ginger meggs music credits

Music
Original Score • John Stuart
Songs by
John Stuart
Peter Foerster
Andrew Campbell Michael Latimer
Recording Engineer • Col Freeman
Arrangements • John Stuart
Produced by Kim Thraves
Music by
Front
(NB Peter Foerster's name is spelt as Foerster in the film's credits, but it is also spelled as Foerster,
Foester and Forester in various of the LP's credits)
Born in 1950, composer John Stuart was a musician who possibly landed the composing chores on the
film via a connection to writer and co-producer Michael Latimer - like Latimer, Stuart was born in the UK.
Composer Stuart is frequently confused and conflated with the British silent matinee star of the same
name. For example, French Films, here, provides a short biography for the matinee idol which credits him
with the score, though he died several years before the film was made. (If interested in the silent actor
Stuart, he has a wiki here, with a few useful links to stories about his career).
Ginger Meggs was composer Stuart's first score, and he then moved on to the 1983 romantic drama The
Winds of Jarrah. While he did some other drama work, such as the 1984 telemovie The Great Gold
Swindle, he seems to have settled in to being a kind of house composer for Burbank Films Australia, doing
a string of scores for their animated short adaptations of the classics, which were aimed mainly at the
home-minding children's tape market and at television - the 1983 David Copperfield was Stuart's first score
for the animation house, followed by a number of Sherlock Holmes animations, another adaptation of
Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, and other typical titles, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island, Westward Ho!, Peter Pan, Hiawatha, and Prisoner of Zenda.
This string of titles was only interrupted by Michael Caulfield's extremely problematic failure, Gallagher's
Travels, in 1987.
There is a wiki on Burbank Films here, but it doesn't mention Stuart, being mainly concerned with the
copyright status of the films. Unfortunately Stuart has been overlooked, in much the same way as some
critics tend to dismiss Burbank product, though the company managed to survive the decade and generate
close on 40 shows, no mean feat for an animation company in Australia. An Amazon customer has gone to
the trouble of listing some 37 shows that are currently available - at time of writing, the list is here.
The score for Ginger Meggs was released as an LP, and is now very rare. Unfortunately the photos on the
LP available to this site obscures Stuart and the other contributors to the music. So it goes, but here is
what can be seen of them on the LP cover:
LP EMI APLP-055 1982
Original movie score
Composed and Arranged by John Stuart
All tracks Written and Arranged by John Stuart, Andrew Campbell, Peter Foerster except
* Written by Michael Latimer
All tracks Albert
Produced by Kim Thraves
Engineered by Col Freeman
Recorded at Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia
Front: Drew Campbell, Peter Foerster, John Stuart, Peter Moloney
Performed by:
Vocals: Drew Campbell
Guitars: John Stuart
Drums: Peter Foerster
Keyboards: Andy Cowan
Bass Guitar: Brian Hamilton
Fairlight C.M.I.: Duncan McGuire
Technicians: Tom Stewart
Sax: Andrew Ross
Backing Vocals: Drew Campbell, Andrew Ross
Special thanks to:
Hamish Stuart: Percussion
Bob Ingram: Violin and Fixer
“The Kids”: Vocals
Kim Lewis: Vocals
Susy Midgley: Vocals
Scott Johnston: Snare Drum
Ed Gaston: Acoustic Bass
David Hemming: Recording
Les Hall: Guitar and Amp
Bruce and Russell: Help
Bundaberg: More help
Ted: Everything else
Meggs Band/Chorus
SIDE 1:
Ginger Meggs * (2'39")
Pollyʼs Party (3'36")
Circus Song (2'05")
Bennyʼs Song (2'34")
Min (I Wanna Be Your Romeo) (3'30")
Fishing Music (Instrumental) (1'28")
SIDE 2:
Terrible Right (2'42")
If Only He Wasnʼt Around (Cooganʼs Song) (4'42")
Tonyʼs Song (4'00")
Tiger Kelly (3'47")
Captain Hook (1'34")
There were also a couple of 45s released though they didn't go anywhere:
45 EMI AP-809 1982
Produced by Kim Thraves
Engineered by Col Freeman
Recorded at Albert Studios, Sydney, Australia
Side A:
If Only He Wasnʼt Around (Cooganʼs Song) (3'25") (Campbell - Foerster - Stuart) (Albert) Vocals: Front
Side B:
Terrible Right (2'25") (Campbell - Foerster - Stuart). (Albert) Vocals: Front
45 EMI AP-916 1982
Side A:
Ginger Meggs (Latimer) Vocals: Front
Side B:
Min (I Wanna Be Your Romeo) (Campbell - Foerster -Stuart) Vocals: Front
The lyrics to the title song, which turns up over the opening and closing credits in the form of a genial
military march, and is sung by a children's choir, run as follows (these are as per the lyrics printed on the
LP's cover):
Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger, it's terrible good to meet ye
You're very exactly who we want to see
Ah there Ginger, there's no-one who can beat ye
That's something everybody can agree
Chorus:
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
If you lose Minnie Peters will ye fight - yeah!
Flatten Eddie Coogan with your right - yeah!
Could Tiger Kelly frighten you away - no!
No chance (no chance) that's why we say ..
Repeat Verse One
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
When we need you Ginger you'll go anywhere - yeah!
And if someone's making trouble you'll be there - yeah!
Could they ever make you give your mates away - no!
No chance (no chance) that's why we say …
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
Ginger Ginger Meggs
Ah there Ginger
Repeat Chorus
For the record here are the lyrics for the other songs in the show:
Polly's Party
Polly's Party, I'd really like to go
Polly's Party, How was I to know
Polly's Party, I didn't even think
Polly's Party, I couldn't stop to ink
Polly's Party, I'm looking forward to
Polly's Party, Just made for me and you
Polly's Party, Now we're almost there
Polly's Party, Hope nobody pulls my hair
Cause I've never dressed like a girl before
But it beats being locked indoors
I've never dressed, I think they call it drag
With a cute parasol and a pink handbag
Polly's Party, It's gonna be a scream
Polly's Party, Like walking into a dream
Polly's Party, Lemonade and cakes
Polly's Party, I don't want to make mistakes
If we get caught we can run out fast
Grab the cakes as we're running past
If we get caught it won't be the end
We'll play the game and still be friends
Bridge
Fooled them again, we're going to Polly's house tonight
Fooled them again, Ocker saved my life too right
Fooled them again, we'll get into Polly's party tonight
Fooled them again, Ocker saved my life too right
Repeat verse 2, then verse 3, then
We fooled them again etc… (fade)
Circus Song
We're off to the circus
Benny, Min and me
We're off to the circus
Happy as can be
There's caravans and animals
Pony carts and clowns, fairy floss
Balls to toss and coconuts we've found
Jugglers and monkeys, tigers hear
Them sound, flying foxes on trapeze
High above the ground
We're off to the circus
Benny, Min and me
We're off to the circus
Today it's all for free
There's caravans and animals
Pony carts and clowns, fairy floss
Balls to toss and coconuts we've found
The big parade, ooh! What a day
We'll have a good time chums
The ringmaster with his whip all set
To start the fun.
We're off to the circus
Benny, Min and me
We're off to the circus
Happy as can be
We're off to the circus
Benny, Min and me
We're off to the circus
Today it's all for free
Benny's Song
To me you're a knight in shining armour
With a castle in the sky
Our horses together, we can hold out forever
Let Kelly and Coogan try
You're a well met companion
Run rings around D'Artagnan
A one in a million friend
You know all the answers
We may run out of chances
But I'll stick with you till the end
When Kelly knocks you down, I feel it too
Coogan puts you down, I'm down with you
When Kelly knocks you down, I feel it too
I don't know much about love and romance
Don't know much about Juliet
But I'll be your minder and look out for you
Don't you ever forget
When you ride to the castle
To rescue the lady, I'll be waiting for you at the gate
With Tony and Mike and a getaway car
We'll make the great escape
When Kelly knocks you down, I feel it too
Coogan puts you down, I'm down with you
When Kelly knocks you down, I feel it too
Repeat, fade
Min (I Wanna Be Your Romeo)
When you're in my dreams
I buy the ice creams
When I think of you Juliet
I think of the time we first met
When you're beside me I feel 6 feet tall
I'll take a shot at anyone
Just give me a call
Min I want to be your Romeo
Min I want to be your hero
Min I want to be your Romeo
Min I want to be your hero
Your smile brings stars to my eyes
I'll do anything for you
You can bet your life
My spotlight's always on you
Take it from me
Anytime you're chained up
I'll set you free
Bridge:
I don't believe in fantasy
But when you're here with me
I forget all the things I've been taught
Cos the things you've got can't be bought
Min I want to be your Romeo
Min I want to be your hero
Min I want to be your Romeo
Min I want to be your hero
Repeat chorus
Hey Min I want to be your Romeo
Terrible Right
Coogan's trying to get under your guard again
Spinning his lines on the situation to his friends
He'll never make captain, he's trying to call your bluff
But we know you Ginge, we know you're going to be tough
Hit him with your terrible right
Knock him into the night
Hit him with your terrible right
And the votes will be yours tonight
Darkey Todd, Jackey, Raggsy and Benny
We're standing on your side Meggsy
And we'll get you in
The girls on the other side of the playground
Keeping an eye out to see whose going to win
Hit him with your terrible right
Knock him into the night
Hit him with your terrible right
And the votes will be yours tonight
Repeat verse two
Hit him with your terrible right
Knock him into the night
Hit him with your terrible right
And the votes will be yours tonight
Repeat chorus
If Only He Wasn't Around
(Coogan's Song)
I've been trying to get an angle
On this babe for some time
So much so I can't stay on my feet
I'm sick of being battered by some desperate child
If I could only sweep her off her feet
I'm sick of being locked up in
A love triangle, I'm really
Tired of no romance
I'd like to get some separation
On this desperate situation
Knock him right out of his trance
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
I can't take it any longer
This boy's so much stronger
I find it really hard to compete
But every dog has his day, baby
I have mine, I'll sweep the honey
Off her feet
I'm tired of being locked up in a love triangle
I'm really tired of no romance
I'd like to get some desperate situation
Knock him out of his trance
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
Bridge
His luck will run out one day
I'm gonna get him
His luck will run out one day
I'm gonna get him
His luck will run out one day
I'm gonna get him
His luck will run out one day
I'm gonna get him
One day I'm gonna get him
Repeat chorus
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
If only he wasn't around
And I was the only boy in town
Repeat chorus
Out on bridge (feel in A)
His luck will run out etc.
Tony's Song
I've known you for so long
And now old friend you've gone
I wonder how you are today
Cos I know you wouldn't run away
Now we're both gone, I know they won't understand
Now we're both gone, I'm sick of their commands
Now we're both gone, who do they think they are
Bridge
Who they gonna blame for everything now
It'll be good to sleep under the stars
Who they gonna blame for everything now
Do they really know, who you are
Do they really know, who you are
When I'm champion of the world
And I come back with it all
I'll send in Tony with the chauffeur
Ring up mum and dad 'n give
Min a call
Now we're both gone, I know they won't understand
Now we're both gone, I'm sick of their commands
Now we're both gone, who do they think they are
Repeat bridge and fade
Tiger Kelly
Well I've been chasing this
Microbe for many a day
I try to pin him down
He's always in my way
A rusty top kid and his stupid dog
I want to punch him out
Put him on the job
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm king of the alley
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm gonna get you Meggsy
Well my best fun is when I bring Meggs undone
I make him hurt with a fistful of dirt
I try my best so he gets no rest
He keeps using all my imagination
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm king of the alley
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm gonna get you Meggsy
Bridge:
Here I come right now yeah screaming
Down the alley, oh
Here I go now screaming
Down the alley, oh oh
Repeat second verse
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm king of the alley
I'm Tiger Kelly, I'm gonna get you Meggsy
I'm Kelly, Kelly, king of the alley
I'm Kelly, Kelly, king of the alley
I'm Kelly, Kelly, king of the alley
I'm Kelly, Kelly, I'm gonna get you
Meggsy