Wombling Songs

Wombling Songs
Studio album by The Wombles
Released	November 1973
Recorded	CBS Studios and Wessex Studios, August 1973
Genre	Bubblegum pop
Length	2:27
Label	CBS
Producer	Mike Batt
The Wombles chronology
Wombling Songs (1973) Remember You're a Womble (1974)

Wombling Songs is the first album released by The Wombles. The songs were recorded by Mike Batt (vocals) with session musicians Chris Spedding (guitars), Les Hurdle (bass), Clem Cattini (drums), Ray Cooper (percussion), Rex Morris (piano), Eddie Mordue (sax) and Jack Rothstein (violin). The vocals were credited to "the younger Wombles, assisted by Mike Batt".

According to Batt, the album was really just character songs and background music for the television series."^[1] However, the album spent 17 weeks in the UK album charts, peaking at number 19 on 2 March 1974.^[2]

Track listing

1. The Wombling Song (Television Version) (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (the theme to "The Wombles") (1:48)
2. Wombles Everywhere (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Edward Seymour) (in which we meet the Wombles around the world) (3:32)
3. Exercise Is Good For You (Laziness Is Not) (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we meet Tomsk, the keep fit Womble) (2:33)
4. The Wombles' Warning (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Eric Nicholson) (in which the Wombles warn humans of nettle beds) (3:32)
5. Tobermory (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we meet Tobermory, the handy womble) (3:45)
6. Dreaming In The Sun (Orinoco's Song) (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we meet Orinoco, the lazy Womble) (4:14)
7. Madame Cholet (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we meet Madame Cholet, the Womble chef) (3:51)
8. Great Uncle Bulgaria's March (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Erik Nicholson) (in which we meet Great Uncle Bulgaria, the oldest Womble) (3:38)
9. Wellington Womble (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we meet Wellington, the ever so rather brainy Womble) (3:59)*
10. Bungo's Birthday (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Steve Burke) (in which we meet Bungo, the birthday Womble) (2:39)
11. Wombling Along (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding, Carlton Edwards) (segment from Wellington Womble) (0:57)*
12. The Wombling Song (Full Version) (Mike Batt, Chris Spedding) (in which we are introduced to the Wombles) (2:28)

Music videos were made for all songs except "*".

Bonus Tracks (2013 Reissue)

1. La Cancion De Los Wombles (Spanish version of "The Wombling Song") (2:30)

Singles

The Wombling Song was released as a single.

The Wombling Song, Exercise Is Good For You and Madam Cholet were used in the 1977 film Wombling Free.

References

1. Kim Cooper; David Smay; Jake Austen (2001). Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth. Feral House. p. 159. ISBN 0-922915-69-5.
2. Neil Warwick; Jon Kutner; Tony Brown (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums. Omnibus Press. pp. 1203–1204. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.