Evenings at Skeldale House—1930s Radio Ambience—All Creatures Great and Small

Описание: Spend an evening at Skeldale House with James, Helen, Mrs. Hall, Siegfried, and Tristan! These 1930s radio selections will take you straight to that gold sofa in the parlor, dog hair and all. Listen for the clink of teacups, the revving of motorcars, and the occasional telephone call for Mr. Farnon!

We welcome Sir R. C. C. Fracas, OBE, a distant cousin of our own Corporal Fracas, who brings us this first installment of our ambience collection. The titles and notes below were kindly provided by Sir Fracas himself.


Title List
1:57 “Where Has My Little Dog Gone?” by Dolly Dawn, 1938. The perfect accompaniment to a desperate hunt for an over-indulged Pekinese.

4:43 “You’re Driving Me Crazy” by Rudy Vallee, 1930. Because that’s what little brothers do.

8:05 “Loch Lommond” by Martha Tilton; Benny Goodman, bandleader, 1937. For James, a jazz rendition of a famous Scottish song.

10:41 “Nightmare Song” by George Baker; from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, 1922. Special thanks to @EMGColonel for sharing the only 1920s version on YouTube. Next time you steal food from a hamper, try singing opera to cover up the noise of tins and silverware.

14:25 “I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck” by Edythe Wright; Tommy Dorsey, bandleader, 1937. James and Helen’s chance encounter at a remote bus stop led to the best television romance since Wishbone played Mr. Darcy.

16:58 “Country Life--on London’s Doorstep!” A 1933 newsreel describing an agricultural exposition. You will thank me for cutting out the high-decibel hog squeal that lasted twelve seconds.

18:09 “Horses” by George Olsen, 1926. No doubt a favorite of Siegfried’s. Lots of obscure references to 1920s comic strip characters like Barney Google.

21:40 “I Guess I’ll have to Change My Plan” by Sam Browne; B. B. Ambrose, bandleader, 1932. A song to commemorate James’ rivalry with Hugh. Good thing James didn’t give up as easily as the self-pitying chap in the song.

24:48 “You Go To My Head” by Chick Henderson; Joe Loss, bandleader, 1938. Honoring the subtle edifying influence of Mrs. Hall upon the chaotic Mr. Farnon.

28:00 “Did You Mean It?” by the Swingtette; Jack Hylton, bandleader, 1936. A warning not to date boys who are good for a giggle and nothing more.

31:02 “The Telephone Engineer” by Jeanne de Casalis. A mid-30s BBC radio comedy which Tristan would listen to and Siegfried would demand he turn off.

31:58 “My Dog Loves Your Dog” by Cliff Edwards, 1934. Here’s one for the Geraldrey shippers. Gerald’s departure was sad, but an opportunity for Mr. Farnon to show his quality, albeit very slowly.

35:03 “Easy to Love” by Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra, 1937. A very pretty song of love and longing for Helen and James.

38:06 “Crazy Rhythm” by Victor Silvester’s Jive Band, 1943 (written 1928). A fun tune to lighten the mood when Siegfried is yelling at you for something he actually did.

40:55 “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by Edythe Wright; Tommy Dorsey, bandleader, 1936. No, it’s not the nursery rhyme version. A reminder not to mistreat your subordinates.

43:53 “Let’s Fall in Love for the Last Time” by Mantovani and his Tipica Orchestra, 1935. That lovely slow build up to James and Helen’s romance was a highlight of Seasons 1 and 2.

46:47 “My Pet” by Bert Firman’s Dance Orchestra, 1928. A 95% sanitized version of a goofy song that simply had to be included in a program of veterinary-themed music.

49:52 “Two Sleepy People” by Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, 1938. In honor of all the sleepy people at Skeldale House. Semper lassus.

53:16 “Just As Long As the World Goes Round and Around” by Sam Browne; Jay Wilbur, bandleader, 1935. A cheery tune for those whom Mr. Farnon drags round and around.

56:25 “Moonlight Serenade” by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, 1939. Because if our Yorkshire friends weren’t listening to Glenn, they should have been.

59:54 “No Place But Home” by Maurice Elwin; Van Phillips, bandleader, 1930. As James discovers, it’s the people who care about you who make a home, “from Cairo to Nome.”

1:02:29 “Sweet and Lovely” by Al Bowlly and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, 1931. A lovely tune for Helen by the great crooner himself.

1:05:52 “This Time the Dream’s On Me” by Ray Eberle; Glenn Miller, bandleader, 1941. Drift off to sleep to the sound of the dreamiest voice of the big band era after a long day of post pharyngeal abscesses.

1:09:00 “The Dales” and other selections from the All Creatures Great and Small soundtrack; Alexandra Harwood, composer, 2020. ‘Ave a seat by the fire and we’ll get you a cuppa. It’s been a long day!

#allcreaturesgreatandsmall #radioambience #1930smusic