Rediscovered: The Royal Guardsmen … and Snoopy

Snoopy And His Friends, by The Royal Guardsmen

I am listening to one of, no, my most favourite record from my 1970s youth: Snoopy and His Friends, by The Royal Guardsmen.  I am in the process of digitizing my copy of their 1967 stereo SLP vinyl record.

The only niggle upon listening to it today: the fake British and French accents.  Have a listen: The Story Of Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron.

Mind you, I believed them to be the genuine thing when I was growing up in Canada.  Think Dick van Dyke playing Bert in Mary Poppins and you’ll know what I mean.

Let’s just hope these guys from Florida don’t try using the same awful accents when they perform on the Isle of Wight in January 2009; their their first trip to this side of the pond.  Tip: take the hovercraft from Portsmouth instead!

Given that their “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” song (by chance I have a cover version of it by The Irish Rovers, too!) hit number 8 over here in the UK  in the 60′s then they must have a good handful of fans on the island, and here in the South-East of the UK.

On the off-chance they are reading this…here is a map of the Isle of Wight:

Google map of Isle of Wight