Fat Les

2025-10-19T23:57:13Z

82.132.222.246: /* Background */

{{Short description|British pop band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = group_or_band
| name = Fat Les
| image =
| caption =
| landscape = yes
| image_size = 250
| years_active = {{Start date|df=yes|1998}}–2002, 2012
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[football chant]]
| label = [[Telstar Records|Telstar]], Turtleneck, [[Parlophone]]
| past_members = [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]]<br />[[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]]<br /> [[Damien Hirst]]
| website =
}}

'''Fat Les''' were a British [[musical ensemble|band]] consisting of [[Blur (band)|Blur]] bassist [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]], actor [[Keith Allen (actor)|Keith Allen]], and artist [[Damien Hirst]]. [[Human voice|Vocals]] on their [[single (music)|singles]] were provided by Keith Allen (all), Alex James ("[[Vindaloo (song)|Vindaloo]]"), Keith's daughter [[Lily Allen]] ("Who Invented Fish & Chips?"), Andy Kane ("Who Invented Fish & Chips?"), [[Lisa Moorish]] ("Naughty Christmas (Goblin in the Office)") and various choirs ("[[And did those feet in ancient time|Jerusalem]]").

==Background==
James and Hirst first knew each other when they were students at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths College]], but became friendly when they and Allen met at the [[Groucho Club]].<ref name="observer magazine" /> In May 1998, while discussing the forthcoming [[Football World Cup 1998|FIFA World Cup]], Allen and James had the idea of creating an unofficial World Cup song, and formed Fat Les (named after a woman they knew). They were later joined by Hirst when they asked him to create artwork for them.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HufHfe-5-iEC&pg=PA347 |title=Grow Up|first= Keith |last= Allen |year=2008|isbn=9780091910716|pages=346–347|publisher=Ebury Press|via=Google Books }}</ref>

==Music==
Fat Les created the unofficial [[England]] national [[football (soccer)|football]] anthem "[[Vindaloo (song)|Vindaloo]]" with [[Guy Pratt]] and then brought in the singer Andy Kane. The song reached number two in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> In the music video, the three band members featured alongside [[Paul Kaye]], [[Rowland Rivron]], [[Ed Tudor-Pole]], [[Matt Lucas (comedian)|Matt Lucas]] and [[David Walliams]], and appearances by Allen's children [[Lily Allen|Lily]] and [[Alfie Allen|Alfie]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-rovers-england-football-anthem-5541833 |title=The story of how a Bristol Rovers favourite helped create an all-time England football anthem |first=James |last=Piercy |date=18 June 2021 |work=Bristol Post |archive-date=29 January 2022 |access-date=29 January 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129095911/https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-rovers-england-football-anthem-5541833 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Later in 1998, they recorded "Naughty Christmas (Goblin In The Office)", described as the 'Official Christmas Record', together with [[Joe Strummer]] on guitar, Rivron on drums, as well as Matt Lucas and Paul Kaye, and features vocals by [[Lisa Moorish]] with [[Lily Allen]] in the background.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-12-1384805 |title=What A Curry On |work=NME |date=3 October 1998 |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128102537/https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-12-1384805 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/music/g29217/best-weirdest-christmas-songs/ |title=Best Weirdest Christmas Songs |work=Elle |date=October 2019 |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128104308/https://www.elle.com/culture/music/g29217/best-weirdest-christmas-songs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2000, Fat Les recorded an official theme for the England football team at [[Euro 2000]] tournament held in [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]], with a rendition of the [[hymn]] "[[And did those feet in ancient time|Jerusalem]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-15-1391936 |title=Fat Les put Their Money on England |work=NME|date=9 May 2000 }}</ref> It was again fronted by Allen, with [[Michael Barrymore]] making an appearance. The track was credited to Fat Les 2000.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 196}}</ref> According to Allen, in choosing the hymn he wanted to "crystallise some kind of English culture" and to reclaim it from [[Right-wing politics|the Right]].<ref name="observer magazine" /> The song was recorded at [[George Martin]]'s [[Air Lyndhurst|AIR Studios]] at a cost of £50,000 with a full orchestra and four choirs:<ref name="observer magazine">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/may/21/life1.lifemagazine11 |title=Three lions |first=Andrew|last= Smith|date= 21 May 2000 |work=The Observer}}</ref> the [[London Community Gospel Choir]], [[New London Children's Choir]], Syncopeters and [[London Gay Men's Chorus]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tHGIDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA92 |title=Radical Blake: Influence and Afterlife from 1827|first1= Shirley |last1= Dent|first2= Jason|last2= Whittaker |date=2 October 2002|isbn=9780230287402|page=92|publisher=Springer|via=Google Books }}</ref>

For the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 World Cup]], they recorded "Who Invented Fish and Chips", which features Lily Allen in her first credited recording and video.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qzitDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT28 |title=Lily Allen - Living Dangerously|first= Martin |last=Howden |date= 2008 |publisher=Kings Road |isbn=9781784184780|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a577055/keith-allen-re-releasing-world-cup-song-featuring-15-year-old-lily-allen/ |title=Keith Allen re-releasing World Cup song - featuring 15 year-old Lily Allen |work=Digital Spy |first=Sam |last=Rigby |date=11 June 2014 |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=8 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108213727/https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a577055/keith-allen-re-releasing-world-cup-song-featuring-15-year-old-lily-allen/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2012, Fat Les changed their name to "Fit Les" and recorded "The Official Fit Les Olympic Anthem". Alex James left the group while [[Rowetta]] of [[Happy Mondays]] fame joined the lineup along with producer [[Matt Eaton]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-1276028 |title=Keith Allen's Fat Les to release Olympics track as 'Fit Les' |first=Leonie |last=Cooper |date=19 June 2012 |work=NME |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127223327/https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-1276028 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Comedy==
Fat Les also starred in a comedy show with Kaye, Lucas and [[John Thomson (comedian)|John Thomson]] in ''You Are Here'' broadcast on [[Channel 4]] on 30 December 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-10-1398729 |title=Fat Les Are Here |work=NME |date=21 November 1998 |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128102537/https://www.nme.com/news/music/fat-les-10-1398729 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Discography ==
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Title
! Year
! Peak position<br>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4763/fat-les/ |title=Fat Les |work=The Official Charts Company |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127220234/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4763/fat-les/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/9259/fat-les-2000/ |title=Fat Les 2000 |work=The Official Charts Company |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127221538/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/9259/fat-les-2000/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:left"| "[[Vindaloo (song)|Vindaloo]]"
| 1998
| 2
|-
|style="text-align:left"| "Naughty Christmas (Goblin in the Office)"
| 1998
| 21
|-
|style="text-align:left"| "[[And did those feet in ancient time|Jerusalem]]"
| 2000
| 10
|-
|style="text-align:left"| "Who Invented Fish and Chips"
| 2002
| 86
|-
|style="text-align:left"| "The Official Fit Les Olympic Anthem"
| 2012
| —
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CcU085tGwE Vindaloo sung by a crowd of England Supporters during the European Championships in Portugal 2004]

{{Blur}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:English pop music groups]]
[[Category:English musical trios]]
[[Category:Telstar Records artists]]
[[Category:Parlophone artists]]

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Fat Les