ON THE BUSES OFFICIAL FAN CLUB

Roger Ferris (Hon Member)

I nostalgically remember writing the lyrics to the "On The Buses" feature film whilst an employee of EMI circa 1971. I took the opportunity having previously written whole songs about love, romance etc. A comedy lyric would be a challenge I knew the lyrics had to be very tongue & cheek which I feel I captured for that era of comedy. I used to ask some of my EMI colleagues if some lines were funny or not and when we occasionally we meet up (those who are still here) we still laugh about it!!  Some reproductions  of the lyric have been mistakenly inaccurate for example "You Can See The World (Up) On The Buses" I actually wrote "You Can See The World On Omnibuses" (We're On Our Way etc.) having done a project on London Transport at school omnibus was the commonplace name for a bus at one time. Some words do have completely different meanings these days eg. omnibus & gay. I produced the recording with Quinceharmon at Abbey Road Studios. It was accepted as theme song to the film the rest is history and long may it live!!
More on Roger Ferris from Wikepidia Roger Ferris is a British pop music composer, who wrote a Top 30 UK chart hit single in 1975 for the band Arrows, entitled "My Last Night With You." The song was produced by Mickie Most on his RAK label. Ferris wrote two more songs for the Arrows, "Hard Hearted" and "Broken Down Heart", both released in 1975. "Broken Down Heart" was the B-side of the first version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (made famous by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts). In 1979, Ferris went on to co-write a further two international hits for RAK. These were "Boy Oh Boy" recorded by Racey, also produced by Most, Smokie recorded "Babe It's Up To You". Both songs charted in various territories throughout Europe. Prior to his association with RAK, Ferris was the lyricist for the 1970s comedy film "On the Buses" theme song. Roger Ferris was also a sound engineer on recordings by The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios in the late 1960s.