The Music of
The Benny Hill Show

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1. Oh, Zandoona
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Notes: The melody and chord structure of this song and that of "José's Cantina" would be recycled for the April 5, 1989 opening song "Café Olé."
2. I Don't Know How To Love Him
   (From the musical "Jesus Christ, Superstar")
   Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
   Lyrics by Tim Rice
   Performed by Sylvia McNeill
   Recorded by: Yvonne Elliman, Helen Reddy
3. All-Star Medley
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Notes: Performed in the episode finale, with Benny impersonating Shirley Bassey, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Dorothy Squires, David Kossoff, Nana Mouskouri, Moira Anderson and The Beverley Sisters (albeit lip-synching in the latter case).

1. Wild Women
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, on his album Benny Hill Sings? (1965)
2. Those Days
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill and Marian Davies
   Recorded by: Benny Hill (duet with Maggie Stredder), on his album Benny Hill Sings? (1965)
   Notes: Benny would perform this song again, in a duet with Anna Dawson, as part of a medley with "I'll Never Know" and "In the Papers," on his March 31, 1986 opening.
3. Poor Old Prunella (poem)
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Notes: Part of the "Poetry and Jazz" sequence; recast in song form, with Benny impersonating Anthony Newley, in the March 5, 1980 opening.
4. My Mate Ted (poem)
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Background music adapted from "Le Cygne (The Swan)" by Camille Saint-Saëns
   (From the thirteenth movement of "Carnival of the Animals")
   Notes: Part of the "Poetry and Jazz" sequence. Also, "Le Cygne (The Swan)" would be played during the "Gavin Blod: The Man & His Music" sketch of Jan. 8, 1975.
5. Little Things Mean a Lot
   Written by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz
   Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Kitty Kallen (U.S. Number One hit in 1954), Alma Cogan, Mindy Carson, The Beverley Sisters, Cilla Black, Liberace, Helen Forrest, Harry James & His Orchestra, Julie London, Jayne Mansfield, The Platters, Timi Yuro
   Notes: The A&E Complete & Unadulterated - Set 2 DVD set mistitled the filmed vignette that accompanied this song as "Noël Coward's Little Things!" In fact Coward had nothing to do with this tune.
6. The Harvest of Love
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, released as a single in 1963.

1. The Dustbins of Your Mind
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, as a single in 1972; featured in later issues of the album Benny Hill: Words & Music
2. Fad-Eyed Fal
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, as the flip of "The Dustbins of Your Mind" in 1972; also featured in later issues of the album Benny Hill: Words & Music
3. Woodstick (theme)
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill with The Mike Sammes Singers
4. Big Daddy's Alabama Bound
   Written by John D. Loudermilk
   Performed by The Mike Sammes Singers
   Recorded by: John D. Loudermilk, Del Reeves, The Willis Brothers, Boots Randolph, Sue Thompson, Del Wood, The Browns, Chet Atkins, Wanda Jackson, Kenny Price, Jerry Reed, Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass

1. When I Was a Lad
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Notes: The chord structure and melody of the chorus of this song would be recycled for a part of "The Gay Caballero" opening number of March 16, 1983.
2. Knock Three Times (excerpt)
   Written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown
   Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando (1970)
   Notes: Performed during the "Benny's Television Bloopers" segment.
3. Falling in Love With Love (excerpt)
   (From the musical "The Boys From Syracuse")
   Music by Richard Rodgers
   Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
   Performed by Benny Hill and Pat Ashton
   Notes: Performed during the "Benny's Television Bloopers" segment; Lee Gibson would sing the same excerpt in the Jan. 8, 1975 "Gavin Blod: The Man & His Music" sketch.
4. Don't Stop the Music
   Performed by The Ladybirds
   Notes: If anybody has knowledge of who wrote this number and which other artists recorded it, please let us know. Also, one of the few musical numbers to appear in syndication.
5. Portable TV Set
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Notes: This was an update and recasting of his second Pye single, "Transistor Radio" (1961).
6. The Common Market Square Dance
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill and Cast

1. Carol (a.k.a. Ring Around Your Finger, Rope Around Your Neck)
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill with The Ladybirds and The Orange Blossom Sound
2. Passing Strangers (excerpt)
   Written by Rita Mann and Mel Mitchell
   Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Billy Eckstine & Sarah Vaughan (1957), The Cliff Adams Singers, Arthur Prysock, Dorothy Squires
   Notes: Performed in character as Mr. Eckstine during the "Benny Quickies: Television Secrets" segment. Mr. Eckstine and Ms. Vaughan's duet was a minor U.S. hit at the time of release, but performed much better on the British charts, especially upon its re-release in 1969. Rita Mann, listed as one of the writers, was a pseudonym of American music arranger Stan Applebaum (b. 1922).
3. What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?
   Written by Michael Martin Murphey and Owen Castleman
   Performed by The Orange Blossom Sound
   Recorded by: The Lewis & Clarke Expedition, The Monkees, The Stonemans
   Notes: In 1975, two years after The Orange Blossom Sound's performance of this song on this show, co-writer Michael Martin Murphey had his best-known hit with the ballad "Wildfire."
4. Lover, Come Back To Me
   (From the operetta "New Moon")
   Music by Sigmund Romberg
   Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
   Performed by Benny Hill and Pat Ashton
   Notes: Benny previously performed this standard in a duet with Janie Marden during the "Hollywood and the Stars: Partners" sketch of his April 20, 1968 BBC show, in the part dealing with the Nelson Eddy / Jeanette MacDonald screen partnership. Hill and Ashton would wear almost the respective exact same costumes for the opening number of his April 16, 1980 show.

1. Mad About You
   Written by Bruce Ruffin
   Performed by Lee Gibson
   Recorded by: Bruce Ruffin (US: Bell single #45,265 / UK: Rhino single #RND 101, 1972)
2. Happy Together
   Written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon
   Performed by Lee Gibson and John John Keefe
   Recorded by: The Turtles (1967)
3. The Drinking Song (Drink, Drink, Drink) (excerpt)
   (From the operetta "The Student Prince")
   Written by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly
   Performed by Cast
   Notes: During the "Benny's Advertising Bloopers" segment; Benny previously performed the same brief expert in the "Benny's Bloopers" segment of his Dec. 25, 1969 show.
4. Runaway Train
   Written by Guy Massey and Carson Robison
   Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Vernon Dalhart, Carson Robison
   Notes: Performed during the "Dalton Abbott Railway Porter Choir" sketch.
5. Tam Pierce (Widdicombe Fair)
   Traditional
   Performed by Benny Hill and Cast
   Recorded by: Burl Ives
6. Baby Lover
   Written by Bob Merrill
   Performed by Jackie Wright
   Recorded by: Petula Clark
7. Gather In the Mushrooms
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill and Cast
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, as his first Pye single in 1961 (b/w "Pepys' Diary")
   Notes: The verses on this version differed radically from his 1961 recording.

1. News of the Family
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill with Los Zafiros
   Notes: The melody and chord structure of this song would be recycled for parts of the opening "Gay Caballero" number of March 16, 1983.
2. Questions
   Written by Ann Odell
   Performed by Berry Cornish
   Recorded by: Berry Cornish (Jam [UK] single #JAM 60, 1973)
   Notes: This powerful number was mistitled "A Child's Question" in A&E's Complete & Unadulterated - Set 2 DVD. The song's writer and co-producer, Ann Odell, still performs today as a jazz pianist/vocalist; she has a website, annodell.com, but "Questions" is not mentioned, nor is Ms. Cornish.
3. Y Viva España
   Written by Leo Caerts, Leo Rozenstraten and R. Gómez
   Performed by Los Zafiros
   Recorded by: Manolo Escobar, Samantha, Sylvia Vrethammar, Manuel, James Last, Edmundo Ros, Imca Marina, Los Fabulosos 3 Paraguayos
   Notes: Also available in an English-language version with lyrics by Eddie Seago.

1. Older Woman
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
   Recorded by: Benny Hill, on his 1992 CD Benny Hill . . . The Best Of
   Notes: Was mistitled "Dapper Dan the Lady Killer Man" in A&E's Complete & Unadulterated - Set 2.
2. Put Your Hand in the Hand
   Written by Gene MacLellan
   Performed by Anne Shelton
   Recorded by: Anne Murray, Ocean
   Notes: Was mistitled "Galilee Song" in A&E's Complete & Unadulterated - Set 2.
3. Broadway Medley:
   Aba Daba Honeymoon
   Written by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan
   Performed by The Ladybirds /
   Don't Bring Lulu
   Written by Lew Brown, Billy Rose and Ray Henderson
   Performed by Maggie Stredder /
   I Won't Dance
   (From the musical "Roberta")
   Music by Jerome Kern
   Lyrics by Dorothy Fields, Otto Harbach, Jimmy McHugh and Oscar Hammerstein II
   Performed by Gloria George /
   I Wanna Be Loved By You
   (From the musical "Good Boy")
   Written by Bert Kalmar, Herbert Stothart and Harry Ruby
   Performed by Marian Davies /
   Thoroughly Modern Millie
   (From the movie of the same name)
   Written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen
   Performed by The Ladybirds
   Notes: One of the few musical numbers to appear in syndication; also Gloria George's last appearance with The Ladybirds.

1. Sway (excerpt)
   Written by Norman Gimbel and Pablo Beltrán Ruiz
   Performed by Diana Darvey
   Recorded by: Bobby Rydell, Dean Martin, Julie London, Ben E. King, Rosemary Clooney, Michel Bublé, Perry Como, Pérez Prado & His Orchestra, Cliff Richard, Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra, Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra
2. A Walk in the Black Forest
   Written by Horst Jankowski
   Performed by Albert Elms & His Orchestra
   Recorded by: Horst Jankowski, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Apollo 100, Floyd Cramer, Jo Ann Castle, Sounds Orchestral, Roger Williams
   Notes: During the silent sequences of the "Mervyn Cruddy, Spy Catcher" sketch; would also be played during the "Hamburg Black Theatre" segment of the Jan. 6, 1982 "Monte Carbolic Show" sketch.
3. Wooden Heart (Muss I'Denn)
   Written by Bert Kaempfert, Kay Twomey, Fred Wise and Ben Wiseman
   Performed by Albert Elms & His Orchestra
   Recorded by: Gus Backus, Joe Dowell, Elvis Presley, The Chordettes, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, The Sandpipers, Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra, Billy Swan, Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks
   Notes: During the silent sequences of the "Mervyn Cruddy, Spy Catcher" sketch.
4. Second Love
   Written by Dominic Bugatti
   Performed by Design
   Recorded by: Design (EMI [UK] single #2122, 1974)
5. Wheels (excerpt)
   Written by Norman Petty, Richard Stephens and Jimmy Torres
   Performed by Albert Elms & His Orchestra
   Recorded by: The String-A-Longs, Chet Atkins, Hank Snow, Jorgen Ingmann, Hot Butter, The Fireballs, Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra
   Notes: Opening theme to "Film Time" sketch; also opened the March 12, 1975 "Film Talk" sketch, and was used in the balloon sequences of the Feb. 4, 1970 "Benny's Bloopers" and Jan. 8, 1975 "Newer Faces" sketches.

1. The Good Book
   Written and Performed by Benny Hill
2. I Wanna Dance to Your Music (excerpt)
   Written by Judith Durham /
   Cake Walkin' Babies (From Home)
   Written by Chris Smith, Henry Troy and Clarence Williams
   Performed by Judith Durham & The Hottest Band in Town
   Recorded by: (both tracks) Judith Durham & The Hottest Band in Town, on their self-titled first album released on Pye [UK] NSPL 18431 in 1974 (and reissued on CD by WEA International in Australia in 1999); "Cake Walkin' Babies (From Home)" was first made famous by Bessie Smith in the 1920's, and also recorded by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Turk Murphy, Clarence Williams' Blue Five, Sidney Bechet, Teresa Brewer, Dick Hyman, and others.
   Notes: Was mistitled "Strut Your Stuff" in A&E's Complete & Unadulterated - Set 2; those words were contained in the lyrics of "Cake Walkin' Babies (From Home)." The Hottest Band in Town was fronted by Ms. Durham's husband, Ron Edgeworth.
3. Yesterday Once More
   Written by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis
   Performed by The Ladybirds
   Recorded by: Carpenters (1973)
   Notes: One of the few musical numbers to make it to syndication.
4. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
   Written by Osvaldo Farrés
   Performed by Diana Darvey
   Recorded by: Nat King Cole, Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra, Doris Day, Mantovani & His Orchestra, Ferrante & Teicher, Celia Cruz, Pérez Prado & His Orchestra, Los Fabulosos 3 Paraguayos, Julio Iglesias, Trio Los Panchos; in English (with lyrics by Joe Davis) as "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps," by Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra, Stan Kenton & His Orchestra, The Stargazers, Cliff Richard, Ben E. King, and also used as the theme to the TV series Coupling, sung by Mari Wilson.
5. The Landlord of the Green Dragon
   Written by Benny Hill
   Performed by Benny Hill, with accompaniment by Guillermo Basilisco (guitar), Diana Darvey and The Ladybirds
   Notes: The final on-screen appearance of The Ladybirds (with Penny Lister replacing Gloria George); their remaining involvement with the show would be strictly off-screen "Vocal Backing."

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© April 06, 2002.