Cricket in the Jungle (Percy Pavilion)

1983 BBC Norwich video with Adrian 'Percy Pavilion' Wykes, Captain Sensible, Debsey Wykes/Rachel Bor/Hester Smith (Dolly Mixture), and Louise Fryer.
The original calypso was by Tradewinds, but was substantially altered after the rebel Windies South Africa tour of early 1983.
Percy Pavilion's 'The Cricket C.D.' was released in 1994, and 'The World Cup Anthems' in 1999.
Pay Later was an album of 1984-86 put together by Percy with loads of help (James 'Staveley' Fearnley of The Pogues, Steve Roberts of the UK Subs, Dolly Mixture of course, and Ken Orbison amongst others) collectively named 'do it NOW!'.
Adrian Wykes's latest project was a book, "Golden Ages at the Fenner's Margin", about cricket, economics, Cambridge, and Keynes; no need for the Percy Pavilion tag on that one (and great to see Krugman winning the 2008 Nobel prize on behalf of Keynes!)
'Percy' lives on the Franco-Luxembourg border in the Schuman farmhouse, one of the birthplaces of the E.U.
His sister Debsey was in Dolly Mixture, then Coming Up Roses, Birdie, and now Saint Etienne, and is still a fantastic singer-songwriter.
Louise Fryer has been a Radio 3 presenter for many years now. Her brother Andrew set up Treetop Avenue recording studio with Percy and Dolly Mixture, in Stutton, Suffolk - their finest sons were The Stupids (in particular the Elephant Man track).
Captain is just a living legend, who Percy misses very much!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cricket
• Percy
• Pavilion
• Dolly
• Mixture
• Captain
• Sensible
• Debsey
• Wykes
• Birdie
• Saint
• Etienne
• Adrian
• Stupids
• Damned
• Fryer
• Fenner's
• Krugman
• Keynes

[PercyPavilion]

Paul Kelly reckons a couple of months until the triple album comes out; Debsey said last month that she and Rachel were meeting sometime to try to write something for the launch, but there's no chance of a D.M. re-form or tour at all. I found good version of Dead Rainbow so hopefully it will be heard at last (as endless the quest for Syd Barrett's Vegetable Man until now!)

[PercyPavilion]

The producer who summoned us for the day-time recording in Norwich was Douglas Salmon, St. Catherine's Close, All Saints Green, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3ND. The piece went out on the "Weekend" programme, at 22.45 on Friday July 22nd 1983, BBC1 East. It was "Pick of the Night" in The Eastern Evening News and the Cambridge Evening News, in which I was quoted as saying "The Cricket E.P." was "dedicated to the future of world cricket as a force against evil". Hmmm.........

[PercyPavilion]

Yes, it may indeed be horrible to some people. but having been inspired by Hall, Sobers, etc. there was NOTHING I respected more than the Caribbean for half my life. The whole project was a (massive) labour of love.

This response makes me sure that the Caribbean is NOT so special; people everywhere must just try to get along. Perhaps that's why I turned back to Europe in the late '80s, where federalism has at least had some limited impact on how nations' peoples treat each other - with respect.

[chadsexinton]

lol. COPIED FROM THE TRADEWINDS.

[PercyPavilion]

Great to hear from Guyana via Canada!

Victoria by any chance, with THe Sticky Wicket pub, or Vancouver with the Stanley Park Oval??

[PercyPavilion]

Yes, Kallicharran and Croft were replaced for their participation in the ealy 83 South Africa tour and to remove the sell-by date on the song (Holding, Imran, and Hadlee were picked as more likely long-term heroes. The song was speeded up a lot and shortened too. So so? Maybe to those who actually went to the Caribbean like us and enjoyed the gentle Tradewinds version with a pina colada or three.....but Croydon isn't tropical!

[CammyArse]

the guy singing is my geography teacher! haha!

was this like a band that did tours and stuff?

[marco33333]

What a great find. Cheers Percy!

[cinammondream]

@TheLuxx14 okay, who are you? ;)

[TheLuxx14]

this is my history teacher :D

[Kelly14UK]

Percy, I'm Scottish and a total loss to understand the basic rules of cricket. Do me a big massive favour and tell me them. Do you ever hear of cricket violence? No, lol!

[Kelly14UK]

The song and EP is FAR SUPERIOR to this TV presentation.

But thanks to PercyPavilion for uploading a total rarity like this.

[highlinedesignworks]

I remember this from the 80's - Our Geography teacher was selling the EP at school, I think his sister was in Dolly Mixture!

Classic.

[betaville72]

@betaville72 ...And had appearred on his album cover!!! And recorded a record with him!!!! That would have been my dream! I never really liked 'Cricket In The Jungle' and listening to it now, my feleings have not changed but 'You're An Extra, Baby" will always be a classic to me - your best song. Wayne Musson

[betaville72]

You were my Geography teacher in Cottenham. I remember you flogging your 'Do It Now!' album and the Cricket Song E.P to us kids. You signed my 'Cricket E.P' 'Grow a beard' i didnt understand what you meant at the time (I was 11) but i eventually did take your advice and am sporting one now as i write this. I was (and still am) a big Damned fan and i remember been blown away by the fact that you knew Captain Sensible!!!

[Gtbomb]

go figure white man a use westindian frist yuh tek meh ansestors from india and now u tek meh music