"They call me the Wide Boy..". Very interesting that there is a song playing at the end of the TV play as there is no soundtrack in the theatrical version. Has anyone ever heard of The Amazing Mike Kahn Band? Nice tune!
shareNo ive never heard of the Amazing Mike Khan band but the song wideboy is good though
shareThe Wide Boy was written by my brother Mike Khan (Please note that credits mispelt the name).
The Amazing Mike Khan Band (later changing their name to The "Khan Band") performed around the world for many years.
Due to a very bad contract with EMI in the early days the band sold their own tapes, disc's and later CD's at gigs.
Roy, who wrote "Scum" and Alan who directed both tv and the film were very good friends of Mike and admired Mike's music, So it was with no surprise that Mike was asked to write the score for the TV play.
I have read replies to questions on the TV Play and must put this matter to rights.
The BBC and political climate at the time saw fit to ban the showing under the guise that it was not a realistic view of borstal life.
As soon as Alan and Roy were free to remake "Scum" as a film they battled to have Mike's music released from the BBC, but to no avail. Otherwise Mike's music would have been included in the film version.
Mike died in 2008 leaving behind over 300 complete songs and many more songs he didn't feel happy enough to call finished.
If you enjoyed "Wide Boy" then you will certainly enjoy other songs written and performed by Mike.
"Amsterdam", "Bastards", "Joey", and "Dancing with the moonshine boy's" to name but a few.