Who is Pink Oboe?

"Who is Pink Oboe?"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 9 Episode: 11
Written by	Spike Milligan
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	John Browell
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) Ellington: Run Joe
Recording Number	TLO 75177
First broadcast	12 January 1959 (1959-01-12)
Running time	29:54
Guest appearances
Kenneth Connor Valentine Dyall Graham Stark Jack Train John Snagge (pre-recorded) No Peter Sellers

The Seagoon Memoirs is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the seventh show in the ninth series. At the time Spike was struggling to write scripts due to the deterioration of his mental health. Larry Stephens and Maurice Wiltshire were asked by John Browell to help Spike out. They did so, and wrote the script for this show.

Three pre-recording sessions took place at three locations:

• Wednesday 10 December 1958, 4.15pm. Aeolian Hall Studio 2 (DLO 71859)
• Saturday 13 December 1958, 4.15pm, The Paris (DW 71274)
• Sunday 14 December 1958, 4pm, The Camden Theatre (DLO 72138/A)

The recording for transmission was created at 8pm on Sunday 14 December 1958, at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London (TLO 72138).

The first Home Service broadcast was the next day at 8.30pm on Monday 15 December 1958, its ratings were 1.1 million.

The show was repeated:

• Wednesday 9.31pm, 17 December 1958, on the Light Programme to 2.3 million listeners.
• Friday 9.30pm, 6 March 1964 on the Home Service in Vintage Goons, to 0.5 million listeners.
• Friday 9.30pm, 20 August 1965 on the Home Service in Let's Laugh Again, to 0.2 million listeners (the broadcast was affected by a fault on the reproduction equipment).

Script Book Synopsis

Written especially for Wagnerians (1st July - 31st June: Your month will be full of dramatic tension and harmony), this episode recounts how the German spy Levingrin and the original designs of the Union Jack, the Union Jim, and the Union Dick, were tracked down by our coward Neddie Seagoon. His off-tune interpretation of 'La da die, dum die dum, lum da die dum' provides access to vital information concerning the disguise of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as a Bavarian cabbage patch. Set in circa 1914, with inside leg 42, nostalgia reverberates throughout this enchanting story. Readers will recall bitterly such unashamed pleasures as Penelope, spam sandwiches, Bloodnok's dirigibles and a set of priceless cuspidors. Sub-titles by Edie Ciano of Bromley.

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (Duke Ellington (music) / Irving Mills (lyrics))
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Run Joe (Joe Willoughby / Louis Jourdan / Walt Merrick)

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 75177 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This master tape survived intact in TS and has been used for the version of the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 10.

Transcript

Who is Pink Oboe? (transcript)