The Battle of Spion Kop

"The Battle of Spion Kop"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 9 Episode: 9
Written by	Spike Milligan
Based on	Battle of Spion Kop
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	John Browell
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: This Can't Be Love Ellington: Mr. Success
Recording Number	TLO 73413
First broadcast	29 December 1959 (1959-12-29)
Running time	31:07

The Battle of Spion Kop is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the ninth show in the ninth series.

A pre-recording session took place at Aeolian Hall Studio 2 at 4.15pm on Wednesday 24 December 1958 (DLO 73138/DW 73128) and at 4pm on Sunday 28 December 1958 at The Camden Theatre (DLO 73413/A).

The recording for transmission was created at 8pm on Sunday 28 December 1958, at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London.

The first Home Service broadcast was the following Monday at 8.30pm on 29 December 1958, its rating was 0.8 million.

The show was repeated at 9.31pm Wednesday, 31 December 1958, on the Light Programme to 1.9 million listeners.

Transcription Service Synopsis

Can England be saved by the British Army's rendition of ‘Good Bye Dolly I Must Leave You?’. Will what saved Lord Nelson at Waterloo, likewise save Willium 'Mate' Cobblers from a fate worse than bananas?… And is French Neddie's accent convincing? These and answers to other vital questions will not be revealed in the following pages. However, the full technicolour spectacle of British military dinners under fire. Bloodnok's secret woman recipe, and Moriarty's socks are here to be observed in microscopic detail, along with the full story of how the peaceful hamlet of Poknoips became the turbulent battleground of Spion Kop!

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays This Can't Be Love (Richard Rodgers (music) / Lorenz Hart (lyrics))
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Mr. Success (Edwin Grienes (music) / Hank Sanicola (lyrics) / Frank Sinatra (lyrics))

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 73413 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House).

The TLO 73413 master tape survived in TS, and was used for the version of the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 10. However, the tape suffers from peak distortion, which has been corrected as far as possible.