This really is it folks! Episode 100, final and last Forgotten Songs from the Broom Cupboard podcast. No Sinatra type returns this time. Hope you enjoy this 90 minute trawl through some old favourites. I'm not abandoning the cause and will be using 78rpm records for a couple of drama type projects. Link below to one. The Brownbread Tapes. He's a man who just might have a bit of a dodgy occupation. Twelve episodes in all, done to various 78 records. Short and hopefully sweet....

We open with the madness of Irish Mambo from Alma Cogan. The two sides of Nat King Cole. First, pared back with his trio- Nat on piano, Oscar Moore guitar and Bob Miller drums. They give us- I'm lost. Then rich, orchestrated Nat with the Four Knights giving vocal backing- That's all there is to that. Great title. Perry Como with 'Look out your window (Thats me standing in the rain.) Always check the weather forecast before attempting this! Then Catch a falling star. Based on a melody by...

Hardly forgotten but Frankie Laine certainly doesn't get the credit he deserve in the history of pop. An astonishing 75 year career. Singer, songwriter and actor.  A big powerful voice that succeeded in all genres of music he tackled. Acknowledged as precursor to rock and roll. He happened to be a great guy too. Here he gives us- Some day, Love is such a cheat, The little boy and the old man( duet with Jimmy Boyd.) Your cheatin' heart and, of course, Blowing wild. Eartha Kitt starts us off...

Goodbye 2022. A shorter than normal episode to mark the end of the year. Its party time, Its Scottish dance and song with a wee bit of help from across the pond. We start with Sir Harry Lauder and I love a Lassie. He was the first million record selling British artist. Fats Waller with You asked for it, you got it, Duke Ellington- It dont mean a thing( If it ain't got that swing.) Primo Scala- Grinzing. These are the fellas you want at a party to entertain. The Scottish Dance Orchestra-...

Frankie Vaughan seemed to be constantly present on British Television in 1960s. Mr Moonlight they called him. He had a big voice and a big stage presence, top hat, bow tie and tails. He had many hits during the 1950s and had a brief career in Holywood. Most notably opposite Marilyn Monroe in Lets make Love. Here he gives us The Green door. Lita Rosa- Hernando's Hideaway. Rosa started her stage career at the age of 12. At 24 she was lead female singer with Ted Heath. A strong voice which...

Two Harrys to start us off. Parry- Trust and Parry and James with Memphis Blues. Henry Allen and his Orchestra- Dinah Lou. Allen was one of the major trumpeters of the Swing era and played with King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong. Count Basie and his Kansas City seven- Lester Leaps in. Lester Young being the Lester. The group released six versions of the song between 1939- 1948. Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers- Stormy Jones, Mugsy Spanier and his...

Stan Freberg starts us off with his version of The Banana Boat song.. 'too loud man.' Freberg was a comedian, musician, puppeteer, advertising creative director but, above all, satirist. Check out his version of John and Marsha. We have a bit of a British Dance Band fest- Geraldo- That lovcely weekend, vocals Dorothy Carless, Ernie Goldin- Making Whoopie, Roy Fox and his band- You Rascal You( vocals Nat Gonella, possibly Al Bowlly) Georgia on my mind, Nat Gonella and his Georgians- Georgia's...

Back after a three month break. What better way to start than with Bob Skyles and his Skyrockets with I'm gonna die with a broken heart. Three from the hugely popular Inkspots- Everyone is saying hello again, Thoughtless and one of their big hit Java Jive.  Just one of their records alone, If I didn't care, sold 19 million copies. Their style rarely changed but they were ground breakers. They sold well to both black and white audiences. Ted Heath and his music with Walking Shoes. Two...

Some comedy on budget record labels. Last chance plays for some, as they are a little ropey. We start with a right cheery number from comedian Bobby Comber- La-di-da-di-da. A popular entertainer through the 20s and 30s. I can find little about his history online. Plenty of history about Sandy Powell. Here he gives us Sandy the Doctor. Next Harry Leader and his Orchestra- Little man you've had a busy day(1934). Leader was a prolific band leader who operated under many different names and had a...

A couple of cheery and cheeky wartime songs. George Formby with Ukelele Man. Not nearly enough ukelele playing on it quite frankly. Next Dave Willis with ARP( Air raid patrol.) More commonly known as My Wee Gas Mask. Probably the best known Scottish song from WW2. Joe Corrie was a Fife coal miner, poet and playright. His style was naturalistic and his subject matter the working class. He was pretty much ignored by the Scottish theatre establishment of the time. Here we have The shilling a...

In episode 91 we look at black artists who came to Britain from the 1920s to 1950s. Well the exception is Joe Deniz who was born in Cardiff. We start with Leslie(Hutch) Hutchinson. Born in Grenada in 1900 he arrived in England in the late 20s, via a stint in the U.S. He rapidly become the darling of high society with a refined, well mannered voice and piano. He made many records and appearence through the 1930s and 40s. His personal life was, well lets' say, lively. He had seven children by...

Authentic cowboys, well sort of, start us off. Mac McClintock left home to join the circus. Between that, and becoming a singer, actor, composer and poet, he did a whole stream of incredible jobs. Railroading in Africa, Mule train in Philipines and news gatherer in China. He was a devoted union man and wrote Hallelujah I'm a bum and Big rock candy mountain. Here he gives us The old Chisholm trail. Jules Allen sings Zebra dun. He probably was a real life cowboy at one time, driving cattle from...

A good deal of Western Swing,  some early country and a wee bit of blues. Have to give I haven't got a pot to cook(1936)  another airing. Naughtiness from The Sweet Violet Boys. Jimmie Revard and his Oklahoma Playboys- Ride 'em Cowboy(1936). A Bob Wills song. My only Bob Skyles and his Skyrockets trabk on vinyl next- The Rhythm King. Milton Brown and his Brownies- Yes sir(1936). Chicken Reel Stomp(1937)-The Tune Wranglers. The also performed as Tono Hombres and sang in Spanish. Wonderful...

We open with Maurice Rocco- Rocco's Booogie Woogie and Tonky blues. An Australian Pressing on Decca, 1940. Never released in Britain. Rocco played piano standing up. Way before Jerry lee Lewis. Succesful during the 40s his star began to wane in the 1950s. A great shame, as what a performer and composer he was. He was murdered in Thailand in 1976. Big Joe Turner(vocals) and Pete Johnson(piano)- Roll 'em Pete and Going away blues. Roll 'em Pete is regarded as one of the most important precursor...

All part of my campaign to make the Welsh born band leader of the 1940s and 50s more well known. Twelve tracks fresh in and out the crate. Well wooden box. Big thanks to Rod Boyd for the donation. First up- Oceans and Notions. Harry Parry Trio. Joe Deniz- guitar, Tom Bromley- bass, Roy Marsh- Vibraphone. Composed by Marsh. Harry Parry Sextet- Sweet Georgia Brown, My Blue Heaven, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Blue Lou, Java Joint, Doggin' around, Rose room. Travelling Blues- vocals Johnny Green....

A rousing start from Winifred Atwell with Cross hands boogie. Nellie Lutcher- Hurry on down. A wee bit naughty. She's a rather neglected R&B jazz singer and composer. Ruby Wright, the daughter of country singer Kitty Wells, with Boy you got yourself a girl. Jeri Southern- Call me tonight. A torch singer whose career sadly faded in the late 50s. Giselle McKenzie- Seven lonely days. Canadian born, popular in US T.V and musical theatre. Bill Perry's Entertainers from 1927 on a rare Puritan...

The fantastic voice of Kay Starr starts us off with: Rock and Roll Waltz(1954), Changing Partners(1954) and Wabash Cannon Ball(1948). The Three Kays with The Cuckoo. A popular English group in the 1950s. Cuckoo is probably a description of a lot of the rest of the content of the show. Albert Burdon with Albert before the means test(1931). I do quite like it. There are genuine gags and its quite subversive. The Street Singer with Trouble in paradise. Arthur Tracey was born Abba Avrom...

We start with two firm favourites. Frankie Froba- Love song in 32 bars and Teresa Brewer- Wang, Wang Blues. Then we go west- sort of! Bradley Kincaid with The Miners Song. Two cowboy songs. A traditional sentimental tale from Peg Morland with Cowboy Jack. Morland lost half a leg in an accident while working as a railway brakeman. A completely different cowboy from Leo Fuchs, a Yiddisha one. I love the flitting between English and Yiddish. I'm sure there are many 'in jokes' going on. The Sweet...

An old favourite to start us off- Frankie and Johnny. The best version, from Jimmie Rodgers. Then another variation of the Unfortunate Rake, an 18th century Anglo- Irish folk song. Here we have Bright Summer Morning from The Virgin Islands. Recorded in 1953, Viola Penn sings and plays guitar. He's back, Milton Brown and his Brownies- Fan it! and Goofus. Moondog with two tracks. An extraordinary artist and performer and composer. Genre defying. He performed on the streets of New York from the...

Harry Parry was born in north Wales in 1912. He trained to be a musical instrument maker but the performance side took over and he moved to London to play in big bands, including Percival Mackey's. He established his own six piece band and was asked by the BBC to lead the band for their Radio Rythmn Club show. He was popular throughout the 1940s and into the 50s. He died at the age of 44 in 1956.  His music was fun, with a real swing and he brought interesting vocalists and musicians to...

Milton Brown and his Brownies- Down by the Ohio(1935) What an extraordinary voice Brown had. A pioneer of Western swing his career was tragically cut short when he died of injuries sustained in a car crash in 1936. Bob Skyles and the skyrockets- Swing it Mr drummer man(1938). Clifford kendrick on drums. Hoosiers Hot shots- Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia. Seemlessly moving into two tracks from the fabulously named Hell broke out in Georgia LP.  First, more great names, Gid Tanner and his...

Up until now the Forgotten Songs ethos has been to show case forgotten songs and artists from all genres. It's been a real journey of discovery. I've been surprised by how much good music has been neglected. From this episode though I'm focusing on the choice of music. We will concentrate on Americana and American roots. Early folk, country, blues, jazz, boogie woogie, blue grass and, of course, western swing. This is our introduction. Jelly Roll Morton- Oh didn't he ramble. 1939. Sidney...

We're back after a six month break. Less chat, more music this time round. We start with a very laid back Louis Armstrong and his version of Blueberry Hill. Billie Anthony was born Philomena McGeachie Levy in Glasgow in 1932. Here she sings her biggest hit, This Ole House. There were a few covers of this record in the British charts. Rosemary Clooney made no1 but Billie Anthony made no4. She had a great voice and it's surprising that her career had just petered out by 1960.  Tony Martin stirs...

Alma Cogan- Lizzie Borden, Eartha Kitt- C'est Si Bon, Mel Torme- Mpoutain Greenery, Tennesse Ernie Ford- Sixteen tons, George D'Albert - Your own Street, Bob Skyles and his Sky Rockets- My darling Texas Cowgirl, Lets play love, I'm gonna die with a broken heart, Carl Weismann and his singing dogs, Lonnie Donegan- When the sun goes down, Hal McIntyre- South Bayou shuffle, Harry Parry -Softly as in morning sunsrise, Lonesome Road- Mugsy Spanier, Nat King Cole- My Flaming Heart. Thanks for...