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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
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 Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:58 pm Post subject: His Master's Voice. |
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Saturday Drama from Radio 4
Archie Andrews might have brought laughter to millions of his fans but he didn't bring much laughter to the home of his owner....
A good listen ...I enjoyed this.
Rob Brydon is ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews in a new play that tells the true story behind one of the most successful radio shows of all time. With Fenella Woolgar as Peggy Brough.
The 1950s BBC Radio show Educating Archie - with 16 million listeners - catapulted the ventriloquist Peter Brough from suburban obscurity to the heights of high society. The Royal Family were fans. His show introduced the world to Eric Sykes (writer), Tony Hancock (Archie's Tutor), Max Bygraves (another tutor) and Julie Andrews (Archie's girlfriend).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04c9gsl |
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FleetingEileenM
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 5767
Location: Hampshire
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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| I made a mental note of this programme when I saw it in the RT but was out this pm. I will iPlayer it asap. Thanks Becky, I always listened to Educating Archie when I was a child and I remember having an Archie "head" with a button underneath which opened his mouth when I pressed it and moved his eyes from side to side when I twisted it. Long gone and probably worth a fortune now. |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
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Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Whenever I see or hear the name 'His Master's Voice' I can't help thinking of Wednesday nights down a venue called the 'Cherry Tree' in Runcorn in the early eighties when they used to have a superb local rock band playing called 'Export' whose frontman Harry Shaw later went on to greater things with Uriah Heep
Export had a recording contract with a small independent label called 'His Master's Vice' 
As for Educating Archie - a bit before my time - but a great classic series although I'm not sure it's always wise to attempt to replicate something which was clearly a national institution in its day 
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Colin
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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| ruddlescat wrote: | | Whenever I see or hear the name 'His Master's Voice' I can't help thinking of Wednesday nights down a venue called the 'Cherry Tree' in Runcorn in the early eighties when they used to have a superb local rock band playing called 'Export' whose frontman Harry Shaw later went on to greater things with Uriah Heep |
In the 1980s? I saw Heep several times in the 70s but didn't know that they survived to see in the 80s. |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Colin wrote: | | ruddlescat wrote: | | Whenever I see or hear the name 'His Master's Voice' I can't help thinking of Wednesday nights down a venue called the 'Cherry Tree' in Runcorn in the early eighties when they used to have a superb local rock band playing called 'Export' whose frontman Harry Shaw later went on to greater things with Uriah Heep |
In the 1980s? I saw Heep several times in the 70s but didn't know that they survived to see in the 80s. |
They are still going Colin and they play regular gigs and have recently been on tour with Midge Ure and a number of other well known artists
If you're very quick you can catch Mick Box their guitarist on Sounds of the Seventies last Sunday - I saw them at Buckley Tivoli back in February
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Colin
Joined: 26 Sep 2013
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:03 am Post subject: |
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| How funny - I was thinking of Uriah Heep's album "Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble" (1970) which a friend used to play continuously at the time of its release. And blow me if Pat Edison hasn't just played "I'll keep on trying" from the very same album on Radio Caroline (Sunday lunchtime). |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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That's telepathy for you Colin 
As I said in a post on another thread Heep are currently getting much more radio play than they did when they were at their peak in the mid seventies
In the last week I've heard the track 'Gypsy' opening track from the very album which you mention and 'Look At Yourself' being the title track from their third album both played on Planet Rock and as I mentioned Johnnie Walker did a feature last Sunday and played a very obscure acoustic track called 'The Easy Road' from the album Wonderworld
Heep is an excellent band especially live and it's just such a shame there wasn't this amount of coverage forty years ago when all music pundits used to slag them off saying that they played 'repetitive riff music'  Boll--ks
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| FleetingEileenM wrote: | | I made a mental note of this programme when I saw it in the RT but was out this pm. I will iPlayer it asap. Thanks Becky, I always listened to Educating Archie when I was a child and I remember having an Archie "head" with a button underneath which opened his mouth when I pressed it and moved his eyes from side to side when I twisted it. Long gone and probably worth a fortune now. |
I hope you enjoy it,Eileen.
Pity you didn't keep the 'head',could well be worth a bit these days. Hopefully not giving too much away but listening to the play I was surprised at the amount of merchandise that came off the back of Archie's success.Your 'head' would have been just one line but a lot more more durable than others, hence my thinking it could be worth a bit now.
I didn't hear them at the time of their success but their names were so famous they were spoken of long after their fame had waned. | ruddlescat wrote: |
As for Educating Archie - a bit before my time - but a great classic series although I'm not sure it's always wise to attempt to replicate something which was clearly a national institution in its day |
It's not a copy of their act,ruddles, if that's what you mean. It's a drama, telling of a period in the life of ventriloquist Peter Brough when his act with his dummy had repercussions in his private life. |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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I take your point Becky and I know it's not the same situation as for example when old shows are revived with new presenters but I can't see the point of it as a drama - if it was a documentary yes but a drama no
Why not just tart up the original recordings - that's a technical term by the way - and let a modern audience including the likes of me have the chance of enjoying a slice of classic radio when Auntie Beeb was at her very best
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| ruddlescat wrote: | | I take your point Becky and I know it's not the same situation as for example when old shows are revived with new presenters but I can't see the point of it as a drama - if it was a documentary yes but a drama no |
Each to their own,ruddles - I have listened to many dramas on Radio 4 about real people and have thoroughly enjoyed them all - in fact I look out for them. Rob Bryden was excellent,I thought, as Peter Brough.
There was one on a while ago about Beryl Burton (with Maxine Peake) the cyclist which has since transferred to the stage.
| ruddlescat wrote: | | Why not just tart up the original recordings - that's a technical term by the way - and let a modern audience including the likes of me have the chance of enjoying a slice of classic radio when Auntie Beeb was at her very best |
I wouldn't be surprised if there were such recordings on Radio 4 Extra if that's what you would like ...they have very old programmes on there. Jimmy Clitheroe recordings etc |
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ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
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Location: Near Chester
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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I've never even heard of Radio Four Extra Becky so many thanks for that and I'll have a look at it
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becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ruddlescat wrote: | | I've never even heard of Radio Four Extra Becky so many thanks for that and I'll have a look at it |
You haven't? 
I hope you find programmes to your liking on there. |
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