Whilst I'm in the mood for uploadling these old 78's I might as well include this oddity which I've had for 30 years or more. It's a BBC soundtrack disc made of metal with a plastic coating. It plays at 78 and is very scratched so apologies for the crackles and pops. The handwritten label suggests it was made for inclusion in the radio series "Journey Into Space" that was popular in the 50's but why this song? I have another version of "When It's Night Time In Italy , It's Wednesday Over Here" by the Everly Brothers. Bing Crosby apparently recorded a version but I've never heard it. I assume its an old music hall song. I will delve further into the internet and see what I find.
You can find the full lyrics to the song HERE.
You Tube link to a Billy Jones version of this song HERE.
Radiophonic Workshop - When It's Night Time In Italy, It's Wednesday Over Here"
Radiophonic Workshop - When It's Night Time In Italy - Track 2
What you have there, my friend, is unique, a true one of a kind.
ReplyDeleteFrom just after the war until the late 1950's, the BBC used lathe-cuts instead of tape for studio material, partly because tape machines were still large, cumbersome and expensive, but also for legacy reasons -- the Beeb was alread full of record players.
I am certain that if you were to contact BBC House in London, ask for the head of archives, and explain what you've discovered, they would be very interested in re-imbursing you for return :)
Well, I don't think there's much of a Radiophonic connection here, but it's amusing all the same. The recording was made in studio 2 at Piccadilly in London, where the BBC had studios for several years. As 'anonymous' has mentioned, acetate recordings such as these were very common in the BBC. The corporation threw out discs like this by the skip-load in the late 80s.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right Ray. The other BBC acetate disc I have is more likely to have been made at the Radiophonic Workshop being all mostly sci-fi noises and rocket taking off etc. I prefer this disc though.
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