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16/08/2009

Russell celebrates the 70th anniversary of the movie release of The Wizard of Oz, takes a geographical tour in song, salutes singer Tony Bennett and champions the ukelele.

Every Sunday Russell Davies presents the history of popular song, spotlighting its greatest exponents.

The 70th Anniversary of the first screening of The Wizard Of Oz launches the show into different versions of music from the film: Harry Connick Jr (If I Only Had A Brain) and Harlen Arlen, the composer (Over The Rainbow). The film's star, Judy Garland, is also heard but in the Born In A Trunk sequence from A Star Is Born. The lyrics; "born in a trunk in The Princess Theater in Pocatello, Idaho" lead to an exploration of the vast number of strangely-named places celebrated in song, starting with Kalamazoo and Peoria and covering great tracts of the Australian outback and the American boondocks, thanks to two versions of Geoff Mack's I've Been Everywhere.

Tony Bennett having just passed his 83rd birthday, is saluted with his Waltz For Debby - a duet with jazz pianist Bill Evans, who provides the link to Lucy Reed's That's How I Love The Blues. Returning to Judy Garland, Russell relates the fate of her recording of The Trolley Song and we hear The Pied Pipers' version that ousted it.

Finally, ahead of the appearance of The Ukelele Orchestra Of Great Britain at the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Proms, we hear two champions of the 'uke' - Cliff Edwards ('Ukelele Ike') and Lyle Ritz.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 16 Aug 2009 21:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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09/08/2009

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Music Played

  • Warren Hull (Announcer)

    1939 US Radio Preview Of 'The Wizard Of Oz'

    • Maxwell House Show Devoted To β€˜Wizard Of Oz’.
    • Reflections.
    • 8101.

  • Harry Connick, Jr.

    If I Only Had A Brain

    • From Harry Connick Jr’s β€œ20” Album.
    • Columbia.
    • 462996 2.

  • Harold Arlen

    Over The Rainbow

    • β€œSt Louis Woman” & β€œHarold Arlen & His Songs”.
    • DRG.
    • 19078.

  • Judy Garland

    Born In A Trunk

    • A Star Is Born OST.
    • Columbia.
    • CK 44389.

  • Dolores Gray

    I Know Your Kind

    • 1959 Broadway Cast β€œDestry Rides Again”.
    • US Decca.
    • 008811157326.

  • Glenn Miller Orchestra

    I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo

    • Glenn Miller – Moonlight Serenade.
    • Past Perfect.
    • PPCD 78116.

  • Hank Snow

    I've Been Everywhere

    • The Essential Hank Snow.
    • RCA Nashville.
    • 66931.

  • Lucky Starr

    I've Been Everywhere

    • The 60s: A Decade Of Classic Australian Hits.
    • Festival.
    • D 25369.

  • Lu Watters & His Yerba Buena Jazz Band

    I Wish I Was In Peoria

    • Doing The Hambone At Kelly’s Volume 2.
    • Jasmine.
    • JASMCD 2590.

  • Tony Bennett With Bill Evans (Piano)

    Waltz For Debby

    • The Complete Tony Bennett-Bill Evans Recordings.
    • Fantasy.
    • 0888072312814.

  • Lucy Reed

    That's How I Love The Blues

    • The Singing Reed – Lucy Reed With Bill Evans.
    • Fantasy.
    • OJCCD-1777-2.

  • The Pied Pipers With Jo Stafford

    The Trolley Song

    • The Pied Pipers – Collectors Series.
    • Capitol.
    • CDP 7 95289-2.

  • Ukelele Ike With The Eton Boys

    One Little Kiss

    • With My Little Ukelele In My Hand.
    • Proper.
    • P 1658.

  • Rebecca Kilgore & Lyle Ritz

    Happy Talk

    • Becky & Lyle Bossa Style.
    • PDX Uke.
    • #91829.

Broadcast

  • Sun 16 Aug 2009 21:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2