Sunday, July 22, 2012

Kenneth Horne

A 10" LP I found today at a boot sale. On the Concert Hall record label from 1962. Kenneth Horne is better remembered as the amusing a genial host of radio's Round The Horne which featured Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick and Betty Marsden etc. in the 60's. Interesting to hear him here narrating this tale set to the music of Prokofiev which I always thought was tinged with a certain undefinable melancholy. One can't help thinking - any minute now Rambling Syd Rumpo will appear to spoil the mood and regale us with a Swoggler's Nadgering Song! Wikipedia says - "Kenneth Horne (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman. The son of a clergyman and politician, he combined a successful business career with regular broadcasting for the BBC. His first hit series, Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, written with his co-star Richard Murdoch, arose out of his wartime service as an officer in the Royal Air Force. Ill health forced him to choose between commerce and show business after 1958, and, choosing the latter, he made two further popular radio series, Beyond Our Ken (1958–1964) and Round the Horne (1965–1968) Charles Kenneth Horne was the seventh and youngest child of Charles Silvester Horne and his wife, the Hon. Katherine neĆ© Cozens-Hardy. Silvester Horne was a Congregationalist minister, Liberal MP for Ipswich, and powerful orator. His maternal grandfather was Herbert Cozens-Hardy, the Liberal MP for North Norfolk who became both the Master of the Rolls and Baron Cozens-Hardy on 1 July 1914. Horne was educated at a preparatory school in Shrewsbury, followed by St George's School, Harpenden and the London School of Economics. His tutors at the LSE included Hugh Dalton and Stephen Leacock. Horne was dissatisfied there, and through the generosity of an uncle, Austin Pilkington of the Pilkington glassmaking family of St Helens, he was enabled to go instead to Magdalene College, Cambridge. He represented the university at tennis, partnering Bunny Austin, but was academically undistinguished and so neglectful of his studies that he was sent down in 1927. Austin Pilkington was aggrieved at Horne's failure to make the most of the opportunity he had provided, and he decided against offering him a post in the family firm. However, through his contacts within the industry, he secured for the young Horne an interview with the Triplex Safety Glass Company at King's Norton, a district of Birmingham. Horne's sporting record commended him to the manager of the Triplex factory, and he was taken on as a management trainee on a very modest salary. In 1930, despite his unimpressive finances, he married Lady Mary Pelham-Clinton-Hope, daughter of the 8th Duke of Newcastle. The marriage was happy at first, but they were sexually incompatible. His wife left him and returned to her family home. The marriage was annulled in 1933 on the grounds of non-consummation, although the two remained on friendly terms thereafter. When Horne's first marriage was dissolved, he was sought out by a former girlfriend, Joan Burgess, daughter of a neighbour at King's Norton. Unlike his first wife, she had much in common with him, including a liking for squash, tennis and golf and for dancing. A month before her 21st birthday they were married, in September 1936." Peter & The Wolf - Side One. Peter & The Wolf - Side Two

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

No Trees In The Street

A flexidisc I found in the Oxfam shop in Crewe today. The old dear behind the counter was trying to peel the record off the card until I stopped her! She thought there was something inside. O how we laughed! It proved quite tricky to play as the corners are all turned up and even weighted with coins it still jumped about as you can hear. The object is far more exciting than the actual sound as basically it's just a audio trailer for a very dull British film of the 50's but does have a certain element of fun attached. Not bad for 29 pence.
No Trees ON The Street - Trailer

Poems & Pints

Pretty mediocre collection of poetry, sketches and songs from a pub in Rogerstone, Gwent in Wales. Probably helps if you are Welsh and slightly tipsy. The crowd here are obviously enjoying it. Based on a popular BBC TV programme from the 70's which I vaguely remember avoiding. Includes such names as Max Boyce, Mari Griffith, Neil Lewis and John Luce, Philip Madoc and Triban. Poems & Pints - Side Two.

Friday, July 06, 2012

Texas Kitty (re-up)

Jim in Basingstoke sent this cassette to me recently. Its a rare copy of a 10" LP on the Philips label from the late 50's early 60's that he was sent many years ago and he has been wanting to hear more of Texas Kitty but the internet does not tell us much. The only image I could find is of an EP. called "Texas Kitty" that was put out about the same time and contains some of the same tracks. Luckily a Dutch friend Jan managed to track down a short biography on a dutch website. Her real name was Kitty Prins. "She was born in Groningen, The Netherlands. She was not only a singer, but a professional painter as well. However her carreer in our country never really got from the ground. She was more succesfull in Vlaanderen (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium). She also had a fan-club in South Africa and she had contacts with the Country Music Assocation in the VS, where she perfromed in the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. After being seriously disappointed in The Netherland by people breaking contracts and so on, she decided to move to Vlaanderen permanently. Untill 1981 she presented a country show on Belgian radio. The last years of her life she spent painting. The website isn't clear about her birth and death date (1900-1900?)." Thanks for that Jan. Texas Kitty - Just A Bit Of Lovin'. Texas Kitty - New Mule Skinner Blues. Texas Kitty - My Sweetheart Ain't Around. Texas Kitty - Mule Train Yodel Blues. Texas Kitty - My Love For You Texas Kitty - After Dark Texas Kitty - I Don't Care Texas Kitty - My Old Grey Car