Ted Dicks

Ted Dicks (5 May 1928 – 27 January 2012) was an English composer. He is best known for composing the music for the novelty songs "Right Said Fred" and "The Hole in the Ground". They were both Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart in 1962, recorded by Bernard Cribbins with lyrics by Myles Rudge, and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. Another song by Dicks and Rudge, "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam", was a hit in 1965 for Ronnie Hilton.

Dicks was born in Muswell Hill, North London, England. His father was a postman. Dicks was educated at Tollington Grammar School and Hornsey School of Art and then undertook two years national service in the RAF. He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, where he became friends with Len Deighton. Dicks later concentrated on composing music, but continued to paint in later life.

While working as a teacher in the 1950s, Dicks composed a stage show Let's Go Mad, which had a short run at the Fortune Theatre in London's West End in 1960 under the title Look Who's Here!, featuring Nyree Dawn Porter, Donald Hewlett and Anna Quayle. Dicks collaborated with Barry Cryer, and then with Myles Rudge. Dicks and Rudge wrote the revue And Another Thing which had a long run at the Fortune Theatre in 1960, featuring Bernard Cribbins, Anna Quayle, Lionel Blair, and Joyce Blair.