Always Leave Them With A Song.

I grew up in what people call the golden age of television light entertainment, (a performer or double act, that had broad family appeal, they could tell a story/ sketch/joke which get a laugh out the entire family) But now like most things times change and evolve, what people found funny a few years ago doesn’t seem to have the same mass appeal it once did. And that’s how it should be.

However the one thing that does still remain is the music. Let me explain, there was a unwritten rule that you never walk off the stage to sound of your own foot steps. And if your jokes and routines have failed nine times out of ten that’s what would happen. So many performer/double would have a song, something that the audience would know and maybe join in with.

So when those performers and double acts made it on to flims and television they would use that song on the closing credits or somewhere within the narrative of the film.

In America the comedian Bob Hope is the best example of this because, he used the song, Thanks For The Memories composed by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin and over the years he change the words of whatever occasionally needed them to be.

That’s one American example that I’m aware of. Then there is Doris Day and Sentimental Journey but I’m not exactly sure she ever did a standup routine. And yes Sammy Davis Jr connts, Candy Man and Mr Bojangles were/are some of the first things people think about.

But let me to get back to the point, the songs chosen were happy, slightly silly and there to leave the audience with a better frame of mind. And it got the stage that the audience came associate that performer or that double act with the song.

Which would lead to them being released as 12 inch single or as part of long playing record either as a live performance or a collection of popular songs some even comical.

Once of comedians that did the mix of both was Kenneth Arthur Dodd commonly known as Ken Dodd a Liverpool comedian, who stage act would last around 5 to 6 hours.

And as for double acts, well most people know Bring Me Sunshine because of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, in fact when a statue was erected in Eric’s home town it was quite literally written in stone at his feet.

It didn’t end with Morecambe and Wise, there were many others that did try the same thing, however not many were able to achieve a similar status, one double act were the exception in the mid 1980’s were Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. With the use of the song Together We’ll Ok.

But unfortunately during the covid-19 pandemic Bobby Ball passed away in Blackpool Victoria Hospital but the song lived on and was used as a charity single to raise money for others in need. This performed by sons and Tommy Cannon.

You think that in this day and age, not many many performers would carry on the tradition especially solo performers, but once again there is a an exception that being of comedian Lee Evans who is know for being a lot more physical in his delivery of his comedy, yet at the end of each performance he ends with a song specifically written for that tour.

The only thing is they were never released as comedy albums or comedy singles but with advent the internet they are available to be watched as Lee Evans has unfortunately retired from touring.