Fat and Frantic

Punk Skiffle
London, England, United Kingdom

Fat and Frantic are a London-based group who write all their own material and play a wide variety of musical styles (ranging from manic skiffle through rock 'n roll to a cappella) which they sometimes described as “piffle” – a mix of punk and skiffle.

Formed in 1985, Fat and Frantic was a particular favorite on the UK live venues and University circuit playing some 300 gigs between 1989 and 1992, as well as playing frequently at the Greenbelt Festival and at Reading Festival. Their best-known song was “Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head,” one chorus of which was sung in French. The group were also somewhat notorious for once receiving a particularly bad live review from Damon Wise in the music paper Sounds, which closed with the line “Fat and Frantic ruined my weekend and I hate them for it,” a line which they went on to use extensively in their publicity.

Most albums include at least one a cappella track. The 1994 album, Precious Lord (a collection of unaccompanied worship songs), was a tribute to close friend Steve Fairnie who wrote the title track.

Since circa 1986/7, members of the band and others have formed a loose, expansive collective, independent of Fat and Frantic, who play unrehearsed, sometimes shambolic rock and roll covers under the title Rev Softly and the Residential Areas. The band's name refers to a sign in the car park beneath the long-since demolished ABC Bowl in North Harrow, Middlesex: “When leaving at night, please rev softly – this is a residential area.”

In July 2011, Fat and Frantic re-formed some 26 years after the first time around to play some live gigs (mainly) in the South of England. In preparation for the tour, all of their back catalogue became available on iTunes as well as 2 brand new recordings.

In 2013, the band reformed one more time for a reunion appearance at the Greenbelt Festival's 40th anniversary.

The end of August 2019 saw Fat and Frantic reforming once again for a brief appearance on Winchester High Street. The busking set was in aid of Winchester Hospice.

In October 2021, they presented F+FJukebox, a concert broadcast on YouTube, as a fundraiser for the charity Help Harry Help Others.

1986 I'll Call You Records (TC-FAT LP.1)

Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
John Lodge-Patch - Bass, etc
Jim Harris - Trumpet, washboard, vocals
Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals

1. Barry's Car
2. Brian
3. Waspin Tronson
4. Sugar Beat
5. Learning to Walk
6. Suddenly
7. D.H.S.S.
8. Hey Psst…
9. The Senator's Daughter
10. Victoria
11. What the Shunamite Woman Did Next
12. The Bald Man's Revenge
13. Billy and Jacky
14. Mind the Gap
15. Never Did I Ever

1987 I'll Call You Records (FAT LP 2)

Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
John Lodge-Patch - Bass
Jim Harris - Trumpet, percussion, washboard, vocals
Silas Crawley - Washboard, percussion, vocals

Craig McLeish - Lead acoustic, percussion, vocals
Vanessa - Viola

1. Proud
2. Trainspotters
3. Snog a Toff
4. Uncle David
5. It's That Man Jesus
6. Freedom is a Sweet Word
7. The Dirtville Werewolf
8. Uganda's Children
9. Born to be a Brownie
10. Rachel & Jim
11. Idiot Religion
12. Sweating in the Urban Clearway
13. Waiting to Get Married
14. Dictator (Song for Swinging Fascists)
15. Chairman of the National Trust
16. Take Me Home

1988 I'll Call You Records (FATC6)

“Fat” Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Craig “Tuff” McLeish - Bass, vocals
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals

1. Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head(#)
2. It's That Man Jesus(*)
3. Snog a Toff(*)
4. Naughty Eve(^)
5. Proud(*)
6. Billy and Jacky(+)
7. The Bald Man's Revenge(+)
8. Freedom is a Sweet Word(*)
9. The Dirtville Werewolf(*)
10. Uganda's Children(*)
11. Uncle David(*)
12. Hey Psst!(+)
13. Brian(+)
14. Take Me Home(*)
15. Trainspotters(*)

(+) Previously recorded on Waxing a Hottie
(*) Previously recorded on Aggressive Sunbathing
(^) Later re-recorded on Sing the Very Best of Wendy Craig
(#) Later re-recorded as a single and on Quirk

1989 Independent

“Fat” Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Craig “Tuff” McLeish - Bass, vocals
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals

1. If I Could Be
2. Africa
3. Who's Your Friend, Eddy
4. Too Late
5. Aggressive Sunbathing
6. I'm Sorry

(This appears to be a demo of songs that appear on Quirk.)

1989 I'll Call You Records (FATD 1)

Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Craig McLeish - Bass, vocals
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals

Produced by Ken Watts, Steve Farnie, and Fat and Frantic

1. Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head (2:45)
2. It's You (3:14)
3. Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head (instrumental) (2:35)
4. The Vac Mix) (0:59)

1990 I'll Call You Records (FAT CD 7)

Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Craig McLeish - Bass, vocals
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals

“Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head” and “The Senator's Daughter” produced by Ken Watts and Steve Farnie

1. Too Late
2. If I Could Be (Your Milkman)
3. Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head
4. Aggressive Sunbathing
5. Rise Up
6. The Senator's Daughter
7. Who's Your Friend Eddy
8. I'm Sorry
9. I Don't Want to Say Goodbye
10. I Wish
11. Africa
12. Darling Doris

1. It's You
2. A River

1991 Moles Records (MRILD 015)

Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Craig McLeish - Bass, vocals
“Big” Nigel Hemming - Keyboards
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals

1. Not Enough Naked Men (4:30)
2. Darling Doris (4:35)(#)
3. Arrow of Doubt (3:08)
4. Honey I Would Kiss Your Foot (3:20)
5. Blues (Back to Sleep) (5:05)
6. I Don't Want to Say Goodbye (3:50)
7. Girl in Brown (4:15)
8. Alan Davis (3:00)
9. Walking on Tears (3:06)
10. Freedom (3:20)(*)
11. It's You (4:00)(#)
12. Fruit Machine (4:10)(@)
13. Naughty Eve (2:45)(^)
14. I'm Sorry (4:30)(#)
15. Brian (3:00)(+)

Album consists of studio enhanced live recordings made at the Moles Club, Bath, 29 May 1991.

(+) Previously recorded on Waxing a Hottie
(*) Previously recorded on Aggressive Sunbathing
(^) Previously recorded on Live at the Wonky Donkey Bar and Grill
(#) Previously recorded on Quirk
(@) Later re-recorded on Arcade Amusement

1994 Kingsway Music (KMCD779)

Silas Crawley - Washboard, vocals
Jim Harris - Trumpet, vocals
Jon Soper - Guitar, vocals
Craig McLeish - Bass, vocals
Nigel Hemming - Keyboards
Simon Saunders - Drums, vocals
David Clifton

1. There is Power in the Name of Jesus (2:20)
2. Rock and Redeemer (3:05)
3. All The Riches of His Grace (4:34)
4. One Thing I Ask (3:57)
5. My Lord, He is the Fairest of the Fair (3:06)
6. Deep Down (3:24)
7. Are You Ready? (3:49)
8. Be Bold, Be Strong (3:10)
9. I Stand Before You, Lord (3:10)
10. So Freely (3:08)
11. O Lord, Hear My Prayer (4:41)
12. Praise God, All Creation Praise (2:56)
13. Precious Lord (5:00)
14. Mercy (1:27)

Recorded entirely live at St James The Less, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London 1994.

2011 I'll Call You Records (FATD4)

1. Paradise (radio edit) (4:22)
2. Paradise (extended mix) (5:00)
3. Paradise (instrumental edit) (5:00)
4. Paradise (without lead vocals) (5:00)
5. Fruit Machine (radio edit) (4:41)
6. Fruit Machine (instrumental) (4:40)
7. Fruit Machine (without lead vocals) (4:39)

2020 I'll Call You Records

Silas John Crawley
James Michael Harris
Nigel Hemming
Craig McLeish
Simon Alan Saunders
Jonathan Alexander James Soper

1. Hungry (3:40)

• Fat and Frantic Website
• Fat and Frantic Fan Website (has a download of the 1991 version of “Paradise”)