Chas & Dave
Hodges toured America when he was with Heads Hands & Feet, and it was during the tour that he began to have the idea of performing in his natural accent as he thought it "not quite real" performing in an American accent to an American audience.[19] When Heads Hands & Feet broke up in 1972, Hodges and Peacock considered forming a band together, singing in their own accent about things they knew. They began to perform as a duo Chas & Dave. Hodges was originally a bass player, but in Chas & Dave he played the piano and guitar while Peacock played bass. They also recorded as Oily Rags (cockney rhyming slang for cigarettes - "fags") with Gerry Hogan and Ian Wallace, releasing a self-titled album in 1974[20][21] and performing as a backing band on albums by Oliver Nelson and Teresa Brewer.[22][23] In 1975, Hodges and Peacock played on Labi Siffre's album Remember My Song. Eminem would later sample a riff from the song "I Got The..." (featuring Hodges on guitar and Peacock on bass) on his 1999 hit "My Name Is".[24]
Hodges and Peacock recorded their first album as Chas & Dave in 1974, and this album, One Fing 'n' Anuvver, was released in 1975. According to Hodges, the title track "One Fing 'n' Anuvver" was their first Rockney song. Burt joined the duo in 1976 as a drummer. They were signed by EMI in 1978, and the album Rockney was released the same year.[26] A song from the album, "Strummin'", was their first song to reach the chart. In early 1979, a song from their first album, "Woortcha!", was used for a notable television commercial for Courage Bitter; the song was then re-recorded and released as a single, retitled "Gertcha".[27][28] They opened for Led Zeppelin at the 1979 Knebworth Festival.[29]
In 1980, Chas & Dave formed their own record label, Rockney, with their manager Bob England. Their first release under this label, "Rabbit", became a top 10 hit.[28] They had a bigger hit song in 1982 with "Ain't No Pleasing You", written largely by Hodges.
Hodges was popular amongst supporters of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club owing to singles he had released as Chas & Dave. These include "Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur", "Hot Shot Tottenham!", "When the Year Ends in One", "Spurs Medley" and "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)".[31]
He also played piano for short-lived supergroup called the Rockers, which featured Roy Wood, Phil Lynott and John Coghlan.[32]
In 2009, following the death of his wife Sue, Peacock announced his retirement from performing with Chas & Dave.[33] He changed his mind the following year, and announced a tour for 2011.[34]
They also played their "Christmas Jamboree" at the IndigO2 in December 2011 and December 2012. The duo undertook a 'Back By Demand' tour of the UK between February and May 2013. In 2012, Hodges wrote and recorded a charity single with his band and 2012 Premier League Darts players called "Got My Tickets for the Darts". The video featured Hodges, his band, the 2012 Premier League Darts players, and walk-on girl Jacqui Adams. It was released on 18 May, the night after the play-offs at the O2 arena in London, where it was premiered, and proceeds from the single were donated to the Haven House Children's Hospice, in Woodford Green, Essex.[35]
In 2009, Hodges released an eponymous solo album on Talking Elephant Records.[36] In 2010, he guested on an album by Vince Eager (on Western Star Records) called 788 Years of Rock n Roll; the following year, Hodges returned to the label to record a solo album titled Together We Made Music.[37] In 2014, Hodges also guested on Simon Fowler's new band Merrymouth's album, Wenlock Hill, contributing piano on the song "Salt Breeze".[38]
Hodges was a keen gardener. In 2014, he started his Rock n Roll Allotment column in the British newspaper the Daily Express.[39]
