Many of you will already have heard Billy's EASY PEASY SONG - a fun road safety message aimed at children and childish grown-ups - because not only is it featured as a bonus track on volume 15 CD "In Their Own Pigeon 'Ole" but it was released as a 7" single in 1990 on the Zuberzongz label and actually reached number 109 in the UK charts - not bad for a seven-nearly-eight year old!
The cartoon on the record sleeve front cover was contrived for Billy's 1990 appearance on the Granada Telethon as co-presenter with Richard and Judy. You'll have to wait for Buzz's autobiography to read about that fascinating adventure!.. well worth the wait!
On the 'B' side was BILLY BRADSHAW TAKES SOME PIRATES HOME FOR TEA, the first of Billy's little flights of fancy where he meets some pirates, shows them how to cross the road, and takes them home for shark and chips.
PLAY BILLY'S EASY PEASY SONG
The little Billy cartoon on the left with him holding his dad's bike lamp was from the comic THE BRADSHAWS AN' ALL THAT, and the artist was the late John Geerings who cartooned many of the DC Thompson super hero publications. John illustrated three Bradshaws comics, two of which were published but issue number three never made it (see The Bradshaws Family Album) and you'll find examples of his drawings of the family throughout the site. If you have copies of the aforesaid comics then Buzz Hawkins would love to hear from you - cos he hasn't!
When Billy Bradshaw's 'Brainbuster' quiz joined Buzz Hawkins (producer), Chris Evans (assistant and 'Coffee Boy' - ask him when you see him!) and Tim Grundy (presenter), it sparked off a short series of BILLY BRADSHAW'S DEAD GOOD HADVENTURES which were first featured weekly on Billy's own Sunday radio programme and then released on cassette. You'd be hard pushed to get hold of one of these now, but if you do, hang on to it because it will be worth dosh when the new TV series goes out!
BILLY THE ANIMATRONIC
-courtesy of Peter Minster Models
THE STRANGER DANGER SONG was written and produced as a video for, and with the help of, Greater Manchester Police and was launched at Manchester Airport in the mid-nineties.
All the posh dignitaries were there from the local councils and our animatronic Billy was due make a speech before the video was shown. Eamonn O'Neal, then Regional Head of Granada Television, sent one of his camera crew to 'go and mike Billy up' and he promptly walked up to the stage in front of the audience and pinned a clip mike on to the boy. It didn't occur to him that the Bradshaws voices usually come out of Buzz Hawkins. Mind you, he's fooled a lot of people over the years!
PLAY BILLY'S STRANGER DANGER SONG
Billy's PET LULLABY SONG usually features in the theatre shows where we can build the big stage set. That means the boy can have his own bedroom where he likes to sing himself to sleep. His friend in the picture is the one and only 'Teddy The Panda' who, try as he might, never seems to be able speak for himself!
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