Family take web by storm

Feb 27 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

A FAMILY whose Northern take on a Seventies pop classic has taken the internet by storm have told of their surprise at becoming the centre of a media manhunt.

The Journal yesterday tracked down the Emerson family after a story telling how their version of the 1971 Middle of the Road song Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep had been attracting thousands of hits on the internet video site YouTube.

Nine members of the extended family were filmed in an exuberant performance of the song while celebrating Mike and Carol Emerson’s 50th birthdays.

Now the group is considering extending its repertoire with more classic songs.

Singer Mike Emerson, who lives in Walbottle, Newcastle, said: “Everyone in the video is either a family member or close friend. We like to get together every now and then and we are all musical.

“We all got together this time because it was me and the wife’s 50th birthday.

“We had 10 days in Dumfries and Galloway with all the family in November last year. We had a large family blowout and partied every night. During the day we went fishing and then at night we ate, drank and eventually made this video.

“We only put it on YouTube so the rest of the family could see what we had been up to – we had no idea it would become so huge.

“In the first couple of weeks it only had a couple of hundred hits but it was then picked up by Metro Radio presenter Tony Horne and things just went ballistic. It’s been incredible.”

Mr Emerson, who works for Gateshead Council, said he had been getting some stick from colleagues.

He said: “We have a little competition to see who can get the most hits for YouTube videos and its safe to say I’ve now jumped ahead. The lads are giving me some stick but I don’t mind.”

The band includes Mike’s best friend Keith, Keith’s wife Anne, Mike’s brother Hunt, wife Carol, sister-in-law Jill, his daughter Jade and mother Sheila, 79. They all live Blucher and Walbottle, on the edge of Newcastle.

Keith, who plays the double bass in the video, said: “It was a wonderful evening and it just felt right to make this video. We just choose that song because it holds a lot of memories for people.”

Last night the video – renamed Chorpy Chorpy Cheep Cheep to reflect the family’s Geordie accents – had been viewed 7,181 times, 2,000 more than yesterday. And the family will be appearing on the regional ITV news tonight as their fame spreads.

Warning: Video contains bad language