Episodes

  • The Mechanical Man

    The Mechanical Man
    Feb 2 2022
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast. Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. In this special one-off episode (whilst I get some new guests and material ready!) I'm joined by the author, podcaster and all-round bon ouef, Ben Baker, to discuss a record that he sent to me only a week ago. It's fair to say I've become a bit obsessed with it. It's late 1966 and songwriter and sometime crooner, Teddy Randazzo, has either made - or facilitated the making of - one side of single credited to Bent Bolts & The Nuts. Yes, this is The Mechanical Man and I love it. I hope you do too. If not, please tell all your enemies and get them to listen to the podcast.
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    44 mins
  • Laura Grimshaw on Neil Innes and The Bonzo Dog Band

    Laura Grimshaw on Neil Innes and The Bonzo Dog Band
    Jun 10 2021
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast. Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. This episode marks one year of The Head Ballet's existence and what better way to celebrate than by exploring the band who gave the show its name and one member of that group in particular - the much loved and much missed Neil Innes. Joining Paul to talk about Neil and the Bonzos is Laura Grimshaw - producer for Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra and presenter/producer of Podcast Radio Hour. Laura oversaw all of the recent Bonzos related documentaries for the BBC and you can listen to Anarchy Must Be Organised here. Thanks to everyone who has been involved with the show and everyone who has listened and said nice things. Reviews and ratings still very much appreciated. Find us on Twitter, Instagram or at gmail.com using the username HeadBalletPod.
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    1 hr
  • Chris Shaw on Cook & Moore

    Chris Shaw on Cook & Moore
    May 11 2021
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast. Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. It's back to 1967 for this episode as my guest, Chris Shaw, of the amazing Beatles podcast I Am The EggPod, joins me to unravel the dark psychedelia and heart-rending tracks on Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's film tie-in single, Bedazzled and Love Me - songs that perhaps sum up as much about the performers as it does the characters in the film. If you're enjoying these shows a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice is much appreciated, as is any sharing of the episodes with those who you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening!
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    53 mins
  • Catrin Lowe on Sue Wilkinson

    Catrin Lowe on Sue Wilkinson
    Apr 4 2021
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast. Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. It's season two! How nice to be back. Episodes will be coming out as-and-when this time around, but thank you all for your support and encouragement with the show. To open our 2021 series, I'm joined by Catrin Lowe (Twitter) - a podcaster, playwright and pop enthusiast - to dig into the Number 25 hit for Sue Wilkinson in 1980 - You've Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On. Watch the two Top Of The Pops performances here and here. We can also recommend the fantastic Left and To The Back Blog for background on one of the follow up records. Thanks for listening. Please do share, rate and review.
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    45 mins
  • Darrell Maclaine on The Wombles

    Darrell Maclaine on The Wombles
    Dec 28 2020
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast! Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. To round out the Christmas Novelty Offerings for this year, voice-actor, musician and impressionist Darrell Maclaine treats us to a No.2 hit from 1974 that's emerged from a burrow on Wimbledon Common and realised by producer/songwriter supremo Mike Batt - it's Wombling Merry Christmas! This will be the last episode until Season 2 comes along some time in the new year, so until then, thank you for your support! Happy New Year!
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    35 mins
  • The Beatles and Dora Bryan

    The Beatles and Dora Bryan
    Dec 21 2020
    CHRISTMAS CROSSOVER! Your usual novelty-song podcast host, Paul Abbott, joins his brother - Garry - for a crossover episode with his podcast, The Big Beatles Sort-Out. They've mashed up their podcasts to make one sparkling christmas bonus Beatles and novelty song bonanza! To kick-off, we apply Garry's personal Beatles scoring system to the only 'proper' Christmas song issued by The Beatles - 1967's Christmas Time (Is Here Again) - originally issued on the fan-club flexidisc for the year. Then Paul introduces Dora Bryan's Top 20 novelty hit from 1963 All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle for an exploration of this Beatlemania inspired disc. Look for The Big Beatles Sort Out on Twitter (@big_sort) and in your usual podcast apps.
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    51 mins
  • Tim Worthington on Daleks

    Tim Worthington on Daleks
    Dec 15 2020
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast! Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. Returning to the show, laden down with a bag full of Skaro™ Brand Plum Pudding, is Tim Worthington who is transporting us in his own personal TARDIS back to December of 1964 so we can get together and twist along to The Go-Go's novelty Christmas offering, I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek. Along the way we'll find out about the writer/producer Les Vandyke, the Oriole record label and investigate a seasonal snippet from the Radiophonic Workshop. Find all of Tim's podcasts and books via his website, www.timworthington.org.
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    40 mins
  • Paul Putner on Johnny Japes and his Jesticles

    Paul Putner on Johnny Japes and his Jesticles
    Nov 27 2020
    Welcome to The Head Ballet podcast! Paul Abbott invites guests to discuss their favourite novelty songs. For this, the season one finale, actor Paul Putner has come along and brought the very first single released by Viz magazine on their Fulchester Records label - it's Bags of Fun With Buster. Paul tells us all about who Johnny Japes and his Jesticles really are and we discuss other Viz spin-offs, other puerile records and shares some insights from the creators of this magnificent 7" of silliness.The podcast will return in 2021, but keep your eyes on the feed for some Christmas treats. Thanks for listening.
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    52 mins