Re: [ARSCLIST] Goon Show Transcriptions

["Copeland, Peter" <Peter.Copeland@xxxxx>]

Dear All,
    Yours truly did the discographical work for what I believe was the
first book about The Goons, "The Goon Show Companion" by Roger Wilmut. I
don't know the date, but circa 1973. (That was the year I got married,
and I can remember my wife's expression when the first royalty cheque
came in!)
    But I am writing about the specific question of ten-inch LP
versions. This was because, before the BBC had a variable groove-pitch
disc-mastering lathe, it was the only way to get 28-minutes plus onto LP
discs. Every user of the BBC Transcription Service would have had access
to twin turntables and a mixer for the purposes of rebroadcasting them.
    And, if anyone needs to know. I hope I may cite my IASA article
about how to equalise those early LPs, many of which were made before
RIAA characteristics became universal.
Peter Copeland,
Former Conservation Manager (now retired),
British Library Sound Archive.
<peter.copeland@xxxxxxxxxx>

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Lennick
Sent: 11 December 2005 04:51
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Goon Show Transcriptions

Further info: Transcription Service took its own feed from the studio
where the Goon Show was recorded, took a copy of the script and edited
its own version, which could differ little or much from what the BBC ran
domestically. If the domestic version wasn't preserved, sometimes the
Transcription Service version was the only one to survive.

I've also seen The Goon Show on ten-inch! Why they would try that format
is
beyond me, but the "Vintage Goons" series was put out on ten-inch
microgroove pressings when they went to microgroove, fifteen minutes a
side (which I guess corresponded to the original 16" coarse groove
pressings).

I was unaware that more CDs had been issued..wonder if they'll do
another sale price when they reach 30?

dl

John Ross wrote:

> The BBC Transcription Service distributed the Goon Shows in the 1950s
> on those 16-inch transcription disks shortly after the original BBC
> domestic broadcasts. They were remastered and re-issued on 12-inch
> transcription disks in the 1960s and 70s (maybe into the 80s). These
> were the ones that were edited to cut out the "offensive" material.
> More recently, BBC Enterprises went back to the original tapes and TS
> masters and reconstructed them to add back the stuff that had been
> cut out. Those are the ones currently available on CD -- they're up
> to Volume 23, with four shows per package, so that's 92 original
> shows so far (out of more than 200, not all of which have survived)
> plus The Last Goon Show of All, and Goon Again, which was a tribute
> show that used original scripts from episodes that have not survived.
>
> Separately, EMI/Parlaphone licensed and issued about half a dozen LPs
> with two shows on each disc, with the music cut out (produced for
> records by George Martin).
>
> In addition to umpteen fan sites, some of which offer copies of many
> shows for download, both BBC7 and Radio National (ABC Australia)
> broadcast a Goon Show every week. Both stations stream line to the
> Internet, and BBC7 also has a "Listen Again" feature that makes them
> available on demand for a full week.
>
> John Ross
>
> At  12/10/2005 03:10 PM, Mike Richter wrote:
> >Ah - now we're in one non-classical area of interest to me. <G>
> >
> >Of the half-vast collection of Goon shows, a subset was distributed
> >(I believe on the 16" transcriptions dlennick cites) to American
> >public radio stations. A subset of those without the musical
> >interludes was published on commercial, 12" LP. (Of course, I am not
> >counting "Bridge on the River Wye" or the execrable film "Down Among
> >the X Men".)
> >
> >Among those not offered to U.S. radio are some gems, but in general
> >the best (most nearly sane) were culled for the colonies and many of
> >the best of those made it to LP. Still, I miss the piano race and
> >the one in an incomprehensible pseudo-Scottish language. Somewhere
> >among my unlabelled or mislabelled open reels are a couple of 1 7/8
> >ips tapes with the collection of an Aussie with whom I was friendly
> >some forty years ago.
> >Mike
> >--
> >mrichter@xxxxxxx
> >http://www.mrichter.com/

**************************************************************************
 
Experience the British Library online at www.bl.uk
 
Help the British Library conserve the world's knowledge. Adopt a Book. www.bl.uk/adoptabook
 
The Library's St Pancras site is WiFI - enabled
 
**************************************************************************
 
The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail and notify the postmaster@xxxxx : The contents of this e-mail must not be disclosed or copied without the sender's consent. 
 
The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the British Library. The British Library does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. 
 
**************************************************************************