COLIN HOLMES BLOG CHRISTMAS TV: STAGE MUSICALS....THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO B...

COLIN HOLMES BLOG CHRISTMAS TV: STAGE MUSICALS....THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO B...: At the moment with only SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and SWEENEY TODD on their way into the West End of London and a similar inauspicious collectio...

STAGE MUSICALS....THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE!!

WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2012

STAGE MUSICALS....THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE!!

At the moment with only SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and SWEENEY TODD on their way into the West End of London and a similar inauspicious collection of Musicals on Broadway one has got to ask ....Where have all the good times gone ? True, there is a distinct leaning towards a future youth audience, and back catalogues from well known singers is always an easy way to attract punters, but where's the new creative writers. Where's the strong melodies that always guarantees a successful show and when will the money men stop playing safe. Even Andrew Lloyd Webber lost his head and put on PHANTOM 2 knowing that a sequel in Musical Theatre never works. GHOST the musical appeared last year with only one great song and that was lifted from the film. SPIDERMAN TURN OFF THE LIGHTS (please) was spectacular but more pop concert than musical and THE BOOK OF MORMON although entertaining, is more satirical revue than Rodgers and Hammenstein. A good Musical has at least five superb melodies often more....although LES MISERABLES was a pop opera it had fourteen unforgettable songs. MY FAIR LADY had ten well known songs and OLIVER had another ten. If I listed todays musicals I would come up short of songs that you hummed as you walked out of the theatre and then the next day you wanted to buy the soundtrack album. Every successful show going back over the last sixty years had at least half a dozen good songs.. Now..it's a concept musical with dancing..effects...superb scenery and often "clever" songs..."concept" songs. WICKED was all of these things but is succeeding because the strong songs are apparent and enjoyable. I reckon I can tell a hit show by listening to the CD sountrack. It's been quite a few years since I really got excited !

PLAYLIST 15TH MAY...FEATURING EUROVISION SONGS.

Rosemary Clooney....My Little town....NICE TO BE AROUND.****.
Dancing on the ceiling...Frank Sinatra....IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS.*****.
James(Hold the ladder steady)...Sue Thompson....SUSIE ANTHOLOGY.**.
Paper Mache...Dionne Warwick....THE DEFINITIVE BURT BACHARACH COLLECTION.***.
I need a dollar....Aloe Blacc.....SINGLE.
Marry You....Bruno Mars....SINGLE.
Video Games...Lana Del Ray...SINGLE.
I vow to thee my country...G4...G4 AND FRIENDS.***.
Knock on wood....Ella Fitzgerald....ELLA. THE REPRISE YEARS.***.
The race is on....Jack Jones....MY KIND OF TOWN.***.
In a little Spanish town...Bing Crosby.....EL SENOR BING.***.
No...Doris day....DORIS DAY HAPPY HITS.***.
Twilight time....Andy Williams....THE HOUSE OF BAMBOO.***.
Lollipops and roses....Herb Alpert.....THE ESSENTIAL....****.
Near you...Nat King Cole....I DON'T WANT TO BE HURT ANYMORE.***.
Romance is dead....Paloma Faith...PALOMA FAITH.****.
Rhumba Jumps....Mel Torme....OLE TORME.*****.
Wonderful Baby....Don McLean...THE BEST OF...****.
You'll see.....Susan Boyle...I DREAMED A DREAM.****.
Penny Lane....Beatles..BEATLES 1.****.
The sweetest sounds...Connie Francis...CONNIE & CLYDE.****.
You're just in love.....Chet Atkins....8 CLASSIC ALBUMS...****.
Barndance....Alexander Rybak....NO BOUNDERIES.****.
Teach me tiger...April Stevens.....THE GREATEST DIVAS.***.
Do you remember me....Perry Como...ICONS...****.

EUROVISION.

Volare...Domingo Mugduno
Are you sure....Allisons.
Poupee de cire poupee de soir....
L'amour est blue
Puppet on a string...Sandie Shaw
Save your kisses for me...Brotherhood of man.
L'oiseau....Miriam
What's another year...Johnny Logan

Some incomplete listings here which I will renew later on this blog.
Colin.

NEW WEBSITE FOR TUDNOFM + LISTEN LIVE.

To get Tudnofm now live and the website.....www.tudnofm.com.
My programmes......
EASY LISTENING SHOW.....9-10PM...Tuesday evenings.
TUDNO TALKS.....................10-12PM..Mondays and Fridays.
MAGIC OF THE MUSICALS....2-4PM..Sundays.


Colin Holmes.

THE VOICE V BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT.

The Voice has in increasing weeks now turned into an almost inferior copy of the
X Factor. The judges are left with only aspirational comments and hardly any  depth
in their advice....they have been mentoring  them but I was not happy with song
choices or the way they sang them. I'm getting on, maybe I'm not as up-to-date as
I should be, but only Alex singing"Dream a little dream of me" was impressive enough
to keep me switched on. Last weekend I didn't switch on hoping that Britain's got Talent
had more to offer. No. Britain's got talent but not a lot of it ! So far three singers and a dog have
been pleasing viewers enough to vote. Most of the "Novelty acts" have been poor even at
 the end of the most shabby pier. Possibly Simon Cowell is draining the talent of the United Kingdom
so such an extent that the standard of acts will fall.  Large groups of "Diversity" type dancers,
Keyboard bores, and offkey singers have filled the programming making the adverts more
entertaining than the actual show! However after being that cruel I have to admit for some
spatial reason it is more fun than The Voice.

PLAYLIST MAY 8TH. FEATURING WILL YOUNG..ECHOES CD.

WILL YOUNG ECHOES CD.
tracks played....Jealousy / Come on / Losing myself.

I have picked the most popular three tracks from the album and these tracks highlight the sound
of the rest of the album. If  I have a problem with this album, although well executed, it is the
sameness of the sound and singing. There is no "Leave right now" or "Your game" on this album.
Will Young has always produced professional and interesting CDs but I long to hear him tackle
some standards performed in His way. There is much to enjoy however on this CD. ****.

PLAYLIST

Moonlight kiss....Raul Malo...SINGLE.
Misty....Ray Stevens....THE BEST OF...***.
The surrey with the fringe on top....Peggy Lee....LATIN A LA LEE.*****.
Like I've never been gone....Billy Fury....THE BILLY FURY HIT PARADE.****.
Masterpiece....Madonna.....SINGLE.
That's just life.....Marcus Collins....MARCUS COLLINS.***.
I am woman.....Helen Reddy....THE VERY BEST OF..****.
The young ballerina...Queens hall light orchestra....THE GREAT BRITISH EXPERIENCE.****.
Come fly with me.....Micheal Buble.....MICHEAL BUBLE.*****.
At last....Etta James....THE BEST OF...***.
Mr Wishing well...Nat King Cole....THANKYOU PRETTY BABY.***.
Caprice....Doris Day......HER LIFE IN MUSIC.*****.
Baby Face...Bobby Darin....THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF....****.
I'll be waiting.....Adele.....21....*****.
If I didn't have a dime.....Gene Pitney.....SOMETHING'S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART****.
The continental.....Peter Skellern....THE BEST OF...*****.
Empty chairs at empty tables...Alfie Boe / Micheal Ball...ALFIE.***.
Walking happy.....Peggy Lee.....THE VERY BEST OF...*****.
Tears dry on their own....Amy Winehouse.....BACK TO BLACK.*****.
Don't blame me....Frank Ifield....THE BEST OF....****.
When you were my girl....Peter Grant...PETER GRANT.***.
All my loving...Matt Munro...MATT AT THE MOVIES.*****.
People who are born in May....Julie London....CALENDAR GIRL.*****.
Memories are made of this....Dean Martin....THE CAPITOL & REPRISE YEARS.*****.
Never gonna happen....Lily Allen....IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU>****.
Peter Cottontail....Rosemary Clooney....MIXED EMOTIONS.****.

TUDNOFM 107.8
TUDOFM.CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE LINK TO LISTEN LIVE

PLAYLIST MAY 1ST FEATURING DORIS DAY CD.

DORIS DAY CD ( 2 ALBUMS ON ONE) CUTTIN CAPERS / BRIGHT AND SHINY.****.

There is no doubt 2 albums on CD for the price of one is undoubtably good value. CUTIN CAPERS has
some standards,swinging and ballads beautifully orchestrated and sung by Doris.....the other BRIGHT
AND SHINY on some tracks is a little too sweet to take but otherwise is a more interesting collection.
Some good unheard tracks on this and as a whole if you have neither albums I consider this a great CD.

PLAYLIST

We three....Paul McCartney....KISSES ON THE BOTTOM.****.
A whiter shade of pale...Procul Harem....SINGLE.
Ja Da...Alma Cogan.....CELEBRATION. THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.***.
My best girl.....Jack Jones....JACK JONES.****.
I'll see you again.....Frank Sinatra....POINT OF NO RETURN.*****.
She'll never know....Andy Williams....GREATEST LOVE CLASSICS.****.
Feudin' and a fighting.....Jo Stafford.....JUST REMINISIN' ****.
The lady's in love with you...Mel Torme....THE PLATINUM COLLECTION.****.
Ground Force.....Black Dyke band.....GROUND FORCE.***.
Old cape cod....Patti Page.....THE MERCURY YEARS 2.****.
Yaaka HulaHicky Dula......Bing Crosby....RETURN TO PARADISE ISLANDS.**.
The face.....RyanDan.....RYANDAN.***.
Here you come again....Dolly Parton....GREATEST HITS.****.
Firefly...Tony Bennett....THE ESSENTIAL....*****.
If the stars were mine....Melody Gardot....MY ONE AND ONLY THRILL.***.
To the door of the sun....Al Martino....COLLECTORS SERIES.****.
What if....Rhydian / Idina Menzel.....RHYDIAN.****.
The way it used to be...Carly Simon....THIS IS MY LIFE.****.
Boy Child....Scott Walker......NO REGRETS. THE BEST OF....****.
Animal Crackers.....Anne Murray...THERE'S A HIPPO IN MY TUB.***.
You tell me your dream...Nat King Cole....THOSE HAZY DAYS OF SUMMER.****.
On a little street in Singapore....Manhatten Transfer....THE VERY BEST OF..***.
Dang me...Roger Miller....GOLD.***.
Miss Chatelaine....K D Lang....INGENUE.***.
I love ya, then I need Ya then I want Ya around....Eartha Kitt....THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.***.
You know what I mean....Vernon Girls....THE VERNONS GIRLS.**.
Them there eyes...Billie Holiday....THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK.****.

TUDNOFM 107.8....ONLINE   TUDNOFM.CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE LINK.