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Last broadcast on Sun, 18 Oct 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
Russell Davies presents the history of popular song, spotlighting its greatest exponents.
The show begins with an acknowledgement of Vera Lynn's great chart success of late, via a Curtis Stigers song. Russell reviews a new book on Perry Como and illustrates it with two Como tracks, and there's further music from Connie Francis, Noel Coward, Marty Elkins and Ambrose.
This Week's Show
We’re glad to welcome the new “biography and complete career record” of Perry Como by old friends of the show, Malcolm MacFarlane and Ken Crossland. We congratulate them on making what might have been a dull book (Como’s life wasn’t dramatic like Sinatra’s or writ large in many fields like Crosby’s) into a highly entertaining one. How have they achieved this? By meticulous, painstaking research and an engagingly straightforward way of telling the story. Perry’s character – more complex than you might have expected – is well-drawn & the information about his career makes the book a must for any student of the popular music business. It’s published by McFarland & Co. Inc.
Jack Fulton, an earlier toiler in the same trade as Perry, didn’t gain the fame despite being a decent musician, holding the trombone chair in Whiteman’s band for years and composing, too. So how come that effete, emasculated singing voice? If you think ‘Love In Bloom’ was bad, try his efforts on Whiteman’s ‘Forget-me-not’!
Two tracks by Ambrose this week give us the opportunity to mention an upcoming series from the same stable that produces our show: Starting on Friday 20th November on Radio 2 is a five-part series spotlighting four of the great British dance bands of the inter-war years. It’s to be presented by Brian Matthew and first up is Ambrose, followed by Roy Fox, Jack Hylton & Lew Stone, who gets two programmes, since much of his story is told in a remarkable new interview with Lew’s widow, Joyce.
Featured In This Week's Show: Dame Vera Lynn
Recommendations
We were able to find the rare, early track by Guy Mitchell, when he was still Al Cernick, on an inexpensive three-CD set put out by ‘Disky’ in their “This Is Gold” series. There are 75 tracks including all the familiar hits but also some quite hard to get sides - but that’s all you get – no booklet, not even the briefest of descriptions, dates: Just the titles and composers. Still, the sound quality is acceptable and if you’re looking for those rare early sides, including 3 with Buddy Kaye and 4, when Guy appears as Al Grant, look for Disky BX902626.
Another box-set cheapie is the 4-CD collection of “Noel Coward: The Revue & War Years 1928-52” (JSP 1905) recently released by JSP records. At least this gives us full dates and personnel as well as brief notes about the artist and the period plus a few well-chosen photographs of Coward and Gertie Lawrence. All The Master’s favourites are here – ‘The Stately Homes Of England’, ‘Poor Little Rich Girl’, ‘Mrs Worthington’ - as well as his interpretations of songs by Porter, Kern and others – and in excellent sound.
Jasmine’s new 2-CD set of Connie Francis – “Fallin’ – The Early Years” (JASCD 530) is well worth investigating. 49 tracks that Connie cut from 1955 to 1959, including, of course, her hits lie ‘Carolina Moon’ and ‘Stupid Cupid’. More of interest to us are her versions of standards and even if the production suffers from 8th-note syndrome or serious bongos, the true quality of Connie’s voice is a pleasure.
Tracklist
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Curtis Stigers — Vera/We’ll Meet AgainLost In Dreams, Concord, 7231527 -
Ambrose & His Orchestra W. Vera Lynn A.O. — The Love Bug Will Bite You
The Essential Collection, Avid, AVC 992 -
Perry Como — WantedAll Hits – Perry Como, Golden Stars, GSS 5447 -
Paul Whiteman Orchestra W. Jack Fulton (Vocal) — Love In Bloom
Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra Vol 1: 1925-38, Vocalion, CDEA 6129 -
Perry Como — ‘A’ You’re AdorableFine Compilation Album, Past Perfect, PPCD 78142
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Pat Boone — Speedy Gonzales
Pat’s Big Ones, Connoisseur, SDVSOP CD 328 -
Buddy Kaye Quintet With Al Cernick (Vocal) — The Love Nest
Guy Mitchell: This Is Gold, This Is Gold, BX 902626 -
Marty Elkins — Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
In Another Life, Nagel Heyer, CD 114 -
Noël Coward — Cavlcade Vocal SelectionNoel Coward: Revue & War Years 1928-52, JSP, JSP 1905 -
Anita O'Day & Cal Tjader — Thanks For The Memory
Time For Two, Verve, 559 808-2 -
Connie Francis — My Melancholy Baby
Fallin’ – Best Of The Early Years, Jasmine, JASCD 530 -
Alvino Rey & His Orchestra — Ambrose’s Tiger Rag
Ambrose: The Essential Collection, Avid, AVC 992 -
Original “Jungle Book” Cast Recording — That’s What Friends Are For
The Jungle Book OST, Walt Disney, 860704
Broadcast
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Sun 18 Oct 200921:00
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