Rolf Harris: Cool or Fool

I always enjoyed RH's cartoon time admittedly for the cartoons rather than RH's shakyhand can-you-see-what-it-is-yet stuff. He was a bit too keen on the sentimental ones though. RH's animal hospital stuff I can take or leave. RH's music is wankchops, especially "Stairway To Heaven", surely the Nadir of Human Novelty Culture. Though more shocking yet was the revelation that this came off an Australian show whose only point was that somebody did a cover of "Stairway To Heaven" each week, and you could buy compilation albums of the results.

Cartoon time was pretty good though although it would have been better without hi you could have fitted in an extra cartoon.

And my Mum's favourite record (after Motorcycle Emptimness which she only likes for "Tragic Richey" so doesn't count) is Two Little Boys - so a second hand copy made a really cheap birthday present when i was a student.

Rolf Harris..... what was all that face slapping stuff about eh?

Classic: Rolf's 'Stylophone' 45rpm - "an orchestra the size of a box of chocolates". And his public service swimming films.

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/stylophone+organ+making+a+comeback/801862

"Retro-mania has prompted the return of the Stylophone device to a UK chain.

HMV is bringing back the battery-run pocket organ as part of the 1970s revival. "

I can play "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" on the stylophone.

Don't Let Me Hear It. You couldn't make up Rolf Harris if you tried, his career is truly stranger than fiction.

Fell in the river.
Didn't know how to swim.
One of his mates jumped in and saved him.

Bringing back the stylophone is a stupid idea. Don't they understand that the reason these things are so rare in mint condition is because everybody else took them out and BROKE THEM AGAINST A WALL because they are rubbish?

That said, I'm all in favour of Rolf Harris, even though I don't really like it when showbiz figures from my childhood start to work blue.

Okay, not blue, but *sweary*. Like one night when I saw David Attenborough on some programme and he said "shit"; I didn't like that.

Rolf has never been blue!

i caught something on tv about him recently which ended with him painting uluru in the pouring rain, a kinda retrospective / autobiographical piece. there's a lot to him. and he's enthusiastic.

i seem to remember him doing the doggy paddle (complete with actions), rather than having one of his friends rescue him.

but yes, sounds like a wasp in a tin. (space oddity, orbital, belle and sebastian)

http://i19.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/a4/b1/a9c0_1_b.JPG

Wasp in a tin? (xp)

http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/wasps.jpg

He's a bluddy liar. Wikipedia sez:

As an adolescent and young adult Harris was a champion swimmer being the Australian Junior 110 yards Backstroke Champion in 1946 and Western Australian state champion over a variety of distances and strokes during the period 1948–1952.

CAN'T SWIM MY ARSE.

(or, quality wikipedia vandalism)

doubtful, it doesn't mention 'hen fap'

"When I was three years old, I fell in the river at our place. Couldn't swim. Somehow, managed to scramble my way to the bank. Frightened the wits out of my mum and dad. And you can bet they had me taught to swim very soon after that."

hard to dislike, despite all the terrible music

Rolf has never been blue!

Well, he was very sweary when I saw him at Glastonbury.

Some great music too (xp)

search: his cover of 'bad moon rising'

"but she never lost her head..."

Mark, that is Rolf's greatest moment, that BOAC ep. "If You've Never Seen San Fransisco" is the best song he ever released. I say this as someone who has way more Rolf records than anyone needs ever.

Plus, it's bloody hard to find.

Looks like he's been charged!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23880768

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