Da Do Run Ron
Louise Gold
starred as “Nancy Reagan”, single produced in 1984
Catalogue number: (45 RPM single) ELECTRA E9713
Cast (includes)
Louise Gold (as Nancy Reagan, also backing vocalists The Queen & Nancy Regan on the B Side)
Chris Barrie (as Ronald Reagan, and, Prince Andrew of
And
possibly other Spitting Image voice-artistes in the chorus.
Production Team
An ELEKTRA recording distributed by WEA Records
Record produced by - Jon Blair
Lyrics by - Ian Hislop, Nick Newman, and, Richard Curtis
Music produced by - Philip Pope
Track Listing
Side A
Da Do Run Ron (Music by Philip Pope, Lyrics by Ian Hislop and Nick
Newman based on the original words and music by Greenwich, Barry
and Spector of The Crystals) - Nancy Reagan with Ronald
Reagan and chorus (Louise Gold, with Chris Barrie, and chorus)
Side B
Just A Prince Who Can’t Say No (Music by Philip Pope, Lyrics by Richard Curtis)
- Prince Edward and chorus (? and chorus)
The webmaster
doesn’t know who voiced “Prince Andrew” in the early days on Spitting Image, but whoever he was is starring on
the B side of this record. The chorus for both sides are voice-artistes from
the TV show Spitting Image.
This single, Da
Do Run Ron, was the first ever spin off from the television series Spitting Image.
The flip side
of the single, Just A Prince Who Can’t Say No was banned by BBC
Radio 1.
The song Da
Do Run Ron (as sung by Louise Gold), was later included on the
album Spit In Your Ear, although for the
later issue one of the verses was cut, and it appears to have been remixed as
well. That album also features other vocal appearances by both Louise Gold
and Chris Barrie.
As Spitting
Image voice-artiste at least, Louise
Gold and Chris Barrie
contributed to Comic Relif 1986, in fact Louise Gold
also puppeteered on it, while Richard
Curtis wrote some of the material.
Louise Gold and Chris Barrie appeared, in their guise
as Spitting Image voice artistes on the album Utterly Utterly Live Comic Relief,
which was also produced by WEA Records.
Louise Gold, Chris Barrie,
Louise Gold and Chris Barrie have also contributed to
the politically minded Fall Out group’s shows.
Richard
Curtis had previously written
scripts for BlackAdder.
Louise Gold went on to sing the lead vocal on another single Billy The Kid And The Green Baize Vampire (Soundtrack single).
Louise
Gold,
Review
by Emma Shane
This was a recording I thought I knew from the
compilation CD, until I played the original vinyl! It is stunningly appropriate
that the show’s original Leading Puppeteer Louise Gold actually stars
on, the A Side of, Spitting Image’s first ever spin off; this
versatile actress-puppeteer, after all, helped to set the show up. She also happens to have a stunning singing
voice, and gets some splendid opportunities to indulge in her unique blend of
vocal acrobatics. However, until I played the original vinyl I didn’t realise
quite how stunning her vocal performance is in Da Do Run Ron. The
lyrics by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman are also excellent: I very
much liked the bit “He’s seventy three, he’s just run into a tree”, and
“He’s lowered income tax, he hates the
The B Side, Just A Prince Who Can’t Say No, is performed well by the chorus, and more than adequately by whoever is voicing “Andy” (in other words “Prince Andrew”). But personally I found the number a bit dull. It’s one of those occasions when something becomes better known for getting banned, regardless of whether or not it is good.
I certainly found this single well worth getting, simply because it is a delight to hear Spitting Image’s version of Da Do Run Ron in all its glory. Although the song was subsequently included on the Spit In Your Ear album, the original is better, firstly because it includes at least one verse cut from the album version, and secondly the sound balance is to my mind much better, you can actually hear just what a vocal feat the lead performer achieves.
Critics Comments
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Links about Da Do Run Ron
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