Lieutenant Pigeon, a British novelty pop group from Coventry, were formed in 1972 and gained prominence through their hit single "Mouldy Old Dough". The band consisted of Rob Woodward on keyboards, Nigel Fletcher on drums, Steve Johnson on bass, and Hilda Woodward (Rob Woodward's mother) on keyboards. The group originated from the earlier band Stavely Makepeace, which was formed by Rob Woodward and Nigel Fletcher in 1968. Their first single as Lieutenant Pigeon, "Mouldy Old Dough", was released in March 1972 and initially failed to gain traction in the UK. However, it became a hit in Belgium after being used as a theme tune on Belgian television. This led to its re-release in the UK, where it reached number one in October 1972, staying at the top for four weeks. The song also topped charts in several other countries and sold over two million copies worldwide. Robert Woodward and Nigel Fletcher received an Ivor Novello Award for their composition. Lieutenant Pigeon's subsequent singles, including "Desperate Dan" and a cover of "I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen", achieved moderate success but did not match the heights of "Mouldy Old Dough". The band released several albums, including Mouldy Old Music (1973), I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen (1973), and Pigeon Pie (1973). Hilda Woodward passed away on 22 February 1999. In the late 1980s, Steve Johnson revived Lieutenant Pigeon with new musicians, and Rob Woodward rejoined in 2001 for tours. The 50th anniversary release, Lieutenant Pigeon: The Decca Years, arrived in 2023.
