Kit Harris tells the story of the England cricket team’s single
England’s Ashes tour of 1970-71 was not free of controversy. Much of it revolved around the Australian umpire Lou Rowan, who made no secret of his dislike of the England team, and decided that not one of their lbw appeals, in the four Tests he officiated, was hitting the stumps. Then there was Jon Snow’s vicious fast bowling, spectator unrest leading to an England walk-off at Sydney, a fallout between their captain and manager, and the sudden (and, for the players, unwelcome) invention of the one-day international after the Melbourne Test was washed out. England won the series 2–0, their first victory in Australia since 1954-55 but, other than the outcome, happy memories were few and far between.
It seems a strange tour, then, to commemorate in music. But in April 1970, before departing for their World Cup in Mexico, the England football team – as reigning champions – had released a collection of 12 songs, The World Beaters Sing The World Beaters, which soared to No. 4 in the UK charts.They were mostly popular songs, including Eurovision hits “Congratulations” and “Puppet On A String” written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The lead single, though, was an original composition by the pair: “Back Home”, which hit No. 1 on May 16, and stayed there for three weeks. No English sports team had made a record before, and it was a roaring success – which is more than can be said for the players, who blew a 2–0 lead over West Germany in the quarter-finals.
Brian Johnston, the BBC cricket commentator, was determined that England’s triumphant Ashes squad should follow in the footballers’ footsteps, and enlisted the help of a young Reuters reporter, Jon Henderson, who was on his first cricket tour.
“Johnners said we should write a song together,” remembers Henderson. “He took the tune from an old music-hall song called Show Me Your Winkle Tonight. He’d written some of the words, and I added a verse or two.”
We’ve brought the Ashes back home, we’ve got them here in the urn
The Aussies have had them twelve years, so it was about our turn
But oh, what a tough fight it’s been, in the dazzling sunlight
In spite of the boos of the mob on the Hill, we’ve won by two matches to nil.
When we arrived people said the Aussies would leave us for dead
But we knew we would prove them wrong, and that’s why we’re singing this song
Oh, the feeling is great, for losing is something we hate
So Sydney, we thank you for both of our wins, but not for those bottles and tins
Our openers gave us a good start, and the others then all played their part
We usually made a good score, seven times three hundred or more
The Aussies, however, were apt to collapse at the drop of a hat
If they were bowled any ball that was short, it was ten to one they’d be caught
In the field, it was often too hot, so sometimes we felt very low
Whether rain was forecast or not, we knew we’d always have Snow!
So now to go home we are free, and we’re sure the Aussies agree
Though the series has been a long uphill climb, we’ve all had a real bumper time.© Burlington Music, 1971. Lyrics: Johnston/Henderson.
Johnston described “Ashes Song” as “very good indeed”, though Snow, a poet of some talent, disagreed strenuously. So did the Daily Mirror: “It is astonishing that the MCC have given their blessing. They will even let the team wear their blazers for the recording session. Oh well. At least they won.”
On April 19, the entire England squad – plus their physiotherapist, Bernie Thomas, but not their manager, David Clark – arrived at the Decca recording studios at 165 Broadhurst Gardens in West Hampstead. These were mainly the preserve of classical performers, but the Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and the Moody Blues had all recorded there – as had the Beatles, in early 1962, only for Decca to reject them in favour of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.
The backing music was arranged by Ken Thorne, who had won an Oscar in 1967 for his score on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. It was recorded under the directorship of Vic Lewis (a member of the Lord’s Taverners, who owned a collection of 5,000 cricket club ties), in a Dixieland style: trumpet, trombone, tuba, snare and bass drums, banjo, piccolo and glockenspiel.
Though the tune was simple enough, the vocals proved tricky: “Ashes Song” is in brisk 6/8 time, and changes key twice, from F to G flat, then again to G. “I wasn’t queuing up to sing,” recalls Geoffrey Boycott. But he and the rest of the squad mustered at the Lord’s Tavern and, aided by liquid fortification and the modest conducting skills of Johnston, rehearsed the song for the British Pathé news cameras. They had already run through it several times on the flight back to England, so they were in good voice as they travelled the short distance to West Hampstead.
At Decca, pausing occasionally to pose for an Evening Standard photographer, the players made their cut, supervised by producers Dick Rowe (who, after turning down the Beatles, had signed The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, the Small Faces and the Animals) and Ivor Raymonde (who had written “I Only Want To Be With You” for Dusty Springfield). They also recorded a B-side, a cover of “Hello, Dolly!” from Jerry Herman’s 1964 musical. The lyrics of the second verse were changed to reference Basil D’Oliveira.
Hello, Dolly! Now at last, Dolly, we have brought the Ashes back here home once more
You made your ton, Dolly
Had some fun, Dolly
As a team we won the dream we went to Sydney for
Illy was behind us, there to remind us that were the prayer inside all Englishmen
So we made a vow Dolly, let us repeat it now Dolly
The Ashes'll never go away again
The single was released a mere four days after the recording. During a reception at 10 Downing Street, an early pressing was presented to the prime minister, Edward Heath, which Johnston considered “rather a cheeky and presumptuous thing to do in view of his love of good music and skill as an organist”. Henderson, when asked if he would like an invitation to the reception, replied: “Don’t bother. I get enough invitations as it is.” The prime minister later wrote to Johnston: “I congratulate you on your musical and literary skills,” which Johnston felt confirmed why Heath was such a successful politician.
By the spring of 1973, two years after its release, “Ashes Song” had yielded £53.86 in royalties. During the Test trial at Hove, the players put their names into a hat, and Ray Illingworth – the captain – drew one out. It was his. He scooped £25, and the rest was divided between Henderson, John Edrich and Bob Willis.
“We were cricketers, but some thought we might make a bit of money – and remember, players didn’t earn much back then,” says Boycott. “I can’t remember if we received anything. So if I did, it wasn’t much!”
Why did it flop? Perhaps keen to deflect close musical scrutiny, Henderson blames football. Seven days after “Ashes Song” hit the shelves, so did an Arsenal FC song, “Good Old Arsenal”. And the footballers performed it – well, mimed it – on Top of the Pops. Their single went to No. 16. The cricketers, who had to make do with airplay on Radio 1’s Pick of the Pops, did not trouble the charts. “Alan Freeman introduced it as being ‘by Brian Johnston and some bloke called Henderson’, which was nice of him,” says Henderson. “We were told the Top of the Pops producers had a straight choice between us and Arsenal. And they chose Arsenal. Outrageous. That’s the only thing that stopped Johnston and Henderson becoming the next Lennon and McCartney.”
“Ashes Song” can he heard on Apple Music, and Spotify, and has even been uploaded to YouTube, should anyone wish to add to its 520 views. Despite few copies having been sold, the single – catalogue number Decca F13175 – can occasionally be found on eBay, for as little as a fiver.
Kit Harris is Assistant Editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
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