as one of his favourites of a landmark year. "Quite mad, but devilishly attractive," he commented after playing 'When The Summer's Through'.
In 2009, the Fabulous Poodles track 'When The Summer's Thru' appeared on the Peel tribute box set Kats Karavan - The History Of John Peel On The Radio.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*None
== Sessions ==
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Four sessions. No known commercial release.
1. Recorded 1976-10-07. First Broadcast 27 October 1976. Repeated 07 January 1977
*Roll Your Own / Cherchez La Femme / Grow Too Old / Pinball Pinups / Opening Finale / Acapella
2. Recorded 1977-04-18. First Broadcast 27 April 1977. Repeated 27 May 1977, 30 August 1977, 28 December 1977 (Best sessions of 1977)
*Workshy / On The Street Where You Live / When The Summer's Through / Mr Mike
3. Recorded 1977-09-06. First Broadcast 19 September 1977, repeated 19 October 1977
*Johnny The Jockey / Rum Baba Boogie / Bike Blood / Chicago Box Car / See You Later Alligator
4. Recorded 1978-10-03. First Broadcast 25 October 1978, repeated 14 November 1978
*Convent Girls / B Movies / Mirror Star / Toytown People / We'll Meet Again
== Other Shows Played ==
;1977
*29 July 1977: Roll Your Own (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*29 July 1977: Pin Ball Pin Up (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*01 August 1977: The Ending (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*01 August 1977: Doctor (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*01 August 1977: Mr. Mike (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*01 August 1977: Cherche La Femme (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*12 August 1977: When The Summer's Thru (7") Pye 7N 46008
*18 August 1977: Bike Blood (7" - When The Summer's Thru') Pye 7N 46008 
*23 August 1977: Rosie Pink (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*24 August 1977: Pinball Pin Up (LP - Fabulous Poodles) Pye
*31 August 1977: Workshy (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
*01 September 1977: Rum Baba Boogie (album - Fabulous Poodles) Pye NSPL 18530
;1978
*29 September 1978: Mirror Star (single) Pye
;2000
*08 February 2000: Luke Vibert & BJ Cole: Swing Light Alright (CD-Stop The Panic)' (Law & Auder) (JP mentions that the vocalist on that track is Bobby Valentino, who was a member of 1970s session artists Fabulous Poodles)
== See Also ==
*Record Collection: F
*Sounds
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Ronnie Golden: Fabulous Poodles
Category:Artists