266:
was slower, and Chas & Dave recorded a short version at a faster tempo so that it may fit into the adverts. The advert was released in early 1979 and became popular, the record label EMI then requested a faster version of the song so that it may be released as a single. The duo re-recorded the
36:
251:, the word is a more polite way of saying "Get out of it you little bastard!" where "get out of it you" becomes contracted to "gertcha". The song was originally titled "Woortcha!" in the first album of Chas & Dave released in 1975,
297:". The duo obliged by omitting the word, leaving a brief pause instead (although they did sing it once, in the first instance at the end of the first verse), but only after multiple takes as they kept forgetting not to sing it.
56:
228:
at No. 67. The song stayed in the charts for 8 weeks and peaked at number No. 20 on 30 June 1979. The song was used as the music behind a notable television commercial for
262:
heard the duo performed "Woortcha!" in a pub in the East End in 1978, and decided to use the song for a series of adverts for
Courage bitter. The original version in
686:
394:
605:
651:
259:
149:
255:, but they decided to use "Gertcha" as the title for the single as it was the more commonly used version of the word.
511:
465:
438:
369:
271:
in London, and the faster version was released as "Gertcha" early May 1979. The song is included in the album
796:
806:
741:
598:
527:
765:
306:
268:
196:
748:
343:
693:
633:
591:
482:
347:
791:
426:
786:
700:
8:
801:
735:
329:
247:
when someone is in disbelief of something, or wants to give a mild threat. According to
721:
665:
244:
167:
507:
461:
434:
229:
225:
72:
560:
501:
455:
285:
707:
614:
566:
294:
221:
213:
136:
89:
47:
43:
190:
780:
728:
679:
672:
232:
556:
714:
112:
20:
626:
248:
84:
77:
290:
125:
583:
258:
The song was first written in 1972 or 1973. An advertising executive
243:
The song is based around an expletive traditionally said in the
35:
330:"The Official Charts Company - Gertcha by Chas And Dave Search"
454:
Hodges, Chas (October 2009). "Chapter 20: First Record Deal".
289:, the BBC producer demanded that they not sing the word "
117:
687:Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)
778:
551:
549:
344:"1979-06-30 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive"
332:. The Official Charts Company. 10 August 2013.
324:
322:
599:
546:
319:
283:When Chas & Dave performed the song on
606:
592:
34:
503:The Penguin encyclopedia of popular music
427:"Chapter 22: Bob England and 'Gertcha!'"
420:
418:
416:
367:
293:", an old-fashioned swear word meaning "
613:
520:
474:
779:
499:
453:
424:
368:Fletcher, Winston (January 17, 2006).
336:
587:
557:"Top of the Pops - The Story of 1979"
413:
395:"Gifted Chas loved to keep it simple"
483:"theartsdesk Q&A: Chas and Dave"
480:
13:
481:Rees, Jasper (23 September 2018).
14:
818:
506:. Penguin Books. p. 239.
493:
447:
387:
361:
278:
1:
425:Hodges, Chas (October 2009).
312:
238:
224:in May 1979 and entered the
7:
766:Chas & Dave discography
457:Chas and Dave: All About Us
431:Chas and Dave: All About Us
307:Chas & Dave discography
300:
10:
823:
220:, which was released as a
18:
758:
749:When the Year Ends in One
643:
621:
202:
189:
184:
180:
143:
135:
123:
111:
95:
83:
71:
63:
53:
42:
33:
28:
16:Single by Chas & Dave
370:"Obituary: John Webster"
500:Clarke, Donald (1998).
348:Official Charts Company
797:Chas & Dave songs
694:Ain't No Pleasing You
273:Don't Give a Monkey's
218:Don't Give a Monkey's
57:Don't Give a Monkey's
21:Gertcha at Wiktionary
701:Tottenham, Tottenham
264:One Fing 'n' Anuvver
253:One Fing 'n' Anuvver
807:EMI Records singles
736:Hot Shot Tottenham!
401:. 23 September 2018
722:My Melancholy Baby
666:The Sideboard Song
245:East End of London
168:The Sideboard Song
139:singles chronology
19:For the word, see
774:
773:
528:"Rockney geezers"
212:" is a song from
206:
205:
176:
175:
814:
759:Related articles
608:
601:
594:
585:
584:
578:
577:
575:
573:
553:
544:
543:
541:
539:
524:
518:
517:
497:
491:
490:
478:
472:
471:
451:
445:
444:
422:
411:
410:
408:
406:
391:
385:
384:
382:
381:
365:
359:
358:
356:
354:
340:
334:
333:
326:
269:Portland Studios
226:UK Singles Chart
193:
145:
144:
128:
107:
106:
102:
78:Portland Studios
38:
26:
25:
822:
821:
817:
816:
815:
813:
812:
811:
777:
776:
775:
770:
754:
639:
617:
615:Chas & Dave
612:
582:
581:
571:
569:
562:Top of the Pops
555:
554:
547:
537:
535:
526:
525:
521:
514:
498:
494:
479:
475:
468:
452:
448:
441:
423:
414:
404:
402:
393:
392:
388:
379:
377:
366:
362:
352:
350:
342:
341:
337:
328:
327:
320:
315:
303:
286:Top of the Pops
281:
241:
214:Chas & Dave
191:
171:
162:
153:
137:Chas & Dave
131:Chas & Dave
124:
104:
100:
99:
54:from the album
48:Chas & Dave
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
820:
810:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
772:
771:
769:
768:
762:
760:
756:
755:
753:
752:
745:
738:
732:
725:
718:
711:
704:
697:
690:
683:
676:
669:
662:
655:
647:
645:
641:
640:
638:
637:
630:
622:
619:
618:
611:
610:
603:
596:
588:
580:
579:
567:BBC Television
565:. 2019-12-23.
545:
534:. 20 June 2005
519:
512:
492:
473:
466:
446:
439:
412:
386:
360:
335:
317:
316:
314:
311:
310:
309:
302:
299:
295:son of a bitch
280:
277:
240:
237:
216:'s 1979 album
204:
203:
200:
199:
187:
186:
182:
181:
178:
177:
174:
173:
164:
155:
141:
140:
133:
132:
129:
121:
120:
115:
109:
108:
97:
93:
92:
87:
81:
80:
75:
69:
68:
65:
61:
60:
51:
50:
40:
39:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
819:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
792:Novelty songs
790:
788:
785:
784:
782:
767:
764:
763:
761:
757:
750:
746:
743:
739:
737:
733:
730:
729:Snooker Loopy
726:
723:
719:
716:
712:
709:
705:
702:
698:
695:
691:
688:
684:
681:
680:Stars Over 45
677:
674:
670:
667:
663:
660:
656:
653:
649:
648:
646:
642:
636:
635:
631:
629:
628:
624:
623:
620:
616:
609:
604:
602:
597:
595:
590:
589:
586:
568:
564:
563:
558:
552:
550:
533:
529:
523:
515:
513:9780140513707
509:
505:
504:
496:
488:
484:
477:
469:
467:9781857828269
463:
459:
458:
450:
442:
440:9781857828269
436:
432:
428:
421:
419:
417:
400:
399:Daily Express
396:
390:
375:
371:
364:
349:
345:
339:
331:
325:
323:
318:
308:
305:
304:
298:
296:
292:
288:
287:
276:
274:
270:
265:
261:
256:
254:
250:
246:
236:
234:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
201:
198:
194:
188:
183:
179:
169:
165:
160:
156:
151:
147:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
127:
126:Songwriter(s)
122:
119:
116:
114:
110:
98:
94:
91:
88:
86:
82:
79:
76:
74:
70:
66:
62:
59:
58:
52:
49:
45:
41:
37:
32:
27:
22:
787:1979 singles
715:London Girls
658:
634:Dave Peacock
632:
625:
570:. Retrieved
561:
538:25 September
536:. Retrieved
532:The Guardian
531:
522:
502:
495:
486:
476:
456:
449:
430:
405:25 September
403:. Retrieved
398:
389:
378:. Retrieved
374:The Guardian
373:
363:
351:. Retrieved
338:
284:
282:
272:
263:
257:
252:
242:
217:
209:
207:
158:
55:
627:Chas Hodges
572:26 December
487:theartsdesk
279:Performance
249:Chas Hodges
185:Music video
802:1979 songs
781:Categories
380:2008-06-27
313:References
260:Dave Trott
239:Background
652:Strummin'
192:"Gertcha"
150:Strummin'
29:"Gertcha"
376:. London
353:6 August
301:See also
267:song at
67:May 1979
64:Released
708:Margate
659:Gertcha
644:Singles
230:Courage
210:Gertcha
197:YouTube
172:(1979)
163:(1979)
159:Gertcha
154:(1978)
90:Novelty
742:Flying
673:Rabbit
510:
464:
437:
291:cowson
233:Bitter
222:single
96:Length
73:Studio
44:Single
113:Label
85:Genre
574:2019
540:2018
508:ISBN
462:ISBN
435:ISBN
407:2018
355:2013
195:on
118:EMI
46:by
783::
559:.
548:^
530:.
485:.
460:.
433:.
429:.
415:^
397:.
372:.
346:.
321:^
275:.
235:.
170:"
161:"
152:"
105:50
751:"
747:"
744:"
740:"
734:"
731:"
727:"
724:"
720:"
717:"
713:"
710:"
706:"
703:"
699:"
696:"
692:"
689:"
685:"
682:"
678:"
675:"
671:"
668:"
664:"
661:"
657:"
654:"
650:"
607:e
600:t
593:v
576:.
542:.
516:.
489:.
470:.
443:.
409:.
383:.
357:.
208:"
166:"
157:"
148:"
103::
101:3
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
