Jun 24, 2020
We open with the yodelling cowboy from Chesterfield, Harry Torrani, and My Lancashire yodelling lass. What a tag line, great song too. For the first time of Forgotten Songs we have some Indian music. Manna Dey in Hindi on a 78 pressed in 1963. Next, Dajos Bela goes A round the Volga, Russian music from the late 1920s. Also up are Len Fillis, Len Brennan and the Winter Gardens Dance band, Leroy Anderson, George Guetary, Henri Rene, Earl Grant and the Band waggoners. Lovely track from Smith Ballew from 1930. Smith was an actor, singer and orchestra leader. He was one of the first singing cowboys in the talkies. Elizabeth Pollock was the first impressionist to appear on the BBC in 1933. Unfortunately her impressions here are largely of people who have faded into obscurity. Much better, as there are still some funny lines, is Albert before the means test Albert Burden and Co apply for unemployment benefit. A real time piece. French singer Lucienne Boyer brings definite Gallic charm to the proceedings with In the Smoke. The whole of human life is here, in one form or another!