Dec 25, 2022
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 have put them at the end. We all could have nodded off. Not often we play the pipes on Forgotten songs but we have two tunes from The Bowhill Colliery and District band. Bowhill in Fife was the scene of a pit disaster in 1931 when 10 men were killed. Like many factories, foundaries, collieries Bowhill had a works band. This being Scotland a pipe band as well as a silver band. The Rhytmn Maniacs with the wonderfully titled- 'The gag song( She was only a bookmakers daughter.) To be fair it does have some funny lines. Max Darewski was a Manchester born child prodigy. At the age of 9 he was conducting a full orchestra. He had a successful career as a composer. Not convinced his genius was on display with this number- Shadow man. Sadly he died only aged 35. Edna Thomas was a African American actress and singer. She performed on Broadway and on film. Here she gives a very refined performance of Mamzelle Zizi. No need to tell you about Roy Rodgers, here singing A four legged friend. Thank goodness he mentions Trigger at the end! Alma Cogan advises Never tango with an Eskimo but in this weather we need all the heat we can get. Lionel Hampton gives laid back vocals to The mood I'm in. Naturally he gives us some vibrophone too. We finish with two BBC records. Charles Williams leads his orchestra with own composition, The Devils Gallop. This was the signature tune to Dick Barton, Special Agent. A 'cliffhanger' radio series that the BBC ran from 1946 to 1951. As we recorded this on Christmas we end with Come All Ye Faithfull, from the BBC Choir. I'm sure Lord Reith would approve. He was the stoney faced kill joy who ran the BBC for many years and he certainly wouldn't have approved of The Gag song. Far too ribald!!