julian_craster

New CD Release : LONDON TOWN (UK film, 1946)


The very rare Decca 78rpm album of the film makes its CD debut...
to delight the films many fans !

Sepia Records/U.K. has announced its next release, for September 4
in the U.K. (9/12, U.S.).

From the website:


LONDON TOWN (U.S. title My Heart Goes Crazy) & BONUS TRACKS
(SEPIA 1076)
Unique among British film musicals of the 1940's, Rank's 1946
extravaganza
London Town was the first big-budget Technicolor musical to be made
in
Britain. All the stops were out; the production numbers were
elaborate with
settings and costumes that far outshone anything made for British
film
musicals before.
Directed by American Wesley Ruggles with a score by Oscar-winning
tunesmiths
Burke and Van Heusen, London Town was filmed at Shepperton Studios
with an
all-star cast led by comedian Sid Field, who by 1945 was the toast
of London
's West End having starred in a succession of highly successful
wartime
variety shows. Fourteen year old moppet Petula Clark, already a
popular
radio and variety performer, also featured, alongside Norwegian
screen siren
Greta Gynt, British Variety star Tessie O'Shea (affectionately known
as Two
Ton Tessie), newcomer Kay Kendall and the music of Ted Heath.
British songstress Beryl Davis introduced the new Burke/Van Heusen
score,
which included "So Would I" and "My Heart Goes Crazy," as both
herself and
the singing voice of Kay Kendall. Much of the comedy material
featured in
London Town is drawn from Sid Field's West End wartime variety
reviews.
Strike It Again (Prince of Wales Theatre 1944) featured the golf
sketch,
which would be reprised by Field in London Town and is included on
this
compilation as a valuable historical record of 1940's British
Variety.
The music of London Town was originally released on five 78rpm
gramophone
records in 1946 and holds the distinction of being Britain's first
motion
picture soundtrack album. This CD marks the first reissue of these
historic
recordings and the 60th anniversary of one of the milestones of
British
cinema.
To complement the London Town soundtrack we include Greta Gynt
performing
"Lady Spiv" (by Vivian Ellis), which she sang in the 1948 British
film Easy
Money, and Petula Clark performing her first ever commercial
recordings,
made for the Columbia label in 1949. Tessie O'Shea's commercial
recording of
"The 'Ampstead Way" is also included.


The tracks:

1. Overture (Salvador Camarata & Orchestra)
2. You Can't Keep a Good Dreamer Down (Sid Field)
3. Daffodil Hill (Salvador Camarata & Orchestra)
4. My Heart Goes Crazy (Beryl Davis)
5. If Spring were Only Here to Stay (Ann Sullivan)
6. So Would I (Scotty McHarg & Beryl Davis)
7. The 'Ampstead Way (Sid Field & Beryl Davis)
8. Sid Field Plays Golf (Sid Field & Jerry Desmond)
9. So Would I (Reprise) (Scotty McHarg & Beryl Davis)
10. The 'Ampstead Way (Reprise) (Beryl Davis)



Bonus Tracks:
11. London Town Film Songs Selection (Peter Yorke & Orchestra)
12. My Heart Goes Crazy (Ted Heath w/Jack Parnell)
13. So Would I (Ted Heath w/Paul Carpenter)
14. Wot Cher! (Ted Heath and His Music)
15. The 'Ampstead Way (Tessie O'Shea)
16. Any Old Iron (Ted Heath and His Music)
17. Lady Spiv (Greta Gynt)
18. Put Your Shoes On, Lucy (Petula Clark)
19. House in the Sky (Petula Clark)
20. Clancy Lowered the Boom (Petula Clark)
21. I'll Always Love You (Petula Clark)
22. Don't You Know That I Care (Beryl Davis)
23. No One Else Will Do (Beryl Davis)

Brief Encounter

Yes, I'm looking forward to this. This is one musical where the songs far outweight the film! I did enjoy stuff like "So Would I" etc. But the film itself is very boring in parts, especially Sid Field's golf sketch. However surely this CD release proves it's about time the film had a DVD release? Especially since it has a significant role in British film history. Maybe someone who owns the rights will notice the CD release, and get off their backside! ;)

julian_craster

Don't forget that there are two versions of this film - 125 minutes and 95 minutes
(and only the latter has been fully restored, with good colour ...) .

The versions are very different [for example, 'If Spring were Only Here to Stay (Ann Sullivan)' and the full length Daffodil Hill ballet only appear in the 125 min version]

Brief Encounter

That's true - wasn't the longer one only seen at the premiere? It certainly has more songs. If there was a DVD, the longer one should be on there.