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Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
British broadcaster and comedian, known for his radio comedy and humorous songs, appearing on Desert Island Discs for a fourth time.
Eight records
from the Peer Gynt suite. Played by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. It's a lovely melody. I like it.
from Kismet. That lovely bit 'Stranger in Paradise'. An excerpt from Borodine's Polotsvian Dances, The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Nikolai Malko.
Richard Murdoch and Arthur Askey
from Bandwagon. This is half mine. This is half Dickie and I.
Romeo and JulietFavourite
My favourite, Tchaikovsky. I'd love Romeo and Juliet.
I do like the Beatles, who I think started this pop scene. I would love to hear them singing All My Loving.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (piano), Philadelphia Orchestra
The closing passage of the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto with the composer at the piano and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
If the Whole World Stopped Loving
I would like a record of my old pal Val. I think the one I'd like him to sing is If the Whole World Stopped Loving.
The keepsakes
The book
Henry Cotton or Ben Hogan's golf book
Henry Cotton / Ben Hogan
a golf book, Henry Cotton or Ben Hogan, which should tell me how to keep my head down, how to put my feet and keep my left arm straight and all the things that I've never learned, you see.
The luxury
I'm keen, but not good. That is the point, you see. I've been no better than 18 handicaps.
In conversation
Presenter asks
What did you want your records to do for you on a desert island?
memories of home, um, passing the time, or something immediate
Presenter asks
In spite of your singing, did you have a musical education?
Uh yes, a fair musical education. I learned the piano from the lady next door when I was a kid in Liverpool. And I had to do an hour's practice every day. And if I didn't do it, she knew because we had very thin walls in these terraced houses ... And then, of course, I had a very good smattering of music from my experience as a choir boy.
Presenter asks
When did you decide to give up that nice, safe job in the education office?
much against my father's will, of course it was. But as I say, I ran this amateur concert party, and I was seen by a man who used to have a little theatre at Rock Ferry ... and he saw me working with my amateur concert party, and he wrote to me and said, have you ever thought of going professional? ... And he put me in touch with a touring concert party, and I gave up a job in the education offices, £3 a week, to go into the theatrical business at £6.10 a week.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Arthur Askey
Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive. For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.
Arthur Askey
This is a recording as it was being broadcast, rather than the studio recording.
Arthur Askey
and for that reason you may hear some interference, and some degradation in the sound quality.
Arthur Askey
The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen sixty eight.
Speaker 3
Each week, a well-known person is asked the question, if you were to be cast away alone on a desert island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you?
Speaker 3
As usual, the castaway is introduced by Roy Plumley.
Presenter
On our desert island this week, ladies and gentlemen,
Presenter
Arthur Askey. Welcome return of an old favorite.
Presenter
You have been here before, haven't you, Austin? This is what? The third time? Your third time, yes, at 13-year intervals. Last time was 1955, and the first time was just after I divided the programme, 1942. When I was 12. That's it. I was just a boy at the time. Only big kid, I remember, yes. But I remember sitting here with me eating suit and the collar gun in the way.
Speaker 3
Oh, big kids are.
Speaker 3
Uh
Presenter
Uh-huh. So put it in your book, 13-year intervals. We want you back in 1981. Put that down now, don't I? I've got witnesses, don't forget. I've got scruples, but we won't talk about them. What would you want these eight records to do for you on a desert island? Remind you of the past, cheer you up, do what? Uh memories of home, um, passing the time, or something immediate, you know.
Presenter
What's the first one you've chosen? What's the first one? Well, the first one, you imagine me on a desert island. I'm on a different one this time. I've been different each time. I've got on a different island, you know. But anyway, this one is a beautiful island. It's got a lovely sandy beach, blue sky, birds singing. So I wake up in the morning. I rub the sand out of my eyes at the Japanese sandman. And what nicer melody could I wake up to than Morning by Greed?
Arthur Askey
Well the first one you
Presenter
Krieg's a jolly good fella. Isn't that lovely? Isn't that lovely? Yes, Krieg's morning from the Pirgien, Sweden. It was played by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. It's a lovely melody. I like it. We've heard you sing many times, Arthur, as a child.
Presenter
In spite of your singing, did you have a musical education? Uh yes, a fair musical education. I uh
Presenter
I learned the piano from the lady next door when I was a kid in Liverpool. And I had to do an hour's practice every day. And if I didn't do it, she knew because we had very thin walls in these terraced houses down by the Dockland in Liverpool. And she made me practice, you see? She said, you didn't practice on Tuesday. I said, no, well, I went to cricket. And then, of course, I had a very good smattering of music from my experience as a choir boy. Yes, I remember. I'd seen a photograph of you in a surplus. You look very good. Oh, don't I love that? Surplus army stock. Well, let's have your second record now. My second record. Now, what... Well, having sung like that, the pure soprano, may I go to one of the, for me, one of the greatest musicals of all time, Fair Lady, and Julie, Juliander, is singing I Could Have Danced All Night.
Speaker 2
I could have done storm night. I could have done storm night.
Arthur Askey
Let me
Speaker 2
Let me
Speaker 2
I could have spread my wings and done a powers in the name. I'd never gone but
Presenter
After your enormous success in Liverpool Cathedral with the Liverpool Sun, did you go straight into the theatre of it?
Presenter
Oh no, no. Well I was 11 in 1911, so you can work me age out. And I stayed at school till I was 16 and then I went into the education offices in Liverpool and I stayed there for a junior clerk. And I stayed there for eight years. Yes. And we used to run an amateur concert party in and around Liverpool, you know, and entertain the wounded soldiers. Tommy Hanley and I used to do that. Me as a boy soprano, Tommy as a barrytone. Really? When did you start comicking?
Arthur Askey
Yeah.
Presenter
Well, when my voice broke, because I found that I used to get excused from school as a boy soprano to go and entertain the soldiers, singing Roses of Piketty or something like that. When my voice broke, I thought, oh, Lummy, I won't get any afternoons off or excused homework. So I decided, as I'd always been the choir comic and the school comic, that I'd take up comicing instead of singing straight songs. And still get your afternoons off. And still get the afternoon and the evening sometimes. And when did you decide to give up this nice, safe job in the education office? Well, much against my father's will, of course it was. But as I say, I ran this amateur concert party, and I was seen by a man who used to have a little theatre at Rock Ferry, across the Mersey, you know, just over the other side. And he had this place, and he saw me working with my amateur concert party, and he wrote to me and said, have you ever thought of going professional? Because I think you've got something. He didn't say what it was, but he thought I had something. And he put me in touch with a touring concert party, and I gave up a job in the education offices, £3 a week, to go into the theatrical business at £6.10 a week. Gave up a pension, too? I did, and they still owe me that. Did you? I'll probably be after them before long. You stayed in concert party for quite a few years, did you? Oh, yes, I was in concert party 15 years, learning my trade. What did you do the rest of the year? Well, the rest of the year I was doing provincial pantomimes or my main source of income was after-dinner entertaining. That was Masonics or city companies or staff dues or I had a big connection there. You could play several Masonics in one evening, couldn't you? Yes, I should say in the middle 30s, I was averaging about four a night. Were you? Yes, I was. When did you make your first broadcast?
Arthur Askey
Uh
Presenter
Well, the very first one, ooh, it was in the Stone Ages, 1800 and Frozen to Death. No, it was about 1925. I was with my first concert party, and they stuck up some gear that was a microphone, and we were broadcast from the Alexander Gardens at Weymouth. There was one series of broadcasts that made a great difference to your career. Ah, I'll say. Bandwagon. Bandwagon, indeed. We'll talk about bandwagon in a bit more detail presently. Let's have another record. What shall we have next? Well, I'm going into my classical mood again. I didn't know whether to ask you to play a selection from Kismet or go back to the original, Boronin, and I'd like the Polotsvian dances. That lovely bit will take my hand, I'm stranger in paradise. Lovely.
Presenter
An excerpt from Borodine's Philopsian Dances, The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Nikolai Malko. Now, Bandwagon with you and Richard Murdoch, this was the first BBC comedy series with regular comedians at a regular time every week, wasn't it? Eight o'clock every Wednesday night. That's right. Had you worked with Richard Murdoch before? No, he was quite new to me because actually there was another fellow came to the first rehearsal for Bandwagon. And whether he didn't like the look of me or the look of the script, but he didn't turn up for the second one, said he got a small part in a film. And so Gordon Cride, who was associated with the show then, Harry Pepper, said, I know a young fellow, he's just come out of a show at the Saville Theatre. And I think he'd match up with Arthur very well.
Presenter
He's tall, good looking, well educated. So that put me in my place. And they brought Dickie along, and our chemistry was right. We worked out marvellously. And was it an immediate success bandwagon or did it take a bit of time to get into its stride? It didn't take too long. The first three programs, with all the hoo-ha that went ahead of it about the resident comedian and the first big show of radio, the critics found the pandit, you see. And Dickie Murdoch and I went to John Watt, who was then head of Light Entertainment, and said, we don't think the scripts we're being given are very good. We feel we could write better ourselves. And John said, well...
Presenter
If you think you can do it, we'll have a bash because you're not going on after six. However, we made such an impact that we were given another six and by the time we'd done twelve, we were, well, nationwide idols. There are still people who look up at the top floor of broadcasting houses they go by and they say that's where Big and Stinker had their flat. That's right, and they look for Mikoms on the aerial day, you know. Lewis the Goat. Mrs. Bagwash. There was a stage version of Bandwagon too, wasn't there? Yes, that finished up playing at the London Palladium in 1939. And, well, I mean, the world was my oyster at that time. Everything had happened. I got a long film contract. And then, of course, the war broke out. So I went back to Square One.
Presenter
Well, let's have your fourth record after. What next? Well, we've been talking about bandwagon. I'd ask you, Roy, has anyone ever had the temerity to ask for one of their own records? Yes. Yeah, well, I knew you'd say that because I can remember hearing a young lady once asking for at least, I think it was seven of eight records of her own. Do you remember? I remember. You remember, yes, you're not as old as you look, you see. But, well, this is half mine. This is half Dickie and I. And this is a record called A Proposal.
Arthur Askey
Do you remember?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Now I'm knocking at the Boobar door, knock, knock. Come here!
Speaker 2
I'm inside your boudoir. I know. Oh, Northia, do you know what I'm here for? I've got a damn good idea.
Presenter
The proposal, Richard Murdoch and what's his name?
Presenter
Bandwagon, the first of many radio series. What was your first television other?
Presenter
The first television, oh well I used to come into this very building in the middle 30s, in the experimental stages with Vaird. I used to come in an afternoon, get a guinea and a half and look into a bright white light with railings running in front of me and told to keep my hands close to my face, not spread too much, and sing, oh, what a glorious thing to be, you know. So that was the middle 30s, but then I did Alexander Palace shows in about 1930, just before the war, 1938, 39. You were in a Royal Variety Show recently. How many of these have you appeared in? Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Eight. Really? Yes, no knighthood yet. Not a pension, nothing. But still, I've got eight certificates. That's something. And you've got that pension to come from Liverpool Education Authority when you get it. We'll augment it.
Arthur Askey
That's a good one.
Arthur Askey
Yeah.
Presenter
And you've appeared in straight plays, too? Yeah, well, they were fairly straight when they were given to me, but I soon bent them to my own will. You know, I made them fit me in farces and comedies and things. And what's for the future? Well, Palladium pantomime, and I'm already approached for one of the biggest summer seasons next year. They keep asking me when I'm going to retire. Well, I say, well, while the gentlemen keep asking me, will I do the British public a great favour, I'll do it. I can't imagine you with your feet up.
Arthur Askey
Fairly straight.
Arthur Askey
Uh
Speaker 2
Take on.
Arthur Askey
Yeah.
Presenter
Well, let's have record number five. That's so chilling an idea.
Presenter
Well, the next one is now we're coming to the real meat. My favourite, Tchaikovsky. I'd love Romeo and Juliet.
Presenter
A theme from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karigan. Carry on from young. Thank you very much. What's number six?
Presenter
Number six.
Presenter
Surprise, surprise, a pop group. Now I hate pop groups. I really do. I mean, for me, they're a load of rubbish. And I could only be thankful I was on a desert island, away from it all, if I heard a pop group record being played. Except with one exception, except with one exception. That's not dramatical. But I do like the Beatles, who I think started this pop scene, strangely enough. But I do think they sound civilized. And at this period, the record I'm choosing, they were the very civilized and nice young fellas. And I'd love to hear them singing All My Loving. Close your eyes and I'll kiss you to my...
Presenter
I miss you, remember I'll always be true.
Speaker 2
And then while I'm away, I'll ride home every day And I'll send all my lovers
Presenter
The Beatles
Presenter
How well could you take this loneliness of a desert island? You've asked me that twice before and I forgot what I answered you, Roy. I think I could take it. I'm a bit of a loner, really. I don't belong to any theatrical organizations. The loss of home would mean a lot to me, naturally, my family. But I think I could take it for a period, provided I know I was going to be rescued eventually. Would you be a good castaway while you were there? Could you look after yourself? I don't think so. Not without everything was to-hand. I mean, that I could catch fish easily, that I could get coconuts easy, or breadfruit, or whatever I was going to live on. He is on the end of Piers. You ought to know a bit about fishing. Yeah. Yeah, but I had to tackle that. What would happen on a desert island? Would you try to escape?
Arthur Askey
Right.
Speaker 2
I
Arthur Askey
The level
Presenter
No, I'd wait for the gentleman to come, you know. Come and collect me. Your agent. My agent, yes, he'd be after me, I think, too. Right, let's get back to music. What's number seven? Ah, now, now we're getting into my own field. You've seen me displaying my talent on the stage, I expect. I usually embody a little Rachmaninoff's prelude, you see, which I used to be able to play reasonably well. In the right key? In the right key. Surprise, surprise, you see. I used to be able to play all of it, but at the moment, I've got less and less I do about the first three chords now, the first three notes. Is that what we're going to have now? No, no. You're going to have Rachmaninoff, but you're going to have the number two pianoforte concerto, which I've always thought if I could get the loan over the Almut Hall one night in the full London Philharmonic Orchestra, and they'd let me pay it in the key of C or F, I could cope with it.
Presenter
The closing passage of the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto with the composer at the piano and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stukovsky. And now we come to your last record, Arthur. What's that? Oh, is it gone already? Well, I'd like a record of Valduniken.
Presenter
Val and I have been together the last two summer seasons and you know when you do a long summer season Roy twice nightly about halfway through the season you find you're shutting the dressing room door because you can't stand the sound of what you're hearing over and over again you know but with Val I found that I was very happy to leave my dressing room door open because his voice is soothing, he's so relaxed, he's so nice that I could sit and listen to him all night. So I would like a record of my old pal Val and I think the one I'd like him to sing is If the Whole World Stopped Loving.
Presenter
Have you ever stopped?
Presenter
You wonder
Presenter
What kind of place this would be?
Presenter
Apollo
Presenter
World Stop Bloody.
Presenter
Val Dooniken. If you could take only one of the eight records you've played to us, Arthur, which would it be? Uh
Presenter
Chaikovsky.
Presenter
Romeo and Juliet. Romeo, I think I asked you for that last time, didn't I? Yes, yes, on the repeat. And one luxury to take with you? Well, this might surprise you. I'd like a set of golf clubs. And... A lot of golf balls, of course, naturally. Are you a good golfer, a keen golfer? Well, keen. I'm keen, but not good. That is the point, you see. I've been no better than 18 handicaps. Although I've been captain and president of the stage golfing society, I've never bettered myself. And when I was captain, I used to play against the household brigade and the law. And when my opponent, who was usually a learned judge or something, saw me slashing away at the ball, he'd say, I say, Asky, who are the best players in the Stage Golfing Society? And I used to say, well, I'm afraid, Your Lordship, they're actors you've never heard of, because they've had a lot of time to practice, which I never have. And one book, apart from the Bible and Shakespeare. Well, I should say a golf book, Henry Cotton or Ben Hogan, which should tell me how to keep my head down, how to put my feet and keep my left arm straight and all the things that I've never learned, you see. Right. And thank you, Arthur Askey, for letting us hear your Desert Island Discs. See you again on the island in 1981.
Speaker 2
Uh
Presenter
Thank you. That's me as an old man. Goodbye, everyone. Bye-bye.
Presenter
The guest in today's programme is Arthur Askey, the interviewer was Roy Plumley, and the producer Ronald Cook.
Presenter
Arthur Asky is now appearing in Robinson Crusoe at the London Palladium.
Arthur Askey
You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio forward.
Presenter asks
Was Bandwagon an immediate success or did it take a bit of time to get into its stride?
It didn't take too long. The first three programs, with all the hoo-ha that went ahead of it about the resident comedian and the first big show of radio, the critics found the pandit, you see. And Dickie Murdoch and I went to John Watt ... and said, we don't think the scripts we're being given are very good. We feel we could write better ourselves ... we made such an impact that we were given another six and by the time we'd done twelve, we were, well, nationwide idols.
Presenter asks
How well could you take the loneliness of a desert island?
I think I could take it. I'm a bit of a loner, really. I don't belong to any theatrical organizations. The loss of home would mean a lot to me, naturally, my family. But I think I could take it for a period, provided I know I was going to be rescued eventually.
Presenter asks
Would you be a good castaway? Could you look after yourself?
I don't think so. Not without everything was to-hand. I mean, that I could catch fish easily, that I could get coconuts easy, or breadfruit, or whatever I was going to live on.
Presenter asks
Would you try to escape?
No, I'd wait for the gentleman to come, you know. Come and collect me. My agent, yes, he'd be after me, I think, too.
“memories of home, um, passing the time, or something immediate”
“I learned the piano from the lady next door when I was a kid in Liverpool. And I had to do an hour's practice every day. And if I didn't do it, she knew because we had very thin walls in these terraced houses down by the Dockland in Liverpool.”
“I gave up a job in the education offices, £3 a week, to go into the theatrical business at £6.10 a week. I did, and they still owe me that.”
“we made such an impact that we were given another six and by the time we'd done twelve, we were, well, nationwide idols.”
“I think I could take it. I'm a bit of a loner, really. I don't belong to any theatrical organizations. The loss of home would mean a lot to me, naturally, my family. But I think I could take it for a period, provided I know I was going to be rescued eventually.”