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Desmond Carrington

 
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:55 pm    Post subject: Desmond Carrington Reply with quote

There was quite a bit of complaint from Desmond's fans when his show was moved from Sunday (23 years!) to Tuesday at 7.00pm (7 Sept 2004).

I was part of that complaint at the time but I did have feelings at the time that much of Sunday was becoming 'samey' and the playlists of Desmond, Russel D, Ed Stewart, Sheridan Morley were often similar and I could never listen to them all, it was too much even though they played my favourite music much of the time.

I think now that Desmond has settled in well on the Tueday evening slot, no idea if he has as many listeners at that time but for me the show has improved, 1 hour is just a good enough time for him to feature his usual breadth of music genres and to put in a feature too, and now I rarely miss Desmond.


Was it a good move?


John W
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gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was a good move. It is always better to want more. I think he should do 2 one hours shows per week personally (Tuesday & Friday would work if FNIMN start time was pushed back to 8 whivh would still give it 90 minutes solid if the interval & book programme were taken out).

When he was on Sundays the show dragged a bit and yes his show got lost in the mix between Parky & Russell Davis who are doing not entirely dissimilar types of show music wise.

One thing though, its not true that he never repeats the music he plays. I've listened over a few years and heard several things twice or thrice. If he does have as big a record library as the BBC, then why does he repeat tracks?
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MIKERAPHONE



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: Bury..home of the World famous Black Pudding!!

PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't see Desmond having the same amount of records as the BBC Gramophone Library.
I think they have in the BBC over 2 million vinyl records from all over the world.
I think Desmond has a large and varied collection but not to the same extent.
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Scott Nelson
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Replace him with Alan Titchmarsh, thus resurrecting "All Time Greats" on Tuesday evenings at 7pm.
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mark occomore



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[img]


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Scott Nelson
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That picture is over 6 months old...
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iwarburton



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 2133
Location: Northumberland

PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

gfloyd wrote:
One thing though, its not true that he never repeats the music he plays. I've listened over a few years and heard several things twice or thrice. If he does have as big a record library as the BBC, then why does he repeat tracks?


Why shouldn't tracks be repeated occasionally?

Ian.
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gfloyd



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iwarburton wrote:
Why shouldn't tracks be repeated occasionally?

Ian.


It just seems a shame that if he has that many records, he plays a few of the same tunes quite frequently.
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Scott Nelson
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From what you told me Ernie, old Carriage Clock moans more than a woman in Soho... Rolling Eyes

"Please don't throw us old ones out with the bathwater."

I don't think Lesley Douglas gives a stuff, mate.
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John W



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember Malcolm Laycock telling me that Lesley does not consult directly with presenters, well, except the ones that she appointed, so if Desmond can't moan AT her then he can jolly well moan about her Wink

John W
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Scott Nelson
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From what Ernie has said about Desmond Carrington in the past, the guy is turning into Victor Meldrew! Shocked He's always making swipes at the Radio 2 (mis)management. Maybe he's still pissed off he was moved to Tuesday nights and misses EastEnders?
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gfloyd



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott Nelson wrote:
He's always making swipes at the Radio 2 (mis)management. Maybe he's still pissed off he was moved to Tuesday nights and misses EastEnders?


Iwouldn't say "always", but he does have a tendency to get a bit melancholy at times IMHO. Maybe that's what old age does to some people.
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John W



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

>>Maybe that's what old age does to some people.<<

Well Scott is already moaning more than most, so I don't think Scott will live as long Laughing
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Scott Nelson
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey John! I'm 28 going on 82! Laughing Laughing
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Lord Evan Elpuss



Joined: 10 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone who can fit Moody Blues I'm Just A Singer In A Rock'n'Roll Band or Emerson Lake & Palmer's Hoedown or even Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell in with the older stuff is OK with me. Keep on surprising me Des!
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Ella Sailyour



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
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Location: Marbella, Spain

PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not normally attracted to Desmond C. (not because I have anything against him, it's just a question of domestic activity precluding it) but I have to say that I do catch his show on occasions and I really like his relaxed style. I know it's a deeply unfashionable "cardigan and carpet-slippers" style but I find it rather endearing. The other night I actually switched from The Rolling Stones' "Let It Bleed" (one of their very best albums, imho) to Des C. on the radio, intentionally! It was well worth it. His breadth of musical knowledge is impressive to say the least.

Ella
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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fantastic show tonight Desmond (12 Dec)

I rather like the 'Two Aleds' version of Snowman, and I saw the video 'they' made on TV yesterday.

And what a fabulous playing of an original Gershwin pianola freshly remastered, 'That Certain Party' from 1926. Did Desmond imply that Gershwin didn't make actual records, 78rpm, in those days? Well Gershwin certainly did make records too, I have a few including his recording of Rhapsody in Blue.

What a show! 'Frank Lloyd Wright' haven't heard that in years, and now a great Beatles song 'Fixin A Hole'.

Thanks Des,


John W


Last edited by John W on Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Ella Sailyour



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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An eclectic mix, as usual.

Ella
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iwarburton



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great show last night, as usual. Mrs W and I have heard the Hoffnung Bricklayer talk scores of times but it never fails to make us laugh. Back in about 1963, no less than Noel Coward picked Bernard Cribbins' Hole in the Ground as one of his Desert Island Discs, calling it brilliant. Look foward to DC's Christmas selection next week.

Ian.
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John W



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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Ian,

Yes, the Hoffnung Bricklayer story is excellent, and I know it has been used in Health & Safety training courses for a laugh, but also as an exercise:

'Take notes from this witness statement, list the injuries and sketch the final incident area. Discuss the root cause of this accident.'

Laughing


John W
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John W



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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ella,

>>I still don't think DC is "dreary", however! Just my humble opinion.

I think Desmond is great but he must come across as dreary or cheerless with his frequent comments along the lines of 'things ain't wot they used to be' mentality.

Last night he was lamenting the fact that radio shows will rarely broadcast a lot of English music hall material which refers to nicknames for people with darker skin. He's not promoting the return of racist lyrics or whatever but just commenting that those songs were part of the musical history and you'll only get a chance to hear them on 'history shows'.

Personally, I have to say what were known as 'c00n songs' really have no place today in the daytime shows today and should only be heard on 'history' shows like Desmond's, Laycock's and Humph's. Like Desmond I have numerous examples on 78's.

Those songs disappeared from the British repertoire around 1932 or so when the music industry realised the contribution being made to music by the likes of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong who both came over to UK on tour about that time and whose jazz records were selling well.


John W
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mark occomore



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh I like that...


[img][/img]
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Clive55



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nothing wrong with repeating tracks. Sometimes a track gets better on repeated listening.
Sadly, I usually forget to tune in on a tuesday evening. When I do, I enjoy his shows Very Happy
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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

I enjoyed Desmon's show tonight (30 Jan) which featured only works by George and Ira Gershwin, and featured a very wide range of artistes from George Gershwin himself to Stanley Black to Jessye Norman etc.

At the end Desmond asked people to write in to say whether or not they liked this idea of featuring just one composer or team of composers. Well personally I think this would begin to make Desmond's show too much like Russell Davies' Sunday Night show 'Art of the Songwriter', so I'm going to write to Desmond and point out that Dave Barber cited 'overlap' as one excuse for axing Your 100 Best Tunes Confused

John W
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John W



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PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I wrote to Desmond saying it was a great show but that I was concerned about it becoming to much like Russell Davies' show and risking the axe.

Producer Dave Aylott wrote back to say:

Quote:
Thank you for your message to Desmond Carrington and for your feedback. Your comment is a wise one, although I suspect the excuse for axing "Your Hundred Best Tunes" was merely an excuse.

We wouldn't want to tread on Russell's toes, particularly as his producer used to produce "All Time Greats" and we still share all sorts of musical discoveries with each other.

The "Gershwin Night" created a very positive response and I think we shall repeat the exercise with other songwriters in the future, but with discretion and only as an occasional "special" . However, it is great fun to see how different artistes interpret a song - although the comparison when selecting tracks does show up some of our more recent 'weaker' celebrities.

With best wishes,
Dave Aylott
(Producer, The Music Goes 'Round)

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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Superlative show tonight. Enjoyed singing along to Run Rabbit Run and the Elusive Butterfly but for me the highlight was the first movement from Luigini's Ballet Egyptien. How did this get past the light music censor? I haven't heard this once-very-popular piece on the radio for many a year but have the suite, including this movement, on an old LP. The four movements of the suite are a delight from first note to last.

Ian.
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iwarburton



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After posting my message yesterday evening I couldn't resist digging out my old LP of Ballet Egyptien and having a listen--light classical music at its very best!

Ian.
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John W



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ian,

Well it was the first time I'd heard the proper Ballet Egyptien. I'm very fond of some of these pseudo-oriental or pseudo-middle-east tunes. Mr Ketelbey did a couple too Smile

Of course I do remember Wilson, Kepple & Betty or impersonators of them doing the sand dance on the old London Palladium Shows or on the Good Old Days.

Enjoyed the vocal version as well from Richard Murdoch, from a Much Binding In The March show, that stuff would be so much fun to hear on R2 again, but how much has survived?

John W
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