Music At Speedway

[RobMcCaffery]

I just wish the choices were a bit more imaginative. There is nothing more clichéd than listening to 'The Final Countdown' as the riders go to the tapes or hearing another burst of Billy Ocean's 'Red Light Spells Danger'

That's the point Arnie, musical cliche is probably more irritating and damaging than verbal or written. It goes on a whole lot longer!

 

Going back a few years Fanfare For the Common Man was was done to death, as was the William Tell Overture. They were both great ideas ..... at first.

 

By contrast, properly used a theme can work wonders. Few people who were fortunate to know Hackney in the Hawks era will fail to be stirred by the opening bars of "The Magnificent Seven", but it was used once to launch the meeting then sensibly packed away until the following Friday - and it was always the following Friday, unless you'd reached the end of October.

 

Staying in the past for a moment to give another example of excellence, in my trips to Ipswich in the seventies I can't recall the music, but I can remember that genius on a mic, John Earrey. He made those Witches meetings fizz but given an impossible task at White City to create atmosphere even his talent couldn't help.

 

One favourite moment was one night at Foxhall when Anglia had put their gantry on the stand roof. John was up there, telling us what the view was like and how great the TV pictures were going to be.

 

Note, that's celebrating and appreciating the past, not living in it.

 

Every track needs a 'Magnificent Seven', and oh boy does it need a John Earrey.

Edited August 31, 2016 by rmc

[Halifaxtiger]

Yesterday at the NSS, they played 'Pirates of the Caribbean' when Poole rode around at the start of the meeting, and when they won a heat. This set me thinking in other sports there are tunes which are closely associated with teams or individuals, such as walk on music in darts ( e.g Phil Talyor 'I've got the Power'), or when the team come out in football (e.g Everton -Z Cars, Newcastle-Local Hero). I haven't been to many other tracks in recent years, but do many Speedway teams have a club piece of music? There are some obvious choices, e.g Lakeside - 'Hammer time'. It would be interesting to hear.

 

Most tracks have some form of set music at the start of a meeting. Lakeside always play The Clash's 'London Calling' and then a bit of 'Hammer Time' as the riders are at the tapes.

 

Eastbourne's 'Sunny Sussex by the Sea' has been played for as long as I can remember and I'm ashamed to admit that one of my favourites is Joe Loss' 'Wheels Cha Cha' played at Berwick.

 

The standard of music played during meetings varies wildly but few can match Plymouth's mix of The Wurzels and Showaddywaddy.

That's the point Arnie, musical cliche is probably more irritating and damaging than verbal or written. It goes on a whole lot longer!

 

Going back a few years Fanfare For the Common Man was was done to death, as was the William Tell Overture. They were both great ideas ..... at first.

 

By contrast, properly used a theme can work wonders. Few people who were fortunate to know Hackney in the Hawks era will fail to be stirred by the opening bars of "The Magnificent Seven", but it was used once to launch the meeting then sensibly packed away until the following Friday - and it was always the following Friday, unless you'd reached the end of October.

 

Staying in the past for a moment to give another example of excellence, in my trips to Ipswich in the seventies I can't recall the music, but I can remember that genius on a mic, John Earrey. He made those Witches meetings fizz but given an impossible task at White City to create atmosphere even his talent couldn't help.

 

One favourite moment was one night at Foxhall when Anglia had put their gantry on the stand roof. John was up there, telling us what the view was like and how great the TV pictures were going to be.

 

Note, that's celebrating and appreciating the past, not living in it.

 

Every track needs a 'Magnificent Seven', and oh boy does it need a John Earrey.

 

I think the standard of announcing has improved in recent seasons, Rob. Rob Godfrey talking about 'Victor Pullover' on Sunday made me laugh out loud, for example.

 

The presentation at Peterborough for the 4's, in particular, was outstanding. I have never been a big fan of Roy Clarke but he was hugely impressive that day as he played the clown backed up by the ultra professional Kevin Moore and Craig Saul. Throw in the best boxman in the game, Edwin Overland, and it was pretty much a dream team.

 

A quick word for one newcomer : Eastbourne's Steve Crow. He's been a breath of fresh air at Arlington.

[spin king]

 

Most tracks have some form of set music at the start of a meeting. Lakeside always play The Clash's 'London Calling' and then a bit of 'Hammer Time' as the riders are at the tapes.

 

Eastbourne's 'Sunny Sussex by the Sea' has been played for as long as I can remember and I'm ashamed to admit that one of my favourites is Joe Loss' 'Wheels Cha Cha' played at Berwick.

 

The standard of music played during meetings varies wildly but few can match Plymouth's mix of The Wurzels and Showaddywaddy.

 

I think the standard of announcing has improved in recent seasons, Rob. Rob Godfrey talking about 'Victor Pullover' on Sunday made me laugh out loud, for example.

 

The presentation at Peterborough for the 4's, in particular, was outstanding. I have never been a big fan of Roy Clarke but he was hugely impressive that day as he played the clown backed up by the ultra professional Kevin Moore and Craig Saul. Throw in the best boxman in the game, Edwin Overland, and it was pretty much a dream team.

 

A quick word for one newcomer : Eastbourne's Steve Crow. He's been a breath of fresh air at Arlington.

 

Not forgetting your very most favourite centre green announcer.

 

Here he is doing some football.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQkJC2uSXs

[RobMcCaffery]

 

Most tracks have some form of set music at the start of a meeting. Lakeside always play The Clash's 'London Calling' and then a bit of 'Hammer Time' as the riders are at the tapes.

 

Eastbourne's 'Sunny Sussex by the Sea' has been played for as long as I can remember and I'm ashamed to admit that one of my favourites is Joe Loss' 'Wheels Cha Cha' played at Berwick.

 

The standard of music played during meetings varies wildly but few can match Plymouth's mix of The Wurzels and Showaddywaddy.

 

I think the standard of announcing has improved in recent seasons, Rob. Rob Godfrey talking about 'Victor Pullover' on Sunday made me laugh out loud, for example.

 

 

I am also a huge fan of Rob Godfrey's work. "Look, I believe in the kid and he's going to prove me right one day but until then he's not Matt Williamson, he's Matt Black!"

 

At the other end of the spectrum Workington in the non-Ian Thomas era - late 70s/early 80s had a character called Rocky Brown - pure West Cumbrian but totally unqualified for the job. The story goes that a rider flicked a v-sign at the referee which Rocky thought was for him and he told the rider quite directly what he'd do to him if he did it again.

 

Given your extensive travels I'm glad to hear that the standard's good at the moment.

 

Regarding club themes I had only one instruction from Ron Russell at Rye House regarding music "NO, Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines!" ...... Yes I did edit that.

Edited August 31, 2016 by rmc

[Halifaxtiger]

Not forgetting your very most favourite centre green announcer.

 

Here he is doing some football.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQkJC2uSXs

It must be said I'm not a fan but there are worse.

[SteveLyric2]

Pirates of the Caribbean on the parade of riders and then each rider has his own piece of music when he wins a race.

[RobMcCaffery]

Pirates of the Caribbean on the parade of riders and then each rider has his own piece of music when he wins a race.

Probably mind-numbing if the rider scores a maximum. See my comments about cliches.

 

I'm just as guilty. At Rye House I played a piece of Jeff Wayne's 'War of The Worlds' every time we scored a 5-1. It was a shameful rip-off of Cradley's use of 'Wipe Out'. One day I thought it was probably for the best that the days of the Rockets getting up to 10 5-1s a meeting or sometimes more were over. There was no danger of that during the era in which I was proud to serve my club.

Edited September 1, 2016 by rmc

[KEITH M]

They usually play this early September up at Berwick

 

And Embarrassment by Madness between March and early September

[Fourentee]

The senior character who now bores the pants off people at Coventry and who I previously had respect for then stomped about like a spoilt child accusing us of being "Fred Karno's Circus" because we didn't have a blackboard to carry round the track to put the race winning times on.

You certainly had that blackboard in the late 70s; I can remember Len walking round the track with it to announce John Jackson's tactical sub outing in an Ellesmere Port match. He then put it under the nose of the two Rye riders on their bikes waiting to go out on the track so that they would know too; a pretty good sight gag on his part as they were sitting next to Jackson at the time...

Perhaps Mr Y -- perhaps the Coventry senior character recollected the blackboard also and was upset by its absence???

[RobMcCaffery]

You certainly had that blackboard in the late 70s; I can remember Len walking round the track with it to announce John Jackson's tactical sub outing in an Ellesmere Port match. He then put it under the nose of the two Rye riders on their bikes waiting to go out on the track so that they would know too; a pretty good sight gag on his part as they were sitting next to Jackson at the time...

Perhaps Mr Y -- perhaps the Coventry senior character recollected the blackboard also and was upset by its absence???

No, just being a primadonna. I'd had problems with him at Cradley years before. I'm sure as a Wolf you'll be familiar with having agro at Dudley Wood ;-)

 

I can only assume that the blackboard was one of a few things that went missing when the promotion was sold - Andrew Silver being another case!

 

Back in the 70s I was just one of the crowd on the home straight 'terracing' (planks).

[Fourentee]

No, just being a primadonna. I'd had problems with him at Cradley years before. I'm sure as a Wolf you'll be familiar with having agro at Dudley Wood ;-)

 

I can only assume that the blackboard was one of a few things that went missing when the promotion was sold - Andrew Silver being another case!

 

Back in the 70s I was just one of the crowd on the home straight 'terracing' (planks).

I'm only a semi-wolf really, by work and residence (Workington are 'my' team), and that's post-Dudley Wood closure.

Back in 77-78 I was at college in Harlow for a year and went to a few Rye House matches for the speedway fix. Good times.

As to the planks, don't be hard on yourself...

Edited September 2, 2016 by Fourentee

[Nobblytriers]

_{I may be wrong here but a lot of tracks seem to play the same music. I sometimes hear the same tracks in the background when a match is being televised. Given that the tracks would need a licence to play music publicly, why do they tend to play the same stuff? They could play anything! There are tens of thousands of tracks, why play the same ones? Some weeks at Leicester it's like being back in the 70's with Billy Bates funfair!!}

[RobMcCaffery]

I'm only a semi-wolf really, by work and residence (Workington are 'my' team), and that's post-Dudley Wood closure.

Back in 77-78 I was at college in Harlow for a year and went to a few Rye House matches for the speedway fix. Good times.

As to the planks, don't be hard on yourself...

Those planks are still some of my best friends.... Glad you saw Rye House at its best, or at least on its way up.

 

There's a word for a semi-wolf you know.

 

_{I may be wrong here but a lot of tracks seem to play the same music. I sometimes hear the same tracks in the background when a match is being televised. Given that the tracks would need a licence to play music publicly, why do they tend to play the same stuff? They could play anything! There are tens of thousands of tracks, why play the same ones? Some weeks at Leicester it's like being back in the 70's with Billy Bates funfair!!}

A combination of lack of imagination and a general under-rating of meeting presentation, I suspect. The 'anything'll do as long as it doesn't cost' business model.

[tyretrax]

Why does it always rain on me? Edinburgh.

[Agrotron]

I remember the music at Ipswich when I visited there when in the EL and omg it honestly sounded like 80s porn music is was real bad.

[RobMcCaffery]

I remember the music at Ipswich when I visited there when in the EL and omg it honestly sounded like 80s porn music is was real bad.

70s porn music is so much more effective. They have to get their thrills where they can in Ipswich

Edited September 2, 2016 by rmc

[Halifaxtiger]

I remember the music at Ipswich when I visited there when in the EL and omg it honestly sounded like 80s porn music is was real bad.

Believe me, Plymouth really take some beating.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Halifaxtiger

[Trevor]

In a stop start sport like speedway, it is clear music is a key part of the overall presentation, and doesn't get the thought that it should.

[foamfence]

Judging by the estimated ages of most spectators (including me), they should play re-runs of 'Have a go' and 'Workers Playtime.'

[Sidney the robin]

Blaze Away at Wimbledon was my favourite music loved Plough Lane.