Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Aug 03, 2025

Sometimes, a catchy tune and a strange title are all you need.

Such was the case of a 1967 instrumental release that was penned by the British vocal/songwriting duo Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.

Quirky and infectious, this instrumental features a bouncy melody backed by a marching rhythm, punctuated by cheerful whistling — a novelty that helped it stand out during the height of the British Invasion and psychedelic rock era.

Despite being wordless, the song’s peculiar title and catchy tune captured public imagination, becoming a surprise chart hit in both the UK (#5) and the U.S. (#20).

*****

If the names Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway sound familiar to you, they should.

Late in 1965, Beatles producer George Martin heard a demo by the two Rogers and decided to record them in the style of pop duos of the time like “Chad & Jeremy” and “Peter & Gordon.”  Their initial release was a song written by Lennon & McCartney from the Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” album.  It was an instant hit stateside and well received back home in England. The duo was called David & Jonathan – the hit song was “Michelle.”

By mid 1968, the two Rogers had stopped performing and recording and concentrated their efforts on composing, jingle-writing and session work.  This proved to be a wise move as many groups of the time were rewarded with hit records penned by them – such as the Fortunes who had “You’ve Got Your Troubles” and “Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again”;  the New Seekers with “I Like To Teach The World To Sing”;  and, the Hollies with “Long Cool Woman.”

Voted “Songwriters Of The Year” by the British Songwriters Guild in 1971, they had also become recognized for writing one-hit wonders, including “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” for Edison Lighthouse;  and, “My Baby Loves Lovin’” for White Plains.

That novelty 1967 instrumental was also a one-hit wonder. According to most sources, the whistling on the record was actually done by British session musician John O’Neill, a trumpeter and singer with the Mike Sammes Singers. However, the name that appeared on the record label was Whistling Jack Smith, a playful parody of the American crooner Whispering Jack Smith, who had been popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

When the tune was featured on Britain’s “Top Of The Pops,” actor Coby Wells was used to mime the whistling and later toured as the public face of Whistling Jack Smith. Wells’ real name was Billy Moeller, a brother of Tommy Moeller, lead vocalist, guitarist, and pianist with Unit 4+2.

As to the title of the composition, the two Rogers chose one more for its eccentricity than any narrative connection. In fact, the working title, “Too Much Birdseed,” had initially been something else far more generic, but “I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman” gave it a memorably odd twist that matched the song’s novelty feel and it’s this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube listing of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AY30CLEJBU

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.