This year I wrote nearly 300 Christmas cards but in solidarity with my Postal Worker comrades I then picketed myself to make sure they didn't get delivered. As a result I got none in return. Instead I am sending this cheery Christmas web link. A bit like Jesus might have done. If he'd have had a computer. And the internet. And not just a donkey. Like Jesus I have compiled a list of all my best You Tube releases and, as he might have done, if he'd been a bit more tedious than he was, I've kept a record of all of their hits on You Tube so I can judge for my own benefit (as literally, NO ONE , else would be the slightest bit interested) which are the more popular with the public each year. For me that's definitely not the sign of a growing insanity of which subject neither me nor my imaginary friend Dave the Talking Squirrel know anything about.
The interesting thing for me is that Top of the chart again is THE PARTISAN SONG...which has 388,679 views. I've always found it heartening that this Red Army marching song played in the style of the Shadows is so popular. However, this year You Tube made it 'restricted'. So I had to put it up again..and the new version only has 56 views. However, this is 30 more than my newest release 'ANOTHER WATERCOLOUR PICTURE' by the Visitors, which only has 26.
Interestingly also making a break into the big time is 'DROP DEAD DARLING' which was released again this year on the CHERRY RED compilation album C85. However, as I did 2 versions of this the 2002 version by the Red Smed band is easily winning on 923 views while the original Sedgemorons version from 1985 is somewhat behind on 636.
This means the Top Ten this year is
- The Partisan Song (Red Smed) 388,679
- Leon Trotsky (Red Smed) 6,897
- Katyusha (Red Smed) 6,696
- Secret Seven (The Dangerous Brothers) 2,252
- Bridgwater (Red Smed) 1,661
- Route 666 (Club Whoopee) 1,587
- Me & My Clone (Me and Cathy) 1,112
- Fat Bald Dave (Me and Cathy) 1,042
- I'm Too Fat to Rock (Red Smed) 959
- Drop Dead Darling (Red Smed) 923
Odd that the top 3 are also possible to mistake for You Tube documentaries or hits by the Red Army Choir, that the next one could be someone searching for Enid Blyton, or a Travel guide to an interesting West Country town. Or that 2 of the top 10 are just me and my daughter with a portastudio in the attic of my old flat on West Quay with me playing all the instruments...Who can explain such a phenomenon. Or. Even be bothered to.
More's to the point, instead of wasting your time on Christmas TV, here's the full list with all the links you'll need to hear them for yourself......
THE RED SMED TOP 60 FOR 2022
1. Partisan Song Red Smed (Trad) 388,679 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1IDRK5Uryo
2. Leon Trotsky Red Smed (Smedley) 6,897
3. Katyusha Red Smed (Trad) 6,696
4. Secret Seven Dangerous Brothers (Smedley) 2,252
5. Bridgwater Red Smed (Smedley) 1,661
6. Route 666 Club Whoopee (Trad) 1,587
7. Me and My Clone Red Smed (Smedley/Newman) 1,112
8. Fat Bald Dave Red Smed (Smedley) 1,042
9. Too Fat to Rock Red Smed (Smedley/Newman) 959
10. Drop Dead Darling Red Smed (Smedley/Kane) 923
11. Ello Ello Ello Dangerous Brothers (Smedley/Rude) 916
12. Bohemia Sekt The Visitors (Bartlett) 904
13. The Bridgwater Stop Line Documentary (Smedley) 898
14. I Need a Girlfriend The Sedgemorons (Smedley/Beasley) 877
15. Do the Washing up Red Smed (Smedley) 861
16. County Councillor Dangerous Brothers (Smedley) 816
17. False Nose Dangerous Brothers (Smedley) 696
18. Bridgwater History Day 2020 Documentary (Smedley) 667
19. Drop Dead Darling (single) The Sedgemorons (Smedley/Kane) 636 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLjdGl2dt6U
20. The Internationale Red Smed (trad) 575
21. Rock n Roll Lizard Club Whoopee (Smedley/Newman) 556
22. The Magnificent Several Red Smed (Trad) 528
23. Party at Brians Red Smed (SmedleyBeaslyFraserBruce) 521
24. Buddy can you spare a Dime Club Whoopee (Trad) 491
25. Swedish language yeh yeh yeh Red Smed (Smedley) 452
26. When Teddy’s Gone The Spanners (Smedley/Vernon) 439
27. Multifreight Red Smed (Smedley) 419
28. Don’t be so Bloody Miserable Red Smed (Smedley) 417
29. Sin and Sodomy Club Whoopee (Smedley/Mander) 413
30. Clever Students Dangerous Brothers (Smedley) 388
31. We’re all Going Shopping Red Smed (Smedley/Kane) 383
32. Greed The Sedgemorons (Smedley) 377
33. Rock n Roll is Pretty Exciting Red Smed (SmedleyBeasleyFraserBruce) 370 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yPQzPsENp8
34. Rock n Roll is Pretty Exciting (live) Red Smed (Smedley/BeasleyFraserBruce) 303 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQQgLhs2iuA
35. Wish I Was George Formby Dangerous Brothers (Smedley/Rude) 300 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FkO8Ay-3dg
36. Stalin was a Really Nice Bloke the Spanners (Smedley) 282
37. Leon Trotsky The Sedgemorons (Smedley) 274
38. Internal Organs Dangerous Brothers (Rude) 273
39. Bonny Van Driver Red Smed (Smedley) 266
40. Stogumber Cajun Gumbo Red Smed (Smedley) 253
41. I Hope you Die The Funbunnies (Smedley / Newman) 214
42. Westover Rhapsody Red Smed (Smedley) 196
43. Rhapsody in Westover Red Smed (Smedley) 176
44. a very merry snowmouse Snowmouse himself (trad) 168
45. Sands of Morocco The Visitors (Bartlett) 165
46. Mezi Horami (B'int 2015) Red Smed (Cechomor arr Smedley) 160 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN4QMeyzWao
47. Dancing Shoes Red Smed (Trad arr Smedley) 149
48. Clare to Here Red Smed (Trad arr Smedley) 142
49. Dave the Snooker Table Sheep Worrying Theatre (Smedley/Vernon) 129
50. Avengers Theme (B'int 2017-18)Red Smed (Trad arr Smedley) 127 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3s7iacaFwo
51. Smalltown The Sedgemorons (Smedley/ Dixie) 124
52. Women Only The Sedgemorons (Smedley/ Dixie) 115
53. We'll be in Love Forever Sheep Worrying Theatre (Smedley/McCausland) 112 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjZSnGOewLc
54. Bad Sir Bastard Sheep Worrying Theatre (Smedley) 110
55. Rock n Roll is Pretty Exciting The Sedgemorons (SmedleyBeasleyFraserBruce) 110 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w19WQvbey5E
56. You're Sort of Okay Club Whoopee (Smedley/ Newman) 109
57. Moondance The Funbunnies (van morrison) 87
58. Snowmouse 21 Snowmouse himself (trad) 80
59. The Partisan Song Red Smed (trad) 56
60. Another Watercolour Picture The Visitors (Bartlett) 26
If you have been as fascinated as I have by all this (and I've been eating a very nice Kapustova soup while watching old episodes of Thunderbirds) then you can find out the background to all the above on the new Sheep Worrying Website
or if you'd rather organise a nice international trip for 2023 (or want to c heck out the ones we've done over the last 30 years) then have a look at this one
