I've added two more editions to http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/ for the benefit of those who enjoy them. I've provided a programme by Johnny Howard and his Orchestra. (for this you should go to the specific Music While You Work page and scroll down until you come to it.) I've also added a programme by the band of the Grenadier Guards, and this can be found in the Military bands section.

I have added two more editions to my website -featuring The Sidney Sax Strings and the Harry Gold Band. They can both be found on the 'Music While You Work' page of my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk / Just scroll down the page until you reach them. I hope you enjoy listening to them.

Keep 'em coming, Brian and once again, for the umpteenth time, thank you.

It might be of interest to those who have listened to the latest additions to my site that Sidney Sax received a letter of congratulation from the BBC for this particular broadcast, describing it as 'admirable'! That didn't often happen, I can tell you!

When MWYW returned in 1983 for a year, the Sidney Sax Strings again took part and his final broadcast (which I had the pleasure of attending) was described by the producer as "one of the best we have done"

The Sidney Sax edition has a really nice '1960s light music' feel to it. Very evocative of the era. Its a very professional and full sound. I can see why it was noted.

Many thanks Brian

I have now added two Ronnie Munro broadcasts to my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/
One is a delightful broadcast by Ronnie Munro and his Orchestra (not quite complete,unfortunately) and the other one features Ronnie Munro and his Sextet.I hope you like them.

Two more editions of the programme added to http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/ First the final performance by Eddie Carroll and his music (who were at the height of their fame in the thirties). You will find this by scrolling down the the MWYW page. The other is a terrific broadcast by the Coldstream Guards band, playing mostly special arrangements by their conductor. Some of the items capture the 'big band' sound very effectively. .

I have added two more editions of MWYW to my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/ They feature Mayfair Hotel pianist Iain Kerr and his Keyboards and (on the MWYW page) The George Birch Six. Happy Listening!

Keep 'em coming, Brian. Great listening.

The latest edition of "Music While You Work" added to my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/ is a 1956 broadcast by Michael Collins and his orchestra. You will find it on the MWYW page. I hope you like it!

Two more programmes have been added to my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/ namely a 1960's broadcast by Chris Allen and his sextet and a delightful programme of light music played by the Coventry Theatre Orchestra in 1957. This programme was broadcast live from the BBC'S Birmingham studios and there is an amusing confusion at the beginning when both duty announcers (in London and Birmingham) think that it is their role to give the opening announcement!

Hope you enjoy the broadcasts!

I have added two more editions of MWYW to my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/.The first programme is by organist Robin Richmond and his Quintet and the second features ace accordionist Delmondi and his quartet. I know that some people don't like organs or accordions, but these two were amongst the best in the business and make very good entertainment. So please give them a try! Both programmes can be found on the MWYW page.

These are great Brian. Please keep them coming.

Although over 200 people have looked at my previous post (yesterday) only a handful have actually gone into my site! Do please give the broadcasts a chance - two people have told me that they enjoyed them - so maybe you will?

Brian. The link on your post isn't quite right, which might explain why not so many have found their way to your site.

It should be http://mastersofmelody.co.uk/

I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of the organ, but the accordion sound is very evocative of the period.

I notice that I didn't comment on the previous Chris Allen broadcast which included some interesting arrangements of then contemporary records. It certainly makes 'Have I the Right' into a real dance number!

Also the Coventry Theatre Orchestra from 1957 includes the 'Merrymaker's Dance' which is a great Eric Coates composition and worth hearing.

Two more programmes now added my site http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/. Firstly the famous Lew Stone and his Sextet with a programme of dance music. This can be found on the MWYW page. The second programme is by The Banjoliers directed by Jack Mandel (formerly known as Troise and his Banjoliers prior to Troise's death in 1957).
They were the most popular band on MWYW, clocking up 376 editions and their broadcasts spanned six decades.
Although not to everyone's taste, they were a bit like Marmite - you either loved them or hated them! I loved them and have happy memories of attending their final broadcast in 1982. This 1964 recording can be found on the 'Troise' page.

Many thanks, Brian

By coincidence I was listening to a previous (1956) Banjoliers MWYW broadcast only last Monday through my trusty Marconiphone radiogram. (Built in 1954, it may have delivered the original broadcast!) The multi-banjo sound has grown on me over the years, and this latest one is just as good as the previous broadcasts.

On the other hand the Lew Stone performance isn't my 'slice of Marmite', I have to say. The percussion is a bit too up-beat, but I am sure many others will like it.

I have been meaning to ask you; is there a reason for the volume of the announcer being so low over the signature tune in some of the broadcasts?

I put the Lew Stone on because somebody complained that I hadn't included him to date. He was one of the biggest names in the country in the thirties fronting a big band, but by the late 50s the BBC decided that he was too expensive and if he wanted to continue broadcast, he would have to downsize - hence the sextet, which did a couple of hundred broadcasts. I've been in Lew Stone's home and played his piano! He was actually playing the celeste on this broadcast with Gordon Langford on piano. Lew Stone died in 1969 but his widow only died a few months ago aged 101. A couple of years ago she attended the official launching of the Lew Stone biography in London and around that time Radio Two did a couple of programmes about his career.
Although I preferred his bigger band, I find the sextet quite pleasing and must say I can't find anything wrong with the percussion - but we all have our own preferences.

Glad you liked The Banjoliers, Logjam. I have loads of recordings of them. They were always regarded as the best of their kind - possibly because they were very versatile, many of their players being better known as guitarists.

The announcements are quite clear on this pair of broadcasts, but as you say, some of them do appear to be rather quiet. The BBC used to lower the volume of the signature tune at 15 seconds in, for the announcement to be made, but occasionally the continuity announcer would forget and speak too early - and therefore not be very audible..

There's a repeat of the 2002 programme about Music While You Work titled The Music Factory on BBC Radio 4 Extra this week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00769jq

Presented by Russell Davies and featuring, of course, Brian Reynolds.

I have added two more programmes to the 'Music While You Work' page of my website. One is Ronald Hanmer and the Marimberos, a brilliant eight piece Latin - American ensemble which includes two marimbas. The other is a Birmingham based band ' The Gough- Adams music', under the joint direction of Geoff Gough (saxophone, flute etc.) and Ron Adams (Pianist and arranger). I hope you like them.
Website address is http://www.mastersofmelody.co.uk/

I have added two more MWYW programmes to my site http://mastersofmelody.co.uk/
The first is by Cecil Norman and the rhythm Players (one of the show's most popular contributors) from 1963 and the second is a broadcast by the Phil Cleary sextet (who only did a few shows, but are very polished.) They can be found on the MWYW page, whereas Cecil Norman has his own page. Hope you like them!

Thank you Brian; I'm enjoying them very much

Cecil Norman and the Rhythm Player's broadcast from 1963 is fantastic programme, and is bound to one of my favourites. I was shocked to read about the conditions he lived in towards the end of his life. A very sad end to a brilliant career that must have given so many people so much pleasure.

It has been necessary to reprocess the Cecil Norman broadcast as it had a strange "Scuffling" noise caused by compression. Hopefully you listened to it after it was done (Saturday)! It sounds fine now. Yes - it was a sad end for a prolific broadcaster. I sent him a recording of a couple of his programmes a few months before he died. He phoned by to thank me and we had a good conversation. He sounded far from well and was very breathless, He told me to feel free to phone him whenever I liked but if he did not reply it was because he had to rest a lot (Well, he was 91 !)

I am sure he was comforted to find that not everyone had forgotten him, and listening to those old recordings brought back some happier memories. I suppose we all assume that everyone has a network of family and friends, but it isn't always the case.

I just had a listen to the latest version of the Cecil Norman file on 'Masters of Melody', and it is much better than the one I originally listened to. The old one did sound a bit muffled and tinny in comparison. All the more reason to listen to the broadcast again!

There is just one thing that has been puzzling me - in the song list, the music 'I'm telling you now' is credited to 'Dougherty', whereas it was written by Mitch Murray, (correctly listed on the broadcast a month later on 4th November 1963, by Harry Gold and his Band). Are the song lists on your web site taken from the BBC records of the broadcast?