| "The Legend of Xanadu" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich | ||||
| from the album If No One Sang | ||||
| B-side | "Please" | |||
| Released | 9 February 1968 | |||
| Format | 7" vinyl | |||
| Recorded | 17 January 1968, Phillips Studios, Stanhope Place, Marble Arch, London | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Fontana TF903 (UK) Imperial (US) |
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| Writer(s) | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | |||
| Producer | Steve Rowland | |||
| Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich singles chronology | ||||
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"The Legend of Xanadu" is a single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1968, and was the group's biggest hit. As with many of their singles, it was written by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, and like many of the group's recordings, it features a novelty element — in this case a trumpet section, and the distinctive sound of a whip cracking in the chorus. The musical accompaniment was directed by John Gregory.
Contents |
Side one
Side two
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[1] | 1 |
| Australian (NSW) Singles Chart | 3 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[2] | 6 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Dutch Top 40[3] | 5 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 20 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart[4] | 1 |
| Japanese Singles Chart | 11 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[5] | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
The song was recorded by The Fall for an NME Various Artists compilation, Ruby Trax
In Red Dwarf episode "Timeslides" (Season 3, Episode 5), an alternate dimension sees Dave Lister rich and living in a mansion named Xanadu; "not as a reference to the movie Citizen Kane, but rather as a tribute to the hit single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich".
| Preceded by "Cinderella Rockefella" by Esther & Abi Ofarim |
UK number one single "The Legend of Xanadu" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 20 March 1968 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Lady Madonna" by The Beatles |