Born to a Welsh father and English mother, Protheroe joined a local church choir when he was 12 years old and started piano lessons at about the same time. The music of Cliff Richard and the Shadows inspired him to start learning the guitar. He joined a rock band called The Coasters as lead singer in 1961 and also joined an amateur theatre group called The Studio Theatre at around the same time.
First job was a library assistant for a year followed by three years as a student technician in a hospital pathological laboratory.
Musical influences around this time were Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee, Dave Brubeck, and the choral church music of Bach.
Brian joined the folk group, Folk Blues Incorporated (FBI) when he was 19, while at this time listening to Bob Dylan and especially The Beatles.
He came to London with FBI in 1965 and played in folk clubs in and around London.
"The three of us lived in one room of a flat in south London owned by a blues singer called Gerry Lockran. We had no money and lived fairly rough for about three months before we gave it up and went home. During this time we met Paul Simon who was playing the same clubs as us."
In 1966, Brian began his career as an actor. His first job was with his local repertory theatre in Salisbury. He worked there for about 7 months then spent the next 5 years in various theatre companies around England, developing his musical skills as well as becoming an experienced actor.
In 1968 he worked for nearly two years in a theatre company in Lincoln in north east England where he met Martin Duncan who was also a musician, writer and actor. Over the next few years they collaborated on various musical and artistic projects.
"When we wrote together Martin would usually write the lyrics and I would set them to music. I was quite conventional in my approach to song writing but Martin had a more anarchic style and a wonderful surreal sense of humour that would force me into unusual musical forms."
During 1973 Brian lived in a flat in London's Covent Garden.
"I wasn't working much as an actor and wasn't in a relationship at the time but was writing the occasional song. I wrote a song called "Pinball" one weekend about my life at the time and made a simple home demo of it along with a couple of other songs."
Later in 1973 Brian was playing the part of a pop singer in a play called "Death on Demand" when a representative from Chrysalis Records heard a song he had written for the show.
"He asked if I had any other material so I played him my home demos. He liked them and I was offered a recording contract."
Brian's first single, "Pinball" was released in August 1974 followed by Pinball. This was followed over the next couple of years by two more albums - "Pick-Up" and "I/You."
Brian's acting career continued and in 1976 he starred in the London Production of the rock musical, "Leave Him to Heaven" at the New London theatre.
Basta Records collected his first three albums, remastered and released them as a box set with a "new" disc of unreleased material. The package was called "Brian's Big Box" and was the first time his material was available in more than two decades.
With the development of the internet, his recordings became more available to the fans that remembered him from the 70s, and he is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and has begun recording again.
The 2005 album "Citysong" was released by Basta as "Brian Protheroe's New Single and 17 Bonus Tracks." It also included two homemade movies to accompany the single. It was also released on iTunes.
In 2006, EMI released "Pinball and Other Stories," a career retrospective, with the included tracks having been remastered at Abbey Road studios.
His personal web page includes his extensive Theater/TV/Movie experience.
As a pianist Brian is a big follower of Dr. John and Randy Newman.
Every Roman Knows! is the official BP fan page.
Clog Dancer
Brian Protheroe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got so many evil ohms
Take you to the room in the rain
Such a shame
She saw me on the right side
Where I hide like a dream of an actor in the night, what a night
But I couldn't find the rhyme,
Couldn't take the time, couldn't say the line that I knew so well
She was a big end brand but she could never pick bananas
She can talk your daddy loose in the park, in the dark
Was a take make lady, she can make modigliani
She wooed mikatsu out of the frame, what a dame
But she catch you with a snapshot, clapped up
Would you want her back if you don't want John
Ahh do do do do
Goodbye to the clog dancer, you got your electric guy on me good
Bye bye to the hot panser
Could tell by the beat,
As she walked down the street,
It was only her feet that were made of wood
Oh give it to me
(Random noises)
Goodbye to the sky diver, she could never ever leave it alone
Watch out for the power driver
When she step on the gas, you better take care of your ass
She can pick up a pass from a man of stone
Hey give it to you
She's a klaxon, die young, feather of the weather
You'll never see her dead in a dress, what a mess
Shes a whore on a hammer, making love with a spanner
She stand like an elegant man, yes she can
But she wouldn't stand drunk, give me good luck boy
You better duck when she let's gi
No no no no no no
Goodbye to the clog dancer, you got your electric guy on me good
Bye bye to the ha ha panser
Could tell by the beat,
As she walked down the street,
It was only her feet that were made of wood
Come an give me the clog dancer
The lyrics to Brian Protheroe's song Clog Dancer are cryptic and difficult to fully unpack. The first verse seems to describe a woman who is both alluring and dangerous. She is "a lotus plucking gold," which could be interpreted as someone who is beautiful and wealthy, but also has an penchant for material possessions. The use of "evil ohms" implies that this woman may have a dark side or negative energy. The second line suggests that she will take the singer to a secret place during a rainy night, but it is a shame that this encounter does not lead to anything more. The singer seems to be in awe of this woman, comparing himself to a hiding actor in a dream, unable to find the right words to say. The use of nonsense syllables in the chorus adds to the dream-like quality of the verse.
The second verse continues with the contrasting nature of the woman, describing her as a "big end brand" who can't even pick bananas. This may suggest that while she may appear glamorous, she is not practical or useful in more mundane tasks. However, she is also able to talk the singer's father out of something during a encounter in the park at night. She is described as a "take make lady" who can make an artist like Modigliani and a technology brand like Mikatsu come alive. The verse ends with a warning that she could potentially trap the singer with just one photo. The chorus repeats, adding more random noises, before moving on to the final verse.
The final verse is even more nonsensical, painting the picture of a woman who is unpredictable and contradictory. The use of "klaxon" implies that she is loud and attention-grabbing, while also being frail and delicate like a feather in the wind. She is described as a "whore on a hammer," further confusing the image of the woman. However, she can also stand with the elegance of a man, while being unable to stand when intoxicated. The verse ends with a warning to "duck" when this woman lets go.
Overall, the song seems to be about the danger and allure of a particular woman who is both captivating and unstable. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is difficult to understand, yet impossible to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Shes a lotus plucking gold
She is a beautiful and valuable woman
Got so many evil ohms
She has many negative qualities
Take you to the room in the rain
She can seduce you and take you to a secluded place
Such a shame
It is unfortunate
She saw me on the right side
She noticed me in a positive light
Where I hide like a dream of an actor in the night, what a night
I was trying to stay low-key, like a dreamy actor hiding in the darkness
But I couldn't find the rhyme,
Couldn't take the time, couldn't say the line that I knew so well
I couldn't come up with the right words to impress her
Oom da da doom doom doom
Random meaningless sounds
She was a big end brand but she could never pick bananas
She had a high status, but had limitations and weaknesses
She can talk your daddy loose in the park, in the dark
She can charm and manipulate anyone
Was a take make lady, she can make modigliani
She was a woman who could create anything she wanted
She wooed mikatsu out of the frame, what a dame
She seduced and won over someone who was thought to be unattainable
But she catch you with a snapshot, clapped up
She can expose your flaws and weaknesses
Would you want her back if you don't want John
Do you really want her if you don't want the average guy (John)
Ahh do do do do
More random, meaningless sounds
Goodbye to the clog dancer, you got your electric guy on me good
Farewell to the traditional and outdated ways, I have embraced the modern and electrifying world
Bye bye to the hot panser
Goodbye to the charming and seductive woman
Could tell by the beat,
As she walked down the street,
It was only her feet that were made of wood
Her unique style and identity was reflected in the sound of her footsteps
Oh give it to me
(Random noises)
More meaningless sounds
Goodbye to the sky diver, she could never ever leave it alone
Farewell to the risky and adventurous woman, always seeking excitement
Watch out for the power driver
When she step on the gas, you better take care of your ass
Be careful of her aggressive and powerful nature
She can pick up a pass from a man of stone
She can attract anyone, even someone who seems unmovable
Hey give it to you
Another meaningless phrase
She's a klaxon, die young, feather of the weather
She is a loud and unpredictable woman who lives fast and free
You'll never see her dead in a dress, what a mess
She won't conform to societal norms, and it may cause problems
Shes a whore on a hammer, making love with a spanner
She is unconventional and can make anything work, even unconventional things
She stand like an elegant man, yes she can
She carries herself with confidence and power regardless of traditional gender roles
But she wouldn't stand drunk, give me good luck boy
You better duck when she let's gi
She can't control herself when she's drunk, and things may get messy
No no no no no no
She won't take no for an answer
Come an give me the clog dancer
Another meaningless phrase
Writer(s): Brian Protheroe
Contributed by Cooper G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.