Friday 14th. June 2013

What does a pretty girl (she is wearing something underneath that short dress, isn't she?) on an Italian motor-scooter have to do with today's program?
Absolutely nothing - other than the fact that I will now have to include Besame Mucho in the music line-up!
I have two versions available - an instrumental by Ray Conniff and his orchestra and a vocal arrangement by Julie London. Maybe I should include both in the three-hour show.

That will set the theme for today's session - a mixed bag of everything good from the golden years of pop music.

And don't forget that, at 2:30 PM - the new time-slot - it will be Episode 4 of  The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy, the radio serial (of Douglas Adams' book) created by the BBC in 1978.

Join me, all you Baby-boomers, for a fun afternoon!!

Program for Monday 10th. June 2013

The program today will feature a mix of all things good from the Fifties and Sixties, along with Easy Listening tracks and some comedy snippets.

The regular comedy half-hour will be included but now moves from just after the 10:00 AM news & weather to 9:30 AM - a half-hour earlier.

As mentioned on air last Friday, I will be featuring a selection of British (BBC) 1950s comedy shows in this spot on Mondays, whilst the Friday spot (now also a half-hour earlier - at 2:30 PM) will continue with the current Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy (HHGTTG) until the full series is played out. That's about 21 Fridays left to go!

So, in today's spot I will have an episode of one of the most brilliant odd-ball comedy series ever to appear on radio - or anywhere else for that matter - The Goon Show.
Today's episode, entitled The Great Statue Debate, was first broadcast on the 24th. of March 1958.
The show includes the musical interludes from Max Geldray, harmonicarist extraordinaire, and Ray Ellington and his trio.

Join me from 9:00 AM until midday for laughs and baby-boomer music!

Friday 7th. June = 7th. June 1962

Today we revisit this date in 1962 and enjoy what was in the Top Forty exactly 51 years ago.

The playlist will include the following (listed in alphabetical order by artist's first name):-

• Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
• Don't Play That Song (You Lied) - Ben E. King
• I'll Never Dance Again - Bobby Rydell
• Sharing You - Bobby Vee
• Roses Are Red - Bobby Vinton
• Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland
• Any Day Now - Chuck Jackson
• Lover Please - Clyde McPhatter
• Second-Hand Love - Connie Francis
• Uptown - the Crystals
• The Stripper - David Rose Orchestra
• Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp
• Get A Little Dirt On You Hands - the Delltones
• Lovers Who Wander - Dion
• Al Di La - Emilio Pericoli
• Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) - Ernie Maresca
• That's Old-Fashioned - the Everly Brothers
• Pailisades Park - Freddie Cannon
• (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance - Gene Pitney
• She Cried - Jay and the Americans
• Snap Your Fingers - Joe Henderson
• It Keeps Right On Hurtin' - Johnny Tillotson
• Playboy - the Marvelettes
• The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells
• The Wah-Watusi - the Orlons
• I Sold My Heart To The Junkman - Pattie Labelle
• I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles
• Theme from 'Doctor Kildare' - Richard Chamberlain
• Johnny Angel - Shelly Fabares
• Soldier Boy - the Shirelles
• Have A Good Time - Sue Thompson
• Old Rivers - Walter Brennan

Following the 3:00 PM news & weather update I will present the third episode in the series of The Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy.

Monday 3rd. June - Winter's first program!

The focus today is the 1960s, with a selection from right across that decade.
The playlist includes the following:-

• A Hard Day's Night - the Beatles (1964)
• Abraham, Martin & John - Dion & the Belmonts (1968)
• Boom Boom Baby - Crash Craddock (1960)
• Candy Girl - the Four Seasons (1963)
• Devil Woman - Marty Robbins (1962)
• Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry & the Pacemakers (1964)
• Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela (1968)
• Hey Paula - Paul & Paula (1962)
• Hey There, Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman (1969)
• Hopeless - Andy Williams (1963)
• I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield (1964)
• I Wanna Be Around - Tony Bennett (1963)
• If I Fell - the Beatles (1964)
• Juliet - the Four Pennies (1964)
• Just One Look - Doris Troy (1963)
• Kiss Me Goodbye - Petula Clark (1968)
• Linda - Jan & Dean (1963)
• Mexico - Bob Moore (1961)
• Midnight Mary - Joey Powers (1963)
• Ode To Billy Joe - the Ventures (1967)
• Rhythm Of The Rain - the Cascades (1963)
• Since I Fell For You - Lenny Welch (1963)
• Step Inside Love - Cilla Black (1968)
• Surfin' Bird - the Trashmen (1963)
• Talk To Me - Sunny & the Sunglows (1963)
• The Carnival Is Over - the Seekers (1965)
• Under The Boardwalk - the Drifters (1964)
• Winchester Cathedral - the New Vaudeville Band (1966)
• Wonderful, Wonderful - the Tymes (1963)
• You'll Never Get To Heaven - Dionne Warwick (1964)

 

Episode 2 of THHGTTG will be aired after the 10:00 news & weather update.
Grad your towel and join the gang for the continuing adventures of Arthur Dent & Ford Prefect.

Program for Friday 31st. - Back to the Fifties.

A selection of goodies from the Nineteen-Fifties is on the menu today and will include the following hits:-

• A Woman In Love - Frankie Laine (1956)
• Born Too Late - the Shannons (1958)
• Bye Bye Baby - Col Joye (1959) AUSTRALIAN
• Cannonball - Duane Eddy (1958)
• Chantilly Lace - the Big Bopper (1958)
• Ginger Bread - Frankie Avalon (1958)
• Gonna Get Along Without You Now - the Keynotes (1957) - Live, from Take It From Here.
• Happy Go Lucky Me - Paul Evans (1960)
• I See The Moon - the Stargazers (1954)
• It's All In The Game - Tommy Edwards (1954)
• Lisbon Antigua - Nelson Riddle (1956)
• Lonely Guitar - Annette Funicello (1959) Two versions of the same song.
• Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson (1958)
• Moritat - the Dick Hyman Trio (1956)
• Mountain Greenery - Max Geldray (1956) Live, from The Goon Show 11-Oct-1956.
• My Blue Heaven - Fats Domino (1956)
• My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own - Connie Francis (1960)
• Rag Mop - Lionel Hampton (1950)
• Seven Lonely Days - Georgia Gibbs (1953)
• So Tough - Johnny O'Keefe (1958) AUSTRALIAN
• Splish Splash - Bobby Darin (1958)
• Stardust - Ray Conniff (1956)
• The Big Hurt - Miss Toni Fisher (1959)
• The Twist - Chubby Checker (1960 & 1962)
• There's Only One Of You - the Four Lads (1958)
• Walkin' My Baby Back Home - Johnny Ray (1952)
• Whole Lotta Loving - Fats Domino (1958)
• Wishing For Your Love - the Voxpoppers (1958)
• You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford (1953)
• You Need Hands - Eydie Gorme (1958)
• You Are The Limit - the Delltones (1961) AUSTRALIAN

As mentioned in the last entry (for Monday 27th. May) I will be presenting the first episode in the BBC radio series, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" in the half-hour immediately following the 3:00 PM news & weather.

Grab your towels, don your PJs and dressing-gown and prepare yourself for some whacky trans-universal comedy from the pen of Douglas Adams.

Monday 27th. May - Back 50 Years to 1963

For today's show I am going back fifty years - to 1963 and a look at and listen to what was receiving airplay during the twelve months of that year.

The playlist will feature the following songs (listed alphabetically, not necessarily in playing order):-

• As Usual - Brenda Lee
• Be My Baby - the Ronettes
• Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison
• Bombora - the Atlantics (Australian)
• Come A Little Bit Closer - the Delltones (Australian)
• Danke Shoen -Wayne Newton
• Eighteen Yellow Roses - Bobby Darin
• Fifty-five Days At Peking - Rob E G (Australian)
• Hangin' Five - the Delltones (Australian)
• Hello Muddah Hello Fuddah - Allen Sherman
• Hey Little Cobra - the Rip Chords
• Hey Little Girl - Major Lance
• James Hold The Ladder Steady - Sue Thompson
• Maria Elena - Los Indios Tabajares
• Move Baby Move - Johnny O'Keefe (Australian)
• Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash
• So Much In Love - the Tymes
• Spanish Lace - Gene McDaniels
• Sugar Shack - Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs
• Surfside - Digger Revell & the Denvermen (Australian)
• Talk Back Trembling Lips - Johnny Tillotson
• Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer - Nat King Cole
• Walk Right In - the Rooftop Singers
• Washington Square - the Village Stompers
• What Will Mary Say - Johnny Mathis
• You Don't Own Me - Leslie Gore
• You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful & You're Mine - Johnny Burnette

Today I will be presenting my final Hancock's Half-hour as the comedy feature which follows the 10:00 AM news & weather.

Today's show comes from the 29th. April 1958, features the full team of Kenneth Williams, Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James and Hattie Jacques (left-to-right, above) and is entitled "The Grappling Game", in which Sid James is a wrestling promoter and Tony, Bill and Hattie attend the opening night. Kenneth Williams plays a multitude of roles, as usual!

So this will bring the Hancock's Half-hour radio presentations to a close for the time being.
Having played two per week since October 2012 I have exhausted the supply!

Therefore, starting next Friday, the 31st. May, I will present the first half-hour episode in the complete "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" radio series, as produced by the BBC in the 1990s.
Subsequent episodes will be featured in the regular Monday and Friday programs until exhausted (there are 24 episodes).

If you are a fan of the Douglas Adams books you will love this show, in which Peter Jones plays "the book".

For Friday 24th. May, back to 1964!

What a year this was - the first full year since the commenement of the "Top Forty" during which the Australian airwaves and the record stores featured more British artists than American.
The British Invasion had finally arrived and the predominantly American influence diminished almost overnight.

Today I am featuring a cross-section of artists and their songs from 1964 and the playlist will be made up of the following (listed in alphabetical order by song name):-

• A Fool Never Learns - Andy Williams
• Ain't That Good News - Sam Cooke
• All My Loving - the Beatles
• Always Something There To Remind Me - Sandie Shaw
• Baby I Love You - the Ronettes
• Bits & Pieces - the Dave Clark Five
• James Bond theme - John Barry
• Bread & Butter - the Newbeats
• Dawn (Go Away) - the Four Seasons
• Every Little Bit Hurts - Brenda Holloway
• Everybody Loves Somebody - Dean Martin
• Have I The Right - the Honeycombs
• Hawaii Tattoo - the Waikikis
• How Do You Do It - Gerry & the Pacemakers
• I Want To Love Him So Bad - the Jellybeans
• I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits
• In The Misty Moonlight - Jerry Wallace
• Juliet - the Four Pennies
• Just Like Romeo & Juliet - the Reflections
• Little Old Lady From Pasadena - Jan & Dean
• Memphis (Tennessee) - Johnny Rivers
• No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry
• Nobody I Know - Peter & Gordon
• Reet Petite - Dinah Lee
• Ringo - Lorne Green
• She Wears My Ring - Johnny O'Keefe
• She's A Mod - Ray Columbus & the Invaders
• Such A Night - Elvis Presley
• Talkin' About My Baby - the Impressions
• Tell Me Why - Bobby Vinton
• That's The Way Boys Are - Lesley Gore
• Time Is On My Side - the Rolling Stones
• White Rabbit - Peter Posa
• Willow Weep For Me - Chad & Jeremy

The Comedy Spot which follows the 3:00 PM news & weather update is another in the classic Hancock's Half-hour radio series.
Today's show comes from the 13th. January 1957 and is entitled "Almost A Gentleman".
It features the "full" cast - Tony Hancock, Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques.