Andy Starkey noticed something a little odd while scrolling through YouTube. He realised that since its release in 1994 no one had ever recorded a studio version of Digsys Dinner Oasis cover version video. Have a look for yourself, there really isn’t one. There are a few live versions by Oasis tribute bands and Oasis wedding bands. Also there are some Britpop acoustic versions but all of them are solo live covers. So as you’ll find no band has ever properly recorded Digsy’s Dinner as a full band in a studio and then shot a music video for it. Therefore Britpop Reunion the UK’s best Britpop & 90s tribute band meticulously recorded the audio and then shot the video you can watch below. Contact Andy Starkey from Britpop Reunion to hire a 90’s band and check on price and availability.
What album is Digsys Dinner Oasis Cover from?
Digsy’s Dinner is track number 9 from the Oasis debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’. Released in 1994 Definitely Maybe changed British musical history as a part of the 90’s Britpop movement. With over 8 million worldwide sales it is usually overshadowed by the stellar follow up album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory which has over 22 million sales. But D.M. had all the unpolished glory of what was the beginning or “Noel Rock” with fantastic singles and all their equally as good B-sides. This is where the wall of guitars sound first started.
Who is Digsy from the song Digsy’s Dinner by Oasis?
Digsy’s real name is Peter Deary and he is a long time friend of Noel Gallagher. He is a Liverpudlian musician who during the 1990’s released four singles with his band Smaller. ‘God I Hate This Town’ , ‘Stray Dogs and Bin Bags’ and ‘Wasted’. Smaller’s fourth single ‘Is’ actually featured Noel Gallagher on guitar. An album entitled ‘Badly Badly’ was released in 1997 and a second album was recorded but never released. Peter Deary currently performs with his band The Sums and is often interviewed for Brit pop tv programs and podcasts.
What was the inspiration for Digsy’s Dinner?
According to Noel himself he was round at Peter ‘Digsy’ Deary’s house one day (Off their kegs) bashing around on the drums with Digsy singing crazily “Guess what I had for my tea, guess what I had for my tea. It was lasagne…..it was lasagne”. Noel went away and wrote a tune with the words “Lasagne” in asking Peter if it was OK for him to call it “Digsy’s Dinner”. Peter agreed “Go on son”. Later Peter regretted this stating it was “The worst song Oasis has ever written, I f*cking hate it with a vengeance.”
Digsy loathed it so much that he wrote a song in retaliation called “Noels Nose”. Although Peter Deary does say that this song has gotten him drunk for free on many occasions. Due to the fact that people want to buy him rounds of drinks because his name is featured in the song title. What a nice night out eh 🙂
What is Digsy like as a person?
Owen Morris was told that “Meeting Digsy is like opening a bag of monkeys”. Upon meeting him he agreed “and thats exactly what he’s like” Owen said. Whereas Noel Gallagher describes him as a “Funny, funny fella”.
Funny note: Digsy states that he “F*ckin hates the meal” (Lasagne).
Re-recording Digsys Dinner Oasis cover version.
Being the perfectionist that Britpop musician Andy Starkey is he first sat down and tried to work out every single instrument being played on the original. The bare minimum instruments are:
- Lead vocal.
- Electric guitar chords.
- Electric guitar picking parts.
- Acoustic guitar chords.
- Bass guitar.
- Drums – Kick, snare, hi-hats, high tom, low tom, ride and two crashes.
- Piano / Fender Rhodes.
- Tambourine.
General notes for tracking Digsys Dinner Oasis Cover
Although its states on the liner notes that Noel Gallagher sings backing vocals on the original they can’t be heard. Each guitar part would have been multi tracked recorded by Noel and Bonehead so our cover version’s guitar parts were recorded three times with different guitars and slightly different tones to achieve the Oasis Guitar Wall Of Sound too. Also vocals were recorded in three separate takes to add extra depth to them. On the original, Bonehead’s solo was played either on a honky tonk style piano or a Fender Rhodes….or both. So it was recorded the same on our cover version too. The drum part is pretty easy to play with the same drum fill being performed throughout the song. Bass guitar was recorded with a 1994 Fender Precision and tambourine was recorded with a mid 90’s Liam Gallagher esque half moon tambourine.
Lyric notes:
The lyrics are pretty easy to remember as there are only two verses and one bridge section that are then just repeated again later on (Apart from the additional phrase “I Said”). This is true to form for Noel Gallagher lyrical writing style.
Guitar notes:
Noel Gallagher’s picked guitar parts were particularly hard to work out as they are buried so deep in the original mix. Andy and the members of Britpop Reunion spent a long time going through live versions and Oasis Demo’s from the mid 90’s on YouTube trying to work them out perfectly. But they just about managed it in the end as you’ll hear in our cover version.
Mixing notes:
The ‘Definitely Maybe’ version of Digsy’s Dinner really has a very poor mix. Don’t get us wrong it has a lot of life and fun in it, but it really is just a mush of noise. The demo version differs quite a bit with a lot more separation. This is no doubt due to that fact that there aren’t as many layered guitar parts. Britpop Reunion‘s cover version was mixed by expert sound engineer and friend of the band Russ Hollinshead from modern pop party band Luna Sounds. We decided to go for a modern style mix but still keeping some of the Oasis Wall Of Guitar sound and Noel Rock vibes.
Further musings
The piano played by Bonehead (In the solo) is quite possibly being played all the way through Digsy’s Dinner as you can hear it again slightly once the song finishes plonking a few notes. You’d never know either way though due to where it sits in the mix behind all the many, many guitar parts.
The Video Digsys Dinner Oasis Cover Version
Andy shot the video in and around Southampton and an a ferry to the Isle Of Wight. There was no budget so he just used camera gear he already owned. The video for the cover version was shot on a Canon 200D and utilised a Ronin S gimbal. Andy is seen playing his Oasis esque Epiphone EJ-200SCE acoustic guitar which is similar to Noel Gallagher’s Gibson J-150.
Band members performing on the original Digsy’s Dinner include:
- Liam Gallagher – Lead vocals, tambourine.
- Noel Gallagher – Lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar.
- Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs – Rhythm guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes.
- Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan – Bass guitar.
- Tony McCarroll – Drums.
- Producer Owen Morris at Clear Studios in Manchester, England
Who wrote Digsy’s Dinner?
Digsys Dinner was written by lead guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher in Oasis. And “The Chief” himself is still playing this classic Oasis song live with his band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds to this very day.
Singles from Definitely Maybe were in order of release :
- Supersonic
- Shakermaker
- Live Forever
- Cigarettes & Alcohol
How to play Digsy’s Dinner
Digsy’s Dinner chords.
There are two ways to play this Oasis song. You can either play it without a capo (Like the original Oasis version). Or with a capo which Noel Gallagher tends to do with his High Flying Birds band.
None capo version guitar chords for Digsy’s Dinner
Verse – A – C#7 – D – E – D – E – D7 – A
Bridge – F#m/C# – Asus2 – Bsus4ad2 – C#7
Capo version guitar chords for Digsy’s Dinner (Much easier for beginners)
Verse – G – B7 – C – D – Cadd9 – D – C9 – G
Bridge – Em – G – Am7 – B7
Lyrics to Digsys Dinner by Oasis
What a life it would be,
If you could come to mine for tea.
I’ll pick you up at half past three,
We’ll have lasagne.
I’ll treat you like you’re a Queen,
I’ll give you strawberries and cream.
Then your friends will all go green,
For my lasagne.
These could be the best days of our lives.
But I don’t think we’ve been living very wise.
Oh no! No!
What a life it would be,
If you could come to mine for tea,
I’ll pick you up at half past three,
We’ll have lasagne.
Solo
These could be the best days of our lives,
But I don’t think we’ve been living very wise,
I said oh no! No!
What a life it would be,
If you could come to mine for tea,
I’ll pick you up at half past three,
We’ll have lasagne.
I’ll treat you like you’re a Queen,
I’ll give you strawberries and cream,
Then your friends will all go green, Then your friends will all go green,
Then your friends will all go green,
For my lasagne
How to play Digsy’s Dinner on acoustic guitar video by Andy Starkey
A part of Andy Starkey’s HOW TO video series teaching you hot to play guitar, here is how to play Digsy’s Dinner on acoustic guitar.
Further musings about Digsy’s Diner:
For many years Noel always got annoyed that people in USA and Canada would request he played ‘Digsy’s Diner” (Missing a letter ‘N’ and thus making it place you would sit down eat meals at). But many years later it was pointed out to him that the North American release of Definitely Maybe has the misspelling of Digsy’s Diner. So this is why fans from this part of the world have always pronounced it “Wrongly”.
