The Wurzels' Combine Harvester celebrates 50 years

3 hours ago

Jonathan Holmes,West of Englandand

Andy Bennett,BBC Somerset

The music video for the song was filmed in Kentisbeare, north Devon

BBC Two elderly men wearing red neckerchiefs and white shirts, standing in front of a red combine harvester in a field — The music video for the song was filmed in Kentisbeare, north Devon

The most unlikely Number One of 1976, Combine Harvester (Brand New Key) by the Wurzels, topped the charts on this day 50 years ago.

It was a parody of Brand New Key by Melanie, and stayed at the top spot for two weeks, beating Wings, Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart.

Band member Pete Budd said the sound engineers predicted that it was going to be Number One when we recorded it because it was an "everyman's song".

"Afterwards, we couldn't walk into the services like we used to for our egg and chips because everyone was there asking us for autographs," added Budd.

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It was two years prior that the band's frontman Adge Cutler, from Nailsea, had died when he crashed his sports car on a roundabout in Chepstow.

John Miles, the band's manager, said they were "devastated", but that he had promised them a Number One hit if they carried on.

"I spoke to Bob Barratt at EMI, who produced Drink Up Thy Zider, and he sent me Combine Harvester, and I thought it was great," Miles said.

Although they were a Somerset band, the music video was actually filmed on a farm in Kentisbeare, Devon.

The band appeared on Top of The Pops with their song in 1976

The band playing on Top of The Pops. They are holding a banjo, accordion and sousaphone, with two band members sitting on a green tractor and one standing in front holding the banjo — The band appeared on Top of The Pops with their song in 1976

"I got them interviews in Farmers Weekly magazine, and rang up John Deere asking them to send me a combine harvester anywhere in the country at 24 hours' notice for a prop," he added.

Miles also called in a favour with Top of the Pops producer Phil Bishop to pick out the record, which was then in the top 30.

Tommy Banner, Pete Budd and Tony Baylis enjoyed two weeks at number one

A black and white publicity image of the band, all three are wearing red neckerchiefs and white shirts and smiling — Tommy Banner, Pete Budd and Tony Baylis enjoyed two weeks at number one

Budd said as a musician it was his "dream" to appear on Top of The Pops, but the studio "was not as large as what we thought".

Miles remembered the show's floor manager was not convinced the studio would take the weight of the band's prop tractor.

He also sabotaged a balloon drop on the programme.

"During a break, I crept into the studio and took hay from the bales and added it to the netting, so when the balloons fell so did the piles of hay," he remembered.

"We did Top of The Pops, then I had to race them to Heathrow to get on a private plane to Exeter before 22:00, and then they had a car waiting to race them to their next gig at Torquay."

Miles said Adge Cutler would have been "delighted" with the band's success.

"We carried on and sang the songs that kept his name alive.

"It's a great tune, there's no doubt about that whatsoever," added Budd.

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