Celebrity Jukebox #107: Roger Whittaker

I grew up listening to Radio 2, particularly Terry Wogan and Ray Moore, and a lot of the songs they used to play are buried deep in my memory. When I heard about Roger Whittaker's passing, all I could really think of was The Skye Boat Song and all that bloody whistling. Here he is on Top of the Pops with Des in 1986. Rock. And. Roll.

But then I had a flick through the archives and other songs started to return to me. And there are some belters...

Roger Whittaker - I Don't Believe In If Anymore

Roger Whittaker - Durham Town

Roger Whittaker - New World In The Morning

As they all came flooding back to me, I realised that it was wrong to remember Roger just for the whistling. He had a cracking voice too.

This one seems most appropriate today...

As to his place in the Celebrity Jukebox, well you'd be surprised where Roger crops up. Here's one German rapper...

Morlockk Dilemma - Orthopädischer Fall

Du Nixchecker kommst mit ner großen Fresse wie Mick Jagger

Doch deine Reime kommen in die Jahre wie Roger Whittaker

Which google-translates as...

You nix-checker come with a big face like Mick Jagger

But your rhymes are getting old like Roger Whittaker

And here's another German rapper...

MC Smook - Taggin'

Hits wie Roger Whittaker, Christina Millian

Tricks so wie Philipp Lahm, bin wie P.Diddy war

Which google-translates as...

Hits like Roger Whittaker, Christina Millian

Tricks like Philipp Lahm, I'm like P. Diddy

It turns out that Roger was really big in Germany. Who knew? (Well, Ernie probably knew.) 

Fortunately, I don't have to rely solely on German rappers for this feature (although there were more where the last two came from). Here's Nigel Blackwell, doing his best Roger whistling...

Half Man Half Biscuit - Awkward Sean

And here are The Danny Boys, from 1987. Yes, they were named after a tune Roger made his own... so why not name one of their songs after him? It's even got whistling, in lieu of a chorus...