| Fred Dagg |
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| dagg, fred | |
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When Clarke first unveiled the character of Fred Dagg in recordings and on New Zealand TV in 1975 , he became a national star and icon. Clarke also recorded a series of records and cassettes as Dagg, as well as publishing several books. The Fred Dagg character is a stereotypical farmer and New Zealand Bloke ; clad in a black singlet and Gumboots , and supposedly attended by numerous associates (or sons) all named ' Trev '. One memorable expression was uttered whenever there was a knock at the door: "That'll be the door". "Fred Dagg" first became a household name in New Zealand in 1975, with the release by Clarke (as Dagg) of two singles with EMI , "Traditional Air"/"Unlabelled", and "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are"/"Larry Loves Barry", with the latter making it to number 17 on the national charts. An album called "Fred Dagg's Greatest Hits" followed and was a massive seller. Thirty years after its release this album remains one of New Zealand's all-time biggest selling records. Another single recorded with Diamond Lil was an even bigger hit in 1976. "Gumboots"/"Save The Last Dance For Me" climbed to number 6 on the charts. "Gumboots" was a modified version of Billy Connolly 's "If It Weren't For Your Wellies", itself an adaptation of the old song "The Work Of The Weavers". A second album "Fred Dagg Live" was released in 1976. Following on in the style of the first, it was also a huge seller. 1977 saw the release of the film "Dagg Day Afternoon", co-directed by John Clarke with Geoff Murphy , and starring Fred Dagg. A third and final album was released in 1979 called "The Fred Dagg Tapes". In 1998 an Anthology CD titled was released by Columbia . It contains most of the best items Fred is most remembered for, and includes various songs and interviews. "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are!" was re-released in 1998 with revised lyrics. In 1979 , Clarke moved from New Zealand to Australia , taking the Fred Dagg persona with him, and New Zealanders lost one of their favourite humorists. In Australia in Clarke has gone on to establish himself as a top script writer and personality. He still appears regularly on Australian television doing political satire sketches with actor comedian Bryan Dawe. |
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