14/10/2012

A tribute to the late Andy Williams opens with Andy's most famous 'anonymous' appearance - behind Bing Crosby with The Williams Brothers in Swinging On A Star.

We next hear him - again with his brothers - supporting Kay Thompson, Hollywood voice-coach and an important figure in his early days. Moon River, a significant milestone, follows and Russell tells the story behind the song and why Johnny Mercer altered the title from Blue River. It had already been used years earlier by one of Johnny's collaborators, Joseph Meyer. So next up is a rare recording of Ruth Etting, singing it in 1927.

An excellent recording of Andy singing with the Quincy Jones orchestra in 1961 leads us back to Bing Crosby - with I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You and this in turn takes Russell into the subject of ghosts. We meet Ghost Riders In The Sky by Peggy Lee; character actor Cyril Smith singing With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm; a fine song called Ghost Of Yesterday with Billie Holiday; Fred Astaire with a reject from Second Chorus - Me & The Ghost Upstairs; and Tiger Rag by The Washboard Rhythm Kings, with a vocal by Ghost Howell!

Russell also pays a tribute to recently-departed Herbert Lom with A Puzzlement from The King and I and a final song, Can't Help Falling In Love, from Andy Williams, closes.