The Legend of Xanadu

This article is about the single. For the video game, see Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu.
"The Legend of Xanadu"
Single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
from the album If No One Sang
B-side "Please"
Released 9 February 1968 (1968-02-09)
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 17 January 1968, Phillips Studios, Stanhope Place, Marble Arch, London
Genre Pop
Length 3:35
Label Fontana TF903 (UK)[1]
Imperial (US)
Writer(s) Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley[1]
Producer(s) Steve Rowland[1]
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich singles chronology
"Zabadak!"
(1967)		 "The Legend of Xanadu"
(1968)		 "Last Night in Soho"
(1968)

"The Legend of Xanadu" is a single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1968,[1] and was the group's biggest hit. As with many of their singles, it was written by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, and like many of the group's recordings, it features novelty elements — in this case a trumpet section and the distinctive sound of a whip cracking in the chorus. The musical accompaniment was directed by John Gregory.

Track listings

7" vinyl single

Side one

  1. "The Legend of Xanadu" (Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley) – 3:35

Side two

  1. "Please" (Dave Harman, John Dymond, Trevor Davies) – 3:20

Chart performance

Chart (1968) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[2] 1
Australian (NSW) Singles Chart 3
Austrian Singles Chart[3] 6
Belgian Singles Chart 6
Dutch Top 40[4] 5
Finnish Singles Chart 20
German Singles Chart 5
Irish Singles Chart[5] 1
Japanese Singles Chart 11
Norwegian Singles Chart[6] 3
Swedish Singles Chart 1

Cover versions

The song was recorded by the Fall for an NME Various Artists compilation album, Ruby Trax.

In Red Dwarf episode "Timeslides" (Season 3, Episode 5), an alternate dimension sees Dave Lister rich and living in a mansion named Xanadu; "not as a reference to the film Citizen Kane, but rather as a tribute to the hit single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich".

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 114–5. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. ↑ "Everyhit.com search results for The Legend of Xanadu". Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Austriancharts.at". Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  4. ↑ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 12, 1968". Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Irishcharts.ie search results for The Legend of Xanadu". Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com". Retrieved December 21, 2008.
Preceded by
"Cinderella Rockefella" by Esther & Abi Ofarim		 UK number one single
"The Legend of Xanadu" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
20 March 1968
(1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Lady Madonna" by The Beatles
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