It's Only Rock and Roll (Only Fools and Horses)

:"For the Rolling Stones album, see It's Only Rock'n Roll":"For the Waylon Jennings album, see It's Only Rock and Roll"Infobox Only Fools and Horses
episode_name = It's Only Rock and Roll


Series = 4
writer = John Sullivan
director = Susan Belbin
producer = Ray Butt
Duration = 30 minutes
Airdate = 14 March 1985
Audience = 13.6 million
Cast =

It's Only Rock and Roll is an episode of the BBC sit-com, "Only Fools and Horses". It was the fourth episode of series 4, and was first screened on 14 March 1985.

ynopsis

At a warehouse, as Del Boy loads up the van with the latest item to flog called Kandy Dolls, Rodney tells him that he just joined a band that are styling themselves on Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Del points out that Rodney doesn't have any drums, as well as mention that he shouldn't be hanging with that "bunch of wallies", especially their lead singer, Mental Mickey Maguire, a wild man who once bit another man's ear off. It is then revealed that each Kandy Doll has a different voice chip, the Trotter brothers then drive off.

Later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Del tells Albert that the Shamrock Club in Deptford, the "Paddies' Moulin Rouge", don't have an act for St. Patrick's Night since their resident band, the Dublin Bay Stormers, are in jail. Del manages to secure a booking for Rodney's band at the Shamrock Club with a clever ruse which involves a record player, a carefully-timed slamming door, and a Bachelors LP. on the record player, then calls Liam, the owner of the club on the phone, and tells him that it'll require £300 to hire the band for St. Patrick's Night. Once the conversation is over and Del hangs up, he heads off to the community hall to tell Rodney.

That night, at the community hall, Rodney and his band are rehearsing a song they wrote called "Boys will be Boys", with Mental Mickey providing vocals, two other guys named Stew and Charlie both playing rhythm guitars, and Rodney playing drums on packing cases until Del enters, listens to the band playing their song rather badly, then tells them that he wants to be their manager who will buy them brand new equipment, as well as get them bookings. Mental Mickey allows Del to take the position. Del then asks the band if they know any of the Bachelors' songs, and the band answer with no. Now their manager, Del promises the band that this time next year, they'll be millionaires.

On St. Patrick's Night at the Shamrock Club, a massive riot has broken out due to the performance of Rodney's band. Rodney, Del, Stew, and Charlie exit the club with their instruments and equipment and drive off into the night in the van, while Mental Mickey enjoys himself fighting various club patrons.

A few days later, at the Trotters' garage, Rodney has invited a policeman in to tell him that his band's instruments were "stolen". But Del appears at the garage door and explains to his younger brother and the policeman that he had them on a sale-or-return basis, much to Rodney's surprise. Del gets rid of the policeman, and tells Rodney that the "bunch of wallies" weren't destined for the Albert Hall, and Carnegie Hall; the only hall they were destined for was "Sod 'All". After explaining that he kicked out of the band for defending his older brother, Rodney asks Del why he always sticks his nose in everything his younger brother does. Del answers that their mother Joan said to him on her deathbed to give Rodney all the encouragement he could, but Rodney points out that whatever they're arguing about, their mother always had something to say about it on her deathbed. Del then tells Rodney to just forget about that "bunch of wallies" and move on. With the conversation over, the Trotter brothers head off to the market to flog Malteasers.

That night, back at the flat, as Del Boy is talking to Monkey Harris on the telephone about the Kandy Dolls, he watches the TVs and discovers to his complete horror that the "bunch of wallies" are performing their song on "Top of the Pops". Suddenly, Del hears Rodney entering the flat, and quickly turns both TVs off, as Rodney proceeds to watch "Top of the Pops", but Del tells him that both TVs are broken. And so, Rodney decides to enter Albert's bedroom and tell him some good news. While that happens, Del quickly puts on his camel coat, while Albert exits his bedroom and tells Del that Rodney's busy watching "Top of the Pops" on the portable TV. Just as Del is about to escape, a fuming Rodney exits Albert's bedroom and tells Del that Mental Mickey and his band are in the charts and have a chance of making it to number one. It seems that without Del's interference, Rodney could've been a star.

Episode cast

Trivia

*This episode featured a brief cameo by ex-Radio1 DJ Mike Read, who was on the TV presenting the Bunch of Wallies on "Top of the Pops".
*The song Boys Will Be Boys appears to have been the inspiration for the Ordinary Boys song of the same name.
* One of the dolls says Exterminate like the Daleks from Doctor Who.

Errors

*The Trotter garage is a lot bigger than the one seen in "Time On Our Hands", where it was linked up with other garages and was much smaller.
*At the near end of the episode, Del tells Monkey Harris that he's had the dolls for a week, shortly before seeing the Bunch of Wallies on "Top of the Pops". On the day Del bought the dolls, Rodney was still in the band and another member said later he reckoned his friend's cousin could get them a contract. So in the tight space of one week, the Bunch of Wallies have played the Shamrock Club, fired Rodney, found a new drummer, got some instruments of their own (which they never had previously), gained a contract, recorded their song "Boys will be Boys", and appeared on "Top of the Pops".
*When Del's on the phone to Liam at the Shamrock Club, he starts playing "Diane" by the Bachelors. However, when he puts the phone down, and turns the volume up, it jumps to a different point of the song.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfools/series4/rockandroll.shtml "It's Only Rock and Roll" at bbc.co.uk]