The Goon Show Preservation Society
Over 50 years of bearing a torch and a sockful of custard for the most innovative radio comedy of all time!
We’ll be sending out Issue 181 of Goon Show News to our members this week.
Among other things in this issue we celebrate the centenaries of Goon Show scriptwriters Larry Stephens and Eric Sykes, and don’t forget that a third, John Antrobus, will turn 90 next month.
Also, among the rest of the news and features is a look at the history our recently crowned King Charles III has with the society.
To save all that typing, the links from the A Kick Up The Archives feature are available here.
Our favourite Podcast, Tyler Adams’ Goon Pod, featured an interview this week with the GSPS member and luminary of time almost immemorial, Chris Smith.
Chris described at length how the Goon Show Preservation Society developed from humble beginnings and told stories of some highlights of GSPS meetings, including appearances by Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine. It’s a great listen, especially for whipper-snapper, Johnny-come-lately members like your humble Website Charlie here.
Goon Pod is available from all the usual podcast sources, including the feed below.
If the weeks have moved on and the episode with Chris has moved down the list, you can get to it directly through this link.
The Goon Show Preservation Society is delighted to wish our monarch King Charles III our warmest congratulations both on his accession to the throne and upon the occasion of his Coronation.
We are proud that as Prince Charles he has been the society’s patron for many years. He remains a strong supporter of The Goon Show and was a personal friend to Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine.
We delight in taking this opportunity of wishing His Majesty the King a long, happy and successful reign.
May 4th 2023 is the centenary of that fine Oldham born comedian, actor and scriptwriter Eric Sykes.
Eric shared offices with Spike for many years and they shared the scriptwriting duties during series 5 of the Goon Show. He and his wide array of talents will always be fondly remembered.
He granted us this interview in 2006, and there’s more about his involvement with the Goons in this article.
A blue plaque honouring a man with Goons connections has been unveiled. It’s on the former Marylebone home of Marcel Stellman, who passed away in 2021.
Among the many, many credits in his long career as a record executive, writer and producer are Goon songs such as I’m Walking Backwards for Christmas and the Ying Tong Song.
Marcel gave an interview to the GSPS in 2007 in which he recalled those recording sessions. You can read it here.
We hear that one of the iconic buildings in the history of the Goon Show, and much more British comedy besides, has changed hands.
In 1959 the scriptwriters co-operative known as Associated London Scripts moved into 9 Orme Court, in London’s leafy Bayswater district. It was its third home. ALS had developed from an initial sharing of an office by Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes, above a greengrocers shop at 130 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, where they wrote series 5 of the Goon Show in 1954. It went on to include writers such as Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Johnny Speight, John Antrobus, Terry Nation, and many others. And let’s not forget the staff, which included Norma Farnes and Beryl Vertue.
The news was broken on Twitter by Jane Milligan:
As Jane says, from 31st March the building is entering the process of becoming the embassy of the Republic of Moldova. Hopefully the blue plaques which adorn the building, one for Spike, one for Eric, will remain for time immemorial, and the new owners will enjoy the echoes of laughter which must surely still pervade those offices.
Yes, it’s new magazine time, the latest edition of Goon Show News is on its way to members letter boxes and inboxes. For all those of you who are reading this but aren’t members, you’re missing out. Join now and get one.
What’s in this issue?
We look at Annie Nightingale’s programme on the link between comedy and music and in particular George Martin’s work with Spike and Sellers and then… The Beatles;
a Telegoons review from 1963;
a new play about Wally Stott / Angela Morley;
two articles from Australian mag circa 1957;
Michael Bentine – an interesting interview;
two reviews of new CDs of interest;
an article about The Goon Show from a gentleman’s magazine of 1956.
It’s all here for the reading thereof…
Newly released is An Album Named Fred, a new CD of Goons connected music and recordings from Jasmine Records. It features a selection of rare material, much of it previously unissued, very rare or made available for the first time on CD.
The set opens with the song Harry Secombe regularly used as a warm-up for the show Falling In Love With Love, and continues with early radio appearances from Peter Sellers (saved by Peter himself), soundtrack recordings by Spike Milligan from A Show Called Fred, rare Ray Ellington performances made for ENSA and the BBC, and long forgotten discs by Goon side men Max Geldray, Wally Stott and George Chisholm.
Also featured are themes from early Sellers movies and music featured in the Goon Show itself. A horde of music and madness for Goon fans everywhere.
To buy a copy of the disc, click the button below to visit Jasmine Records, or it’s also available here through Amazon.
For a bit more background on the tracks on this CD, have a look at Mark Cousin’s latest A Kick Up the Archives.
As a birthday tribute to the late, great Michael Bentine, who would have celebrated his 101st Birthday on 26th January, the secretary of the GSPS, Richard Usher, presents his own performance of Bentine’s wonderful sketch ‘The Most Haunted House in Britain’, as featured in his show ‘The Best of Bentine’
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, we present the latest episode in our thrilling advertising campaign, written for cinema, television and radio. It’s appearing exclusively on this website for reasons of budget. Sadly, we don’t have enough pictures of Queen Victoria to pay for cinema, television or radio.
Eccles: Hallo dere! Thank you for landing on our GSPS website on the Wibbly Wobbly Web! ‘ere Bottle I think I could get a job as an announcer.
Bluebottle: Wait a minute my good man. You haven’t heard the dulcet tones of me, John “Snagge” Bluebottle… “Good evening viewer. This is the BBC Light programme and this is Jim Bluebottle wearing it”
Eccles: But it doesn’t suit you!
Neddie: I think I should have a turn and welcoming potential new members to this illustrious Goon Show Preservation Society website… “My lords ladies and gentlepong…. In the blue corner… The Goon Show Preservation Society… and in the red corner… your bank account.” There… I rest my case.
Grytpype: You can’t rest your case there!
Neddie: And why not?
Grytpype: Because it comes up at the assizes next Thursday!… Seagoon vs Mrs Ethel Quotts
Neddie: It’s all lies! It was two other people called Tom! How can I clear my name?
Grytpype: Just hold this stick of dynamite and follow the bouncing ball on Moriarty’s increasingly balding head
Neddie: I must join the Goon Show Preservation Society.
Grytpype: There… That didn’t hurt did it?
Neddie: No. And what value for money, at quids twelve and fifty crisp new pence… It says on this stick of dynamite you just handed me.
Bluebottle: Can I be the one that holds the dynamite my captain?
Neddie: Of course little spotty Herbert…There you are.
FX: Sound of boots accelerating at high speed
Neddie: (distant) The pleasure is all mi…
FX: Huge explosion
Blubottle: You rotten swine. You deaded me!
Wal: At this juncture, I must point out that this was all in a good cause and no idiots were harmed in the making of this commercial
Neddie: Ah! Well that’s alright then
Bluebottle: ‘ ere what about me. I’ve just had my trousers turned inside out.
Neddie: But you’re not an idiot, are you?
Bluebottle: No
Neddie: Well, that’s all right then! Exits left!
with thanks to Mark Cousins
Click here for details of Goon Show preservation Society membership
