Thankyou for uploading this, he was an amazing performer .. he had so much more to give.. but what he left is clearly still inspirational and here I am at 42 still searching for him, guessing he would be 70 plus now! His Mr Claypole was my childhood!
I would love to see a video of that somewhere. I never found any videos or anything on this number (though olc stuff is hard to find) so I assumed it was the only video of Michael Staniforth performing it. I hope such a recording exists somewhere, it would be sad if that was gone forever.
I think you may have got the date wrong of his birth as it would make him 42 when he appeared in STEX, im pretty certain he was younger than that. I know it says the same on Wikipedia too, but i think thats gotta be wrong too.
He was in his early 20s when he did Rentaghost & ghe cast change over for A chorus line in the 70s so i think he was probebly mid/late 20s when he did STEX. Steph Lawrence was one of the oldest in the show at around 30(which by future Pearl actresses cast in the role is quite old by stex standards) But yeah I remember Michael passing as a kid and being really upset by it as he was one of my heroes from Rentaghost as a kid. He was very young though. tken too soon. :-(
jonathan clay Michael was born in 1942 making one of the older cast members of Starlight Express. He had a long career as a musical theatre performer before that in shows such as Hair, when he was indeed in he’s twenties. Michael died in 1987 at the age of 44. Trust me, I know. He is very much missed.
Kate Peake because he still comes across as so contemporary and lovable, it feels as if he could be a star today, he is very much missed but also still very present in our consciousness and memories of his fantastic work on stage and TV.
Just googled the words - Wide smile, high style, that's me Out front, in back, C.B. Wrong side of the track C.B. See the news on you TV Rail disaster Ever wonder why was he Getting faster Every time the red caboose Takes a train Seems to loose it's braking shoes Can't explain (Stop that train) Wide smile, high style, that's me Out front, in back, C.B. Wrong side of the track C.B. Hiding at the back of the freight train Unsupected When they robbed the great train I collected While the feds shake their heads I'm on the loose There each time at the scene of the crime The red caboose (Stop that train) Wide smile, high style, that's me Out front, in back, C.B. Wrong side of the track C.B. The state police they don't suspect I got old ninety seven wrecked Interpol don't know that I Crossed the bridge on the river Kwai Seems like any train that takes me Just doesn't get the brakes Somebody go fetch a cop Another train just failed to stop (Brake that train) Wide smile, high style, that's me Out front, in back, C.B. Wrong side of the track C.B. Ten four Smokey bear I could be anywhere You know I'm to blame But you don't know my name Wide smile, high style, that's me Out front, in back, C.B. Wrong side of the track C.B. C.B. Hanging loose C.B. The red caboose
This song is "CB" from the original production of Starlight Express in London (on Broadway, it was changed to "Wide Smile"). It was cut from a lot of tours, and the character was cut sometimes too (mostly in the UK tours, and in the "New Starlight Express" London revision). It was in every version in Bochum, and was known as "Mein Spiel." The song just recently got updated text in Bochum, as they reworked the character entirely. It's probably one of my favorite songs in the show, along with Liebesexpress and Pumping Iron. I personally dislike the changes to the Red Caboose in the new 2018 revisions in Bochum, as they took away the whole double-sided personality of him and just made him strictly evil.
@@lilchwis4423 Oh no, they changed Caboose like that? 😣 I've only recently got into STEX, and I've read about some changes they've made since 2017 that I really dislike; changing "A Whole Lotta Locomotion" to "I Got Me," changing "Crazy," changing "Dinah's Disco" ... all to pander to modern ideals, and it completely changes the characters and takes out the fun and innuendos. 😒 UGH, add one-noting C.B.'s character to the list, I guess. 🙃
@@outlawssweetheart Yeah they have changed the show a lot. The idea is to keep it fresh so people are more likely to return knowing something new and fresh is there. That being said, I have a soft spot for Caboose as he was always my favorite as a kid... and I think the current version really is butchering the character. Anyone can have their own opinion, but I feel like there was something special that was lost. If you aren't familiar with German, definitely check out the Broadway production! Someone uploaded it here on TH-cam, and it's quite a good version!
Beautiful beautiful man ❤
Thank for posting this. I used to write Michael a lot when I was a child. He always wrote back. Fabulous man.
i love how he gets more bouncy and in-character as the song goes on! he was so talented. those high notes!!!
Amazing performer !!! I wish he was still with us.
His so beautiful.
Shame hes no longer with us , great performer in this and in Rentaghost and loving Richard Stilgoe watching in the background. Ive met Richard Stilgoe
Richard Stilgoe looks almost the same lol
You met Stilgoe ??? I'm jealous
This guy was my childhood. I've only just discovered how amazing he was. Love him. X
He has the perfect voice for this role
Agreed, he was a very talented man.
No one is better as CB than him!
True, Michael was a very talented man, and by all acounts a genuinley nice person as well.
I worked with Michael did not know him well; saw him just before he died far too young like many others during the forgotten pandemic
Thankyou for uploading this, he was an amazing performer .. he had so much more to give.. but what he left is clearly still inspirational and here I am at 42 still searching for him, guessing he would be 70 plus now! His Mr Claypole was my childhood!
Fantastic to see this, he was so talented
The way he sings in that clip reminds me a bit of Holly Johnson 👍
What a hottie.
Agreed. Sexy as f×××💘
Amazing to see, thank you x
Mr Claypole!
He performed it once on Blue Peter. I wonder if it's in an archive somewhere.
I would love to see a video of that somewhere. I never found any videos or anything on this number (though olc stuff is hard to find) so I assumed it was the only video of Michael Staniforth performing it. I hope such a recording exists somewhere, it would be sad if that was gone forever.
This is actually insane
Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for sharing! :D
:)
I detect Sir richard stilgoe lurking in the back ground making sure everything is just so ..no doubt 😏😊
I think youve not got a workshop clip youve got a rare clip of the rehearsal of it in a studio before the show starts!
100 percent the workshop performance.
definitely a workshop. He's (Michael) seen I. that same outfit in other workshop clips.
Is that Richard Stilgoe in the background?
Yes indeed!
Hi - I'm creating a video about Rentaghost for my channel and would like to use a small piece of this clip if possible?
Does anyone know what the different lyrics are here?
Sounds a bit like ‘Fame’ by Bowie.
Great bit of history. x
0:42 I have no clue who that man is but he looks so depressed to be wearing all that train makeup
Looks like Tom Jobe who later went on to play Electra
That was the current Electra
It's Zaine Griff, who played Electra during this workshop.
I think you may have got the date wrong of his birth as it would make him 42 when he appeared in STEX, im pretty certain he was younger than that. I know it says the same on Wikipedia too, but i think thats gotta be wrong too.
jonathan clay Yeah I just copied the dates from Wikipedia so
He was in his early 20s when he did Rentaghost & ghe cast change over for A chorus line in the 70s so i think he was probebly mid/late 20s when he did STEX. Steph Lawrence was one of the oldest in the show at around 30(which by future Pearl actresses cast in the role is quite old by stex standards) But yeah I remember Michael passing as a kid and being really upset by it as he was one of my heroes from Rentaghost as a kid. He was very young though. tken too soon. :-(
jonathan clay Michael was born in 1942 making one of the older cast members of Starlight Express. He had a long career as a musical theatre performer before that in shows such as Hair, when he was indeed in he’s twenties. Michael died in 1987 at the age of 44. Trust me, I know. He is very much missed.
Kate Peake I resent him being gone. I listened to Starlight Express often in my childhood in the 90s.
Kate Peake because he still comes across as so contemporary and lovable, it feels as if he could be a star today, he is very much missed but also still very present in our consciousness and memories of his fantastic work on stage and TV.
Just googled the words -
Wide smile, high style, that's me
Out front, in back, C.B.
Wrong side of the track C.B.
See the news on you TV
Rail disaster
Ever wonder why was he
Getting faster
Every time the red caboose
Takes a train
Seems to loose it's braking shoes
Can't explain
(Stop that train)
Wide smile, high style, that's me
Out front, in back, C.B.
Wrong side of the track C.B.
Hiding at the back of the freight train
Unsupected
When they robbed the great train
I collected
While the feds shake their heads
I'm on the loose
There each time at the scene of the crime
The red caboose
(Stop that train)
Wide smile, high style, that's me
Out front, in back, C.B.
Wrong side of the track C.B.
The state police they don't suspect
I got old ninety seven wrecked
Interpol don't know that I
Crossed the bridge on the river Kwai
Seems like any train that takes me
Just doesn't get the brakes
Somebody go fetch a cop
Another train just failed to stop
(Brake that train)
Wide smile, high style, that's me
Out front, in back, C.B.
Wrong side of the track C.B.
Ten four Smokey bear
I could be anywhere
You know I'm to blame
But you don't know my name
Wide smile, high style, that's me
Out front, in back, C.B.
Wrong side of the track C.B.
C.B. Hanging loose
C.B. The red caboose
The lyrics are different here tho, as it's the workshop production
I knew C.B. was bad but this is DARK. What a great villain.
nuh uh
As a theatre fan I love Starlight Express but what song is this? Anyone elaborate for me?
This song is "CB" from the original production of Starlight Express in London (on Broadway, it was changed to "Wide Smile"). It was cut from a lot of tours, and the character was cut sometimes too (mostly in the UK tours, and in the "New Starlight Express" London revision). It was in every version in Bochum, and was known as "Mein Spiel." The song just recently got updated text in Bochum, as they reworked the character entirely. It's probably one of my favorite songs in the show, along with Liebesexpress and Pumping Iron. I personally dislike the changes to the Red Caboose in the new 2018 revisions in Bochum, as they took away the whole double-sided personality of him and just made him strictly evil.
@@lilchwis4423 Oh no, they changed Caboose like that? 😣 I've only recently got into STEX, and I've read about some changes they've made since 2017 that I really dislike; changing "A Whole Lotta Locomotion" to "I Got Me," changing "Crazy," changing "Dinah's Disco" ... all to pander to modern ideals, and it completely changes the characters and takes out the fun and innuendos. 😒 UGH, add one-noting C.B.'s character to the list, I guess. 🙃
@@outlawssweetheart Yeah they have changed the show a lot. The idea is to keep it fresh so people are more likely to return knowing something new and fresh is there. That being said, I have a soft spot for Caboose as he was always my favorite as a kid... and I think the current version really is butchering the character. Anyone can have their own opinion, but I feel like there was something special that was lost.
If you aren't familiar with German, definitely check out the Broadway production! Someone uploaded it here on TH-cam, and it's quite a good version!