Lieutenant Pigeon are an English

novelty Novelty (derived from Latin word ''novus'' for "new") is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual. Novelty may be the shared experience of a new cultural phenomenon or the subjective perception of an ...

musical group popular in the early 1970s, originating in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

Career

A spin-off from an experimental music band Stavely Makepeace, the group was fronted by Rob Woodward and managed by him and drummer Nigel Fletcher. Other members included bassist Steven Johnson.Larkin, Colin (2002) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music'', MUZE UK Ltd, , p. 237-8 The group's sound was dominated by a heavy

honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, honky tonk, or tonk) is either a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons or the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ...

-style piano played by Woodward's mother, Hilda. Lieutenant Pigeon (an anagram of Genuine Potential) achieved two UK hits: " Mouldy Old Dough", written by Woodward with bandmate Fletcher, which reached number one in 1972, followed by "Desperate Dan" (number 17 in 1973). Both tracks were largely instrumental, with the titles providing virtually the only lyrics. "Mouldy Old Dough" (the title being an adaptation of the 1920s

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

phrase, "vo-de-o-do") became the second biggest selling UK single of the year, behind The Band of the

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a light Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest survivi ...

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

version of "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...

". Lieutenant Pigeon scored a further hit, in the autumn of 1974, when they reached number three in the Australian chart with a cover version of "

I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" is a traditional pop song written by Thomas Paine Westendorf (1848–1923) in 1875. (The music is loosely based on Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor Opus 64 Second Movement). In spite of its Ger ...

". The band stopped gigging in 1978, although Johnson (after recording as Class 50) re-formed the band in the 1980s, touring to notable success in Scandinavia. The line-up went through a number of changes. By the late 1980s Steven Johnson was the only original member of the live band, replaced by Chris Allen (current Troggs lead vocalist) in 1993. Fletcher joined Tasty (which also featured Johnson) and Oakie. Johnson subsequently set up a documentary video production company. Hilda Woodward died, aged 85, on 22 February 1999. She was aged 58 at the time of "Mouldy Old Dough" topping the chart, which made her one of the oldest female artists to feature on a UK number one single. The Pigeon name, and that of Stavely Makepeace, remain active with former members working together in the production of backing beds and jingles, maintaining a website and releasing occasional new material. Their 2001 release "Opus 400" is a 35-minute single composed of separate sections. For a number of years now, Woodward and Fletcher have continued to produce music which they have made available through their website.

Stavely Makepeace

Lieutenant Pigeon were a spin-off from Stavely Makepeace. Primarily consisting of Woodward and Fletcher, they began their career in 1969, experimenting with musical ideas in their home studio. The music they created was a form of eccentric pop that reflected their obsession with producer

Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer and songwriter considered one of the most influential sound engineers of all time, being one of the first to develop ideas such as the recording studio a ...

. Their debut single "(I Wanna Love You Like a) Mad Dog" was released in 1969. A compilation of their material, '' The Scrap Iron Rhythm Revue'', was released in 2004. Their 1972 single "Slippery Rock 70s" was used in the film ''

Hot Fuzz ''Hot Fuzz'' is a 2007 buddy cop action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, who co-wrote the film with Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Nicholas Angel, an elite London police officer, whose proficiency makes the rest of his team look bad, causing hi ...

'' in 2007 after the film's producers heard it on the album.

Members

* Robert "Rob" Woodward – piano,

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

tin whistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...

, vocals *

Hilda Woodward Hilda Woodward (, c. 1913 – 22 February 1999) was a British musician from Coventry. She is best known for playing the piano on the hit song " Mouldy Old Dough", by the band Lieutenant Pigeon. Early life Woodward was born in Coventry, Warwi ...

–

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

* Steven "Steve" Johnson –

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

, tin whistle, vocals * Nigel Fletcher –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, vocals

Discography

Singles

*" Mouldy Old Dough" (1972) – number 1 UK, number 5 AUS *"Desperate Dan" (1972) – number 17 UK *"And the Fun Goes On" (1973) *"Oxford Bags" (1973) *"

" (1974) – number 3 AUS *"You Are My Heart's Delight" (1974) *"

The Blue Danube "The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februar ...

" (1975) *"Rockabilly Hot Pot" (1975) *"Goodbye" (from

The White Horse Inn The White Horse Inn (German: ''Im weißen Rößl'') or White Horse Inn may refer to: *The White Horse Inn (play), ''The White Horse Inn'' (play), a 1897 play by Oscar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg *The White Horse Inn (operetta), ''The White Hors ...

) (1976) *"

Grandfather Clock A grandfather clock (also a longcase clock, tall-case clock, grandfather's clock, hall clock or floor clock) is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock, with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Clocks of this styl ...

" (1976) *"Spangles" (1977) *"Disco Bells" (1978) *"

Bye Bye Blackbird "Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926. Song i ...

" (1978) *"Bobbing Up and Down Like This" (1981) *"Opus 400" (2001) *"Salute To The Stars (2025)

Albums

*''Mouldy Old Music'' (1973 –

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

SKL 5154) *''Pigeon Pie'' (1973 – Decca SKL 5174) *''Pigeon Party'' (1974 – Decca SKL 5196) *''Westerns: Diesel Hydraulics on the Western Region in 1974'' (1974 - Argo / Decca ZTR 141. Recorded by Nigel Fletcher and Rob Woodward for Stavely Makepeace)

Compilation albums

*''The World of Lieutenant Pigeon'' (Decca SPA 414) *''I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen'' (1974), Axis 6127 *''Mouldy Old Dough'' (1998), Emporio *''The Best of Lieutenant Pigeon'' (2001), Cherry Red *''The Very Best of Lieutenant Pigeon'' (2017), Not Now Music *''The Decca Years'' (2023), 7T's

References

External links

* Lieutenant Pigeon biography page at AllMusic
Official site

45cat 7" single discography

45worlds CD single discography
{{Authority control English pop music groups Musical groups from Coventry Decca Records artists London Records artists British novelty song performers