I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman

Last updated
"I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman"
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman.jpg
Single by Whistling Jack Smith
B-side "The British Grin and Bear"
Released3 February 1967
Recorded9 January 1967
Studio Decca, London
Genre Novelty
Length2:22
Label Deram
Songwriters
Producer Noel Walker
Whistling Jack Smith singles chronology
"I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman"
(1967)		"Hey There Little Miss Mary"
(1967)

"I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" was a hit single in 1967 composed by British songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. [1] It was a novelty record, performed mostly by whistling. The name Whistling Jack Smith, credited on the most commercially successful recording, was a play on the name of the baritone singer of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Whispering Jack Smith. [2]

Contents

Production

The tune was written by Greenaway and Cook and was originally titled "Too Much Birdseed". [3] [2] It was recorded as a single for Deram Records by record producer Noel Walker, using studio musicians together with the Mike Sammes Singers. The whistling on the record was, according to most sources, by John O'Neill, a trumpeter and singer with the Mike Sammes Singers who was known for his whistling skill, [4] [5] though other sources credit Noel Walker for the whistling. [3] O'Neill was only paid a flat fee for his participation in the recording, and did not receive royalty payments once the single became a hit. [6]

A novelty song, [7] the title does not refer to the superhero of the same name, but rather to a military batman, a soldier assigned as a servant to an officer. [6] "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" contained a variety of instruments in the backing, including additional whistling, electric organ, guitar, bass and drums. [3] The song was recorded on 9 January 1967 at Decca Studios. [8]

Release and commercial performance

Credited to Whistling Jack Smith, "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" was released through Deram Records on 3 February 1967, [8] with the B-side "The British Grin and Bear" written by Walker. [6] When it was featured on Top of the Pops , actor Coby Wells was used to mime the whistling, and later toured as the public face of Whistling Jack Smith. Wells' real name was Billy Moeller, a brother of Tommy Moeller, lead vocalist, guitarist, and pianist with Unit 4 + 2. [2] The recording reached #5 on the UK singles chart in March 1967, staying in the chart for 12 weeks. [9] It peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. [10]

The single was awarded a gold disc for the sales of 1 million copies worldwide. [11]

Chart performance

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Simpson 2003, p. 100.
  2. 1 2 3 Metzger, Richar (19 February 2013). "'I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman': Whistling Jack Smith". Dangerous Minds. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 arwulf, arwulf. "Whistling Jack Smith Biography by arwulf arwulf". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Rawlings 2002, p. 66.
  5. ↑ Anon. (11 October 2005). "Whistling in the Wind for a Good Tune". Western Daily Press . p. 10.
  6. 1 2 3 Anon. (7 October 2016). "When a Whistling Song Became a 1967 Radio Hit". Best Classic Bands. Archived from the original on 7 October 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Doggett 2015, p. 290.
  8. 1 2 Tracy 1988, p. 4.
  9. 1 2 "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 29 December 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  10. 1 2 Anon. (3 June 1967). "Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard . p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  11. ↑ Murrells 1978, pp. 230, 401.
  12. ↑ "Whistling Jack Smith - I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Nimmervoll, Ed (31 May 1967). "Go Set National Top 40". Go-Set . Archived from the original on 22 November 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Whistling Jack Smith – I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Whistling Jack Smith– I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in French). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Anon. (10 June 1967). "The RPM 100" (PDF). RPM . p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  17. ↑ "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman - Whistling Jack Smith". Danske Hitlister (in Danish). Danmarks Radio. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  18. ↑ Gogan, Larry. "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 9 July 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Whistling Jack Smith - I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  21. ↑ Kohler, Steve (2 June 1967). "The N.Z. Hit Parade". Flavour of New Zealand. New Zealand Listener. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989: Acts S". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Springbok Radio. 2000. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  23. ↑ Hallberg 1993, p. 77.
  24. ↑ Hallberg & Henningsson 2012, p. 456.
  25. ↑ Kimberley 2000, p. 57.
  26. ↑ Anon. (8 April 1967). "Top 30" (PDF). Disc and Music Echo . p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  27. ↑ Anon. (1 April 1967). "Pop 30" (PDF). Melody Maker . p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  28. ↑ Anon. (8 April 1967). "NME Top 30". New Musical Express . p. 5.
  29. ↑ Anon. (10 June 1967). "Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening" (PDF). Billboard . p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  30. ↑ Anon. (10 June 1967). "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  31. ↑ Anon. (10 June 1967). "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World . p. 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  32. ↑ Anon. (17 June 1967). "Record World's Top Non-Rock" (PDF). Record World . p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  33. ↑ "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  34. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1967" [Year-end hit parade singles 1967] (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  35. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1967" [Year Overview 1967] (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  36. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1967" [Top 100 Annual Review of 1967] (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  37. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1967". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Springbok Radio. September 2000. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  38. ↑ Anon. (3 January 1968). "Top 100 best-selling singles of 1967". Record Retailer . p. 8.
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1967" [Top 100 Singles Year Charts 1967] (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.

Sources

Further reading

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