Chas & Dave have announced their first album in over 30 years.
The ‘Rabbit’ rock ‘n’ roll legends will release ‘A Little Bit of Us’ on April 20 and it will feature a song addressing Chas Hodges’ battle with cancer.
The 74-year-old singer – who was diagnosed with oesophagus cancer last year – overcame the disease, and wrote the track ‘Sling Your Hook’ as a response to his battle.
Speaking about the upcoming record, he said: "This is our first Chas & Dave-produced album for over thirty years. Tell you what, though, we ain’t waiting another 30 years before we do the next one. The older you get, it seems time goes quicker. Yet as soon as we got in the studio it seemed like yesterday that we were producing our last album. My mum used to say the same thing in 1960: ’30 years ago I was 17 and it seems like yesterday.’ ‘How can 30 years ago seem like yesterday?’ says I, slightly mockingly. ‘Well it bloody well does’, says mum, getting the deserved last word, and that’s that."
Chas and his musical partner Dave Peacock, 72, will also be reunited with an old friend for the LP.
Chas explained: "The bloke who owns the studio where we recorded much of this album is Brian Juniper. He introduced me to Dave back in 1963 – Dave was at Junior School with him. I was at Senior School with him when, as 13 year olds, we started a Skiffle group over 60 years ago."
Last summer, the duo made a triumphant live return after Chas had an operation to remove his tumour and completed his chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions.
And the ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’ singer revealed that he was determined to get a new LP out and he had lots of songs to pick from.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz last year, Chas said: "I’ve got plenty of stuff that I’ve been writing over the years, so we’ve got lots of material to record. We have never rushed into an album, and we won’t do it this time."
‘A Little Bit of Us’ tracklist:
1. A Little Bit of Me
2. Come On Charlie
3. When You Wore A Tulip
4. Wonder Where He Is Now
5. Nagasaki
6. Dry Bones
7. Nothing You Can Do
8. Modern Robin Hood
9. Last Kiss
10. My Little Grass Shack
11. Roses of Picardy
12. Sling Your Hook
13. Why Not Me?
Chas & Dave All Seasons tour dates:
APRIL
20th London Royal Albert Hall
JUNE
2nd Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
10th Liverpool Empire Theatre
23rd Blackburn King George’s Hall
JULY
1st Maidstone Ramblin’ Man Fair
OCTOBER
26th Wolverhampton Diamond Suite
28th Leicester De Montfort Hall
DECEMBER
15th Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
16th Edinburgh Usher Hall