Bill Oddie

I would rather remember Bill Oddie and the Goodies singing "The Funky Gibbon" than the awful Father Christmas one.

There was a line in "The Funky Gibbon" that Bill Oddie put in during one live performance that made me laugh out loud it was. 'Tie a yellow gibbon round the ole oak tree."*

* There was popular song around at the time "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"

I didn't know about any Jimmy Saville connection to the Father Christmas song, so I may have been unfair upthread. Sorry, if that's the case, Bill. (It's still a horrible song, though.)

When he was on Who Do You Think You Are he explained how he at last discovered why his mother apparently "abandoned* him. Such a very sad story.

I've been listening to the repeats of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again on 4extra and was impressed at his musical skills. I never missed an episode back when it was first broadcast and I can sing along with all the songs. Tim Brooke-Taylor died during Covid; and now this news of Bill Oddie makes me very sad and nostalgic.

He seemed very gentle. I shared his passion for nature and was very sad to learn he suffered from depression which a lot of sensitive people do.

I used to like The Goodies and then enjoyed Bill's wildlife programmes.
The second of the Goodies to leave us, sadly.

RIP Bill Oddie 🕊

MollyNew

Very sad to hear about the death of Bill Oddie, a decent human being who suffered greatly with his mental health. RIP Bill.

One of the first people to talk openly about mental health, too.

A very talented man, I liked The Goodies as well.
An unfortunate comment NanKate.
RIP Bill Oddie.

Oh no. I was only talking about him the other day. The latest Folk on Foot podcast features a musician, author and poet who wrote a beautiful poem about starlings and I mentioned that Bill Oddie was the first person to point out that starling murmurations were the greatest spectacle in nature.

RIP Bill

Doodledog

Sad. Of course I am sad at BO’s death, but The Goodies were not benign, IMO.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3AphnJLbE&ra=m

Oh they were! Wicked, maybe but never cruel.

Always enjoyed watching The Goodies. They were a bit like the lighter version of Monty Python, which was also great.

They are just playing "funky gibbon" on Beeb news and sensitive to his childhood.

That’s very sad . I loved the Goodies when I was a child .

Made me very sad. RIP.

I am sorry to hear about Bill Oddie dying. I thought he was quirky and kind and had a passion for nature.

In the image that accompanies the recording, they are all pointing at a blownup photo of Dougal, the dog with the long silky blond hair from the Magic Roundabout. Dougal reminds me of someone . . .

Doodledog

Sad. Of course I am sad at BO’s death, but The Goodies were not benign, IMO.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3AphnJLbE&ra=m

Someone in the comments to that Youtube was saying that it was a dig at Jimmy Saville. That sounds rather like something The Goodies would do - not openly if there was nothing known against JS at that time except vague rumours. If his name had been broadcast, Jimmy Fixit Saville would have fixed them for libel.

Someone else referred to another ditty being around which was the same but actually had Jimmy Saville instead of Santa Claus. That one may have briefly existed but no-one recorded it?

The song and tune were based on a Music Hall one well known in my day and often sung in student and rugby pubs. "Oh! Sir Jasper do not touch me", each verse having the line shortened by a word until it was just Oh! (tune, "They were only playing Leapfrog" aka "Glory, glory, Halleluyah")

So sad, he will be missed

RIP Bill

Very sad to hear about the death of Bill Oddie, a decent human being who suffered greatly with his mental health. RIP Bill.

Sad. Of course I am sad at BO’s death, but The Goodies were not benign, IMO.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3AphnJLbE&ra=m

That shows he was a kind man Henetha😃

I always liked him too, apparently he had a lonely childhood and being interested in birds gave him a hobby.
Goodies were funny in a surreal way, just seeing the three of them on the cycle made me laugh.

I really liked Bill Oddie. Partly because when I wrote to several well known people for a donation to a charity walk I was doing (this was years ago) he was the only one who responded kindly and sent me £5 and a supportive letter.
And I loved his enthusiasm and cheerful chatter for birds.