Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be: The Life of Lionel Bart

by David Stafford, Caroline Stafford

Lionel Bart was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!

He also wrote the famous songs Living Doll (Cliff Richard) and From Russia With Love (Matt Munroe).

He was unable to read music.

He was a millionaire aged thirty in the Sixties, bankrupt in the Seventies and died in 1999.

The authors gained exclusive access to Bart’s personal archives – his unfinished autobiography, his letters and scrapbooks.

They detail how he signed away the rights to Oliver! to finance his new musical Twang – based on Robin Hood - which flopped badly in the theatre.

Reveal how his heavy drinking led to diabetes and how he died in 1999 aged 69 from liver cancer.

They have interviewed his personal secretaries, friends, family, counsellors and many of the performers, musicians and producers who worked with him.

Interviewees include Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien and actors Dudley Sutton and Nigel Planer.

Genres: Music, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2011

About the author

David Stafford is a writer, broadcaster and occasional musician born in Birmingham, England. David began his career in fringe and community theatre in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, he collaborated and toured with Alexei Sayle, which resulted in two series for Capital Radio, two films for TV ('Itch and Didn't You Kill My Brother?), a book, Great Bus Journeys of the World, and various songs and recordings including Doctor Marten’s Boots. At the same time he was a presenter on the Channel 4 consumer programme 4 What It’s Worth and contributed to many arts programmes and documentaries including The Media Show (Channel 4) and extensively to The Late Show (BBC2). His TV plays include Dread Poets Society (BBC2) co-written with the poet Benjamin Zephaniah, My Little Grey Home In The West and Catherine. For ten years he wrote a weekly column for the Saturday Guardian, eventually called Staffordshire Bull. During the 1990s, he presented Tracks for BBC2, Going Places for BBC Radio 4 and was a regular panellist on Radio 4’s literary parody game Booked. David frequently stood in for John Peel as the presenter of Home Truths (BBC Radio 4). After Peel’s death, he became first one of the pool of presenters and later sole presenter of the programme. For the past five years he has taught a screenwriting course at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lionel Bart wrote the musical "Oliver," but beyond that, he was the bridge between London West End theater and the pop music world of the early 1960s. He wrote Cliff Richard's "Living Doll," and perhaps wrote the first commercial British Rock n' Roll record. A man who called Noel Coward and John Lennon a friend. To me, he is the ground zero for the London social world. Both Gay and Showbiz. A remarkable East London fellow. A wonderful biography.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a fascinating story to be written about Lionel Bart, sadly this is not it. Author has put too much unnecessary speculation on what Lionel may have said and did in situations. A shame.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

blurb - Lionel Bart was a unique musical talent. He found fame with the hugely successful musicals Oliver! and 'Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be', but he was also a hit-making machine for some of Britain's first rock'n'roll stars - Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard, as well as giving the James Bond movie franchise its first song.

He socialised with figures from both serious and populist culture, and experienced a downfall that was as spectacular as his theatrical triumphs.

David and Caroline Stafford's new biography of Bart draws on previously unseen archive sources and interviews with those closest to him.

Read by Alistair McGowan.

The book is published by Omnibus Press.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson Produced by Emma Harding.