The Giant Bombardon (VG)

"The Giant Bombardon"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: Vintage Goons Episode: 4
Written by	Spike Milligan
Based on	The Giant Bombardon
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Roy Speer
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: Crazy Rhythm Ellington: Cuban Carnival
Recording Numbers	T5/AG/4309 TLO 65470
First broadcast	6 October 1958 (1958-10-06)
Running time	32:01
Guest appearance
Valentine Dyall

The Giant Bombardon is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the fourth show in the Vintage Goons series and was based on the series 4 episode 13 show: 'The Giant Bombardon'. There was a pre-recording rehearsal show at 4.30pm Sunday 17 November 1957, but the show was actually recorded later at 8.30pm. Both the pre-recording and recording was done at The Camden Theatre, London.

The first British public broadcast was on the Home Service on Monday 6 October 1958 at 8.30pm (using the TLO 65470 recording). It guest starred Valentine Dyall. It attracted a peak listenership of 0.8m listeners.

Story

This is the story of a mighty cannon designed to win the Crimean War. A story of the resolute bravery of one man, Lieutenant Seagoon, who had to fight not only the Russians, but also the apathy and complacency of the British Authorities.

Music

• The BBC Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays Crazy Rhythm (Joseph Meyer (music) / Roger Wolfe Kahn (music) / Irving Caesar (lyrics))
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Cuban Carnival (Pete Rugolo)

Technical

Originally recorded on T5/AG/4309 (Agfa FR tape stock at 15 ips ¼" tape recorded at St. Hilda's, Maida Vale). This tape survived almost intact at TS but was cut about in the making of the simulated stereo PotG issue. A cover copy made as part of the same process emerged from a wall cavity in Kensington House in 1986, and this has been used to repair the original recording.