Very sad. In some quarters they were regarded as a joke band. How snobbish. They were definitely not a joke; however, very funny. Someone once described them as excellent wordsmiths. Thats about right, RIP Chas.
Toured with The Killer! That's "The" Killer and not Killer... He was a session musician for Joe Meek and Ralf Little played him in Telstar - The Joe Meek Story, good film and Chas had a cameo in it too as did a few of Meek's employees.
Good film. James Corden played Clem Cattini…
Chas also played with Gene Vincent.
Agreed, great film ... which I watched after your recommendation.
RIP. News came on the radio as I was looking to park yesterday. Very sad - one of a kind, and under-rated as a musician and songwriter simply because he sounded like he did. Some great tributes here.
I listened to a great interview with Chas a few years ago with Danny Baker.
He said he never ceased to be amazed at the reaction he would get from people when they realised he was actually a proper musician.
Some people only saw him as the cartoon Cockney character from Chas and Dave and never realised he was actually an exceptionally talented bloke until they played in the studio alongside him.
"People say to me all the time, 'Oh, I never realised you could actually play,'" he said, "I always tell 'em not to tell anyone else cause I don't like too many people knowing!"
fantastic entertainment - saw them at the hop farm festival and at the orchard and their songs became a bit of an anthem for our bunch - massively under rated - loved them to bits - as dave said to us when we were bouncing around in front of the stage - 'see u lot, you're proper' and thats exactly what chaz was - proper - a brilliant musician who could put on a proper show - london royalty, not just spurs royalty - RIP
Despite seeing them at least a dozen times, the only time that I met the great men, was at Newbury Theatre around 2005.
The audience were invited onto the stage, to buy CD’ s out of (I kid you not) battered brown suitcases for $10, that they would sign whilst you chatted.
Nervously approaching Chas, I think it is fair to say that I had had a couple, and it is also fair to say that I think he was fully aware of this, as I handed him my $20 and muttered something along the lines of “Great show Chas – where are you boys off to next?”. “Wherever the road takes us son” is what he replied somewhat mysteriously (which in the case of Newbury would have been the A34 to Oxford, but this wasn’t the time for semantics), and he then went to sign for the next fan, conveniently forgetting that he still owed me a tenner.
“Er, Chas I gave you a score mate, so you owe me a tenner”. I nervously ventured, to the great man, who was still sweating profusely from the gig, which had only just finished, “Fuck me you want change as well?”, he laughed, before somewhat begrudgingly handing me back a crumpled note, and I stumbled off stage left feeling rather humbled by the whole episode.
I’ll never know if Chas was trying to diddle me that night, and I don’t really mind if he was, for the amount of pleasure his music has given me $10 seems a small price to pay. What I do know, and what Michael Hann summarises in his excellent Guardian obituary, is that with Chas Hodges passing, also passes a style of music that will never be created again, a musical articulation of a working class world , that simply doesn’t exist anymore.
Now it only exists in the memory of me and people like me that grew up in the working class strongholds of London with rhyming slang, smoke filled boozers and cluttered street markets, pie and mash and betting shops, and most importantly decent working class people that loved a drink and a smoke, a song and a dance, but more than anything loved a bit of Chas and Dave.
Rest in peace Chas, there will never be another quite like you.
Despite seeing them at least a dozen times, the only time that I met the great men, was at Newbury Theatre around 2005.
The audience were invited onto the stage, to buy CD’ s out of (I kid you not) battered brown suitcases for $10, that they would sign whilst you chatted.
Nervously approaching Chas, I think it is fair to say that I had had a couple, and it is also fair to say that I think he was fully aware of this, as I handed him my $20 and muttered something along the lines of “Great show Chas – where are you boys off to next?”. “Wherever the road takes us son” is what he replied somewhat mysteriously (which in the case of Newbury would have been the A34 to Oxford, but this wasn’t the time for semantics), and he then went to sign for the next fan, conveniently forgetting that he still owed me a tenner.
“Er, Chas I gave you a score mate, so you owe me a tenner”. I nervously ventured, to the great man, who was still sweating profusely from the gig, which had only just finished, “Fuck me you want change as well?”, he laughed, before somewhat begrudgingly handing me back a crumpled note, and I stumbled off stage left feeling rather humbled by the whole episode.
I’ll never know if Chas was trying to diddle me that night, and I don’t really mind if he was, for the amount of pleasure his music has given me $10 seems a small price to pay. What I do know, and what Michael Hann summarises in his excellent Guardian obituary, is that with Chas Hodges passing, also passes a style of music that will never be created again, a musical articulation of a working class world , that simply doesn’t exist anymore.
Now it only exists in the memory of me and people like me that grew up in the working class strongholds of London with rhyming slang, smoke filled boozers and cluttered street markets, pie and mash and betting shops, and most importantly decent working class people that loved a drink and a smoke, a song and a dance, but more than anything loved a bit of Chas and Dave.
Rest in peace Chas, there will never be another quite like you.
Great post, that is the essence of what they did so well, they wrote and sung about a working class London life that has now sadly disappeared over the last 40 years.
When you listen to songs like "That's what I like" you can't help but think back a time when life was much simpler and whilst people didn't have as much money as they do now - or at least have access to as much money - that they were a lot happier.
Saw them a couple of years ago in Basingstoke...came on about 19.30 and played till about 22.30 with a 20 minute interval. Great songs and they knew how to get the audience going.
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
Did they get any money for that sample? The songwriter Labi Saffre is credited on the Eminem track, but do the musicians get any royalties seeing that it's their playing that is actually being sampled?
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
That was mentioned on the documentary. Something I never knew. Impressive
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
Did they get any money for that sample? The songwriter Labi Saffre is credited on the Eminem track, but do the musicians get any royalties seeing that it's their playing that is actually being sampled?
I would assume they are just paid as session musicians and get a flat fee for the work but no future royalties on any songs etc. No knowledge of how it works, just a guess
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
Did they get any money for that sample? The songwriter Labi Saffre is credited on the Eminem track, but do the musicians get any royalties seeing that it's their playing that is actually being sampled?
I would assume they are just paid as session musicians and get a flat fee for the work but no future royalties on any songs etc. No knowledge of how it works, just a guess
I think that's correct.
The legal side of sampling is a bit controversial anyway. When Every Breath you Take was sampled by Puff Daddy, it was Sting the songwriter who got the royalties, even though the guitar riff sampled was played and created by Andy Sumner!
Still one of the great music facts that Chas and Dave were on one of Eminem’s biggest tracks. The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”. Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
Did they get any money for that sample? The songwriter Labi Saffre is credited on the Eminem track, but do the musicians get any royalties seeing that it's their playing that is actually being sampled?
I would assume they are just paid as session musicians and get a flat fee for the work but no future royalties on any songs etc. No knowledge of how it works, just a guess
I think that's correct.
The legal side of sampling is a bit controversial anyway. When Every Breath you Take was sampled by Puff Daddy, it was Sting the songwriter who got the royalties, even though the guitar riff sampled was played and created by Andy Sumner!
Ginger Baker has similar complaints about songs that were written originally by Jack Bruce and/or Eric Clapton as Cream. His argument being that he changed the way in which the songs were played - Sunshine Of Your Love is a specific example - and that, as much as the notes and words, contributed to the songs success.
Comments
Good article here https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/chas-hodges-death-chas-and-dave-band-music-london-appreciation-a8550306.html
RIP Chas.
Some great tributes here.
RIP Chas - thank you for the joy and happiness you brought to so many
He said he never ceased to be amazed at the reaction he would get from people when they realised he was actually a proper musician.
Some people only saw him as the cartoon Cockney character from Chas and Dave and never realised he was actually an exceptionally talented bloke until they played in the studio alongside him.
"People say to me all the time, 'Oh, I never realised you could actually play,'" he said, "I always tell 'em not to tell anyone else cause I don't like too many people knowing!"
Great bloke who brought pleasure to millions.
Ain't No Pleasin You - brilliant song !!
The audience were invited onto the stage, to buy CD’ s out of (I kid you not) battered brown suitcases for $10, that they would sign whilst you chatted.
Nervously approaching Chas, I think it is fair to say that I had had a couple, and it is also fair to say that I think he was fully aware of this, as I handed him my $20 and muttered something along the lines of “Great show Chas – where are you boys off to next?”. “Wherever the road takes us son” is what he replied somewhat mysteriously (which in the case of Newbury would have been the A34 to Oxford, but this wasn’t the time for semantics), and he then went to sign for the next fan, conveniently forgetting that he still owed me a tenner.
“Er, Chas I gave you a score mate, so you owe me a tenner”. I nervously ventured, to the great man, who was still sweating profusely from the gig, which had only just finished, “Fuck me you want change as well?”, he laughed, before somewhat begrudgingly handing me back a crumpled note, and I stumbled off stage left feeling rather humbled by the whole episode.
I’ll never know if Chas was trying to diddle me that night, and I don’t really mind if he was, for the amount of pleasure his music has given me $10 seems a small price to pay. What I do know, and what Michael Hann summarises in his excellent Guardian obituary, is that with Chas Hodges passing, also passes a style of music that will never be created again, a musical articulation of a working class world , that simply doesn’t exist anymore.
Now it only exists in the memory of me and people like me that grew up in the working class strongholds of London with rhyming slang, smoke filled boozers and cluttered street markets, pie and mash and betting shops, and most importantly decent working class people that loved a drink and a smoke, a song and a dance, but more than anything loved a bit of Chas and Dave.
Rest in peace Chas, there will never be another quite like you.
When you listen to songs like "That's what I like" you can't help but think back a time when life was much simpler and whilst people didn't have as much money as they do now - or at least have access to as much money - that they were a lot happier.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/celebrity/chas-hodges-died-from-pneumonia/ar-AAADz4s?li=BBoPWjQ
RIP
Not my cup of tea and neither were C&D, but an undeniably talented musician.
RIP
The sample from “I got the” by Labi Siffre which featured heavily in Eminem’s first big hit “My name is”.
Chas and Dave played guitar and bass as session musicians on the track.
No knowledge of how it works, just a guess
The legal side of sampling is a bit controversial anyway. When Every Breath you Take was sampled by Puff Daddy, it was Sting the songwriter who got the royalties, even though the guitar riff sampled was played and created by Andy Sumner!