Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
In 1984, Sunderland band Toy Dolls took the children’s song “Nellie the Elephant” and turned it into a punk rock hit that quickly gained popularity. Originally written in the 1950s, the song was a well-known favorite among children, but the Toy Dolls’ high-energy cover version ingeniously reinvented the melody and transformed the tune into a chart-buster, amassing over 530,000 copies sold even though it was released on a small independent label.
Despite being released on a small independent label, Volume Records, “Nellie the Elephant” reached number four on the UK charts. The Toy Dolls’ lead singer and guitarist was Mike “Olga” Algar, and although the band still records and tours to this day, the bass player at the time was Pete Zulu. Evangelizing on its high-spirited and enjoyable vibe, Pete revealed that “Nellie the Elephant was just a great party song, you can’t deny that. It was so catchy and fun. Everybody sings along. I still can’t believe that more than 500,000 people bought it!”
The Toy Dolls’ cover of “Nellie the Elephant” found itself in a fierce battle for the coveted number one position on the UK singles chart during Christmas 1984, and although it reached the fourth position, it competed with iconic songs such as Wham’s “Last Christmas” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and was finally defeated by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” which was driven by a global cause to collect funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Despite the fierce rivalry, Pete has fond memories of Top of the Pops, where he watched Wham perform “Last Christmas” just before their band’s performance.
“Nellie the Elephant” was not just an ordinary cover; it was a remastered version. The Toy Dolls took the cheerful song and infused it with a fast, punk rock tempo, adding their signature guitar riffs and an energetic, almost frenetic, performance that led to the tune’s popularity. Despite losing to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in the Christmas chart battle, “Nellie the Elephant” remains one of the Toy Dolls’ most famous tracks, securing a place in punk history. Pete added that “It’s famous still. It’s even played at funerals! People still ask for my autograph or a selfie…It’s out there forever.”
Even though Pete Zulu left the band in 1985 to begin running the Black Horse pub in Boldon, South Tyneside, with his wife Sarah Reid, his fond memories of “Nellie the Elephant” and Top of the Pops remain treasured and etched in punk rock history
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.