THE legendary Scaffold were back in the recording studio yesterday for the first time in over 30 years and hoping for more success than they had on their last occasion way back in 1974.
The Liverpool comedy group of poet Roger McGough, musician Mike McCartney and humorist John Gorman went to the Lark Lane studio run by OMD’s Andy McCluskey to record a new version of Ian Broudie’s Three Lions song, a football anthem for England in the 1996 European championships.
The recording was part of a major project inspired by Atomic Kitten manager Martin O’Shea in which Liverpool singers and groups are recording all the number one records by other Liverpool performers for Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.
It will culminate in a concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena on January 19 with an album and single release around the same date. The Scaffold’s recording is expected to join the Atomic Kitten’s version of Cilla Black’s Anyone Who Had a Heart as the single release.
McGough has reworked Broudie’s song with instead of “Three Lions on the shirt”, it’s “Three shirts on the line”, those of Liverpool, Everton and Tranmere Rovers. Instead of a chorus about football coming home, it is now about culture coming home.
“I wrote the new words a little while back and checked them with Ian Broudie to get his approval,” says Evertonian McGough. “But the other two saw the words for the first time the day before recording.”
The Scaffold first formed in the early 1960s but became quasi-pop stars with their first single Thank U Very Much – thanks to Mike McCartney.
“It was inspired by Mike getting a new camera from his brother Paul and repeating thank you over the telephone. It was a song we thought would provide a good ending for our show and it changed our direction,” says McGough. They later had a Christmas number one in 1968 with the catchy Lily the Pink.
Among others taking part in recording numbers are Elvis Costello singing Don’t Throw Your Love Away, The Farm with Needles and Pins, Ray Quinn performing You To Me Are Everything, Liz McClarnon with Imagine and The Icicle Works with Woman.
Back in 1974 the group recorded a number titled Mr Noselighter.
“It was one of our biggest...flops,” admitted Gorman.
The song was extracted from a children’s book written by McGough with music by Mike McCartney.
Gorman says he had wanted to record All Around My Hat but had been outvoted 31-1. In fact, All Around My Hat was recorded with the plan to release it if Mr Noselighter failed.
“But all the budget was used up and it never was released. It is probably still around somewhere,” said Gorman.
Shortly after, the group split up to do their own things and never recorded again – until yesterday.
philkey
