loader from loading.io

FS88: Maurice Rocco to George Formby Snr and Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson.

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Release Date: 08/14/2022

FS100: Too many to mention. Last ever episode. Blues, Jazz, Pop, R&B and a whole lot more show art FS100: Too many to mention. Last ever episode. Blues, Jazz, Pop, R&B and a whole lot more

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

This really is it folks! Episode 100, final and last Forgotten Songs from the Broom Cupboard podcast. No Sinatra type returns this time. Hope you enjoy this 90 minute trawl through some old favourites. I'm not abandoning the cause and will be using 78rpm records for a couple of drama type projects. Link below to one. The Brownbread Tapes. He's a man who just might have a bit of a dodgy occupation. Twelve episodes in all, done to various 78 records. Short and hopefully sweet.   Here are the artists in our finale- Bob Skyles, Eddie Peabody, Winifred Atwell, Harry Parry, Jelly Roll Morton,...

info_outline
FS99: Easy listening- Nat, Alma and Perry to Bob Crosby and Marion Mann show art FS99: Easy listening- Nat, Alma and Perry to Bob Crosby and Marion Mann

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

We open with the madness of Irish Mambo from Alma Cogan. The two sides of Nat King Cole. First, pared back with his trio- Nat on piano, Oscar Moore guitar and Bob Miller drums. They give us- I'm lost. Then rich, orchestrated Nat with the Four Knights giving vocal backing- That's all there is to that. Great title. Perry Como with 'Look out your window (Thats me standing in the rain.) Always check the weather forecast before attempting this! Then Catch a falling star. Based on a melody by Brahms apparently and featuring the Ray Charles singers. A massive world wide hit. Absolute 1930s nonsense...

info_outline
FS98: Mostly Frankie Laine, a bit of Eartha, some Mugsy, Charlie Barnet and Jules Bledsoe show art FS98: Mostly Frankie Laine, a bit of Eartha, some Mugsy, Charlie Barnet and Jules Bledsoe

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Hardly forgotten but Frankie Laine certainly doesn't get the credit he deserve in the history of pop. An astonishing 75 year career. Singer, songwriter and actor.  A big powerful voice that succeeded in all genres of music he tackled. Acknowledged as precursor to rock and roll. He happened to be a great guy too. Here he gives us- Some day, Love is such a cheat, The little boy and the old man( duet with Jimmy Boyd.) Your cheatin' heart and, of course, Blowing wild. Eartha Kitt starts us off with Cest si bon. Cherokee Canyon from Tex Beneke, Cherokee from Charlie Barnet. See what I did...

info_outline
F.S End of 2022 special From Fats Waller to a 112 year old recording of Auld Lang Syne show art F.S End of 2022 special From Fats Waller to a 112 year old recording of Auld Lang Syne

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Goodbye 2022. A shorter than normal episode to mark the end of the year. Its party time, Its Scottish dance and song with a wee bit of help from across the pond. We start with Sir Harry Lauder and I love a Lassie. He was the first million record selling British artist. Fats Waller with You asked for it, you got it, Duke Ellington- It dont mean a thing( If it ain't got that swing.) Primo Scala- Grinzing. These are the fellas you want at a party to entertain. The Scottish Dance Orchestra- Highland Fling, Bobby MacCleod and his band- Bonnie Annie and McDonald of Sleat. We go out, naturally, with...

info_outline
FS97: Frankie Vaughan to Tommy Edwards via Florrie Ford and Lita Rosa show art FS97: Frankie Vaughan to Tommy Edwards via Florrie Ford and Lita Rosa

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Frankie Vaughan seemed to be constantly present on British Television in 1960s. Mr Moonlight they called him. He had a big voice and a big stage presence, top hat, bow tie and tails. He had many hits during the 1950s and had a brief career in Holywood. Most notably opposite Marilyn Monroe in Lets make Love. Here he gives us The Green door. Lita Rosa- Hernando's Hideaway. Rosa started her stage career at the age of 12. At 24 she was lead female singer with Ted Heath. A strong voice which probably never reached its full potential with the material she was given. Variety is the spice of life on...

info_outline
FS96: Henry Allen to Mr Olly Oakley via Suzi Millar and George Formby show art FS96: Henry Allen to Mr Olly Oakley via Suzi Millar and George Formby

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Two Harrys to start us off. Parry- Trust and Parry and James with Memphis Blues. Henry Allen and his Orchestra- Dinah Lou. Allen was one of the major trumpeters of the Swing era and played with King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong. Count Basie and his Kansas City seven- Lester Leaps in. Lester Young being the Lester. The group released six versions of the song between 1939- 1948. Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers- Stormy Jones, Mugsy Spanier and his Ragtime Band- That Da, Da Strain. Robert Earl- If you love me. A popular tenor in the 1950s. His son,...

info_outline
FS95: British bands from Fox, Roy, Mackay, Ros, Gonella, Geraldo and Parry to a very loud Stan Freberg show art FS95: British bands from Fox, Roy, Mackay, Ros, Gonella, Geraldo and Parry to a very loud Stan Freberg

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Stan Freberg starts us off with his version of The Banana Boat song.. 'too loud man.' Freberg was a comedian, musician, puppeteer, advertising creative director but, above all, satirist. Check out his version of John and Marsha. We have a bit of a British Dance Band fest- Geraldo- That lovcely weekend, vocals Dorothy Carless, Ernie Goldin- Making Whoopie, Roy Fox and his band- You Rascal You( vocals Nat Gonella, possibly Al Bowlly) Georgia on my mind, Nat Gonella and his Georgians- Georgia's gorgeous girl. I love Gonella's vocals. Harry Parry- Don't be that way and Bounce me brother with a...

info_outline
F.S 94: The Inkspots to Edna Thomas and Alma Cogan via The Bowhill Colliery pipe band and Dick Barton. show art F.S 94: The Inkspots to Edna Thomas and Alma Cogan via The Bowhill Colliery pipe band and Dick Barton.

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Back after a three month break. What better way to start than with Bob Skyles and his Skyrockets with I'm gonna die with a broken heart. Three from the hugely popular Inkspots- Everyone is saying hello again, Thoughtless and one of their big hit Java Jive.  Just one of their records alone, If I didn't care, sold 19 million copies. Their style rarely changed but they were ground breakers. They sold well to both black and white audiences. Ted Heath and his music with Walking Shoes. Two soporific songs next- Paul Robson with Just a wearyin' and Rosemary Clooney with Brahms lullaby. Should...

info_outline
FS93: Tommy Handley to Dorothy Squires,  Bobby Comber and John Kirby show art FS93: Tommy Handley to Dorothy Squires, Bobby Comber and John Kirby

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

Some comedy on budget record labels. Last chance plays for some, as they are a little ropey. We start with a right cheery number from comedian Bobby Comber- La-di-da-di-da. A popular entertainer through the 20s and 30s. I can find little about his history online. Plenty of history about Sandy Powell. Here he gives us Sandy the Doctor. Next Harry Leader and his Orchestra- Little man you've had a busy day(1934). Leader was a prolific band leader who operated under many different names and had a long career. He was particularly associated with the programme Workers Playtime. Vocals are by Dawn...

info_outline
FS92: Early Peggy Lee to Taft Jordon, The Joe Corrie players and Dave willis show art FS92: Early Peggy Lee to Taft Jordon, The Joe Corrie players and Dave willis

Forgotten songs from the broom cupboard.

A couple of cheery and cheeky wartime songs. George Formby with Ukelele Man. Not nearly enough ukelele playing on it quite frankly. Next Dave Willis with ARP( Air raid patrol.) More commonly known as My Wee Gas Mask. Probably the best known Scottish song from WW2. Joe Corrie was a Fife coal miner, poet and playright. His style was naturalistic and his subject matter the working class. He was pretty much ignored by the Scottish theatre establishment of the time. Here we have The shilling a week man. A humerous tale of money owed, performed in broad Scots. Humerous it maybe but for many life was...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

We open with Maurice Rocco- Rocco's Booogie Woogie and Tonky blues. An Australian Pressing on Decca, 1940. Never released in Britain. Rocco played piano standing up. Way before Jerry lee Lewis. Succesful during the 40s his star began to wane in the 1950s. A great shame, as what a performer and composer he was. He was murdered in Thailand in 1976. Big Joe Turner(vocals) and Pete Johnson(piano)- Roll 'em Pete and Going away blues. Roll 'em Pete is regarded as one of the most important precursor songs to Rock and Roll.  Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis,  Pete Johnson and Joe Turner-  Cafe Society Rag. Meade Lux lewis- Whistling Blues. Wingie Carpenter, Trumpter, singer and bandleader- Put me back in the alley. Vocals by Mae Hopkins. Who was mae Hopkins? Nothing about her on the internet, other than cutting four sides for Decca with Mozelle France in 1940. Sam Price and his Texan Bluesicians- How 'bout that mess. Pianist who performed  in numerous bands right up until the 1980s. Throughout the 1960s and 70s he was a civil rights campaigner and activist. An amazing man. Vic Filmer and his Murray Club Band- If you can't sing whistle(1931). Excellent advice in my case. Nice quality track on the Piccadilly label. Been waiting for a Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson and his West Indian Dance Band record to turn up for a while. Here we have Seventeen Candles and Last time I will fall in love. Johnson was an important figure in the history of black British music. Originally from British Guyana his West Indian band brought a real flavour of US style band music to Britain. Johnson was sadly killed in a bombing raid in 1941, he was playing at The Cafe Paris in London. Members of the band joined other British groups and influenced British jazz for years to come. Yorke Desouza, Dave Wilkins and Joe Deniz worked extensively with F.S favourite Harry Parry. We have a wee flavour of George Formby Senior from 1920. This is on an Ariel Grand Records disc. He died the year after this recording, aged 46. He was a huge music hall and recording star at the begining of the 20th century. Elements of his act may well have inspired Chaplin's tramp. His upbringing was incredibly harsh and impoverished. A strong contrast to the height of his career when he was earning £350 a week(£40k in 2022). He was reluctant to allow his son into show business and sent him away for jockey training. Didn't stop young George though. He went on to become an even greater star. We finish with Buddy's Blues from Buddy Featherstonehaugh and his Radio Rhythm Club and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. Yeah I know he's hardly forgotten but when do you hear him played directly from a 78 record?