Ted Dicks facts for kids

Edward Dicks (born May 5, 1928 – died January 27, 2012) was an English composer. He was famous for writing the music for fun songs like "Right Said Fred" and "The Hole in the Ground". These songs became big hits in the UK Singles Chart in 1962. They were sung by Bernard Cribbins with words by Myles Rudge. George Martin, a famous music producer, helped make them for Parlophone. Another popular song by Dicks and Rudge, "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam", sold over a million copies in 1965 for Ronnie Hilton.

Edward Dicks: Life and Creative Journey

Edward Dicks was born in Muswell Hill, North London, England. His father worked as a postman. Edward went to Tollington Grammar School and Hornsey School of Art. After school, he spent two years serving in the RAF. He then won a special scholarship to the Royal College of Art. There, he became good friends with the writer Len Deighton. Edward later focused on writing music, but he also kept painting throughout his life.

Early Career and Stage Shows

In the 1950s, Edward Dicks worked as a teacher. During this time, he wrote a stage show called Let's Go Mad. This show was performed for a short time in London in 1960. It was shown at the Fortune Theatre under a new name, Look Who's Here!. Famous actors like Nyree Dawn Porter and Donald Hewlett were in it.

Edward Dicks also worked with other talented people. He teamed up with Barry Cryer and then with Myles Rudge. Dicks and Rudge wrote another show called And Another Thing. This show was very popular and ran for a long time at the Fortune Theatre in 1960. It featured actors like Bernard Cribbins, Anna Quayle, and Lionel Blair.

Hit Songs and Collaborations

The music producer George Martin really liked the show And Another Thing. He released a song from the show, "Folk Song," sung by Bernard Cribbins. Martin then asked Dicks and Rudge to write more funny songs for Cribbins. Their next two songs, "Hole in the Ground" and "Right Said Fred," became top 10 hits in 1962. George Martin praised Myles Rudge for his "clever lyrics" and Edward Dicks for his "quirky melodies."

Even the famous writer Noël Coward loved "Hole in the Ground." He chose it as one of his favorite songs on the radio show Desert Island Discs. He even joked about translating it into French if he were stuck on a desert island. Later, the pop group Right Said Fred named themselves after Edward Dicks' song.

Dicks and Rudge also wrote "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam". This song was a big hit for Ronnie Hilton in 1965. It even won an Ivor Novello Award in 1966 for being the "Year’s Outstanding Novelty Composition." They wrote other songs too, like "The Happiest Christmas" for Petula Clark and "Annabelle" for Val Doonican. Their song "Other People" was on the B-side of Matt Monro's hit "Born Free".

They also wrote the main song for the 1966 film Carry On Screaming. In 1967, they created an album for the actor Kenneth Williams called On Pleasure Bent. Other singers and actors like Jim Dale and Joan Sims also recorded songs written by Dicks and Rudge.

Solo Work and Television

Edward Dicks also worked on his own projects. He wrote "Busy Boy," which was the theme song for the classic 1970s children's TV show Catweazle. He also composed music for films like Clinic Exclusive (1971) and Virgin Witch (1972). Besides music, Edward Dicks wrote scripts for TV shows. These included the soap operas Compact and Crossroads.

Edward Dicks passed away on January 27, 2012. He was survived by his wife and their son.