Mike Jackson, Ian Blake, five little monkeys, three crows, the cat, the mouse, a kangaroo, Elephant Big (not to be confused with The Heffalump), Jack the Donkey, a crocodile, Mr and Mrs Mickey Mouse, a rabbit, and the elusive Rufty Tufty himself...
Rufty Tufty by Mike Jackson and Ian Blake was one of the most engaging and intriguing albums for kids to have emerged from ABC Music. There's a lot to discover in this CD: we like to keep both kids and grownups entertained, and it's the sort of record where you'll hear something new each time you listen. Just the thing for those long drives! You'll hear the sounds of Mike's mouth organ, hurdy gurdy, hammer dulcimer, concertina, jaw harp, spoons and squeezebox, plus Ian's sax, clarinets, bass, border pipes, mbira, lap harp, pixiphone and teapot. Unfortunately the studio was full of various creatures and characters who insisted on joining in when we were trying to do some serious recording, so you'll hear them too.
Rufty Tufty was nominated for an ARIA award in 1992, but in those days before the long tail it didn't quite rush out of the warehouse quickly enough, so it's now a 'collectors item'. One day we hope to get it out there again, but meanwhile here's a taster: the adventures of Rufty Tufty himself, Five Little Monkeys, Katie's Kangaroo and the Grand Old Duke of York's military manouvers. Plus the reason why rabbits have shiny noses, and the story of how several men didn't manage to mow a perfectly manageable meadow.
