Punk produced no more barking proposition than Tenpole Tudor. A bawdy troupe fronted by the garrulous Edward Tudor-Pole – a melodramatic thespian who claimed to be a direct descendant of Henry VIII (they were given to taking to the stage in medieval garb to emphasise this supposed lineage).
The minute Eddie lurched on screen in The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (1980) crooning Who Killed Bambi? into the handle of a vacuum cleaner, it was obvious the man was a genius.
Sadly Tenpole Tudor never developed their rudimentary art beyond the cartoon dynamics of their big hits – the aforementioned Who Killed Bambi? and 1981’s superbly raucous Swords Of A Thousand Men.
In 1982, Eddie decided to break the band up. Crippen, Long and Kingston became The Tudors and released Tied Up WIth Lou Cool, whilst Eddie formed a new Cajun-style Tenpole Tudor and put out the Hayrick Song.
He then left Stiff and moved on to jazz and swing style bands whilst also reviving his acting career.
Tudor-Pole featured in a number of 80’s films – including a brilliant part as a teddy boy in Julien Temple’s Absolute Beginners (1986) – before ending up as a TV game show host, which probably makes far more sense.
Edward Tudor-Pole
Vocals
Bob Kingston
Guitar
Dick Crippen
Bass
Gary Long
Drums
Munch Universe
Guitar
