Colonel Bogey March: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Popular march that was written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts}}

the lyrics to this song are " sboob sekil werdna dna yag si retep

{{redirect|Colonel Bogey|the 1948 film|Colonel Bogey (film)}}

The "'''Colonel Bogey March'''" is a popular [[March (music)|march]] that was written in [[1914]] by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts ([[1881]]-[[1945]]), a [[United Kingdom|British]] military bandmaster who was director of music for the [[Royal Marines]] at [[Plymouth]]. Since at that time service personnel were not encouraged to have professional lives outside the armed forces, Ricketts published "Colonel Bogey" and his other compositions under the pseudonym [[Kenneth Alford]]. Supposedly, the tune was inspired by a military man and [[golf]]er who whistled a characteristic two-note phrase (a descending [[minor third]] interval) instead of shouting "[[Fore (golf)|Fore]]!". It is this phrase that begins each line of the melody. ''Bogey'' is golfing term meaning one over par.

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = Colonel Bogey March

| type = [[March (music)|March]]

| composer = [[Kenneth J. Alford|F. J. Ricketts]]

| composed ={{Start date|1914}}

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = song

| file = Colonel Bogey.ogg

| description = The "Colonel Bogey March", by Kenneth J. Alford, performed by the [[United States Navy Band]]

}}

}}

The "'''Colonel Bogey March'''" is a [[Music of the United Kingdom|British]] [[March (music)|march]] that was composed in 1914 by Lieutenant [[Kenneth J. Alford]] (1881–1945), a [[British Army]] [[bandmaster]] who later became the director of music for the [[Royal Marines]] at [[Plymouth]]. The march is often whistled. During the [[World War II|Second World War]], British soldiers sang the lyrics "[[Hitler Has Only Got One Ball]]" to accompany the tune.<ref name="Minor"/>

The sheet music was a million-seller, and the march was recorded many times. "Colonel Bogey" is the [[authorized march]] of [[The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)]] of the [[Canadian Forces]]. Many humorous or satirical verses have been sung to this tune; some of them vulgar. The English quickly established a simple insulting use for the tune, where the first two sylables were used for a variety of rude expressions, then followed by "...and the same to you." The best known, which originated in [[England]] at the outset of [[World War II]], goes by the title "[[Hitler Has Only Got One Ball]]". A later parody, sung by schoolchildren in the [[United States]], is called "[[Comet (song)|Comet]]", and deals with the effects of consuming a popular brand of household cleanser.

The march first appeared in film when it was hummed by [[Michael Redgrave]] in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[The Lady Vanishes]]'' in 1938. English composer [[Malcolm Arnold]] added a counter-march, which he titled "[[The River Kwai March]]", for [[David Lean]]'s 1957 film ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', set during World War II. ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine included the tune in its list of 25 of Cinema's Catchiest Earworms.<ref name="Films">{{cite news |title=25 Of Cinema's Catchiest Earworms|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/catchiest-movie-earworms/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Empire}}</ref>

==History==

[[File:Colonel Bogey March piano solo.pdf |thumb|right|"Colonel Bogey March" sheet music by [[Kenneth J. Alford]] ]]

Since service personnel were, at that time, not encouraged to have professional lives outside the armed forces, British Army bandmaster F. J. Ricketts published "Colonel Bogey" and his other compositions under the pseudonym [[Kenneth J. Alford]] in 1914.<ref>Gene Phillips (2006). ''Beyond the Epic: The Life and Films of David Lean''. p. 306. University Press of Kentucky.</ref> One supposition is that the tune was inspired by a British military officer who "preferred to whistle a descending [[minor third]]" rather than shout "Fore!" when playing golf.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/1999/04/bogey.htm|title = The real Colonel Bogey}}</ref> It is this descending interval that begins each line of the [[melody]]. The name "Colonel Bogey" began in the late 19th century as an imaginary "standard opponent" in assessing a player's performance,<ref>''The [[Royal Cornwall Gazette]]'' of 10 March 1892 reports the results of the Royal Cornwall Golf Club Ladies versus "Colonel" Bogey</ref> and by [[Edwardian era|Edwardian]] times the Colonel had been adopted by the golfing world as the presiding spirit of the course.<ref>Many references to the Colonel in the press include a letter from a "golf widow" to ''The Times'' of 3 June 1914.</ref> Edwardian golfers on both sides of the Atlantic often played matches against "Colonel Bogey".<ref>Toronto; Globe 25 October 1904 p. 10.</ref> [[Bogey (golf)|Bogey]] is now a golfing term meaning "one over par".<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Harris |first1 = Ed |title = Golf Facts, Figures & Fun |volume = Illustrated |publisher = AAPPL |year = 2007 |isbn = 978-1-904332-65-7 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/golf0000harr }}</ref>

==Legacy==

At the start of [[World War II]], "Colonel Bogey" became a British institution when a popular song was set to the tune: "[[Hitler Has Only Got One Ball]]" (originally "[[Hermann Göring|Göring]] Has Only Got One Ball" after the [[Luftwaffe]] leader suffered a [[groin]] injury), essentially exalting rudeness.<ref name="Minor">{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/minor-british-institutions-colonel-bogey-2080160.html |title= Minor British Institutions: Colonel Bogey |work=The Independent |___location= London |date=23 October 2011 |first=Sean |last=O'Grady |access-date=4 December 2012}}</ref>

In 1951, during the first computer conference held in Australia, the "Colonel Bogey March" was the first music played by a computer,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://csiropedia.csiro.au/csirac-australias-first-computer/|title=CSIRAC – Australia's first computer – CSIROpedia|date=2014-01-24|newspaper=CSIROpedia|language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref> by [[CSIRAC]], a computer developed by the [[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]].

The march first appeared in the film [[No Lady]] (1931), then when it was hummed by [[Michael Redgrave]] (playing the [[wikt:cad|cad]] Gilbert in his film debut) in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[The Lady Vanishes]]'' in 1938.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Holston |first1=Kim R.|title=The English-speaking Cinema An Illustrated History, 1927-1993 |date=1994 |publisher=McFarland |page=33}}</ref> The 1957 [[David Lean]] epic film ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'' popularized "[[The River Kwai March]]", a counter-march to Colonel Bogey March. In the 1961 film ''[[The Parent Trap (1961 film)|The Parent Trap]]'', the campers at an all-girls summer camp whistle the "Colonel Bogey March" as they march through camp, mirroring the scene from ''The Bridge on the River Kwai''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Order of songs for Thunder Over Louisville |url=https://eu.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/festival/2016/04/21/order-songs-thunder-over-louisville/83299828/ |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=Courier Journal}}</ref>

In episode 28 of ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]'' from 1976, the march was used in the Sale of the Half-Century game show sketch during a [[Name That Tune]]-style question. One of the contestants' answers was "After the Ball" after which the host ([[Benny Hill]]) responded with, "well, you're sort of half-right" referring to the anti-Hitler slur.

In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the [[Fourth Doctor|fourth incarnation of the Time Lord]] whistled the tune in ''[[The Face of Evil]]'', ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'', ''[[The Invasion of Time]]'' and ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]''. [[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] also whistled it in ''[[The Mind of Evil]]''.

In the 1985 film ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'', all the teenage main characters are whistling the tune during their Saturday detention when Principal Vernon (played by [[Paul Gleason]]) walks into the room.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coyne |first1=Tom |title=A Course Called Scotland: Searching the Home of Golf for the Secret to Its Game |date=2019 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |page=246}}</ref> It was also used in ''[[Caveman (film)|Caveman]]'', ''[[Short Circuit (1986 film)|Short Circuit]]'' and ''[[Spaceballs]]''.<ref name="Films"/>

In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode ''[[Stark Raving Dad]]'', Bart initially writes a verse to a birthday song for Lisa to the tune of "Colonel Bogey March" albeit with jokey lyrics.

In ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' episode "I Know Why the Caged Bird Screams", the fictional ULA Peacocks have a [[fight song]] to the tune of the Colonel Bogey March.

In 2019, the Colonel Bogey March was used in the TV series ''[[The Man in the High Castle (TV series)|The Man in the High Castle]]'', in episode 8 of season 4. The song was featured in episode 5 of season 6 of ''[[Outlander (TV series)|Outlander]]'', revealing a returning character from season 5. The song also continued through the credits. The Colonel Bogey March was used in the 2024 [[neo-noir]] television series ''[[Monsieur Spade]]'' from [[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]] and [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]]. Perhaps coincidentally, the main character, [[Sam Spade]], was previously played by [[Humphrey Bogart]], often called "Bogie".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/monsieur-spade-review-clive-owen-1235780518/ | title='Monsieur Spade' Review: Clive Owen Gives AMC's France-Set Sam Spade Series a Raison d'Etre | website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=12 January 2024}}</ref>

At the end of the ''[[ChuckleVision]]'' episode ''On the Hoof'', [[Chuckle Brothers|Paul and Barry]] have to put on a marching band for a pompous government minister at an MI7 camp only for it to go awry. The latter brother plays the tune on a kazoo while the former just hits a tambourine.

The march has been used in German commercials for [[Underberg]] [[digestif]] [[Bitters|bitter]] since the 1970s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.falstaff.at/weinartikel/underberg-eine-portion-wohlbefinden-2698.html|title=Underberg: Eine Portion Wohlbefinden|author=Christoph Schulte|date=2 March 2011|work=Falstaff Magazin – Weine, Restaurants}}</ref> and has become a classic [[jingle]] there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/rheinberg/underberg-marsch-nun-als-weihnachts-jingle-aid-1.3902095|title=Rheinberg: Underberg-Marsch nun als Weihnachts-Jingle|work=RP Online|date=21 December 2013}}</ref> A parody titled "[[Comet (song)|Comet]]" is a humorous song about the ill effects of consuming [[Comet (cleanser)|the cleaning product of the same name]].<ref>{{cite book | last = MacDonald | first = Ann-Marie | author-link = Ann-Marie MacDonald | title = The Way the Crow Flies | publisher = [[HarperCollins]] | date = 2003 | page = 97 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KWd5JXiv7HEC | isbn = 0-06-058637-0}}</ref> In [[Indonesia]] this march became the jingle tune for a medicine brand called [[:id:Bodrex|Bodrex]]

==''The Bridge on the River Kwai''==

English composer [[Malcolm Arnold]] added a counter-march, which he titled "[[The River Kwai March]]", for the 1957 dramatic film ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', set during World War II. The two marches were recorded together by [[Mitch Miller]] as "March from the River Kwai – Colonel Bogey" and it reached #20 in the US in 1958. The Arnold march forms part of the orchestral concert suite made of the Arnold film score by [[Christopher Palmer]] published by [[Novello & Co]] in London.<ref>{{cite web| title=The Bridge on the River Kwai – Concert Suite (1957)| last=Arnold| first=Malcolm| url=https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/7450/The-Bridge-on-the-River-Kwai---Concert-Suite--Malcolm-Arnold/| website=[[Wise Music Group|Wise Music Classical]]| access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref>

The English composer [[Malcolm Arnold]] added a counter-melody{{Fact|date=April 2007}} for use in the 1957 dramatic movie ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]],'' which was set during World War II. Although the vulgar lyrics were not used in the film, audiences of the time fully understood the subtextual humour of "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball" being sung by [[prisoners of war]]. Arnold's additional score is still strongly identified with the march's use in the movie, although many people don't realise the film version is not the original. Arnold also wrote a march of his own for this movie, which is called "The River Kwai March". This piece has nothing to do with the Rickett/Alford march, but due to the fame of the film, many people now incorrectly refer to the "Colonel Bogey March" as "The River Kwai March". Because the film concerned prisoners of war being held under inhumane conditions by the [[Japan]]ese, there was a minor diplomatic flap in the early 1970s when the "Colonel Bogey March" was played during a visit by the Japanese prime minister to [[Australia]].

On account of the movie, the "Colonel Bogey March" is often miscredited as the "River Kwai March". While Arnold did use "Colonel Bogey" in his score for the movie, it was only the first theme and a bit of the second theme of "Colonel Bogey", whistled unaccompanied by the British prisoners several times as they marched into the prison camp. The British actor [[Percy Herbert (actor)|Percy Herbert]], who appeared in ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', suggested the use of the song in the movie. According to Kevin Brownlow's interviews with the film's director [[David Lean]], it was actually Lean who knew of the song and fought during the screenwriting process to have it whistled by the troops. He realized it had to be whistled rather than sung because the World War II-era lyrics (see "[[Hitler Has Only Got One Ball]]") were racy and would not get past the censors. Percy Herbert was used as a consultant on the film because he had first-hand experience of Japanese POW camps; he was paid an extra £5 per week by Lean.

==Other uses in popular culture==

===Film===

*The tune was whistled, as an insult, by [[Michael Redgrave]] in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s movie ''[[The Lady Vanishes (1938 film)|The Lady Vanishes]]'', which may be the first time it was heard in a fictional film.

*It has been used in films such as ''[[The Parent Trap]]'', ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'' and ''[[Spaceballs]]''.

Since the movie depicted [[Prisoner of war#Empire of Japan|prisoners of war held under inhumane conditions by the Japanese]], Canadian officials were embarrassed in May 1980, when a military band played "Colonel Bogey" during a visit to Ottawa by Japanese prime minister [[Masayoshi Ōhira]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KIkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6QFAAAAIBAJ&dq=canada%20japan%20gaffe&pg=6583%2C2935671|title=Our band hit sour note for Japan's prime minister|author=The Canadian Press|author-link=The Canadian Press|date=6 May 1980|work=[[Montreal Gazette]]|page=1|access-date=16 October 2010}}</ref>

===Television===

*The tune was used in an episode of the [[United Kingdom|UK]] [[cult television]] series ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]''.

*It was the theme to "The Johnny LaRue Show" sketch on ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'', and was the theme for the BBC2 sitcom ''[[Hyperdrive]]''.

*In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial "[[The Face of Evil]]", [[Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor]], (portrayed by [[Tom Baker]]) whistles the march to show his disdain of his alien antagonizers as he explores a planet.

*On ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'', the ULA Peacocks Football fight song was sung to the tune of the march.

*In a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' "[[Weekend Update]]" sketch, [[Tina Fey]] and [[Amy Poehler]] sang "The Bobo Shoes" song to the tune of the "Colonel Bogey March".

*In the ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'' episode "[[Catch-22 (Lost)|Catch-22]]", it was whistled by Desmond, Charlie, Hurley, and Jin as they march across the beach.

*The tune has also been frequently used in British and American television commercials, including for [[MasterCard]], [[Miracle Whip]], and [[Getty Oil]]; as well as in several German commercials for [[Underberg]].

== ''Jewel Thief'' (1967) ==

===Other===

[[S. D. Burman]] used this composition in the 1967 film ''[[Jewel Thief (1967 film)|Jewel Thief]]''. The opening lines of "''Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechaara''" draw inspiration from the marching song.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/9-jewel-thief-top-100-bollywood-albums|title=#9 Jewel Thief: Top 100 Bollywood Albums – Film Companion|date=2017-10-31|work=Film Companion|access-date=2018-05-22|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-bollywood-retrospect-the-best-of-sd-burman-part-2-2142931|title=Bollywood Retrospect: The best of SD Burman – Part 2 {{!}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=2015-11-07|work=dna|access-date=2018-05-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

*In the 1960s British comedy revue ''[[Beyond The Fringe]]'', [[Dudley Moore]] performed a satiric arrangement of the march in the style of a [[Beethoven]] piano [[sonata]], in which the [[coda]] drags on for nearly two and a half minutes as a parody of the style.

*It was covered by the [[Punk rock|punk]]/[[Oi!]] band [[Cock Sparrer]] on the album ''[[Shock Troops (album)|Shock Troops]]''.

*In the [[Nintendo DS]] game [[Nintendogs]], you can find a record labelled ‘Colonel Bogey’. It says it is written by ‘Alford’ and when you play it, your dogs walk round in circles.

*Japanese children sing this melody with inprovised lyrics of "[[Monkey]] (in Japanese, ''saru'')-[[Gorilla]]-[[Chimpanzee]]" .

== See also ==

{{Portal|Music}}

*[[Authorized marches of the Canadian Forces]]

* [[Comet (song)]]

*[[Hitler Has Only Got One Ball]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Library resources box}}

* [http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/1999/04/bogey.htm The real Colonel Bogey] from ''Music & Vision Daily''

*{{commons category-inline|Colonel Bogey March}}

* [http://www.archive.org/details/Colonel_Bogey_March_variations Variations on the Colonel Bogey tune] in the [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] and [[klezmer]] style by [[Glenn]]

[[Category:1914 songs]]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Military marches]]

[[Category:Songs about the military]]

[[Category:1914 compositions]]

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[[Category:British military marches]]

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[[Category:Compositions for brass band]]

[[sv:Colonel Bogey March]]

[[Category:Compositions for symphony orchestra]]

[[Category:Orchestral marches]]

[[Category:Concert band pieces]]

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[[Category:Songs about military officers]]

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[[Category:Compositions by Kenneth J. Alford]]

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