The Avengers International Fan Forum

The Girl From Auntie - John, Paul, George and Fred

cyberrich wrote:

anti-clockwise wrote:

Rodders wrote:I posted this earlier today on Facebook:

I can reveal that The Beatles' iconic Abbey Road album cover was a reference to my father's Avengers episode The Hour That Never Was which they all loved. (For non-Beatles fans, it is the cover with them walking on a zebra crossing). The Beatles were huge Steed and Mrs Peel fans.

Obviously the Beatles had good taste besides music. But help me out. What is the connection between the cover and the episode?

Has to be the zebra crossing. Remember Emma saying to Steed "Look left, look right, etc" before they cross the zebra crossing at the RAF base. I've had Abbey Road for years, and Hour is my fave Avengers episode, but I had no idea The Beatles were influenced by it. Always interesting to learn something new. You may already know, but Paul's barefoot appearance on the cover of Abbey Road sparked rumours he was dead back in 1969

interesting points

dissolute wrote:The Kitchener's Valet reference?
I know the Rolling Stones bought their gear there, so I assume the Sergeant Pepper's era costumes were similarly sourced.

Piers

Yes, you identified it.

Richards’ exclamation ‘Kitchener’s Valet?’ upon seeing Steed’s outfit was a reference to the fashionable retail outlet I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet, originally based at 293 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London W10, which promoted the brightly-coloured military uniforms of the past as fashionable items, reputedly influencing Paul McCartney with regard to the cover of the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Designed by pop culture artist Peter Blake, the cover artwork showed all four Beatles dressed in extremely colourful military outfits, against a background of celebrities and famous figures from history.

jaz wrote:The Girl From Auntie - John, Paul, George and Fred

Jaz

Yes, this dialogue from The Girl from Auntie is another one. During the sixties The Beatles were frequently referred to as John, Paul, George and Ringo and so as you rightly point out, John, Paul, George and Fred, is just a variation on this, being an in-joke/Beatles reference.

Another Beatles connection that does not come from an episode, involved photographs of George Harrison’s girlfriend of the time Pattie Boyd and John Lennon’s first wife Cynthia Lennon, wearing the John Bates designed Chemin coats, which Diana Rigg wore in several black and white filmed episodes.

Further to this, there are also other Beatles references/connections to be found in Conspiracy of Silence and The See-Through Man. Anyone care to tell us what they are?

I can now exclusively reveal that the album cover for The Bloodhound Gang's "Hefty Fine" was (according to one of their Mum's neighbour) inspired by The Avengers. Apparently Jared Hasselhoff was a huge Avengers fan and was particularly fond of the character Mother. He was so inspired by Steed's boss that he wanted to feature an homage on their 2005 album.

Meanwhile, I've heard a rumour from my Auntie that Abba based their album artwork for Arrival on Murdersville. I'll be back with that exclusive as soon as it's confirmed.

Johnny O wrote: Meanwhile, I've heard a rumour from my Auntie that Abba based their album artwork for Arrival on Murdersville. I'll be back with that exclusive as soon as it's confirmed.

Intersting. However I wouldn't be surprised if ABBA were influenced by "The Prisoner" for the cover (IMHO Arrival is one of the best albums ever). Thr first episode was called "Arrival". A helicopter featured on almost all episodes.

Ouch...

Johnny O wrote:I can now exclusively reveal that the album cover for The Bloodhound Gang's "Hefty Fine" was (according to one of their Mum's neighbour) inspired by The Avengers. Apparently Jared Hasselhoff was a huge Avengers fan and was particularly fond of the character Mother. He was so inspired by Steed's boss that he wanted to feature an homage on their 2005 album.

I don't think so. The source of inspiration for that one was a different genre altogether!

Ian Wegg wrote:

always loved that scene..and the background music...great episode

Johnny O wrote:I can now exclusively reveal that the album cover for The Bloodhound Gang's "Hefty Fine" was (according to one of their Mum's neighbour) inspired by The Avengers. Apparently Jared Hasselhoff was a huge Avengers fan and was particularly fond of the character Mother. He was so inspired by Steed's boss that he wanted to feature an homage on their 2005 album.

Meanwhile, I've heard a rumour from my Auntie that Abba based their album artwork for Arrival on Murdersville. I'll be back with that exclusive as soon as it's confirmed.

I think you needed a wink there, Johnny.

I must admit that The Beatles or more likely the art director being inspired by a few seconds of TV characters going over a big airfield zebra crossing and the bands on a zebra crossing outside their recording studio is a bit of a leap... I don't really buy it personally.