Flanders and Swann: Difference between revisions
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===LPs=== | ===LPs=== | ||
* 1957 – ''[[At the Drop of a Hat]]'' (Parlophone PMC 1033 mono) (Recorded live at the Fortune Theatre, London, 21 February 1957. | * 1957 – ''[[At the Drop of a Hat]]'' (Parlophone PMC 1033 mono) (Recorded live at the Fortune Theatre, London, 21 February 1957. | ||
* 1960 | * 1960 – ''[[At The Drop Of A Hat]]'' (1959 Stereo re-recording) (Parlophone PCS 3001) (Recorded during the final performance at the Fortune Theatre, London, on 2 May 1959. Parlophone's first stereo LP release.) | ||
* 1961 | * 1961 – ''[[The Bestiary Of Flanders & Swann]]'' Parlophone PMC 1164 (mono)/ PCS 3026 (stereo) | ||
* 1964 – ''[[At the Drop of Another Hat]]'' (produced by George Martin) Parlophone PMC 1126 (mono) / PCS 3052 (stereo) | * 1964 – ''[[At the Drop of Another Hat]]'' (produced by George Martin) Parlophone PMC 1126 (mono) / PCS 3052 (stereo) | ||
* 1975 – ''And Then We Wrote...'' | * 1975 – ''And Then We Wrote...'' | ||
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==Videography== | ==Videography== | ||
* 1992 – ''The Only Flanders & Swann Video'' (recorded in New York, 19 April 1967, 10 days after the close of ''At The Drop of Another Hat)'' | * 1992 – ''The Only Flanders & Swann Video'' (recorded in New York, 19 April 1967, 10 days after the close of ''At The Drop of Another Hat)'' | ||
* 1994 – ''Flanders & Swann - Documentary by [[John Amis]]'' (for [[BBC Two|BBC2]], utilizing footage from ''At The Drop of a Hat'' recorded at the Haymarket Theatre in 1962, and footage from the above | * 1994 – ''Flanders & Swann - Documentary by [[John Amis]]'' (for [[BBC Two|BBC2]], utilizing footage from ''At The Drop of a Hat'' recorded at the Haymarket Theatre in 1962, and footage from the above New York performance in 1967) | ||
== Songs == | ==Songs== | ||
Flanders and Swann's songs are characterised by wit, gentle satire, complex rhyming schemes, and memorable choruses. Flanders commented during the recorded performance of ''At the Drop of Another Hat'', | Flanders and Swann's songs are characterised by wit, gentle satire, complex rhyming schemes, and memorable choruses. Flanders commented during the recorded performance of ''At the Drop of Another Hat'', | ||
{{quote|The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip off the veneer of comforting illusion and cosy half-truth. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iankitching.me.uk/humour/hippo/|title=Michael Flanders and Donald Swann|website=Iankitching.me.uk|access-date=17 April 2009|date=13 August 1995}}</ref>}} | {{quote|The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip off the veneer of comforting illusion and cosy half-truth. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iankitching.me.uk/humour/hippo/|title=Michael Flanders and Donald Swann|website=Iankitching.me.uk|access-date=17 April 2009|date=13 August 1995}}</ref>}} | ||
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| "There's a Hole in My Budget", a parody of "[[There's a Hole in My Bucket]]" in the form of a dialogue between the then Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] and the Chancellor of the Exchequer [[James Callaghan]]. | | "There's a Hole in My Budget", a parody of "[[There's a Hole in My Bucket]]" in the form of a dialogue between the then Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] and the Chancellor of the Exchequer [[James Callaghan]]. | ||
| "To Kokoraki" (''Το Κοκοράκι'', ''lit.'' "The Cockerel")—a modern-Greek children's song, something like "[[Old McDonald Had a Farm]]", in which a different animal noise is added in each verse. Flanders, feigning impatience with it as Swann sings several more verses than strictly necessary, remarks sarcastically "We must have it in full some night. Alternate it with ''[[The Ring Cycle]]''." | | "To Kokoraki" (''Το Κοκοράκι'', ''lit.'' "The Cockerel")—a modern-Greek children's song, something like "[[Old McDonald Had a Farm]]", in which a different animal noise is added in each verse. Flanders, feigning impatience with it as Swann sings several more verses than strictly necessary, remarks sarcastically "We must have it in full some night. Alternate it with ''[[The Ring Cycle]]''." | ||
| "A Transport of Delight"—with an [[Cumulative song|increasing refrain]] about the "Big six-wheeler, scarlet-painted, [[London Transport Board|London Transport]], diesel-engined, ninety-seven–horse-power omnibus". (The bus was probably the [[Associated Equipment Company|AEC]] LT-type, which served London from 1929 until the 1950s, and had six wheels instead of the more normal four.<ref>{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=Prince|title=Wheels of London; The story of London's street transport|publisher=[[The Sunday Times Magazine]]|date=1972|page=60|isbn=0-7230-0068-9}}</ref> | | "A Transport of Delight"—with an [[Cumulative song|increasing refrain]] about the "Big six-wheeler, scarlet-painted, [[London Transport Board|London Transport]], diesel-engined, ninety-seven–horse-power omnibus". (The bus was probably the [[Associated Equipment Company|AEC]] LT-type, which served London from 1929 until the 1950s, and had six wheels instead of the more normal four).<ref>{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=Prince|title=Wheels of London; The story of London's street transport|publisher=[[The Sunday Times Magazine]]|date=1972|page=60|isbn=0-7230-0068-9}}</ref> | ||
| "20 Tons of TNT"—a song in protest against [[thermonuclear weapon]]s. | | "20 Tons of TNT"—a song in protest against [[thermonuclear weapon]]s. | ||
| "The War of 14–18"—a translation of a [[French language|French]] song by [[Georges Brassens]], this song celebrates (satirically) [[World War I]]. | | "The War of 14–18"—a translation of a [[French language|French]] song by [[Georges Brassens]], this song celebrates (satirically) [[World War I]]. | ||
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| "Twosome: Kang & Jag" (Kangaroo and Jaguar)—two more animal songs sung as a pair. The title recalls two operas "''Cav'' and ''Pag''" (i.e. ''[[Cavalleria rusticana]]'' and ''[[Pagliacci]]'') which are often performed together.}} | | "Twosome: Kang & Jag" (Kangaroo and Jaguar)—two more animal songs sung as a pair. The title recalls two operas "''Cav'' and ''Pag''" (i.e. ''[[Cavalleria rusticana]]'' and ''[[Pagliacci]]'') which are often performed together.}} | ||
A very rare song, "Vendor Librorum Floreat" (Let the bookseller flourish), was released as a single in 1960. It was written for the annual American Booksellers Association, the only known time Flanders & Swann accepted a private commission. | A very rare song, "Vendor Librorum Floreat" (Let the bookseller flourish), was released as a single in 1960. It was written for the annual [[American Booksellers Association]], the only known time Flanders & Swann accepted a private commission. | ||
== Monologues == | ==Monologues== | ||
Flanders' comic monologues include: | Flanders' comic monologues include: | ||
* "By Air"—about the vogue for air travel. "I agree with the old lady who said, 'If God had intended us to fly, He would never have given us the railways.{{'"}} | * "By Air"—about the vogue for air travel. "I agree with the old lady who said, 'If God had intended us to fly, He would never have given us the railways.{{'"}} | ||
Latest revision as of 22:12, 24 June 2025
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other
Flanders and Swann were a British comedy duo and musicians. Michael Flanders (1922–1975) was a lyricist, actor, and singer. He collaborated with Donald Swann (1923–1994), a composer and pianist, in writing and performing comic songs. They first worked together in a school revue in 1939 and eventually wrote more than 100 comic songs together.[1]
Flanders and Swann performed their songs, interspersed with comic monologues, in their long-running two-man revues At the Drop of a Hat (1956-1959) and At the Drop of Another Hat (1963-1967), which they toured in Britain and abroad. Both revues were recorded in concert (by George Martin). The duo also made several studio recordings.
Musical partnership
Flanders and Swann both attended Westminster School (where in July and August 1940 they staged a revue called Go To It)[2] and Christ Church, Oxford, two institutions linked by ancient tradition. The pair went their separate ways during World War II, but a chance meeting in 1948 led to their forming a musical partnership writing songs and light opera. Flanders provided the words and Swann composed the music. Their songs have been sung by performers such as Ian Wallace and Joyce Grenfell.
In December 1956, Flanders and Swann hired the New Lindsey Theatre, Notting Hill, to perform their two-man revue At the Drop of a Hat, which opened on New Year's Eve.[3] Flanders sang a selection of the songs that they had written, interspersed with comic monologues, accompanied by Swann on the piano. An unusual feature of their act was that both men remained seated for their shows: Swann behind his piano and Flanders in a wheelchair (having contracted poliomyelitis in 1943).[3] The show was successful and transferred the next month to the Fortune Theatre, where it ran for over two years, before touring in the UK, the United States, Canada and Switzerland.[3]
In 1963, Flanders and Swann opened in a second revue, At the Drop of Another Hat, at the Haymarket Theatre.[3] Over the next four years they toured a combination of the two shows in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the United States and Canada, before finishing at the Booth Theatre on Broadway in New York City. On 9 April 1967, they performed their last live show together.[3] Ten days later, they moved into a studio theater and recorded the show for television.
Over the course of 11 years, Flanders and Swann gave nearly 2,000 live performances. Although their performing partnership ended in 1967, they remained friends afterwards and collaborated on occasional projects.
Timeline and venues of the revues
| Date[4] | Venue[4] |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Royal Court Theatre, "Airs on a Shoestring" |
| 1954 | Saville Theatre, "Pay the Piper" |
| 1956 | Comedy Theatre, "Fresh Airs" |
| 1956 | New Lindsey Theatre, Notting Hill |
| 1957–59 | Fortune Theatre (suspended one month because of Flanders' pneumonia) |
| 1959 | Edinburgh Festival "At the Drop of a Kilt" |
| 1959–60 | Golden Theatre, New York |
| 1960–61 | 12-city tour of United States, plus Toronto, Canada |
| 1961 | Switzerland |
| 1962 | 9-city tour of UK, plus Toronto, Canada |
| 1963 | 9-city tour of UK |
| 1963 | Haymarket Theatre |
| 1964 | 4-city tour of Australia, 5 New Zealand plus Hong Kong |
| 1965 | 3-city tour of UK |
| 1965 | Globe Theatre (now the Gielgud) |
| 1966 | 9-city tour of USA, plus Toronto |
| 1966–67 | New York |
Discography
Their records were originally released on the Parlophone label; CD reissues are on EMI.
45s
- 1957 – "A Gnu" b/w "Misalliance"
EPs
- 1957 – More out of the Hat! (EP)
- 1959 – Excerpts from at the Drop of a Hat (EP)
- 1959 – More Excerpts from at the Drop of a Hat (EP)
- 1962 – The Bestiary of Flanders & Swann (EP)
- 1964 – Favourites from at the Drop of Another Hat (EP)
- 1964 – More out of the New Hat (EP)
LPs
- 1957 – At the Drop of a Hat (Parlophone PMC 1033 mono) (Recorded live at the Fortune Theatre, London, 21 February 1957.
- 1960 – At The Drop Of A Hat (1959 Stereo re-recording) (Parlophone PCS 3001) (Recorded during the final performance at the Fortune Theatre, London, on 2 May 1959. Parlophone's first stereo LP release.)
- 1961 – The Bestiary Of Flanders & Swann Parlophone PMC 1164 (mono)/ PCS 3026 (stereo)
- 1964 – At the Drop of Another Hat (produced by George Martin) Parlophone PMC 1126 (mono) / PCS 3052 (stereo)
- 1975 – And Then We Wrote...
- 1977 – Tried by the Centre Court[3]
Cassettes
- 1996 – EMI Comedy Classics (Hat and Another Hat on two cassettes)
- 1997 – More out of the Drop of a Hat – Again! (double cassette)
CDs
- 1991 – The Complete Flanders & Swann (first three albums, in stereo in a boxed set)[3]
- 1994 – A Transport of Delight: The Best of Flanders & Swann
- 1999 – The Flanders and Swann Collection
- 2000 – A Drop of Hilarity from Flanders & Swann
- 2007 – Hat Trick: Flanders & Swann Collector's Edition
Bibliography
- 1977 – Songs of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann (Michael Flanders & Donald Swann, scores)
- 1991 – The Hippopotamus Song: A Muddy Love Story (Michael Flanders & Donald Swann, children's book)
Videography
- 1992 – The Only Flanders & Swann Video (recorded in New York, 19 April 1967, 10 days after the close of At The Drop of Another Hat)
- 1994 – Flanders & Swann - Documentary by John Amis (for BBC2, utilizing footage from At The Drop of a Hat recorded at the Haymarket Theatre in 1962, and footage from the above New York performance in 1967)
Songs
Flanders and Swann's songs are characterised by wit, gentle satire, complex rhyming schemes, and memorable choruses. Flanders commented during the recorded performance of At the Drop of Another Hat, Template:Quote
They wrote over a hundred comic songs together. The following selection gives an indication of their range. Template:Unordered list
A very rare song, "Vendor Librorum Floreat" (Let the bookseller flourish), was released as a single in 1960. It was written for the annual American Booksellers Association, the only known time Flanders & Swann accepted a private commission.
Monologues
Flanders' comic monologues include:
- "By Air"—about the vogue for air travel. "I agree with the old lady who said, 'If God had intended us to fly, He would never have given us the railways.Template:'"
- "Tried by the Centre Court"—a parody of the poem "A Subaltern's Love Song" by John Betjeman, about a third-round ladies singles match at Wimbledon, between Miss L. Hammerfest and Miss J. Hunter-Dunn, as related by the bored central umpire. "They are bashing a ball with the gut of a cat".
- "Greensleeves"—about the background to the composition of the famous English air. An annotated version explains all the jokes.[6]
- Los Olividados— a satire on bullfighting, about "the almost unbearable drama of a corrida d'olivas, or festival of olive-stuffing". "A cruel sport: some may think it so. But this is surely more than a sport, this is more than a vital artform. What we have experienced here today is total catharsis, in the acting out of that primeval drama, of man pitted against the olive." The title is a reference to Los Olvidados, or The Forgotten Ones, a 1950 movie by the director Luis Buñuel.
- "Built-up Area"—a prehistoric inhabitant of Salisbury Plain complains about a new development: Stonehenge.
Homage and parody
The British comedy double act Armstrong & Miller have a recurring sketch on The Armstrong and Miller Show in which they parody Flanders and Swann, as Donald Brabbins (Armstrong as Flanders) and Teddy Fyffe (Miller as Swann). The parodies begin like a typical Flanders and Swann performance, but the songs are far more bawdy, often being mock-censored for comedic effect.[7]
British singer-songwriter Frank Turner covered "The Armadillo" on his "Mittens" EP, and "Slow Train" (listed as "The Slow Train") on "The Second Three Years".[8][9]
See also
References
External links
Template:Sister project Script error: No such module "Spoken Wikipedia".
- Flanders and Swann at h2g2
- Flanders & Swann Online (archived)
- An Evening of Flanders and Swann tribute act (archived)
- Flanders and Swann: At the Drop of a Hippopotamus tribute act
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- ↑ a b Sleeve notes to the CD box set "The Complete Flanders & Swann"
- ↑ a b c Program
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