Tommy Steele Live 1966 - Little White Bull

A 1966 performance from the Perry Como Show. First up is the tune "Little White Bull," which was first performed by Tommy Steele in the 1959 film "Tommy The Toreador". The film was about a British ship docking in Spain, where a sailor on board (Steele) tries his hand as a bullfighter. For those unfamiliar with British White cattle (usually referred to simply as British Whites), they have been a part of British Isles legends and fairy tales for ages. In the rodeo world, British White bulls are usually selected as the starter bull for first time riders since they're significantly less aggressive than other bulls. So it's easy to understand how the idea of using one -- a LITTLE one at that -- as the central character of this song came about. He was, as the lyrics go: "an exception to that little white rule." I only bother pointing this out for the wise guys who are fond of insinuating this song is racist -- even though I think their tongues are firmly in their cheeks when they do so! Look, the song is about a white bull who wants to be black, so it would have been titled "Little Wigger Bull" if the writers were trying to make a racial statement! Moving right along... Tommy next performs the song "I've Got No Strings," written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington. The song has been performed in the past by, well, everybody. Here Tommy is joined in song by clown and one-toothed dragon puppets Kukla & Ollie. Burr Tillstrom was the only puppeteer handling both puppets, as well as providing their voices. Tillstrom's Kukla & Ollie puppets had been part of his shows since the 1930s, so he had both their personalities down pat by the time this performance rolled around.