Hoddle (left) and Waddle (right) undercover lovers, 1987.
In 1987 Tottenham legends Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle stunned the U.K. with their classic pop hit 'Diamond Lights,' displaying inch perfect mullets and zombie like tendencies during their appearance on 'Top of the Pops.' Rumour has it this was their only recording, but years later an unreleased album surfaced called 'Undercover.' The album was recorded in the Spurs dressing room during the end of season break in 1987, when the break actually lasted longer than two weeks before pointless pre-season fixtures began. The album was produced by Australian rock legend John Farnham, who aimed to capture the same style evident on the Little River Band's 1985 classic 'Playing to Win.'
Chris and Glenn alternated vocals on the tracks, with a few duos thrown in for good measure. The tracklisting is as follows:
1: 'Cry For Me Africa' - vocals Glenn
As written by Glenn in the liner notes: 'An impassioned cry for the starving in Africa and a co-write with Gary Moore.'
2: 'Street Legal' - vocals Chris/Glenn
'Just your basic ode to having a night out with the lads,' wrote Chris in 1988. 'Gazza stopped by and provided backing vocals before being arrested after headbutting Steve Hodge for his ludicrous backpass which allowed Maradona to score the 'hand of god' in 86.'
3: 'Two Hearts on the Run' - vocals Chris
'We nicked this off Tobruk,' reckons Glenn.
4: 'Gold and Glory '- vocals Glenn/Phil Collins
'This was meant to be the sountrack to the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, but we were turned down,' said Glenn. 'We used it later for our Euro 88 campaign.'
5: 'Rock Lions' - vocals Glenn/Chris/Jimmy Nail/Brian Johnson
Chris 1988 -We've always been fans of Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Biff Byford (Saxon), Noddy Holder (Slade), you know, your street rockers, guys who lived the life I did before I joined Newcastle. No American could relate to this." Chris himself recalled working in a meat pie factory. For him and many others there wasn't much choice. 'Growing up in Newcastle, you grow up fast Chris said. My Dad worked as a coal miner all his bleedin' life. He worked twelve hours a day, for thirty years to bring us up right. It killed him. Of course I was expected to do the same. But Chris had other ideas. For this track he enticed Geordie legends Brian Johnson and Jimmy Nail to sing. Back in the early 70's when I was in me early thirties I toiled on building sites as a brickie in the freezing rain and snow. That's all I needed to start me own band. I wasn't going to piss me life away like me Dad. But when they approached me to do this I couldn't say no. You never forget your roots. Never, said Brian. Brian recorded 'Rock Lions' and 'Never Gonna Lose It,' two tracks which encapsulate the desperation of working class heroes. 'They're lions who don't give up. They are my heroes. For Brian it's been a long road to the top. Starting out in early seventies rock heroes Geordie in hometown Newcastle, he has since reached the top with AC/DC. For him it was a homecoming. I had just come back to the Tyne to play some reunion shows with Geordie when I was contacted about the album. Shite mon how could I sae nae? Brian, with Geordie to back him up, got another surprise in the studio. We get there and I'm told there's a guest waiting. I thought, it couldn't be, not Keegan right? It turned out to be Jimmy Nail. Nail, who played Oz in Auf Widersehen Pet, has tasted musical fame also, and being a fan of Johnson asked to sing on Johnson's two tracks. I was hesitant but Nail blew me away confesses Brian, he's a geordie like us and we had a cracker time. Together they cranked out 'The Eagle Flies Free' and 'In Motion.' Sums up Beano: I might have never been a brickie but I guess I fooled them.
6: 'Force Field' - vocals Chris
I went old school Chris said. I got in Lea Hart, Don Airey and Nibbs Carter and we belted out this and 'Danger Zone' in two days. While we were there we also recorded a tribute album to Saxon.
7: 'One of the Boys' - vocals Hoddle/Roger Daltrey
"Certainly it was a surprise to see Roger Daltrey included," said Glenn, who was bought up in the same Cockney area as Rog. "Roger though has always claimed that rock 'n' roll saved him from a life in the factories.
"Sheet metal worker, were Roger's first words when interviewed. He paused, as if waiting for a negative reaction. He wasn't given one. Roger chose to remake his long forgotten 'One Of The Boys' title cut from his equally forgotten 1977 album of the same name. It's timeless innit Daltrey jokes, I mean there's always going to be lads on the fringe, on the dole, pissed off at the world. I was and lots of kids always will be."
8: 'Cambodia' - vocals Chris
"I went to Cambodia in 1986 and walked in the Killing Fields," Chris said. "I saw the grim effects of war so I contacted Steve Harris of Iron Maiden and asked him to write a track for me. It turned in a ten minute epic, with a slow, boring intro and a half assed fast part in the middle. I wanted another 'Aces High' not a bloody 'Benjamin Breeg.'
Bonus Tracks:
'On the Run' (Hoddle/Bolton)
'Moving Target' (Waddle/Mcartney)
'Shock Tactics' (Hoddle/Waddle/Blaze Bayley)
Vocals; Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle. Roger Daltrey, Brian Johnson, Jimmy Nail, Blaze Bayley, Biff Byford, John Farnham: Guitars; Pete Townshend, Steve Lukather, Dennis Stratton, Fernando Von Arb, Randy Goodrum; Bass; Nibbs Carter, Dave 'The Beast' Spitz: Drums; Kenney Jones, Clive Burr, Les Binks: Synthesizers: Don Airey, Alan Pasqua, Gregg Giuffria
Catalogue Number/ Steamhammer Records 983746
'Blade Runner'- (Byford/Dianno/Stratton/Wark)