Fast Food Rockers
Encyclopedia
The Fast Food Rockers were a British
pop group
known for their novelty music. The band claim to have met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.
", which uses a verse of an American
children's song parodying the traditional folk
melody "A Ram Sam Sam
". The Dutch DJ Eric Dikeb made a Dutch song out of that traditional melody in 2001, called "Pizzahaha". At that moment he was taking part in the Dutch television show Big Diet, in which contestants had to lose as much weight as they could over a few months. Therefore Dikeb came up with the idea to use the names of his favorite fast-food restaurants in the song. "Pizzahaha" did not make it to the Dutch charts, but in Belgium the band Dynamite
made a big hit out of it, with a Belgian version called "De Pizzadans". It also topped the charts in Germany, called "Burgerdance", by DJ Otzi
.
The Fast Food Rockers' version, adapted by Mike Stock and Sandy Rass
, was the first release of independent record label Better The Devil Records. The song mentioned Pizza Hut
, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's
. It reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart
in June 2003, despite the criticism of cultural analysts who lamented the "collapse of culture into product placement". The single would go on to sell 150,000 copies in the UK, and was in the year-end Top 40.
The band had its own mascot, a giant blue dog called "Hotdog" who followed the band around, and appeared in all three music videos.
Their second single, "Say Cheese (Smile Please)" reached #10.
In 2003, there were rumours that the band did not sing on their own records. However, in an interview with CBBC
Newsround
, Lucy stated she "trained for three years at a performing arts school, Ria's been in the business for a long time, Martin's been in the business for a long time and we're very proud to say we do sing on [this] song".
After their attempt at a Christmas single only reached #25, and an album that failed to make the charts
, their management company decided to drop the band in March 2004.
After the split, the band members found jobs outside of the music industry, and in 2006, former band member Martin Rycroft
was poached from his bar-tending job, to take part in the Channel 4
/E4 show, Boys Will Be Girls, where three former male popstars (including Russ Spencer
from Scooch
) tried to convincingly create a new girl band by former Brother Beyond
star, Nathan Moore.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
known for their novelty music. The band claim to have met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.
Career
Their most successful hit was their 2003 release, "The Fast Food SongThe Fast Food Song
"The Fast Food Song" was the debut single by the British-based band the Fast Food Rockers, released from their album It's Never Easy Being Cheesy. It was the first single release from the album. Its chorus mentions the fast food restaurants McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The...
", which uses a verse of an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
children's song parodying the traditional folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
melody "A Ram Sam Sam
A Ram Sam Sam
"A Ram Sam Sam" is a popular children's song and game which originated in Morocco.The song's lyrics are usually:- Pop culture usage :* Rolf Harris recorded the song in 1971....
". The Dutch DJ Eric Dikeb made a Dutch song out of that traditional melody in 2001, called "Pizzahaha". At that moment he was taking part in the Dutch television show Big Diet, in which contestants had to lose as much weight as they could over a few months. Therefore Dikeb came up with the idea to use the names of his favorite fast-food restaurants in the song. "Pizzahaha" did not make it to the Dutch charts, but in Belgium the band Dynamite
Dynamite (disambiguation)
Dynamite is a high explosive.Dynamite may also refer to:*DynaMite , a doll collection from the fashion doll brand*Dynamite , a 1929 film directed by Cecil B...
made a big hit out of it, with a Belgian version called "De Pizzadans". It also topped the charts in Germany, called "Burgerdance", by DJ Otzi
DJ Ötzi
DJ Ötzi is the stage name of Gerhard Friedle , an Austrian entertainer and singer. Successful mainly in German-speaking countries, he is best known in the English-speaking world for his 2001 cover version of the Bruce Channel song "Hey Baby".-Biography:DJ Ötzi was born Gerhard Friedle in St...
.
The Fast Food Rockers' version, adapted by Mike Stock and Sandy Rass
Sandy Rass
Sandy Rass is a British songwriter/producer of Fast Food Rockers and others, and a singer, dancer and actor, and a psychology graduate and statistician, achieving First Class Honours for his BSc, and being awarded the highest grade of Distinction for his MSc, graduating top in both, and receiving...
, was the first release of independent record label Better The Devil Records. The song mentioned Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. It reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in June 2003, despite the criticism of cultural analysts who lamented the "collapse of culture into product placement". The single would go on to sell 150,000 copies in the UK, and was in the year-end Top 40.
The band had its own mascot, a giant blue dog called "Hotdog" who followed the band around, and appeared in all three music videos.
Their second single, "Say Cheese (Smile Please)" reached #10.
In 2003, there were rumours that the band did not sing on their own records. However, in an interview with CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
, Lucy stated she "trained for three years at a performing arts school, Ria's been in the business for a long time, Martin's been in the business for a long time and we're very proud to say we do sing on [this] song".
After their attempt at a Christmas single only reached #25, and an album that failed to make the charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, their management company decided to drop the band in March 2004.
After the split, the band members found jobs outside of the music industry, and in 2006, former band member Martin Rycroft
Martin Rycroft
Martin Rycroft is a pop music singer, actor and dancer.-Biography:Rycroft grew up in the town of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire.In 2003 Martin became a member of the British pop group the Fast Food Rockers...
was poached from his bar-tending job, to take part in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
/E4 show, Boys Will Be Girls, where three former male popstars (including Russ Spencer
Russ Spencer
Russell Spencer is an English television presenter and singer.-TV work:Spencer is a television presenter, hosting shows such as the ITV1 game show Make Your Play. He was also anchor presenter three nights a week for The Great Big British Quiz on Five...
from Scooch
Scooch
Scooch are a British bubblegum dance group, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer.Scooch represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag ", finishing 23rd out of 24 entries after...
) tried to convincingly create a new girl band by former Brother Beyond
Brother Beyond
Brother Beyond were a British boy band / pop group who had mainstream success in the late 1980s.-Biography:The group's first four singles, "I Should Have Lied", "How Many Times", "Chain-Gang Smile" , and an early version of "Can You Keep a Secret?" , were all written by band members Eg White...
star, Nathan Moore.
Albums
| First released | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 17 November 2003 | It's Never Easy Being Cheesy | Uncharted |
Singles
| Released | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Australian ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
|||
| June 2003 | "The Fast Food Song The Fast Food Song "The Fast Food Song" was the debut single by the British-based band the Fast Food Rockers, released from their album It's Never Easy Being Cheesy. It was the first single release from the album. Its chorus mentions the fast food restaurants McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The... " |
2 | 56 | It's Never Easy Being Cheesy |
| October 2003 | "Say Cheese (Smile Please)" | 10 | - | |
| December 2003 | "I Love Christmas" | 25 | - | - |