Sandbaggers SuperCuts 4: The Most Mysterious Song on the Sandbaggers FOUND!!

In December of 2023, I posted a question to the Sandbaggers Facebook group: In the second season episode "Decision By Committee," there's a song playing on Burnside's stereo. Did anyone in the group recognize the song? A year later, we have the answer!

The Sandbaggers is a spy drama that ran on the British ITV Network for three seasons from 1978-1980. It stars Roy Marsden, Ray Lonnen, Jerome Willis, Ian MacNaughtan, and Bob Sherman. It was created by Ian Mackintosh and the theme song was composed by Roy Budd.

[DruggedBunny]

Great job! An investigation worthy of a Sandbagger.

[carolsimon]

A wonderful tribute as the mystery is finally cracked open. And a huge yes to Laura having given Burnside the Swingle vinyl but that may be one of those unanswered mysteries unless Roy Marsden can delve deep into his memory.
Being an ageing Sandbagger I do remenber the Swingle Singers🙃

[wretchedmess]

Great video! It made me so ridiculously happy to have this mystery solved. Fingers crossed, and looking forward to you hopefully finding the lyrics. It is going to be hilarious when it turns out the line actually IS "There's a place in the mime for the herringbone..."😂😂😂

[SimonMcLean-gppw]

Hello - I'm the Simon McLean who found the song, absolutely delighted to have been able to answer the mystery for you! Very interesting video, and I hope I may be able to help with further explorations if I can.

[pdlagasse]

Did you notice that the song fades into the scene literally the moment *after* the song title “On My Mind” is sung? Weird coincidence …

[nbgackerman]

Excellent!!! It will be interesting to dig up any connections The Swingles may have to Sandbaggers, or YTV, or Roy Budd etc., or if it was just a sappy record pulled off the shelf. In Danger Man, for example, there are covers of Zombies songs (such as "She's Not There" sung in French) because music director and composer Ted Astley's daughter was dating one of the Zombies at the time hahaha! But also some of the "pop" sounding music in the show is just library stuff - which is what I had written off the Sandbaggers Most Mysterious Song as.

Also cracking up that the guy's name is actually "Swingle" hahahahahahaha

[nbgackerman]

My attempt at the lyric - if you have a better idea please do comment :)


Who says out of sight is out of mind?
Who says all who love are blind?
There's no such thing, as far as I'm concerned.
One too dearly I can see.
Far away's too close for me,
'Cause you are on my mind,
No matter how I try to lose you.

You're the place where they ask how we're getting on.
You're the song I'd forgotten was our song.
You're the face in the crowd that's so nearly yours,
When I clutch at the straws and the trouble is,
You are there!
Everywhere I go!
Is it fair to haunt me,
Even though it's over?
Dead and gone,
But always on my mind.

Who knows if we'll ever meet again?
Maybe once to say "amen"?
Or else I'll never get to mend my life.
Even though I know the score,
It's so hard to close the door,
'Cause you are on my mind,
No matter how I try to lose you.

You're the place where they ask how we're getting on.
You're the song I'd forgotten was our song.
You're the face in the crowd that's so nearly yours.
When I clutch at the straws and the trouble is,
You are there!
Everywhere I go!
Is it fair to haunt me,
Even though it's over?
Dead and gone,
But always on my mind.

And there seems no end in sight.
Nothing changes, day or night.
There's only you as far as I'm concerned...