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For those that don’t recognise the name, A Handful of Songs was one of ITV’s midday childrens shows that kept little ones enthralled for a full ten minutes as two friendly adults sat and sang songs whilst playing a guitar. Now they certainly don’t make TV shows like this any more, but one really has to wonder why? It can’t have been an expensive show to make, and singing songs is something that most pre-school children love to listen to and join in with.
As mentioned the format consisted of a man playing the guitar and a woman singing songs, which had normally been requested by one of the viewers of the show. Requests were normally made by a child painting a picture representing the song they wanted to hear, which then got put up as a backdrop behind the two presenters.
My memory isn’t good enough to recall the names of the presenters, but a trip to the wonderful Little Gems website provided both the names and the image accompanying this post. The show was first hosted by Kathy Jones and Alistair Johns but was only shown in the Granada ITV region. Eventually it made its way onto the full ITV network, where it was presented by Maria Morgan and Keith Field.
There are a number of songs that I do vividly remember hearing on Handful of Songs, including such classics as Rupert the Bear (Rupert, Rupert the Bear! Everyone sing his name), Puff the Magic Dragon and A Windmill in Old Amsterdam (I saw a mouse! Where? There on the stair! Where on the stair? Right there! A little mouse with clogs on, well I declare, going clip clippetty clop on the stair) and of course the theme song, which I can’t remember in its entirety but contained something along the lines of:-
We’ve got a handful of songs to sing you
Old songs and new songs and songs to bring you
Happiness, more or less.
Update! For more about Kathy Jones, take a look at her website which is full of pictures and tells her story from a child singer up to the present day.
Update! 3/3/2011 Having just checked YouTube there is now a remarkably good quality episode of Handful of Songs from the Keith and Maria era. It’s embedded below for your viewing pleasure…
Update! 30/1/2015 A bit of a long shot, but calling anybody who might know how to get hold of either of the male presenters of this show, Alister Jons and Keith Field! I’ve been contacted by someone who’s writing a book about Granada TV’s music programming who would love the opportunity to ask Alister and Keith some questions. If you are able to help, please contact me directly at bigboo@childofthe1980s.com and I’ll pass the message on. Thank you!
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We’ve got a handful of songs to sing you
Can’t stop my voice when it longs to bring you
New songs and (blue?) songs, and songs that bring you
Happiness, no more no less.
In the middle 8 there’s some thing about “Jazz, and cha-cha-cha”. I forget the rest.
It’s frightening, what you remember, innit?
My hat comes off to you Polly. That was a great bit of memory delving, and I’m pleased that I’m not the only person who remembers this show.
Hi,
I remember A Handful of Songs!!!!!
It was a long time ago, but sometimes it seems only yesterday. I had great fun recording those programs, first with Alistair then with Keith.
It’s such a shame that there is nothing like this on children’s programs these days, obviously not with me singing, (too old) but our nursery rhymes may disappear if no one sings them to our youngsters any more.
Thank you for remembering this tiny part of your TV childhood.
Kathy Jones.x
Hello Kathy!
Thanks for taking the time to drop by. I’m pleased you came across our little remembrance to your wonderful show.
I don’t suppose you remember any more of the theme song, do you?
I quite agree about the lack of this sort of show on TV today, especially since I now have a little one year old girl of my own, and I’m struggling to find much suitable for her to watch. Luckily I have some DVDs of old classics such as The Flumps and Chorlton and the Wheelies on standby!
Hi again,
As requested, hope this helps, – the words to handful.
Congratulations on your one year old, keep singing the rhymes please.
Love Kathy.x
I’ve got a handful of songs to sing you
Can’t stop my voice when it longs to sing you
New songs and Blue songs and songs to bring you
Happiness no more no less.
More over where ever we may roam to
Or any shore that we may be blown to
We know that we’re gonna feel at home to
La Bella, musica.
Jazz and Cha Cha Cha, Calypso and street vendors cry,
Strains of old refrains
Sleepy time baby, lullaby
I’ve got a handful of songs to sing you
I’ve got a heart full of love to bring you,
New love for you love,
And loves a thing to keep,
So here’s a handful of songs going cheap.
Just a handful of songs, only a handful of songs.
Hi Kathy, and many many thanks for providing the full lyrics. I didn’t remember the song being quite so long, but I can hear you singing it as I read it, which is bringing back some happy memories of munching cheese on toast and orange squash for lunch whilst watching the TV at lunchtime.
Oh, and it’s currently nursery rhyme central at our house, as my wife is a TinyTalk instructor (baby signing classes) so the little one gets to hear a lot of us singing the old classics – poor thing, having to put up with my poor singing!!
Hi,
That’s fantastic your wife is a TinyTalk instructor.
I have enclosed a link to the Handful of songs LP if it is any use. Have fun.
Kathy.
http://www.v2mc.co.uk/handfulofsongs.zip
Hi
It is so great to hear from Kathy Jones herself on this site. I am a child of the 70s and this was one of my absolute favourites as a child (I used to watch it with my mum whilst I ate my lunch (believe I was at nursery, as I think I used to watch it after coming back from somewhere in the mornings…).
I always loved the theme song and could only remember it up to the “Jazz…” bit – nice to have my memory refreshed (I have found myself singing it over the last year or so, which is why I decided to Google it… Glad I did now.
I agree that this sort of show was and is fitting for very young children and the format was so pure and true – it could encourage a lot of young children to take up an acoustic instrument, as opposed to a PSP or X Box…
I have similar memories SkelFree. I used to look forward to eating my lunch and watching the midday childrens television when I was little.
It was such a nice surprise to have Kathy comment on this post, and especially so when she was able to supply the entire theme song for us too! That kind of thing makes writing this site very enjoyable!
Thankyou!!!
Sometimes I think I dreamed up these old programmes. So glad that other people remember. This is what the internet is for!
I’d love to hear the three little kittens song again. It was not on the lp so generously uploaded.
Hmm, I sort of remember that one. Didn’t it go something like “Three little kittens, they lost their mittens, when they went out to play” and then the mother cat tells them off for losing them?
The LP is rather good isn’t it. I never thanked Kathy before, so slapped wrist for me, and a belated thank you from all of us Kathy! My personal favourites are “A Windmill in Old Amsterdam” and “Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen By The Sea”, even if that last one is a bit of a mouthful.
I remember the programme, Who presented it?
At various times, the very generous Kathy Jones (thanks for the MP3s Kathy – my little daughter (and I) both enjoy listening to them in the car) – see above in the comments, Alistair Jones, Keith Field and Maria Morgan.
For loads more take a look at the Little Gems site.
I remember Three Little Kittens:
Three little kittens they lost their mittens and they began to cry
“Oh Mother dear, come here come here for we have lost our mittens”
“Lost your mittens? You naughty kittens, you shall have no pie”
“Meow, meow, we shall have no pie”
Three little kittens they found their mittens and they began to cry
“Oh mother dear, come here come here for we have found our mittens”
“Found your mittens? You good little kittens, you shall have some pie”
“Purrrrr, Purrrrr, we shall have some pie”.
I also remember Tommy Steele made a hit of the song ‘Handful of Songs’
Well done Christine. I could remember there was a song about kittens and their mittens but I had forgotten the details. This brought it all back. Thank you!
Wow! I can even remember the picture on the album cover…
The link that Kathy sent is absolutely amazing – thank you so much!
My 9 year old daughter loves all of my old nostalgic dvd’s such as Trumpton, Camberwick Green, Danger Mouse, Mr Benn – to name but a few!!
It was very kind of Kathy to provide a digital version of the album, wasn’t it?
Well done Rob too on getting your daughter interested in some proper kids shows – all the ones you mention are classics!
I used to love this programme but possibly for different reasons to many others. Keith Field was the dad of a friend of mine at school (that friend went on to become my best man and Keith came too – mini claim to fame there). It was always bizarre to see Keith on TV and then go to my friends house and play football in the garden with him and have then have him cook your tea. I’m pleased to say that Keith is still going strong and is in semi-retirement from the business he started up after leaving television.
Good to hear Keith is doing well. I love your story of Keith cooking your tea as a kid, I can imagine it must have been a bit mind boggling for you back then.
i use to play football with one of the presenters kids ( keith or allistair) in cuffley I remember him giving me a lift home in a convertible at the time, which was huge to me, but no idea who he was just someones dad! i was like 7 or so.. good stuff..
la, la la Monday
Ah, the La La song. One of my rediscovered favourites!
Especially the hard bit at the end. La la la la, la la la la, Rocket with an automatic booster on the back…
I wonder where I can go to watch vintage episodes of A Handful of Songs? The BFI perhaps.
Thanks for the lyrics of the kittens song, I can remember most of them already. Can’t Kathy put the songs onto iTunes?
I wonder if the recordings survived the mass deletions, much of Pipkins that shared the same lunchhour slot has been wiped.
Ah Marie, good mention of Pipkins. Hartley Hare and co. were my favourites when I was growing up, and have only not featured on this site up until now because they were really more Seventies than Eighties.
It’s a real shame so much classic TV has been wiped.
I remember the programme well! and had a handful of songs cassette!! dug it out the other day and now my daughter listens to it at bedtimes!!!
Hi! I’m so pleased I found this website! I found my “handful of songs” cassettes I grew up with… My FIL managed to get the majority of them onto a CD, but 2 little boys was screwed up
I had a massive remeniscing (sp?) session with my parents; was so funny! We were on our church minibus, and parents, me and siblings were all singing along, and we got some funny looks to begin with. But very soon everyone was singing along too
Now my children listen to them, and love the songs too
Glad to hear your little ones are enjoying these great songs. There’s a distinct lack of this sort of TV show for kids these days.
If youhaven’t already Jessie, look through the comments, as the lovely Kathy Jones (one of the presenters of the show) kindly put up a link to a copy of one of the Handful of Songs albums in digital format. My daughter enjoyed listening to these very much, and it became our in car CD of choice for quite a time.
I had my picture I’d drawn shown on TV had my request for Two LIttle Boys sung!
I used to live next door to Alistair Johns …I think his real name was John. Happy Days
My Mum played a CD with Tommy Steele singing A Handful of Songs and I knew I recognised it from my childhood, knowing it as a theme tune to a kids TV prog. Found it was from (surprisingly and simply…) A Handful of Songs. I’m a 70’s child brought up in Merseyside, so Granada TV being the first to broadcast it verified it. I watched it. I loved it! My musical taste has changed from Puff the Magic Dragon, I must say…! But thanks! And NO – they don’t make stuff like this anymore. It’s a shame…
I was born Sept 1970 and a handful of songs was one of my favourites. I remember Helen Worth being on there and thinking she was so pretty and next she appeared on Coronation Street as Gail Potter which was very confusing at the time!
I am desperately searching for the words to a song from this programme about a fat caterpillar who turns into a butterfly. Something like: There once was a caterpillar fella, who was extremely sad, when what good luck, along came a duck, what’s the matter caterpillar he said… Does anyone remember the song?
I’m looking for the caterpillar fella song too but not having any luck. I downloaded the songs from the link Kathy put up (thank you, they are great and my little boys will love them) but that song is not on it. Anyone have any ideas where i can find it? Thank you :o)
My wife and I are looking for the words of the Caterpiller Fella song too or preferable a recording of it . Our son did have it on an audio tape, which disappeared long ago. Our son is profoundly handicapped and has never grown out of nursery rhymes. I’ve just downloaded Kathy’s songs and he absolutley loves them.
Below are bits we seem to remember
There once was a caterpillar fella
Who was ever so fat
And I’m willing to bet
That you have never met
A fatter caterpillar than that
And that caterpillar fella
He was ever so sad
And then what a bit of luck
Along came a duck
What’s the matter Caterpillar he said
I’m getting so fat
Then he got so thin
That he fell out of his skin
Now he flies through the air
Without any care
Now he’s not so fat
And I’m willing to be bet
That you never met a better butterfly
The caterpillar fella song had something in it where the duck says:
Reduce you hips do without you’re fish and chips and a flatter caterpillar you’ll be.
Then it ends with
I’m willing to bet that you’ve never met
A fatter caterpillar but it really doesn’t matter cause you’ve never met a better butterfly
As far as i remember the lyrics:
There once was a caterpillar fella
And he was ever so fat
I’m willing to bet
That you’ve never met
A fatter caterpillar than that
It’s a pity said the caterpillar fella
I think I’d rather be dead
And then what a bit of luck
Along came a duck
What’s the matter Caterpillar he said
Its my weight said the caterpillar fella
Oh what am I going to do
I’m getting so big
I’ll be bigger than the pig that I saw at the caterpillar zoo
Said the duck to the caterpillar fella
………….
Reduce your hips
Do without your fish and chips
And a flatter caterpillar you’ll be
On a diet went the caterpillar fella
He even gave up biscuits with his tea
And he got so thin
That he fell out of his skin
Oh a flatter caterpillar was he
Now he’s happy is our caterpillar fella
As he flies through the very blue
And I’m willing to be bet
That you never met
a fatter caterpillar but it really doesn’t matter cause you’ve never met a better butterfly
That pretty much looks like the whole song – Brilliant Emma !
according to the website lostshows.com of the 308 episodes of handful of songs made 137 episodes are missing the site lists the missing episodes of most uk tv series.
Can you please tell me the link to download Kathy Jones’s songs from ‘A Handful of Songs’
Hi Joan, here’s the link:
http://www.v2mc.co.uk/handfulofsongs.zip
From the age of six, in 1977, I attended a weekly boarding school for blind children in Exeter. We had a Handful of Songs record and it was played a lot. The song I remember enjoying most was “There Once Was A Caterpillar Fella” but have never been able to find it anywhere since so if someone would like to put it on Youtube that would be lovely.
This is what I remember but it’s completely off the top of my head…
There once was a caterpillar fella
Who was exceedingly fat
When what good luck
Along came a duck
What’s the matter caterpillar he said.
I’m fat said the caterpillar fella
Tell me what should I do
I’m getting so big I’ll soon be bigger than the pig
I saw at caterpillar zoo
Said the duck to the caterpillar fella
It’s too much chocolate pud
Reduce your hips
go without your fish and chips
and be a flatter caterpillar for good
On a diet went the caterpillar fella
didn’t even have a biscuit with his tea
Till he got so thin
he fell out of his skin
and a flatter caterpillar was he
*********(loads of stuff I can’t remember)
A flatter caterpillar but it really doesn’t matter
because you’ve never seen a better butterfly..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JSh10gyy6s
5.52 Caterpillar Fella 😀
A bit of a long shot, but calling anybody who might know how to get hold of either of the male presenters of this show, Alister Jons and Keith Field! I’ve been contacted by a chap who’s writing a book about Granada TV’s music programming and he’d love the opportunity to ask Alister and Keith some questions. If you are able to help, please contact me directly at bigboo@childofthe1980s.com. Thank you!
I certainly remember Maria and Keith, my children used to watch them, and around the same time, Maria purchased one of my Persian kittens.
Just saw that Mike Pratt, who played Randall in Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) co-wrote the title song with Tommy Steele and Lionel Bart.
It was a Tommy Steele song
Although they speeded it up a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSQvtHQnxvs