THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

545-Alvin Stardust-My Coo Ca Choo.

1973-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 1.20. The romantic in me hopes that being referred to as a ‘Coo Ca Choo’ is a term of endearment.

The story about this one, is both strange, and intriguing. The song was written by Peter Shelley, not to be confused with Pete Shelley (1955-2018) of the Punk band Buzzcocks. Shelley had written, and recorded ‘My Coo Ca Choo’ and was invited to perform the song as the original ‘Alvin Stardust’ on the children’s television show ‘Lift Off.’ Shelley was surprised when the song entered the UK top 40 the week after, and was invited to perform on ‘Top of the Pops, but Shelley had no desire to be a ‘Glam Rock’ star, so on recommendation, 1960’s Pop star Shane Fenton was hired, and he lip synced the track on television from then on.

The second and best known Alvin Stardust was born Bernard William Jewry on September 27th, 1942, in Muswell Hill, London, he died on October 23rd, 2014, from cancer. Jewry had initially found success in the early 1960’s, when performing as Shane Fenton, as part of ‘Shane Fenton and the Fentones. Jewry had been asked to join the band after the original lead singer Johnny Theakston had died at the age of 17, from the result of rheumatic fever. The band released 11 singles between 1961-1964, four of which made the UK top 40. As Alvin Stardust, Jewry achieved 11 UK top 40 singles between 1973-1984, with ‘Jealous Mind’ another Shelley composition reaching Number 1 in 1974. With the exception of ‘My Coo Ca Choo,’ Jewry provided his own vocals to all of the other Alvin Stardust songs.

Peter Shelley was born Peter Alexander Southworth in 1942, in London England. After working as a talent scout for ‘Decca Records’ in the 1960’s, where among the bands he discovered were ‘Amen Corner,’ and ‘King Crimson,’ Shelley started up his own record label ‘Magnet Records’ in 1973 with the future Labour Party peer Michael Levy. Shelley chose the stage name ‘Alvin Stardust’ as a tribute to ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ David Bowie has said that Ziggy Stardust was partly based on the 1950’s Rock N’ Roll artist Vince Taylor (1939-1991,) and Shelley based the black leather wearing Alvin Stardust, on Taylor.Peter Shelley may not have wanted to be a Glam Rock star, but he had no objection to being a Pop star, as two of his four single releases ‘Gee Baby,’ (1974, UK Number 4) and ‘Love Me Love My Dog,’ (1975 UK Number 3) both were hits, and also charted in Australia.

‘My Coo Ca Choo’ was the first single released on the Magnet Record label with the catalogue number ‘Mag 1.’ In Australia the song spent seven weeks at Number 1, and became that countries best selling single of 1974. In the UK the follow up ‘Jealous Mind’ went to Number 1, but in Australia it only reached Number 27.

‘Tom Cat, why, you know where it’s at, come on, lets go to my flat, lay down ‘n groove on the mat,a-you can be my coo ca choo.’