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Last broadcast on Sun, 30 Aug 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
Russell Davies celebrates the art, craft and inspiration of the popular song. This week begins with the confusion surrounding two songwriters called Harry Williams - one, American, the other, English. From a marching song of World War l we move on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War ll, to the musical scene in 1939. Russell reflects on the unintended irony of some songs of the time and also comments on the popularity of songs of separation. We end with Nicki Parrott and a song from the war's end, La Vie En Rose.
This Week's Show
It’s fascinating: You scan the lists of published songs for 1939 in vain for any sign of a sense of impending conflict. The closest thing to prescience in Denmark Street up to September ’39 seems to have been Kennedy & Carr’s ‘Handsome Territorial’ and Harry Parr-Davis’s ‘Wish Me Luck As you Wave Me Goodbye’. But once the balloon went up, the scribes were quick off the mark: October saw Herman Darewski’s “The Army, The Navy and The Air Force”; the symbolism of Noel Gay’s ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’ was clear and Ross Parker and Hugh Charles gave us the archetypal wartime anthems – “There’ll Always Be An England” & “We’ll Meet Again”. Joining them in the weeks & months that followed were “Lords Of The Air”, “I Shall Be Waiting”, “Somewhere In France With You”, “Till The Lights Of London Shine Again” and more. The contrast with the output of The US’s Tin Pan Alley in 1939/40 is acute: ‘Sing A Song Of Sunbeams’, ‘Are You Havin’ Any Fun?’, ‘Start The Day Right’ - though Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel may have been looking ahead with ‘The Masquerade Is Over’: more appropriate that Harry Roy’s 1939 effort – “God Bless You, Mr Chamberlain”. But, after Pearl Harbour, once Roosevelt had brought America in, the US song industry joined in with Frank Loesser leading the way (‘Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition’ ‘Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer’) and Irving Berlin not far behind: ‘My British Buddy’, ‘This Is The Army, Mr Jones’ – and HE was able to reprise some from the previous conflict!
Played in This Week's Show: Norman Long
Recommendations
The record companies have marked the various anniversaries of war (the outbreak, D-Day, VE Day) generously and one of the best compilations we know came from Conifer in the shape of a 5-CD box plus 56-page book. It takes us from September 1939 up to 6th June 1944 and gathers together, in remarkably good sound, pretty well all the most evocative recordings of the period, from the ‘stiff upper lip’ ones (‘This Is Worth Fighting For’), to songs of separation (‘Absent Friends’), from the comedy morale boosters by the likes of George Formby, Max Miller, Tommy Handley & Noel Coward to the wartime anthems -‘Bless Em All, and many more. CD 5 gives a bonus: actual BBC broadcasts from June 4th – 6th of the progress of the invasion from commentators like Chester Wilmot, Richard Dimbleby, Frank Gillard and John Snagge. Historic stuff! The set is called “D-Day – A Commemoration in Sound”, the number: DDCD 6644.
The latest CD to arrive in our office provided our closer this week: “Nicki Parrott – Fly Me To The Moon” presents the singer-bass-player (as curvaceous and sonorous as her instrument) in a varied programme ranging from ‘Do It Again’ to ‘Waltzing Matilda’ to ‘Evil Gal Blues’ but all delivered with a sexy, come-hither air. Backing Nicki are sister Lisa Parrott and Harry Allen (saxes) Mark Sganga (guitar), Billy Drummond (drums) and – especially – John Di Martino on piano. 57 minutes of highly satisfying and beautifully-recorded music-making is on: Venus VHCD 1023.
Tracklist
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Alma Cogan — In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree“Alma Cogan – The Almanac” 2-Cd Set
Music For Pleasure/EMI, CD Dl 1191 -
The Mellomen With Thurl Ravenscroft — It’s A Long Way To Tipperary
Barbershop Melodies Vol 2 (Of 3)
Saxony Records, 8066970 10625 -
Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell — An Apple For The Teacher
No 26 In The Chronological Bing Series
Jonzo, JZCD 26 -
Marlene Dietrich — See What The Boys In The Backroom Will Have
“Falling In Love Again With Marlene Dietrich”
Living Era, CD AJA 5537 -
Rosemary Clooney — It’s So Peaceful In The Country
“Rosemary Clooney – Dedicated To Nelson”
Concord, CCD 4685 -
Norman Long — Where Does Poor Pa Go In The Blackout?
Great Comedy Of The War Years (D-Day Box)
Conifer Happy Days, CDHD 303 -
The Manhattan Transfer — On A Little Street In SingaporeThe Manhattan Transfer – Pastiche
Rhino, 8122718092 -
Groucho Marx — Lydia The Tattooed Lady
America’s Great Singers: Music Of Harold Arlen
Reflections, 8102 -
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra W. Louise Tobin — Rendezvous In Paree
“The Kingdom Of Swing – Benny Goodman”
The International Music Company (Tim), 205377 -
Flanagan and Allen — Hang Out The Washing On The Siegfried Line
“Flanagan & Allen – We’ll Smile Again”
Nimbus Records, NI 2002 -
Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer — Friendship
“More Radio Fun – Various Artists”
Conifer Happy Days, CDHD 240 -
Chet Baker — I Get Along Without You Very Well“Chet Baker Sings”
EMI/Capitol, 07243 582205 20 -
Cliff Edwards — When You Wish Upon A Star
“Perfect Movie Songs”
Past Perfect, PPCD 78144 -
Nicki Parrott — La Vie En Rose
Nicki’s Latest – “Fly Me To The Moon”
Venus Records, VHCD-1023
Broadcast
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Sun 30 Aug 200921:00
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