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"Chalk Dust – The Umpire Strikes Back" is a 1982 novelty song credited to The Brat and performed by British comedians Kaplan Kaye and Roger Kitter. The song satirises tennis champion John McEnroe who was notorious for his temper tantrums. It reached number 19 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1982. Its B-side was a track named "Moody Mole" and the cover art was by illustrator Graham Humphreys.

The song

"Chalk Dust – The Umpire Strikes Back" is a satire of American tennis player John McEnroe and lampoons his infamous angry behaviour on the tennis court to a synthesizer beat. The entire song is a conversation between McEnroe (played by Roger Kitter) and the referee (played by Kaplan Kaye). They bicker until the referee finally loses his patience and shoots McEnroe dead. The line "The ball's in, everyone can see that the ball's in!" was an actual quotation from McEnroe.

The title is a pun on the film The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and the tennis term umpire. Released on the Hansa label, the single entered the UK Singles Chart on 10 July 1982. It reached a peak of number 19, and remained in the chart for 8 weeks. The song was also a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands and Belgium and a Top 20 hit in South Africa and Ireland.

Charts

Sources

1. 'What becomes of the one-hit wonders?' – The Guardian
2. ^ "The Brat – Chalk Dust - the Umpire Strikes Back (1982, red vinyl, Vinyl)". Discogs.
3. ^ Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990), Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness World Records and Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-398-8
4. "The Brat – Chalk Dust - The Umpire Strikes Back" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
5. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Chalk Dust – The Umpire Strikes Back". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
7. "The Brat – Chalk Dust - The Umpire Strikes Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
8. "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts (B)". rock.co.za. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
10. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1982". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
11. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1982". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 26 December 2020.

• 1982 songs
• 1982 singles
• Comedy songs
• Satirical songs
• Novelty songs
• Tennis music
• Cultural depictions of tennis players
• Cultural depictions of John McEnroe
• Hansa Records singles