Put two of England's funniest men together, give them complete freedom to joke about any subject, even if it crosses into X-rated territory, and you have some idea of the wacky, anything-goes humor of Derek & Clive. Representing the alter egos of former Beyond the Fringe members Dudley "Derek" Moore and Peter "Clive" Cook. Inspiring each other in a stream-of-consciousness frenzy, the two funnymen whip up a blend of comic routines and off-the-wall musical parodies, composed by Moore, including such foul-mouthed ditties as "You Stupid C**t!," Valerie's Hymen," "Cancer," "Celebrity Suicide," and "I Can't Shit."
Formed in the mid-'70s, Derek & Clive appeared in the Broadway show Good Evening in 1976. While in New York, they recorded an album in front of an invited audience at Electric Ladyland studios. Coupled with tracks recorded during a 1973 performance at New York music club the Bottom Line, the album, Live, was released in late 1976. Switching to the Virgin label in 1977, the duo released two additional albums — Come Again and Ad Nauseum — before separating in 1978.
Following Derek & Clive's breakup, Moore went on to become a major movie star, appearing in such films as 10, in 1979, and Arthur, in 1981. He died, at the age of 66, in 2002.