Who can forget Amos & Andy or George Burns, or a Date with Judy? Indeed listening to old radio shows on MP3 can give you one thing: nostalgia. It’s more like thinking of reggae vinyl Frank Sinatra or the ABC’s magically sung by The Jackson Five.
There are so many things that you can look back to when it comes to radio. Before the television killed its popularity, there was a Golden Age of radio. Incidentally, that was also the time when people knew how and what to listen.
Why would you look back to the Grand Days of radio? One good reason is that the comedies are one of a kind. Let’s take for example Take It from Here, which happens to be one of the most influential comedy radio shows starred by Dick Bentley, Jimmy Edwards, June Whitfield and Wallas Eaton. Who can forget the catch phrase “Oh, Ron!” and the immortal response “Oh Eth!” that became part of every household. You have to give it up for the great writers Frank Muir and Dennis Norden.
Here’s another comedy to note: The Last Goon Show of All. This is a rare chance to hear the greatest radio comedy team as they reunited to celebrate BBC’s 50 years. This eventful day took place in April 1972 when Neddie Seagoon, Hercules Grytpype-Thynne, Eccles and Bluebottle got together and were heard at the Camden Theatre. It was a hilarious and a major historic event in broadcasting that even the pre-show warm up was broadcast. You can make it immortal as you listen to this once in a lifetime event on your MP3 player.
Then we have the Al Read old time radio show. It’s high time you knew why 35 million got hooked to his radio show and how he was touted as the brilliant observer of the domestic scene or the master observer of life. Salman Rushdie said it clearly in his book: Midnight’s Children that in order to understand a life one must swallow the world. Al Read must have been a genius at swallowing the whole world through every household. That’s what people remember him by.
And what about It’s That Man Again? Considered as the giant in radio’s history, its number of listeners numbered to about tens of millions as its star has been the most popular performer in any field in British Arts.
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