1962-1966

Face to Face

FTF38500

This ultra rare release on the Pye Picadilly label from 1963 features two interviews from the Face To Face programme on BBC. On one side is the interview with Stirling Moss and on the other the interview with Tony Hancock.  The LP was also pressed in Canada.  The Canadian version had the same artwork and number but was released on the Astral label.

Top TV Themes

GGL 0196

Released on the Pye Golden Guinea label in 1963, this release featured 12 TV Themes from the period. Featuring themes from Steptoe & Son, Z Cars, Maigret and The Saint amongst others, the Hancock Theme was the theme from the early 1960’s ITV Series. Interestingly, the Hancock theme music featured a specially recorded Voice Over by Tony, which was also released as a single. All of these themes were released on a CD featuring some 60 Themes from the 1960’s in 1998. Called The Avengers and Other Top Sixties TV Themes, this double album was numbered: NEW CD 9

This is Hancock

Golden Guinea GGL0206 September 1963

Pye developed a budget LP label  in 1959 called “Pye Golden Guinea” or “Golden Guinea”. Records were marketed at the price of one Guinea (£1 and a shilling (£1.05). This release featured a similar cover design to the previous releases but this time with pink and white stripes and a photo from the photo sessions held for the 1961 album entited ‘Hancock’ rather than a still from the TV series as featured on the previous versions of this album.  Contents of this release were identical to the previous version and contain the edited (but virtually complete) radio episodes The Wild Man of the Woods and A Sunday Afternoon at Home.  This was the last version of the LP to be released until it received a CD release in 2011.

Pieces of Hancock

GGLO0245 September 1963

The final version of Pieces of Hancock was also released on the Golden Guinea label. However, for this Golden Guinea release, the sleeve was unchanged other than the additional of the ‘A Golden Guinea’ Product’ strapline at the top of the cover, unusually in red rather than the standard yellow.  The reverse of the cover was different from other releases of this title and featured adverts for other Golden Guinea releases including Chubby Checker and Miki & Griff.  The contents of this release is identical to the original release and features extracts from The East Cheam Drama Festival, The Publicity Photograph and The Threatneing Letters plus The Test Pilot Sketch from The Diary all linked together with specially recorded links. This was last version of this LP to be issued until it received a CD release in 2011.

Hancock

Golden Guinea GGL0270 September 1963

This LP release saw the LP ‘Hancock’ following the same route as This is Hancock and Pieces of Hancock with a Golden Guinea release.  Featuring completely new artwork, and including details of the contents in the title (The Blood Donor and The Radio Ham, this was the last 1960s release of this title. The inner sleeve featured adverts for many Golden Guinea releases including This is Hancock and Steptoe and Son

 

Make 'Em Laugh

DMC771 Delyse Label 1964

The author found this LP in a local charity shop. Described as a seminar on writing for TV Comedy, the LP is a recording of extracts from this seminar with contributions from Sid Green & Dick Hills (Morecambe & Wise), Frank Muir & Denis Norden (Take It From Here) and Alan Simpson and Duncan Wood (Ray Galton was abroad at the time of recording). Annotated as one of the ‘Delyse Master Series’, the LP is a fascinating insight into how the writers of the day approached writing TV comedy and how this differed from writing for radio or the printed word. The Master Series is described on the sleeve as ‘a series of talks, lectures, demonstrations and illustrations given by the acknowledged masters in their respective professions. The series covers writing, film production, The Voice, the actor in opera, solo instruments, choral conducting etc. It should be emphasised that these classes are not designed for elementary teaching but are, in fact, Master Classes given by Masters’. ‘The record represents a unique opportunity to spend an hour in intimate, amusing and intensely valuable discussion with some of the acknowledged leaders in the world of television comedy writing. Not only ought the record to be of value to established and would-be writers of television comedy, but to all who take more than a superficial interest in their environment, especially schools and libraries’.

It's Hancock

LK4740 Released 1965

Released in 1965 on the Decca label, this release comprised newly recorded versions of the TV shows The Missing Page and The Reunion Party. These recordings are the last time that Tony and Sid worked together. The episodes, which run for just over the half hour each, also feature Graham Stark, Clive Dunn, Frank Thornton, Robert Dorning and Eileen Way.