Chas & Dave are Cockney pop rock music artists, often billed as Chas 'n' Dave or erroneously as Chaz 'n' Dave. Their full names are Chas Hodges (piano, vocals, banjo, guitars) and David Peacock (bass guitar, vocals, banjo, guitars), with Mick Burt on drums. They were regulars on British TV from 1975 onwards and had hits like "Gertcha", their first, as well as "Rabbit" and "The Sideboard Song". Their music was featured in a TV beer advertising campaign which also helped to establish them in the United Kingdom.

The unique cockney style of singing was from the start intentional. They felt an alternative to the way British bands copied American accents was needed. The songs above are partly comic, and Chas 'n' Dave are identified with London pub culture. But their 1982 number 2 hit, "Ain't No Pleasing You" was a more romantic record, with strings added to the usual piano, drum and bass sound. "Rockney" has been coined as a term for their music style. They have always done a great deal of live work, and are currently doing shows all over the UK.

"Snooker Loopy" is a comic song about snooker by Chas and Dave.

Chas and Dave have remained famous, in part, because of the songs they have written and recorded for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., of whom both are fans. Among their most famous Spurs recordings are "Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur", "Ossie's Dream", "Hot Shot Tottenham", "When the Year Ends in One", "Tottenham Tottenham" and the "Spurs Medley".

Trivia

• Chas and Dave were sampled by controversial US rapper Eminem on his hit My Name Is. In the 1970s, Chas and Dave were session musicians, playing on many albums for a wide range of artists. One such album was Labi Siffre's Remember My Song in 1975. One of the tracks on this album, I Got The, was sampled by Eminem on his breakthrough hit My Name Is, and is the main musical refrain of the track. Chas is playing guitar and Dave is playing bass.

• Contrary to the rumours, Dave is the "real" Dave. As they explain on their website: "Bill Bailey suggested on Never Mind The Buzzcocks that the current 'Dave' in Chas and Dave is some sort of impostor and the rumour started from there. We can confirm that that is definitely not the case - Dave is the original, and one and only, Dave!"

• An extraordinary mix of cultures clashed at Bowstock 2006 when hundreds of teenage punks (who were at the festival to see London prodigies, Nova) paraded alongside the usual cockney fans to the glorious sounds of Chas and Dave.

• Chas and Dave also appear at Wasted punk festival (former Holidays In The Sun punk festival, this year named Rebellion punk festival) in Morecambe or Blackpool United Kingdom most years.

• Chas and Dave were originally offered the chance to perform the theme tune to Only Fools And Horses but were unavailable. They did eventually contribute to OFAH with the song "Down to Margate". They did sing the closing theme in UK Gold's 'Only Fools and Horses's Top 40 Moments'

• Their composition That's What I Like Mike (The Sandwich Song) has been covered by US singer-songwriter Tori Amos who is reputed to be a fan.

• In the first episode of the series I'm Alan Partridge, a desperate Alan suggests "Arm wrestling with Chas & Dave" for a new show to Tony Hayers, the fictional head of the BBC, along with such other ideas as "monkey tennis" and "youth hostelling with Chris Eubank".

• Chas Hodges briefly joind Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy in a one off single release band called The Rockers.

• The duo has appeared on the hit British comedy programme The Catherine Tate Show as an act to upstage Charlotte Church on the 2005 Christmas Special.

Influence

Chas and Dave were influenced by many bands, including Jerry Lee Lewis, who taught Chas how to play the piano and Lonnie Donegan. Chas and Dave wrote a tribute song for Donnegan called "Lonnie D", which is now being used as the starting song for "Lonnie D - The Musical", a tribute to Lonnie Donegan. They also were an influence on former Libertine Pete Doherty, early Libertines practices included Pete and Carl covering their songs.

External links

• Official site
• 2005 Interview in the Guardian