New Dodgy single 'What Became Of You' is good enough - Official

Can't say we're not chuffed that momentum seems to be building around the new Dodgy single 'What Became Of You' the first track to be released from the new album. We always appreciated that it might be what we believe is termed in the business as 'a grower' - one radio producer has apparently said to our radio promoter "well, it's not good enough is it?" If you were being picky, you might think they were playing the teacher and reading out our report
"Clark, Miller, Priest - it's just not good enough, IS IT?" ..
"no sir, Mr. Producer, sir" *looking down sheepishly at our scuffed shoes*
"you could DO BETTER, boys"
Well actually, we think we have done rather well judging from the other feedback so far and obviously what he is referring to is the past Dodgy single 'Good Enough'. Though we are very proud of that song, it did cause us some, albeit positive, problems when it was originally around. It was sooo ubiquitous on radio over the summer of 1996, that the release of the follow up single 'If You're Thinking Of Me' was put back and put back, because radio stations didn't want to stop playing 'Good Enough', bless em, in the end it was released in November, if we'd known at the time or been more in control we'd have delayed it even more, overdubbed a few sleigh bells and released it as 'If Your Thinking Of Me This Christmas' as a Christmas single. Alright to think of these things after the event.

Before anyone has had a chance to say "well it's not a roof top in Jamaica, or a beach in Morocco, is it?" We'd like to say that the video for 'What Became Of You' has certainly helped people get a handle on the single and proving popular on tha youtube thing, here it is if you haven't seen it yet. All your comments about the video on You Tube and Facebook etc. are appreciated, the more the merrier.

We have done our first big radio session this time round. Back in the day, Dodgy did a load of them, especially on tour abroad. The usual tour routine of drive, soundcheck, drink, gig, drink was usually punctuated with a few radio interviews and sessions and you soon forget that you are being broadcast to thousands of people when you do it everyday.
But when it's Radio 2, the biggest station in the UK and also one of your favourite stations then we got very excited and a little nervous. Bless.
Going into Radio 2 is a bit like going to the zoo. You shuffle around these corridors past these big reinforced glass windows, peeping in, hoping to see a bored wild animal. Or a famous DJ, or indeed both. Or maybe a mixture of both. Spotting Tony Blackburn in full flow behind the glass on Saturday filled me with the same excitement at seeing a rare White Rhino at Dudley Zoo when I was a kid. Especially as they didn't have White Rhinos at Dudley Zoo. We were on Dermot O'Learys show with Cerys Matthews sitting in for the absent Dermot - as it happens we go way back with Cerys, including her band Catatonia being guests on one of the Dodgy Big Top Circus Tent shows, in Exeter, where we also booked Muse for our 'new band' stage. Yu can return the favour any time you like chaps. We haven't moved.
We were briefed beforehand that as well as the single we would have to play a cover version, prompting some frenzied learning and run throughs of the song backstage at the Bromsgrove gig. Well, one run through anyway. We chose Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People cuz Nige had heard them first on Dermot's show and liked them, helped by the fact that they did a cover of a Neil Young tune, also his daughter is a fan. It seemed like a good song to cover because a) it's not a bad tune and b) because Foster The People have had 55 million hits on YouTube and figured if we could maybe attract 0001% of their fans with our homage then we'd be happy.

Thanks to Cerys for being as charming and lovely talking to us on Radio 2 as you could ever hope someone to be.

We got back in the gig saddle, leaping into 2012 in style last week. A wee semi-impromptu-acoustic jobbie at The Boogaloo Bar in North London, which coincided nicely with quite a few press features focusing on the fact that the bar had been named one of the Top 10 Bars and pubs in Great Britain. Us playing there coincided with Thierry Henry's return to Arsenal prompting an on the spot bit of songwriting from Nigel.

Following The Boogaloo there were two full band gigs in arts centres - Arlington and Bromsgrove. The last one was a bit of a homecoming for me and Nige as we met in Bromsgrove 26 years ago when he joined the band I was in called Four of which the two other original members of said band came down to the gig and brought some early demos. Oh my word - "from my cold, dead hands" as Charlton used to say.. before his hands went cold and dead.....