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01/05/2011

Russell celebrates the 'most popular point in the musical calendar'. He plays recordings by Frank Crumit, The King's Singers, Joan Regan and more.

On the first of May, Russell celebrates the "most popular point in the musical calendar". Opening with perhaps its most famous use - Rodgers and Hart's Mountain Greenery - he reveals there's more to the song than we usually hear, proving it with a snatch of Frank Crumit's 1926 recording.

A much earlier celebration of the date - 400 years earlier in fact - is provided by The King's Singers version of Thomas Morley's Now Is the Month of Maying, which Russell follows with an updated (by Arthur Young) of Shakespeare's It Was a Lover and His Lass.

More recent markings of this date come from Teddi King's The Wine of May and an off-cut from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - The Queen of May. But, as Russell points out, the word 'may' has other connotations and, as something of a grammarian, he takes a moment to rail against the misuse of the word, giving him an excuse to play the Mills Brothers' version of I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful and Joan Regan's May You Always.

First of May recordings by Sinatra are numerous: Russell selects Maybe You'll Be There from 1957. A new release by Tina May prompts the story of Poor People of Paris before another anniversary - that of the 1951 Festival of Britain - provides the stage for Noel Coward's Don't Make Fun of the Fair.

After revealing that Louis Prima is the singer behind a recent commercial music-bed (Enjoy Yourself) and answering a listener's complaint that he'd missed Johnny Green's name from an earlier programme (he plays another Green song - You and Your Love) Russell concludes with a mention of two current artists he'll be meeting: Jamie Cullum and Daryl Sherman - and we hear both of them.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 1 May 2011 21:00

Music Played

  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Mountain Greenery

    Ella Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook

    • Verve.
    • MGV-4002-2.
  • Frank Crumit

    Mountain Greenery [Excerpt]

    鈥淔rank Crumit, The Gay Caballero鈥 [1925-1935]

    • Living Era.
    • CD AJA 5457.
  • The King鈥檚 Singers

    Now Is The Month Of Maying

    The King鈥檚 Singers Madrigal History Tour

    • EMI.
    • CDM 7 69837 2.
  • Al Bowlly & The Henderson Twins

    It Was A Lover And His Lass

    鈥淎l Bowlly鈥 25 TK Album From 1932 - 1940

    • EMI 100.
    • 7243 8 56917 2 0.
  • Teddi King

    The Wine Of May

    鈥淭eddi King 鈥 Lovers & Losers鈥 W. Loonis Mcglohon

    • Audiophile.
    • ACD 117.
  • Stanley Donen

    Queen Of The May

    鈥淪even Brides For Seven Brothers鈥 Original Soundtrack

    • Turner Classic Movies.
    • 7243 8 53047 2 9.
  • The Mills Brothers & The Count Basie Orchestra

    I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful

    鈥淏oard Of Directors鈥 & 鈥淎nnual Report鈥 Mills Bros

    • MCA.
    • MCLD 19366.
  • Joan Regan

    May You Always

    鈥5 Fabulous Females 鈥 Lita Roza, Ruby Murray & Co鈥

    • Vocalion.
    • CDLK 4148.
  • Frank Sinatra

    Maybe You'll Be There

    鈥淔rank Sinatra 鈥 Where Are You?鈥

    • Capitol.
    • CDP 7 91209 2.
  • Tina May

    La Goualante Du Pauvre Jean

    鈥淭ina May Sings Piaf 鈥 Celebrating A Legend鈥

    • 33 Records.
    • 33JAZZ221.
  • No毛l Coward

    Don't Make Fun Of The Festival

    鈥淣oel Coward Complete Recordings Vol 4 [1944-51]鈥

    • Naxos Nostalgia.
    • 8.120721.
  • Louis Prima

    Enjoy Yourself [It's Later Than You Think]

    Louis Prima Featuring Keely Smith 鈥楯ust A Gigolo鈥

    • Goldies.
    • GLD 25431-3.
  • Mildred Bailey

    You And Your Love

    Mildred Bailey Complete Columbia Recs Vol 2.

    • Definitive Records.
    • DRCD 11180.
  • Jamie Cullum

    Blame It On My Youth

    鈥淭wentysomething鈥 [2004 Album]

    • Verve.
    • 000227302.
  • Daryl Sherman

    How Was I To Know

    鈥淒aryl Sherman 鈥 A Hundred Million Miracles鈥

    • Arbors Jazz.
    • ARCD 19279.

Broadcast

  • Sun 1 May 2011 21:00