Derek and Clive

Last updated

Derek and Clive was a character double act created by Dudley Moore (Derek) and Peter Cook (Clive) in the 1970s. The performances were captured on the records Derek and Clive (Live) (1976), Derek and Clive Come Again (1977), and Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam (1978), as well as in a film documentary, Derek and Clive Get the Horn (1979). [1] Upon release, more than 100,000 copies of Derek and Clive (Live) were sold in the United Kingdom. [2]

Contents

A greatest hits album containing some previously unreleased material, called Rude & Rare: The Best of Derek and Clive , was released in 2011. The characters are foul-mouthed extensions of the earlier characters Pete and Dud.

Considered highly offensive by many at the time, the sketches primarily took the form of bizarre, sometime drunken streams of consciousness led by Cook, with interjections from Moore. Memorable moments from the records include Clive claiming that the worst job he ever had was retrieving lobsters from Jayne Mansfield's arsehole, Derek claiming his worst job was cleaning up Winston Churchill's bogeys (leading the pair to conclude that the Titanic was one such bogey), Clive claiming that he was sexually aroused by the sight of a deceased Pope lying in state, Derek's account of a stranger accosting him and the ensuing profanity-laden conversation between them, followed by Clive's reminiscence of viciously assaulting a man who had said "Hello" to him at a football match, and a horse-racing 'commentary' featuring horses given the names of sexual organs, often in their vulgar forms.

Though the recordings were far too crude for a mainstream audience, Derek and Clive bootleg recordings circulated. They were mostly unscripted dialogues incorporating copious swearing – including frequent use of the word "cunt".

Characters

The characters, supposedly two lavatory attendants (although in one sketch, 'Back of the Cab', they play the roles of two London taxi drivers) first surfaced in the mid-1970s.

Development of the show

Cook and Moore were performing on Broadway with their revue show Good Evening, a live version of their television series Not Only... But Also . The relationship between the two men had become strained as a result of Cook's worsening alcoholism. To reassure Moore, Cook hired a recording studio in New York, where the two could simply relax, drink and ad-lib. The resulting recording was padded out with live performances of old favourites, such as "Bo Duddley", and began to circulate as Derek and Clive (Live).

Cook became bemused at the idea that they should not be making money from the increasing popularity of Derek and Clive, and suggested to Moore that the recording should be released officially. By this point, Moore had embarked on a successful Hollywood film career and found the tapes embarrassing, until he too realised his contemporaries were fans.

Two more records were made. They were less like dialogues and more like vindictive attacks on the increasingly successful Moore by Cook, whose career had stalled somewhat in comparison. One such merciless assault was in a cancer-themed diatribe when Cook was fully aware that Moore had recently lost his father to the disease. The same love-hate relationship between them is evident in the Derek and Clive Get the Horn movie.

It is often mistakenly assumed that all of their releases were recorded while under the influence of alcohol. While this can be presumed of "Come Again" – where the sounds of bottles can be heard in the background, featuring some tracks where both Cook and Moore are slurring their words – the home video release of Derek and Clive Get the Horn shows a very sober-looking Cook and Moore drinking coffee and water throughout. During the filming, a prank was played upon Cook and Moore by Richard Branson where 'police' arrive and suspiciously sniff the contents of an ash tray to the dismay of the unnerved and wary pair.

Later CD releases of Come Again and Ad Nauseam featured out-takes. Most were recorded during the Ad Nauseam sessions. Surreal at times, these included "Mother" – featured on Derek and Clive Get the Horn – where Cook pretends to visit his over-possessive and deranged mother, ending with Cook telling his mother to "shut your fucking face and die". "Valerie's Hymen," where Moore discussed cutting out his wife's hymen with a carving knife, and "Lady Vera Fart Teller", wherein Moore elaborates on a visit to a fortune teller who could tell his future by examining his farts.

Transcripts of further, unreleased, out-takes are available in a book titled Come Again, edited by William Cook and feature "General Eisenhower", where Cook reflects on the perils of counting the late General's dandruff flakes; "Vietnam", where Moore received a paper cut inflicted by the Viet Cong (in one insightful remark Cook mentions a "friend" of his who fought in Vietnam but he's not sure "on which side"), and "A Million Pounds", where Cook plays an hysterical woman trying to obtain a million pounds from a sympathetic Moore. The remaining unreleased out-takes are variations on actual releases.

The "Bo Duddley" sketch as it appears on Derek and Clive (Live) was sampled on the song "Voodoo Ray" by A Guy Called Gerald. [3]

Discography

Albums

Compilation

Videography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Cook</span> British comedian, actor, satirist (1937–1995)

Peter Edward Cook was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishment comedic movement that emerged in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudley Moore</span> English actor, comedian and musician (1935–2002)

Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. He first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writer-performers in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe from 1960 that created a boom in satiric comedy. With a member of that team, Peter Cook, Moore collaborated on the BBC television series Not Only... But Also. As a popular double act, Moore's buffoonery contrasted with Cook's deadpan monologues. They jointly received the 1966 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance and worked together on other projects until the mid-1970s, by which time Moore had settled in Los Angeles to concentrate on his film acting.

<i>Beyond the Fringe</i> 1960s British comedy revue/play

Beyond the Fringe was a British comedy stage revue written and performed by Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore. It debuted at the 1960 Edinburgh Festival and went on to play in London's West End and then in America, both on tour and on New York's Broadway in the early 1960s. Hugely successful, it is widely regarded as seminal to the "satire boom", the rise of satirical comedy in 1960s Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete and Dud</span>

Pete and Dud were characters played by the comedians and entertainers Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

<i>Not Only... But Also</i> British TV sketch comedy show (1965–1970)

Not Only... But Also is a BBC British sketch comedy show starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore that aired in three series between 1965 and 1970.

Scorn is an English electronic music project. The group was formed in the early 1990s as a project of former Napalm Death members Mick Harris and Nic Bullen. Bullen left the group in 1995, and the project continued on an essentially solo project for Harris until 1997 when it was stopped. Scorn was relaunched in 2000 until the end of 2011. Harris restarted the project in 2019, but stopped it again in late 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voodoo Ray</span> 1988 single by A Guy Called Gerald

"Voodoo Ray" is the debut single by British electronic musician Gerald Simpson, recording under the name A Guy Called Gerald. The single was released in the UK in 1988 on the 7" and 12" vinyl formats, on the Rham! label. A version of the track appeared on A Guy Called Gerald's 1988 album Hot Lemonade, and the original single was later released in the United States in 1989 by Warlock Records.

<i>Derek and Clive</i> (Live) 1976 live album (comedy) by Derek and Clive

Derek and Clive (Live) is the debut comedy record recorded by Derek and Clive, drunken alter-egos created by comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. The double act began as a private joke between the two of them at the Electric Lady Studios, as a way of easing the tension of their 1973 Broadway show Good Evening. Originally, the record was never intended for release, but when bootleg copies of the recordings proved popular, Cook decided there was money to be made and, padding the record out with live material recorded at the Bottom Line in New York City, the album was released in 1976. The record was very nearly called Derek and Clive (Dead).

<i>Derek and Clive Come Again</i> 1977 studio album by Derek and Clive

Derek and Clive Come Again, subtitled on the CD reissue as "Further Ejaculations From......" is the second record released by Derek and Clive, a pair of characters created by comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Although the first album, Derek and Clive (Live), was reasonably good-natured in its blasphemous subversiveness, Come Again was released at the height of the punk rock phenomenon and Cook, in particular, seems keen to elevate the excess to new heights of jaw-dropping offensiveness. To that end, he improvises routines about raping the victims of road traffic accidents and cross-dressing members of the aristocracy masturbating rent boys in taxi cabs, not to mention several extended routines on cancer in all its variations. Moore, on the other hand, improvises a smutty rhyme about his mother sucking his penis, oral sex performed in lavatory cubicles and how he masturbates with the aid of a greased toilet roll connected to his electric train-set.

<i>Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam</i> 1978 studio album by Derek and Clive

Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam is the third and final recording made by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore featuring their characters Derek and Clive. It also charts the breakup of Cook and Moore's partnership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson (band)</span> British heavy metal band

Samson were a British heavy metal band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick, who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a metal cage. Drummer Clive Burr was also a member of the band, both before and after his tenure with Iron Maiden. Dickinson's replacement on vocals, Nicky Moore, performed with Samson throughout the mid-1980s and again from the late 1990s onwards. Samson were a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

The Fartz were a hardcore punk band that was founded in 1981 and were one of the first well-known bands in their genre from Seattle, Washington. They were signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Record label. They were notable not only for playing incredibly fast and heavy music, but also for their politically and socially conscious song lyrics that criticized government policies, religious hypocrisy, racism, sexism, and poverty. Throughout their musical career they championed a blue collar, working class perspective on life.

<i>Derek and Clive Get the Horn</i> 1979 British film by Russell Mulcahy

Derek and Clive Get the Horn is a 1979 British documentary comedy film that chronicles the recording of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's 1978 comedy album Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam, their third and final outing featuring their controversial alter-egos Derek and Clive, two foul-mouthed lavatory attendants who banter at length about their surreal day-to-day existences. The footage was shot in early September 1978. The film was the feature film directorial debut of Russell Mulcahy, who would go on to direct Highlander.

<i>Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection</i> 2001 compilation album by Jimi Hendrix

Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection is a two-disc compilation album featuring songs recorded by American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. It was released on May 8, 2001 by MCA Records. The first disc contains studio recordings, including alternate versions, while the second disc contains live recordings, some of which were previously unreleased. Its accompanying booklet features numerous photos and an essay written by Kurt Loder.

<i>So It Goes</i> (TV series) British TV music series (1976–1977)

So It Goes was a British TV music show presented by Tony Wilson on Granada Television between 1976 and 1977. It is most famous for showcasing the then burgeoning punk rock movement. It was named partially in reference to Kurt Vonnegut's 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Poole</span> Musical artist

Jonathan Charles Poole is a British musician and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer, he is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhearts and Lifesigns.

<i>The Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge Live</i> 1995 Rolling Stones concert film

Voodoo Lounge Live is a concert video by the rock band the Rolling Stones. It was filmed on 25 November 1994 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida during the Voodoo Lounge Tour. The concert was broadcast as a pay-per-view special.

Judy Huxtable is a British actress.

Film Stars is a well-known comedy sketch by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. It originally featured on their BBC sketch show Not Only... But Also (1965) and was subsequently performed many times on stage by the duo.

<i>Rude & Rare: The Best of Derek and Clive</i> 2011 greatest hits album by Derek and Clive

Rude & Rare: The Best of Derek and Clive is a greatest hits album starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore as their characters Derek and Clive. The collection contains two discs: the first featuring selected tracks from two of the previous three Derek and Clive albums. The second disc contains previously unreleased material.

References

  1. "Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's Derek and Clive albums reassessed... – Uncut". Uncut. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  2. "Derek and Clive are back – are they too much for the 21st century?". the Guardian. 2015-08-02. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  3. Richards, Sam (3 September 2015). "From Voodoo Ray to Infinity and beyond – the story of the UK's biggest rave anthems". theguardian.com . Retrieved 4 September 2015.