Happy birthday Elton, 76 today. Long may you still be standing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Still Standing
Cars
Happy birthday Gary Numan, 65 today.
Arctic Monkeys
Harrison 2
Oops. Seems George likes to read upside down. George would have been 80 today. Sigh.
Now that we’ve found love
ABBA
No, not Abba, ABBA.
Weather Girls
Jolene Jolene
Happy birthday Dolly, 77 today.
Lyin’ Eyes 3
Mariah at Christmas
Bing and Bowie
I saw Mommy
Sinead
Happy birthday Sinead, 56 today.
Rudolph
Baloo
Squeeze
Lulu
Happy birthday Lulu, 74 today. We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ll…
Chuck
Chuck Berry was born 18 October 1926.
Simon and Garfunkel
Happy birthday Paul Simon, 81 today.
Chubby
Happy birthday Chubby Checker, 81 today.
Pontoon is the British version of Blackjack. And in Britain we say Twist or Stick, not Hit or Stand. So allowing for all that, it’s a very funny joke.
Every Step
Sting started writing Every Breath You Take at Ian Fleming’s writing desk on the Goldeneye estate in Oracabessa, Jamaica. Sting later said he was disconcerted by how many people think the song is more positive than it is. He insists it is about the obsession with a lost lover, and the jealousy and surveillance that follow. “One couple told me ‘Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!’ I thought, ‘Well, good luck.’ I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it’s quite the opposite.”
Anyway, happy 71st birthday Sting!
Olivia
RIP Olivia, who would have been 74 today. 😢
Gerry
R.I.P. Gerry Marsden who would have been 80 today.
Bruce
The idea for this one came from Rik’s niece Robyn.
Happy birthday Bruce, 73 today and still with that hungry heart.
Fame
War
Bee Gees
Happy birthday Barry Gibb, 76 today.
Costello
Clash
R.I.P. Joe Strummer, who would have been 70 today.
Phil
R.I.P. Phil Lynott born 20 August 1949.
It’s My Party
I’ll be honest, I prefer Lesley Gore’s version.
Sarstedt
Mick 2
Happy birthday Mick, 79 today!
Stockhausen Aitken & Waterman
Billie Joe
Hush my darling
Val Doonican R.I.P.
Val Doonican died on 1 July 2015. Remember Paddy McGinty’s Goat? No, nor do I.
Carly
Happy birthday Carly Simon, 77 today!
Beach Boys 2
Yes Brian, ship ’em in, you’re 80 today!
McCartney 2
Oops, we’ve got him holding that gun right-handed. It turns out he’s left-handed, who knew? Well of course he won’t really shoot the bird. He’s a vegetarian, you know. Anyway, happy 80th birthday, Sir Paul!
Jackie
Jackie Wilson was born 9 June 1934.
Bonnie
Happy birthday Bonnie, 71 today!
No, there isn’t really (as far as I know) a statue of Bonnie Tyler anywhere yet. But there should be!
Tom 2
Happy birthday Tom Jones, 82 today.
Frankie
Gladys
Happy birthday Gladys Knight, 78 today!
OK, the midnight train should show as 00:00, not 12:00 – apparently train timetables use the 24-hour clock.
And yes, Georgia (the country) may have been part of the Soviet Union, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cold.
Jam
Happy birthday Paul Weller, 64 today.
Bob
Happy birthday Bob Dylan, 81 today.
Cher
Happy birthday Cher, 76 today!
The Who
Happy birthday Pete Townshend, 77 today.
Bucks Fizz
Well done Sam Ryder, you have wiped away twenty years of shame. Just a pity we chose the wrong year to putin a decent entry.
Dury
R.I.P. Ian Dury, who would have been 80 today.
Innocent
Adele
Happy birthday Adele, 34 today, but you probably know that. She likes to keep us posted about her age.
Ben E King R.I.P.
Ben E. King died on 30 April 2015.
Prince R.I.P.
Prince died 21 April 2016.
Stuck
Gerry Rafferty was born 16 April 1947.
Les
R.I.P. Les Gray, who would have been 76 today.
Diana
Happy birthday Diana Ross, 78 today.
Aretha
R.I.P. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who would have been 80 today.
Amarillo
Monkees – Covid
Don’t you miss those Covid jokes?
Proclaimers
Happy birthday Charlie and Craig, 60 today!
Karen
Karen Carpenter was born 2 March 1950.
I.S. Beatles
Best forgotten indeed.
Procol Harum
RIP Gary Brooker
Bee Geez – Covid
ABBA
Ever wondered how ABBA got to have their name in capitals? Well yes, I know it’s an acronym of their names, but even the Beatles weren’t the BEATLES. Perhaps they should have called themselves JPGR.
Peter
Happy birthday Peter, 72 today! Long may your heart go boom boom boom.
Roberta
Happy birthday Roberta Flack, 85 today.
Sisters
After Oasis, our second bitchiest gag. Sorry ladies.
Easy
Here’s one for Sunday morning. Actually I’ve always hated this song.
Sam
Sam Cooke would have been 91 today, but tragically was cut down in his prime in 1964 when he was 33.
Dolly
Happy birthday Dolly, 76 today!
David Bowie R.I.P.
David Bowie died on 10 January 2016.
Bowie 2
Arthur
We first tried this gag based on The Prodigy, but it was knocked back. They later went for this version. Draw your own conclusions about what this says about Private Eye‘s demographic.
Roy at Christmas
Merry Christmas everyone! How are you feeling?
Noddy at Christmas
Noel
Noel Coward was born on 16 December 1899.
Driving Home for Christmas
Let it snow x 3
Horse
Lyin’ Eyes 2
Nancy
Simon and Garfunkel 2
Well yes, it was really Paul, not Art, who longed to be Homeward Bound. But hey, Art Garfunkel is 80 today, so happy birthday!
Peter, Paul and Mary
Freddie 2
Joni
Satchmo
Doors
Moody Blues
Iggy 2
Ludwig
McCartney
Cass
Dutchie
Not a cooking pot in sight
51st Way
San Francisco
Cliff
Sting
Otis
Kung Fu Fighting
Lennon 2
Don
Richard
Ray
Quo
Bette
Elton 2
The first Forgotten Moments in Music History gag idea. It sat ignored in a box on my desk for four years before I thought of a second one.
Pete Seeger R.I.P.
Guilty feet
Oasis/Beatles
Monkees
…although, to be fair, Last Train to Clarksville was about being drafted to fight in Vietnam
Rod
MacArthur Park
Tina
Shadows
Mean. But also affectionate, I hope.
Alanis
Card no longer available due to copyright issues. Ironic, don’t you think?
William Blake
Set in about 1770
Gerry Rafferty
George Harrison
Eagles
Buy greetings card (If you really want to make a statement)
Slade
Professor Higgins
Madness
Frank
Yellow Ribbon
Chris de Burgh
Bob Marley
A rare venture into political/social comment.
Beach Boys
“…Please can you confirm that the Beach Boys were not harmed by the tidal wave shown in Forgotten Moments in Music History (Eye 1338), as there is much concern for their safety in the Sino-British community here in South Africa. SIR FINN YU (S.A.)”
Michael
Lennon
The idea for this one came from Rik’s daughter Rachel.
“I think Forgotten Moments in Music History (Eye 1336) unfairly maligns Mr Lennon’s choice of crops: surely he would give peas a chance? B. TELLS”
Marc
Sound of Music
Roxanne
Elton
It is rumoured that Elton himself owns the original of this cartoon. But get in touch if you’d like a redraw.
Bowie
Johnny
Freddie
Tom
Shirley
Iggy
(Great) Uncle Bulgaria
Officially, of course, he’s Great Uncle Bulgaria. But in The Wombling Song, he’s plain Uncle Bulgaria
Alice
Mick
The first Forgotten Moments in Music History cartoon published in Private Eye, no. 1318 in July 2012
Forgotten Moments in Music History 