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The Music of
The Benny Hill Show

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Page 3
(1975-1977)

William Brown has begun compiling information on The Music of The Benny Hill Show, including details on who wrote and performed the music. There are also detailed notes throughout. Thanks, William for the indepth research!

Episode 22

(Jan. 8, 1975)

  1. Lover (excerpts)
    (From the film "Love Me Tonight")
    Music by Richard Rodgers
    Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
    Performed (primarily) by Lee Gibson
    Recorded by: Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra, Gene Krupa & His Orchestra, Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra, Joni James, Cliff Richard, The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Brenda Lee, Tony Bennett, Steve Allen, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Sam Butera, Charlie Byrd, John Coltrane, Duane Eddy, Keely Smith, Eileen Farrell, Erroll Garner, Ted Heath, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Liberace
    Notes: Performed within the "A Host of All-Time Favourites" segment.
  2. The Beach of Waikiki
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
  3. The Moment of Truth
    Written by Collen Gray 'Tex' Satterwhite and Frank Scott
    Performed by Lee Gibson
    Recorded by: Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan
  4. Blues in the Night (excerpt)
    Written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
    Performed during the opening and close of the "Long Dry Summer" sketch (version unknown)
    Notes: This song was also played during the opening and close of the Feb. 7, 1974 "Baby Boy" sketch.
  5. Let Yourself Go
    Written by Irving Berlin
    Performed by Stella Moray
    Notes: During the "Newer Faces" sketch.
  6. Love Theme From "The Godfather" (Speak Softly Love) (excerpt)
    Written by Nino Rota
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Recorded by: Andy Williams, Al Martino (vocal versions)
    Notes: Performed during the "knife" trick in the "Newer Faces" sketch.
  7. Falling In Love Again (excerpt)
    Music by Frederick Hollander
    English Lyrics by Sammy Lerner
    Performed by Benny Hill
    Recorded by: Marlene Dietrich, Rosemary Clooney, Petula Clark, Doris Day, Sammy Davis, Jr., Billie Holiday, Engelbert Humperdinck, Nana Mouskouri, Andre Previn, Alan Price, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Jo Stafford
    Notes: Performed within the ending portion of the "Versatile Bentwoods" act in the "Newer Faces" sketch.
  8. Ramona
    Music by Mabel Wayne
    Lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert
    Performed by Benny Hill
    Recorded by: Whispering Jack Smith, Gene Austin, Al Martino, Jim Reeves
    Notes: Performed during the ending portion of the "Versatile Bentwoods" act in the "Newer Faces" sketch.

Episode 23

(Mar. 12, 1975)

  1. One Of Those Songs (Le Bal De Madame De Mortemouille)
    (From the musical production "La Plume de Ma Tante")
    Music by Gérard Calvi
    English Lyrics by Will Holt
    Performed by Benny Hill with Henry McGee, Jackie Wright et al.
    Recorded by: The Ray Charles Singers, Max Bygraves, Liza Minnelli, Jackie Gleason & His Orchestra, Jimmy Durante, Freddie Morgan, Caterina Valente & Horst Jankowski, Brenda Lee & Pete Fountain, Linda Clifford
    Notes: Performed during the "Some More All-Time Favourites" set of quickies. La Plume de Ma Tante was the basis for Benny's last major stage show, Fine Fettle, in 1959. Also, beginning in 1977 this song would lead off a medley that would be played in many silent sketches to the end of TBHS's run in 1989, and the final song of which medley was "Brussels (Bruxelles)," written by Jacques Brel. (If anybody knows the other songs in that medley and who wrote them, please let us know.)
  2. Sweet Gingerbread Man
    Written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and Michel LeGrand
    Performed during the "Pam's People" portion of the "Some More All-Time Favourites" set of quickies; the voices are unknown, but sound like they could be Lee Gibson and Diana Darvey.
    Recorded by: Michel LeGrand, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jack Jones, Bobby Sherman
  3. The Rose of El Paso
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
  4. Medley:
    It's Nice to Go Trav'lin'
    Written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen /
    Valentine
    Written by Maurice Chevalier, Henri Christiné and Albert Willemetz /
    Climb Up the Wall
    (From the motion picture Zarak [1956])
    Written by Auyar Hosseini and Norman Gimbel /
    Y Viva España
    Written by Leo Caerts and Leo Rozenstraten
    Performed by Diana Darvey
    Recorded by: ("It's Nice to Go Trav'lin'") Frank Sinatra (on his 1957 album Come Fly With Me), Si Zentner & His Orchestra; ("Valentine") Maurice Chevalier (1924); ("Climb Up the Wall") Eydie Gormé (Coral single #[9-]61760, 1957); ("Y Viva España") See notes to Episode #18.
    Notes: One of the few musical numbers to make it to syndication. Also, in the eyes of many, the high point of Diana Darvey's run with TBHS.
  5. Rose, Rose, I Love You
    Written by Chris Langdon and Wilfrid Thomas
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Recorded by: Frankie Laine (1951)
    Notes: Played during the "Behind the Bamboo Certain" silent sketch; it would also be played during the Jan. 5, 1983 "Friends to Tea with Henry McGee: Chow Mein" sketch.
  6. Limehouse Blues
    Written by Philip Braham and Douglas Furber
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Recorded by: Benny Goodman, Johnny Mercer, Cannonball Adderley, Steve Allen, Ambrose & His Orchestra, Julie Andrews, Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins, Count Basie, Sidney Bechet, Louis Bellson, Chu Berry, Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Eddie Condon, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Buddy DeFranco, Martin Denny, Dukes of Dixieland, Duke Ellington, Esquivel, Ella Fitzgerald, Freddy Gardner, Judy Garland, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Stéphane Grappelli, Bobby Hackett, Lionel Hampton, Erskine Hawkins, Ted Heath, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Barney Kessel, Andre Kostelanetz, Gene Krupa, Kay Kyser, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Lester Lanin, Gertrude Lawrence, Ted Lewis, Wingy Manone, Johnny Mathis, Robert Maxwell, Marian McPartland, Carmen McRae, Yehudi Menuhin, Glenn Miller, The Mills Brothers, Liza Minnelli, Hugo Montenegro, Benny Morton, Mark Murphy, New Orleans Jazz Band, Hot Lips Page, Art Pepper, The Pied Pipers, André Previn, Louis Prima, Django Reinhardt, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Bud Shank, Zoot Sims, Nancy Sinatra, Roy Smeck, Kay Starr, Art Tatum, The Three Suns, Mel Tormé, Charlie Ventura, Joe Venuti, Chick Webb, Paul Whiteman, Lee Wiley, Mary Lou Williams, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Teddy Wilson, Snooky Young
    Notes: This jazz/pop standard, first written in 1922, was played after "Rose, Rose, I Love You" in the "Behind the Bamboo Certain" sketch.
  7. Love For Sale
    Written by Cole Porter
    Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: Performed during the "Midnight in Soho" sketch; this song would also be played during Pan's People's musical number of April 25, 1979.
  8. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (excerpts)
    (From the musical "On Your Toes")
    Written by Richard Rodgers
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Recorded by: MGM Studio Orchestra conducted by Lennie Hayton (from the 1948 movie Words and Music), Ray Anthony & His Orchestra, Les Brown & His Band of Renown, Ferrante & Teicher, Boston Pops Orchestra, Liberace, James Last, Mick Ronson, Andre Kostelanetz, Hugo Montenegro, Lalo Schifrin, The Shadows, The Ventures, Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra
    Notes: One portion would be played during the middle of Benny's rendition of "Love for Sale," and another would be played at the end, in the "Midnight in Soho" sketch.
  9. You Stepped Out of a Dream
    Music by Nacio Herb Brown
    Lyrics by Gus Kahn
    Performed by Lee Gibson
    Recorded by: Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Dave Brubeck Trio, Ray Conniff, Vic Damone, Doris Day, The Four Freshmen, Art Garfunkel, Judy Garland, John Gary, Stan Getz, Robert Goulet, Bobby Hackett, Dick Haymes, Ted Heath, Stan Kenton, Peggy Lee, Julie London, The Norman Luboff Choir, Bert Kaempfert, Tony Martin, Johnny Mathis, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Liza Minnelli, Chico O'Farrill, Oscar Peterson Trio, Jimmy Roselli, George Shearing, Caterina Valente
    Notes: Performed during the "Midnight in Soho" sketch.

Episode 24

(Sept. 24, 1975)

  1. Over the Waves
    Traditional
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Notes: During the "Lance 'Juggler' Vane & Cherri" and "Lana & Her Performing Men" segments during the show opening; a stock-music version of this tune was played on such sketches as "The Short Unhappy Romance of Ted Tingle" and "The Handyman," and custom-scored versions also appeared in such segments as the "Professor Marvo" portion of the "Guest Stars" quickie of Feb. 18, 1976.
  2. Going Nowhere
    Written by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Recorded by: Neil Sedaka
    Notes: One of the few musical numbers to make it to syndication.
  3. Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like
    Written by Richard Supa
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Recorded by: Tom Jones (1974), Glen Campbell & Rita Coolidge (1980), Status Quo (1981)
    Notes: Mr. Buchanan would later perform this song again during the "Girls, Girls, Girls" sketch of March 23, 1977.
  4. Gentle On My Mind (excerpt)
    Written by John Hartford
    Performed by Benny Hill
    Recorded by: John Hartford, Glen Campbell, Patti Page, Paul Anka, Eddy Arnold, Ray Conniff, Billy Eckstine, Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra, Flatt & Scruggs, Bobbie Gentry, Aretha Franklin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Waylon Jennings, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Elvis Presley, Lou Rawls, Frank Sinatra, Boots Randolph, Andy Williams, Lawrence Welk
    Notes: During the "Tex Cymbal: Golden Boy" sketch.
  5. Lonely Boy
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: During the "Tex Cymbal: Golden Boy" sketch. Also, the instrumental version of this song was played in the background of the "Some More Quickies on the Dance Floor" sketch of Feb. 18, 1976.

Episode 25

(Dec. 17, 1975)

  1. The Old Fashioned Way (excerpt)
    Written by Charles Aznavour (original lyrics) and Georges Garvarentz (music)
    English Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
    Performed by Jackie Wright and Benny Hill
    Recorded by: Charles Aznavour, Shirley Bassey, Mantovani, Millican & Nesbitt, Ken Dodd, Max Bygraves, The Dutch Swing College Band, Helen Reddy, Tommy Tune, George Burns
    Notes: Jackie was in character as Aznavour, and Benny as Liza Minnelli, when they performed a portion of this song in the "Another Host of Your Favourite Stars" sgement.
  2. The Sound of Music (excerpt)
    (From the musical "The Sound of Music")
    Music by Richard Rodgers
    Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
    Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: In character as Moira Anderson, during the "Another Host of Your Favourite Stars" segment.
  3. Lovely Lulubelle
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
  4. Theme from "Kojak" (excerpt)
    Written by Billy Goldenberg
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Notes: As the opening to the Kojak parody within the "Jack & Jill: Variations on a Theme" sketch.
  5. Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady
    Written by Harriet Schock
    Performed by Dilys Watling
    Recorded by: Helen Reddy (1975, her final U.S. Top 10 hit)
  6. El Paso
    Written by Marty Robbins
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Recorded by: Marty Robbins (1959)
    Notes: Accompanied the silent "El Paso" sketch.

Episode 26

(Feb. 18, 1976)

  1. Rubber Balloons
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: In character as "Val Doonigoon," during the opening "Guest Stars" segment.
  2. Jake
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
  3. Luke & Tinker
    Written by Benny Hill
    Performed by Benny Hill and Jackie Wright
    Notes: Benny would revive the chord structure and melody for another song he and Louise English performed during the March 25, 1981 "Friends to Tea with Henry McGee" sketch.
  4. Tornado (Instrumental)
    (From the Broadway musical The Wiz)
    Written by Timothy Graphenreed and Harold Wheeler
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich and His Orchestra
    Notes: This song was what was played during Love Machine's first major dance number on TBHS, where they wore costumes which led to this number being unofficially called "Space Chicks" in some quarters.

Episode 27

(Mar. 24, 1976)

  1. Native Song of Luana
    Written by Benny Hill
    Performed by Brenda Arnau, with "translations" provided by Benny Hill
  2. Tell It Like It Is
    Performed by Brenda Arnau
    Notes: If anyone knows who wrote this number, and/or which artists recorded it, please let us know. Important: This is not the same as the 1960's R&B classic made famous by Aaron Neville (and covered in 1981 by Heart), which was written by George Davis and Lee Diamond.
  3. I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire (excerpt)
    Written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler
    Performed by Benny Hill with Cast
    Recorded by: The Ink Spots, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, Max Bygraves, Betty Carter, Ray Conniff, Eddy Arnold, Fats Domino, Les Elgart, Duke Ellington, Geraldo & His Orchestra, Horace Heidt & His Musical Knights, Brian Hyland, Frankie Laine, Vera Lynn, Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra, George Melly, Anthony Newley, Patti Page, Anne Shelton, Somethin' Smith & The Redheads, Sonny Til & The Orioles
    Notes: The opening music for "The Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade Glee Singers" sketch.
  4. The Fire Brigade Song (Let's Put Out the Fire)
    Written by Benny Hill
    Performed by Benny Hill with Bob Todd, Jackie Wright, Jenny Lee-Wright and Cast
    Notes: Performed during "The Lower Tidmarsh Volunteer Fire Brigade Glee Singers" sketch. This was most likely from his 1959 stage production Fine Fettle.

Episode 28

(April 21, 1976)

  1. So Many Girls
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
  2. Movin' On (theme) (excerpt)
    Written by Merle Haggard
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Recorded by: Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe
  3. Lovely To Look At (excerpt)
    (From the musical "Roberta")
    Music by Jerome Kern
    Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Notes: Heard during a scene in "Who's Afraid of Virgin Wool?"; Buchanan would perform the same excerpt again in character as Demis Roussos, during the Jan. 26, 1977 sketch "The Sum Awards."
  4. Getting to Know You (excerpt)
    (From the musical "The King and I")
    Written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Notes: Opening theme for the "Getting to Know You" monologue.
  5. Dancing in the Nude
    Written by Martin Mull
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Recorded by: Martin Mull
  6. Be Gentle With Me
    Written by Benny Hill
    Perfomed by Jackie Wright
    Notes: Jackie was in character as Lynsey De Paul when performing this during the "Supersonic" sketch.
  7. Rose
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Recorded by: Benny Hill, on his album Benny Hill Sings? (1965)
    Notes: Performed here in character as Roy Wood.
  8. You're The One
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: In character as Roy Orbison.
  9. I'll Never Know
    Written by Benny Hill
    Performed by Benny Hill and Eddie Buchanan

Episode 29

(Jan. 26, 1977)

  1. Bianca Malone
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Recorded by: Benny Hill, under the title "Bianca" and with some changes in the lyrics, on his 1992 CD Benny Hill . . . The Best Of
  2. Song of the Volga Boatmen (Ey Ukhnem)
    Traditional (Russian)
    Recorded by: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (arr. Bill Finegan), The Soviet Red Army Chorus & Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Nelson Eddy, Paul Robeson
    Notes: It is not known at this time whose version this was, however it was played during "The New Avengers" parody here, and also in the "Behind the Iron Curtain" segment of the Feb. 6, 1980 "Hollywood Grates: Chubby Dodds" sketch.
  3. Perfidia
    Written by Alberto Domínguez
    English Lyrics by Milton Leeds
    Performed by Diana Darvey, with Benny Hill and Jackie Wright
    Recorded by: Xavier Cugat & His Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra, Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, Ronnie Aldrich & The Squadronaires, Will Bradley & His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley, Nana Mouskouri, Dave Brubeck, Vikki Carr, Nat "King" Cole, Billy Daniels, Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, The Four Aces, Eydie Gormé, Mel Tormé, Cliff Richard, The Cliff Adams Singers, Esquivel, Esteban, Percy Faith & His Orchestra, Ibrahim Ferrer, Helen Forrest, Freddy Fender, Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, Bobby Hackett, Jan & Dean, Ahmad Jamal, Ben E. King, Ted Heath, Los Índios Tabajaras, Dorothy Lamour, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, Trini Lopez, Mantovani & His Orchestra, Paul Mauriat, Billy May, Hugo Montenegro, 101 Strings Orchestra, Chico O'Farrill, Trio Los Panchos, Pérez Prado & His Orchestra, Tito Puente, Linda Ronstadt, Edmundo Ros, The Shadows, George Shearing, Javier Solis, Cyril Stapleton, The String-a-Longs, Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra, The Ventures, Fats Waller, Paul Weston & His Orchestra, Si Zentner & His Orchestra
    Notes: Performed during the "Continental Cabaret with Diana Darvey" segment. An instrumental version of this Latin standard was played in the part of the Dec. 5, 1973 "The Band in the Park: Continental Capers" sketch which took place in a restaurant where the staff was preparing breakfast to the song's rhythm (and Henry McGee and Lesley Goldie were sitting together at a table).
  4. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
    Written by Gary Jackson, Carl Smith and Raynard Miner
    Performed by Reflections
    Recorded by: Jackie Wilson (1967), Rita Coolidge (1977, as "[Your Love Has Lifted Me] Higher and Higher")

Episode 30

(Feb. 23, 1977)

  1. Think of the Boys
    Performed by Love Machine
    Recorded by: Love Machine (1977)
    Notes: If anyone has information on who wrote this number, please let us know.
  2. The Best Is Yet To Come (excerpt)
    Written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan /
    The Stripper (excerpt)
    Written by David Rose
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra /
    The Flash
    Written by Benny Hill
    Performed by Benny Hill, Eddie Buchanan and (possibly) Love Machine
    (Fellow "flashers" Henry McGee and Terry Dane were obviously lip-synching) /
    Swanee River (Old Folks at Home) (excerpt)
    Written by Stephen Foster
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Notes: All these songs were performed during the "Love Machine & The Flash" segment.

Episode 31

(Mar. 23, 1977)

  1. Starsky & Hutch Theme (excerpt)
    Written by Lalo Schifrin
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra, during the "Husky & Starch" takeoff.
    Notes: This theme was from Starsky & Hutch's first season (1975-1976); it is not to be confused with the better-known theme (a.k.a. "Gotcha!") that was written by Tom Scott and used during the second season (and a jazzier variation thereof, during its fourth and final season), or even Mark Snow's 5/4 time theme for the third season.
  2. Fever
    Written by John Davenport and Eddie Cooley
    Performed by Dilys Watling
    Recorded by: Little Willie John, Peggy Lee, The McCoys
    Notes: A similar routine involving this song was performed by Julie Rogers (of "The Wedding " fame) on one of his 1964-1965 BBC shows; Benny, as here, was the drumless percussionist.
  3. Girls, Girls, Girls
    Written by Georg Kajanus
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Recorded by: Sailor (1975)
    Notes: Hill's Angels would also perform this song during the "Chez When" segment of the March 12, 1986 show.
  4. Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like
    Written by Richard Supa
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Notes: See Episode #24.
  5. Big Daddy's Alabama Bound (excerpt)
    Written by John D. Loudermilk
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Notes: See Episode #14.
  6. When The Saints Go Marching In
    Traditional
    Performed by Eddie Buchanan
    Notes: The third and final song performed in the "Girls, Girls, Girls" segment.
  7. At the Streakers' Ball
    Written and Performed by Benny Hill
    Notes: Performed during the "Milk Marketing Board" segment.
  8. King Cotton March
    Written by John Phillip Sousa
    Performed by Ronnie Aldrich & His Orchestra
    Notes: After "At the Streakers' Ball." Perhaps Sousa's best-known composition to be used on a TV show is his "Liberty Bell March," which was the theme for Monty Python's Flying Circus.

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