George Formby

Two scratchy 78's I picked up at the boot sale today for 50p each. Not songs I've heard before I must admit . Wartime morale boosters but obviously didn't go down as well as he'd hoped - certainly not in the same class as some of his better known songs but interesting none the less.

"Musical comedian George Formby was among Britain's most popular stars during the first half of the 20th century, with a legacy encompassing over 200 records and more than 20 hit films. Born George Hoy Booth on May 26, 1904 in Lancashire, England, he was the son of George Formby, Sr., himself a popular Edwardian music hall comedian. The younger Formby first worked as an apprentice jockey, but his father's sudden death in 1921 prompted him to pursue his own career as a performer; he initially worked under his given name, but later adopted his father's nom-de-stage following his marriage to dancer Beryl Ingham, who soon took over the reins of her husband's career. Initially, Formby attempted to approximate his father's act, but with little success; the chance acquisition of a banjo ukelele proved the key to establishing his own stage persona, and in light of audiences' enthusiastic reactions to his idosyncratic, self-taught playing style, the instrument was never again far from his side.

With his toothy grin and goofy personality, Formby was dubbed "the beloved imbecile" by pundits; after earning a loyal following among music hall denizens, he scored a major pop hit with 1932's "Chinese Blues," which when renamed "Chinese Laundry Blues" became his signature song for the duration of his career. Two years later Formby made his first film, Boots! Boots!; the picture was a smash, and he swiftly contracted to make 11 more films for Ealing Studios. Over the course of movies like 1935's No Limit, 1937's Feather Your Nest and 1938's It's in the Air, he became Britain's biggest star, earning an estimated £100,000 a year; his films also continued to provide him with a wealth of saucy hit records, including "The Window Cleaner," "Fanlight Fanny," "Riding in the T.T. Races" and the Noel Gay-penned "Leaning on a Lamp Post," perhaps his most popular song."

Discover more about George Formby HERE.



George Formby - Our Fanny's Gone All Yankee

George Formby - Unconditional Surrender

George Formby - The "V" Sign Song

George Formby - The Old Cane Bottom Chair

Andy Eastwood

Found this CD " Ukulele Mania" on the ACE label (2004) in a charity shop today for a pound. Always nice to hear old George Formby songs given an airing. We saw Andy on the Ken Dodd "Happiness Show" in Llandudno a couple of years ago and he was very entertaining. I can see why he is much in demand on cruise ships and these touring "wartime" revues like "We'll Meet Again" etc. It has also been signed by Andy and dedicated to someone called Jean. The uke played on the CD is a Gibson UB3 that was once owned by George Formby himself.

His website says -

"Andy's expertise derives from experience - he entered showbusiness as a child and studied classical violin and piano. But he also developed a passion for jazz and pop and went on to make history at Oxford University by being the first musician ever to give a degree recital on the ukulele! He is now described as one of the world's foremost exponents of the instrument.
Andy traveled the world in cabaret before the legendary Ken Dodd gave him a break into theatre work and he has now performed at many of Britain's most prestigious theatres in a variety of productions, including the hit wartime revue We'll Meet Again, with which he has toured the country five times - giving over 350 performances - portraying one of his showbusiness heroes, George Formby!"

Find out more at Andy Eastwood's website.


Andy Eastwood - He Played The Ukulele As The Ship Went Down

Andy Eastwood - The Lancashire Toreodor

Andy Eastwood - With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.