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TTK's Happy Housewife Music Thread


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In fifties Britain, this sort of stuff was always called 'light music'. I think it meant 'light classical music'. It was the main musical fare on the BBC, as I recollect. Leroy Anderson was a great favourite on the BBC. They always used to announce the tunes adding, 'by Leroy Anderson', as if it were impossible for an American to write such stuff. (I always thought he was black, until I got a computer and could look things up occasionally.)

MG

There's been quite and industry collecting these sort of things onto albums over the last couple of decades. This is the first of a series on Hyperion:

613EwnUaU1L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Lots of things you half-recall (well, you might actually recall!) from radio and TV theme tunes.

The one that always throws me back into a Kenneth More world is:

http://youtu.be/XczVq3ZS5gs

I think this set uses the original recordings:

41FBDVPHZGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Oh I remember Coronation Scot - I heard it so much when I was a kid, I'm not sure if it was used as a theme for a radio programme.

MG

I like how Happy Housewifes had the Happy Babies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swm5vPZrl9c

That tune is so familiar to me but DEFINITELY not in that context. What's it called?

MG

Is jazz dead? Can't believe we are discussing this stuff ! :g

Quite right! We should all be listening to BFT105!

MG

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That tune is so familiar to me but DEFINITELY not in that context. What's it called?

"Puffin' Billy" by Edgar White

From

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcmp7kGAKmM

"This is "Puffin' Billy" by the Melodi Light Orchestra, composed by Edward White, it was used for the BBCs Childrens Favourites radio programme.

Children's Favourites was a BBC Radio programme, which ran from 1954 to 1967 broadcast on the Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9:00. The programme played requests from children of all ages.

Ring a bell, perhaps?

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That tune is so familiar to me but DEFINITELY not in that context. What's it called?

"Puffin' Billy" by Edgar White

From

https://www.youtube....h?v=Fcmp7kGAKmM

"This is "Puffin' Billy" by the Melodi Light Orchestra, composed by Edward White, it was used for the BBCs Childrens Favourites radio programme.

Children's Favourites was a BBC Radio programme, which ran from 1954 to 1967 broadcast on the Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9:00. The programme played requests from children of all ages.

Ring a bell, perhaps?

That was the association I made, but didn't believe :)

Thanks Jim.

MG

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May I offer up this delectable morsel to put you all to sleep this Sunday..

We used to listen to the shipping forecast a lot, but I don't recall any theme music.

Now listening to this

ossie_wonderful1.jpg

and it occurred to me that there is a sub-genre of Jamaican lounge reggae, which fits exactly (as the Scott sleeve shows).

Here's a bit of Ossie from you-tube

MG

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In fifties Britain, this sort of stuff was always called 'light music'. I think it meant 'light classical music'. It was the main musical fare on the BBC, as I recollect. Leroy Anderson was a great favourite on the BBC. They always used to announce the tunes adding, 'by Leroy Anderson', as if it were impossible for an American to write such stuff. (I always thought he was black, until I got a computer and could look things up occasionally.)

MG

Ah, yes! brings this to mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleigh_Ride

Shorty Rogers' roarin' big band number "Saturnian Sleigh Ride", written during his "Martians " period, is clearly a tongue-in-cheek response to Anderson's sort of music.

Incidentally, this thread's title reminds me that Brits who can remember this are clearly showing their age!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housewives'_Choice

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Ah yes, I only used to hear Housewives' Choice duringthe school holidays.

Interesting that the theme was written by the guy who wrote 'These foolish things' and 'A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Strachey

The theme itself fits the thread to perfection.

MG

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  • 8 years later...
  • 11 months later...
  • 1 month later...
10 hours ago, JSngry said:

Today's Housewives are Happy because they can stream Ask This Old House 24-7 on Roku Live TV Channel 456 and hear this as filler music for when the commercials don't come out evev (sometimes 90 seconds +!!!)

Thanks for this!  Never heard of Montague Ewing! (Though I've heard of Montague Terrace in Blue).

 

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