Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song)

"Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is a song written by Noël Coward and first performed in The Third Little Show at the Music Box Theatre, New York, on 1 June 1931, by Beatrice Lillie. The following year it was used in the revue Words and Music and also released in a "studio version". It then became a signature feature in Coward's cabaret act.

The song is especially known for the line "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" with which most verses begin and end.

According to Sheridan Morley, Coward wrote the song while driving from Hanoi to Saigon "without pen, paper, or piano". Coward himself elucidated: "I wrestled in my mind with the complicated rhythms and rhymes of the song until finally it was complete, without even the aid of pencil and paper. I sang it triumphantly and unaccompanied to my travelling companion on the verandah of a small jungle guest house. Not only Jeffrey [Amherst], but the gecko lizards and the tree frogs gave every vocal indication of enthusiasm".

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Mad Dogs and Englishmen may refer to:

See also

Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Doctor Who)

Mad Dogs and Englishmen is a BBC Books original novel written by Paul Magrs and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji.

Plot

A race of alien poodles alters a 20th-century fantasy epic to aid their civil war.

The Doctor infiltrates a groups of writers known as the Smudgelings, Anji experiences some very, very special effects in 1970s America and Fitz meets an old friend.

The book also features a jolly hotel chef and dogs with opposable thumbs.

Tolkien

Cameo

Mad Dogs & Englishmen (album)

Mad Dogs & Englishmen is a live album by Joe Cocker, released in 1970. The album's title is drawn from the 1931 Noël Coward song of the same name. Only four songs of the 16 on the original album were drawn from his first two studio albums. Besides the contributions of bandmate and musical director Leon Russell, it draws equally from rock (the Rolling Stones, Traffic, Bob Dylan, the Beatles) and soul (Ray Charles, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding). Accompanying Cocker is a choir, a three-piece horn section and several drummers.

The single, "The Letter"/"Space Captain", recorded during rehearsals was released to coincide with the tour. The album yielded the single "Cry Me a River"/"Give Peace a Chance."

In 2005, Mad Dogs & Englishmen was released as a two-disc deluxe edition set through Universal Records to commemorate the album's 35th anniversary.

In 2006, Mad Dogs & Englishmen was released as a six-disc box set under the title The Complete Fillmore East Concerts by Hip-O Select. Both early and late shows from March 27 and 28, 1970, were released in their entirety.