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21/10/2012

Russell celebrates the art, craft and inspiration of the popular song. He opens with Tony Bennett, before paying tribute to songwriter Billy Barnes and Arbors Records' Mat Domber.

After a curtain-raiser from Tony Bennett, singing Please Driver, a relative rarity from 1954, we hear Julie London with a 60s classic: Something Cool.

It was written by Billy Barnes, who died recently. Best-known for his revue and TV sketch material, we hear, from a rare ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ LP, a sketch from The Billy Barnes Revue of 1958 and follow with Rosemary Clooney's 1988 version of Too Long At The Fair, from the same revue.

From a new release we hear Johnny Mercer, with his sometime writing partner Hoagy Carmichael at the piano, perform In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening. Johnny also sings The First Baseball Game which leads to another baseball song by Dave Frishberg.

This in turn introduces the subject of Arbors records, whose founder - Mat Domber - died recently. Russell celebrates the company with tracks by five of its stars. Marty Grosz's Murder In The Moonlight is followed by Cleo Brown's Love In The First Degree and Petula Clark winds up the show, singing Where Are You (Now That I Need You) with Billy May's orchestra.

57 minutes

Last on

Sun 21 Oct 2012 21:00

Music Played

  • Tony Bennett

    Please Driver [Once Round The Park Again]

    “Tony Bennett – While We’re Youngâ€

    • Naxos Nostalgia.
    • 8.120803.
  • Julie London

    Something Cool

    “Julie London: At ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ / Around Midnightâ€

    • EMI/Liberty.
    • 7243 8 54542 2 6.
  • Original Cast – The Billy Barnes Revue

    Las Vegas

    “The Billy Barnes Revue 1958â€

    • Brunswick.
    • LAT 8335.
  • Rosemary Clooney

    [Have I Stayed] Too Long At The Fair

    “Rosemary Clooney – Ballad Essentialsâ€

    • Concord.
    • CCD 2279-2.
  • Johnny Mercer

    In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening

    “Johnny Mercer Sings Just For Funâ€

    • Sepia.
    • Sepia 1194.
  • Johnny Mercer

    The First Baseball Game

    “Johnny Mercer Sings Just For Funâ€

    • Sepia.
    • Sepia 1194.
  • Dave Frishberg

    Van Lingle Mungo

    “Dave Frishberg - Retromaniaâ€

    • Arbors.
    • ARCD 19334.
  • Daryl Sherman

    The Bathtub Ran Over Again

    “Daryl Sherman: Johnny Mercer – A Centennial Tributeâ€

    • Arbors.
    • ARCD 19388.
  • Rebecca Kilgore With The Pizzarelli Gang

    How Are You Fixed For Love

    “Rebecca Kilgore’s Lovefest At The Pizzarelli Partyâ€â€

    • Arbors.
    • ARCD 19413.
  • Marty Grosz

    Murder In The Moonlight

    “Marty Grosz & His Hot Combinationâ€

    • Arbors.
    • ARCD 19319.
  • Cleo Brown

    Love In The First Degree

    “Cleo Brown: Here Comes Cleoâ€

    • HEP.
    • HEPCD 1034.
  • Petula Clark

    Where Are You [Now That I Need You]?

    “Petula Clark: ‘In Hollywood’ And ‘In Other Words’â€

    • Castle.
    • NEMCD 389.

Broadcast

  • Sun 21 Oct 2012 21:00