I was seven years old when Emile Ford and the Checkmates topped the Christmas charts in 1959, remaining at the

Every once in a while (and I'm sure it happens to you too) I find a song remembered from my

We've ran a piece last year on singer Ronnie Gilbert, so I've been feeling guilty ever since that we've neglected

What can one say? great 1937 song from the pen of Noel Gay, interpreted by the brilliant Lupino Lane in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXpjp4kJXpo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pde5rI-dxRY Radio Days developed and delivered a programme of workshops in the chapel of Brompton Cemetery, Kensington, between April and

It's surprising that, in light of their long and successful career together, the all-singing all-dancing Peters  Sisters from Santa Monica,

You think of Victorian London, and you think of Cockney rhyming slang. Think of Victorian music-hall and you think of

OK, I admit it--I'm cheating just a little with this week's choice for Song of the Week. Yes, the Carter

You might be forgiven for thinking that the photo on the left dates from around 1968 or 1969.  From the

I've always been a big fan of Harry Roy, but had not seen either of his two films until serendipitously

I'm not sure whether this song falls a little too late in history for Radio Days or a little too

There! I knew the title would grab your attention!  And you'll get a further sense, as you read on, of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zu2dlrpvAM A song from the pens of the brilliant and prolific songwriting team of R.P. Weston (lyrics) and Bert Lee

Maria and I were randomly talking this evening about ideas for future performances.  And thus it was that I ended

I imagine that Yip Harburg is unlikely to be the first name to spring to your lips if asked to

I've long been intrigued by earlier generations' visions of the future.  I remember I had as a child in the

I was doing a bit of research this evening on a topic completely unrelated in any way to the subject

Here's a treat: Marie Lloyd's My Old Man Said Follow the Van, written in 1919 by Fred W. Leigh and

I'm unsure what specifically, following our recent workshop series and commemorative event at Brompton Cemetery, would have brought to mind,

In pictures ... A few photos from the magnificent performance on Thursday evening of our amazing suffragists and suffragettes. The

What a happy find today! In our recent workshop on political songs of the seventeenth century I had drawn attention

Yesterday late afternoon, following six weeks of workshops and last Friday a banner-making workshop, we had our first rehearsal in

OK, so I found a protest song, apparently first published in 1629¹, a begging appeal from a crippled soldier

Maria and I had a great time last Thursday morning presenting our first Protest Songs workshop at Brompton Cemetery Chapel

No comment to this, one of my favourite songs, written by one of my favourite writers (Yip Harburg) and sung

Those of you who know Radio Days well will know that we've a bit of a 'thing' about George Formby. 

It was some time in the late 1960s that I bought a compilation album that featured among its tracks a

Still engrossed in Betty May's "Tiger Woman", I'm fascinated to learn so much more about the extraordinary bohemian culture of

An unusual post for us here at Radio Days, maybe. Some weeks ago we acquired a copy, dated 1st August

Last (for the time being) of the videos from our 21st May concert at the Museo del Romanticismo in Madrid.

A first video from our 21st May concert at the Museo del Romanticismo, Madrid: "Riding on Top of the Car",

A close contemporary--and friend--of Charles Dickens, caricaturist and illustrator George Cruikshank (1792–1878) is also generally credited, in collaboration with his

Walter Kino is a music-hall name I don't come across very often.  Maybe a couple of times this past year,

OK, so a title to tease your imagination.  Who the heck, you're probably wondering, is or was Catherine Crick? The

So now we're exploring a little further back in time, to the forerunners of music-hall in the saloon theatres of the

Remember the days before 'video'?  Remember the days when we went not to "the movies" but to "the pictures"? I

Radio Days had a great time today at the Geffrye Museum's World War One day.  Music-hall songs, soldiers' songs, and

We love this clip! Filmed on 7th March 1931, this Fox Movietone News Story shows scenes from a French amateur

Little by little, week by week, we've been adding new topics and new content to our education programme, with 12

So here we are in Portobello Market, Saturday 30th May 2015, at the wonderful display in Tavistock Square of antique

After the tremendous fun and unequivocal success of yesterday's spiffing performance for the 150th anniversary celebrations of Portobello Road Market

Mention the song Singin' in the Rain to most people and it will bring to mind the 1952 film of

An unusual choice this week, prompted by my having recently bought a first edition of Albert Chevalier's 1901 memoirs, Before

A very enjoyable presentation yesterday at East Sheen Library, Richmond, of The Edwardian Kitchen.  I realise we've now so much

We love this song.  So much, in fact, that María has now added it to her repertoire for our 'holidays

One of our most enjoyable concerts to date, yesterday at The Red House Museum in Christchurch. An engaged and really

Recording as 'North & South', the great Tommy Handley & Ronald Frankau sing Riding On A Camel and, on the

Britain's heartthrob of the 1930s, Al Bowlly, sings 'Melancholy Baby'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRF5D68e44Q

It's very unlike us to post anything by a contemporary singer, but this song and video by Janet Klein really

Bit late in posting this (already posted to our Facebook page). There are a heck of a lot of singers

We today think of 'globalisation' as a phenomenon of the latter part of the 20th century.  There was, however, a

We love this song. In fact we love it so much that María is now adding it to her repertoire.

Radio Days Music had the pleasure and privilege of participating in the excellent commemorative event, 'The Last Day of Peace'

This is exactly the kind of collector we should love to meet!  And how good it would be to have

I discovered the AHRC Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music and the King's Sound Archive at King's

One week on, and still busy getting some content into the site ... there are too few hours in the

Just remembered today, while uploading screenshots of the WWI portable gramophones we used for our song recital and exhibition in

If you're browsing the site on the day (yep, 26th March 2014) I publish this first post, I've a confession