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16 January 2011

Anyone Can Fall In Love: EastEnders Stars In The Pop Charts - Part 1...

Remember Anyone Can Fall In Love, sung by Anita Dobson, AKA Angie Watts, the flower of Albert Square? Remember those lyrics?

Anyone can fall in love
That’s the easy part you must keep it going

Anyone can fall in love
Over the years it has to keep growing
Sun and rain
Joy and pain
There’s highs - there’s lows
We’ve no way of knowing
Anyone can fall in love
That’s not hard to do it isn’t so clever

Anyone can fall in love
But you must make the love last forever…
Who can say
Love will stay?
It’s up to you
Don’t hide what needs showing

Anyone can fall in love
That’s the easy part you must keep it going
Everyone can fall in love
But you must make the love last forever more.
How do you keep the music from dying?
Love falls asleep unless you keep trying

Anyone can fall in love
Life’s more than that, it’s pulling together
Everyone can share the love
Where we come from friends never say never
Side by side
Satisfied
To stay right here in one square forever

Anyone can fall in love
That’s not hard to do it isn’t so clever
Anyone can fall in love
But you must make the love last forever more.

Acorn Antiques, the excellent Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV skit on Crossroads, also drew inspiration from EastEnders. The show's theme tune was released on vinyl (sadly, only in fiction!) - with Miss Babs warbling a song called Anyone Can Break A Vase over it.

I found the Anita Dobson-related article below whilst browsing through my local newspaper archive!

Ange - A Public Appearance...

The Time: August 1986

The Town: Cambridge


The Venue: A Bingo Hall


"EastEnders" star Anita Dobson planted kisses on a score of faint-hearted admirers last night and told them: "Don't wash for a week!"

The famous landlandy of the TV show's "Vic" pub proved a powerful pulling attraction at the Coral Social Club in Cambridge, where some 400 bingo fans gathered to see her in the flesh.


"EastEnders" addicts cheered and queued for autographs when the 37-year-old arrived at the Hobson Street club.


Dressed in a smart emerald coloured suit, Anita, 5ft 3 1/2 inches of true born and bred cockney said: "There's not any man in my life except my dad - mainly because I haven't the time."

She called the show's "Dirty Den" "a rat" but said: "We have a very good on-screen relationship. I'm going to string him up at Christmas. The real Den is a lovely, nice person."

On Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson), who in the last episode of "EastEnders" was hit by a lorry, she was giving no secrets away, but said: "It was a pretty nasty accident. It looks pretty bad - I can't say officially."


Anita, who has just signed a new two-year contract for "EastEnders", said she had tried secretarial work and modelling before going to drama school.

She sang in various shows earlier in her acting career, so when she was asked to make a record, she agreed. Her song, "Anyone Can Fall In Love", to Simon May's "EastEnders" theme tune, is now number four in the pop charts and selling 20,000 copies a day.


Anita revealed she is one of the few cast members who can choose her own clothes - the other characters' costumes are bought by the BBC.

Her favourite "EastEnders" character is Angie's daughter, Sharon, played by Letitia Dean."She's a smasher," she said. "I love her to death. Willie the dog is my least favourite character because he smells."


When she's not working - and that's hardly ever - Anita likes listening to light opera, soul, rock and roll, Dire Straits, Queen and Billy Joel.


But hard work has brought money to a girl who started right at the bottom.


"I came from quite a hard background. I am just about to buy my parents their own house. Actually, my mother was so excited and so happy, she was sick."


Afterwards, Martyn Heasman, Coral's assistant manager, a smudge of the star's bright red lipstick on his cheek, said: "I think I'm in love. Someone ring and tell my mother."


The glamorous star made another man's night - Douglas "Curly" Nunn, of Cambridge, who celebrated his birthday with a stage embrace from Anita.


The successful night was a big publicity boost for Coral, who paid £300 for Anita's appearance. The date was planned as a lead-up to the club's £350,000 refurbishments for a relaunch as a cabaret club in November.

Coral had wanted Anita to sing her hit single and do two last bingo calls but the actress refused.

There was another EastEnder in the pop charts in 1986. Find out who here.

1 comment:

entssouthwales said...

And don't forget Something outta Nothin by Letitia dean and Paul medford, actually maybe we should...