I've a strange story about this song... My Mum and Dad sadly separated when I was about 4. Their separation agreement meant that every other weekend my brother and I got to see our Dad! He would drive the 2 ½ hours all the way from Holsworthy (Devon) to pick us up. The anticipation of him arriving is one of my favourite childhood memories. On one weekend in the year 2000, when I was 15, he picked us up and took us back to his house in Devon where he was hosting a summer house party. It was brilliant. The whole house and gardens were filled with people laughing, drinking, chatting and eating. There were loads of great characters there, all of which were good friends of my Dad’s. Even legends like “Andy with the quiff” and “Big Steve” came to stay. Not long after midnight the small group of us teenagers turned in for the night. We slept in sleeping bags on the lounge floor and left the adults to enjoy the party. Alcohol was flowing. At god-only-knows what hour, when I was fast asleep “Andy with the quiff” burst into the lounge shook me as hard as he could and spurted out about four times “JON MATE, GOTTA NEW MOTOR MATE. GOTTA NEW MOTOR.” I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what the hell he was on about. Complete fruitcake. How on earth could he have bought a new motor at about 3AM on a Sunday? My brother was also woken by the ordeal. Andy left the room as quickly as he entered it, with no explanation. My brother and I just looked at each other and burst into laughter. That moment became legendary between my brother and I, and even when I see my brother to this day we often randomly blurt out that one of us has “GOTTA NEW MOTOR MATE!!”. In late 2019 my Dad was diagnosed with cancer and he passed away in February 2020 aged 66. When he passed away, I was handed a box of his old photographs and amongst the collection was a photo of pretty much everyone who attended that particular house party. In the photo, right in the middle of the group of people, there was “Andy with the quiff”. I hadn't seen him since the house party in 2000. My girlfriend was next to me whilst I was looking through the photos and naturally, I told her the story. The next day she called me and said, “you know, when you told me that story there was something familiar about it, but I just didn’t know what - but it has suddenly come to me!” “What is it?” I said eagerly. “IT’S A BLOODY SONG!” she replied! For T W E N T Y friggin’ years my brother and I have been joking about that utterly confusing moment and NOW it all makes sense! So that is what brought me here to watch this video. I watched with a tear in my eye but with a smile on my face. RIP Dad. Thank you for the memories.
Thanks for sharing this story. The line about the anticipation of your dad arriving was something I totally related to as I would often look out the window of my primary school class in New Zealand and hope to see my grandad's car parked outside the school as it meant I got to see my pop (as well as get treated to some lollies or chips from the deli round the corner). I'm 44 now and don't have kids of my own, probably never will either but nostalgia is something I hold onto dearly. Your memories sound as special to you as mine are to me. May your dad forever smile down on you :)
just found out one of my favorite reggae tunes (dont sniff coke by pato banton) basically only exists because of this song. patos song "hello tosh got a new toshiba" is a reggaefied electronic version of this. when i saw the name alexei sayle i immediately thought "from the young ones?" so happy to say its the same one.
Classic Alexei Sayle, shades of ska thrown in for good measure. I love Sayles poetry and it's easy not to remember the days how growing up in the early 80's with the likes of The Specials,Madness,Elvis Costello,The Clash and all else playing on the radio with Kenny Everet, pirate music stations like Radio Caroline. And shows like TISWAS, The Young Ones by Ben Elton and parodies like Spitting Image,Black Adder,Yes Minister and all just came to be largely forgotten in the T.V. and radio industry, despite those shows still having a massive popularity and following to this day. (Black Adder being my own fave of awld time!) The brand of humour was more political with a whole lot of anarchy thrown in for good measure.They were the first of the new generation of comic poets/writers. Today at least we still have the likes of H.I.G.N.F.Y. to carry that satire on...SIGH!, or RU-vid to remind us of the days when there was still good music and great comedy.
I lived for a time in Essex. This was not a song, just a greeting. Like: "New boots John?" [tyres]. Everyone was "John" or "Chief" how about Harold Wood, Billericay Dickie, Clevor Trevor an' all them Feelgoods down the Jetty...ah
Saw Sayle in Sheffield the other day. Absolutely brilliant! I am 19 and obviously I didn't see him during his main career, only through clips on RU-vid. But his come back made me cry with tears!!!
Only alexei sayle could pull this off and with style what a guy damn I miss they old days we were spoilt for heroes now look at today’s shower it all sucks
Wow! After all these decades of searching, I've finally found this song! I've probably searched to find this song since I first heard it on "Sky Channel" in Norway, back in 1982. And today I asked one of my friends from England if he knew this song, he did. My life is now complete! Thank you for uploading this piece of wonder, that is this song!
Fond memories of my best mate as a teenager, in our back yard, early one summer weekend morning, strutting around my freshly polished car, dancing bent way back like Madness (on the one step beyond video), full punk gear with red D.M.s, declaring that he had tropical fish... in his underpants.
The audience behind him are sitting so calmly and probably thinking, I wish someone would come and take him back to the special hospital. 😂 This is actually one of my favourite songs of the 80's. Still love it now.
Yes, I heard him sing that as well. I nearly typed the same thing, showing that I'd heard him sing that line, and then noticed you'd done just that already, so I decided against it.
Seriously, he has all the right attributes to be the new Prime Minister after Cameron!... First on the agender would be to restore car manufacturing in the UK.
One of the (few) good things that came out of the eighties. Remember seeing him at that theatre in Wimbledon - can't think of the name - was one of the funniest nights I ever had.
The audience siting there awkwardly, bemused by what is going on. Alexei's hat pulled down, so he's not put off by the fatally un-hip public school stick insects in the stands. Pearls before swine. Alexei Sayle...the mad, angry poet of the early 1980s. Genius.
just watched his show on liverpool on bbc iplayer, i didnt realise how funny he is. Plus this song's got so much energy, he gives it all hes got, crazy but funny
actually, it's originally from the "Cak!" comedy album, and the Ullo John 7" single. The Fish People album came out later, and added Ullo John on the end, presumably to help the new album's sales, since the song was more well known by then. The "Cak!" album features the "Mr. Sweary" skit with the cursing guy, which was presumably the original inspiration for the "Mr. Sweary verion" of Ullo John, aka "Ullo John Part 4", featured on the secondary Ullo John single, released on 12" vinyl.
Alex's Sayle is a legend.. This song is Al Muurays pub landlord.. The musical. I remember him as the mad landlord in The Young Ones too.. Comic genius never goes out of style because the day that you stop laughing is the day that you die❤😂I 😢🎉
Alexei Sayle was never a dull moment, The Tube, The Youg Ones...you name it, he spiced it up his way, laughs every time. Pity political correctness has killed comedy today. Alexei wouldn't stand a chance.🙊🙈🙉
What are you talking about? Alexei was absolutely politically correct. He was one of the originators of the New Wave comedy movement, who despised the non-politically correct comedians of the time (Bernard Manning et al)
Strangely infectious song and anything that takes the piss out of cockneys, is alright by me. I would love to see more of Alexei on television, his aggressive style of comedy always made me laugh, plus he's a damn side funnier than some of todays stand up comedians, such as Lee Mack and basically any regular guest on Mock The Week.
I spent 2 years in the UK when this came out. I seem to remember another version of this song where he says "Ullo, what's the damage John Mini Cab 'ere, if you have some oft money you want to launder, please piss off at the tone". Does anyone else remember that?
I love Alexie Sayels song and dance numbers. Very funny song here. Anyone remember a thing he did called "It's a jolly old world"? Very funny dark humor bit where Alexie and two backup dancers in coat, tails,and canes, danced before a movie screen that had newsreel footage of world atrocities and disasters playing across it. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do. Would love to see that again.
It's been 13 years since your comment, but that reminds me of the excellent video for Devo's 'Beautiful World'. Starts off upbeat with happy clips of dancing, and gradually turns into footage of war and riots, making the song feel deeply sarcastic and ridiculous.
