The Beatles and The Goons

08/24/22 • 87 min

Steven Cockcroft, co-host of the tremendous Nothing Is Real podcast, joins Tyler this week to delve into the many connections between the Beatles and the Goons.

A major influence on all four Fabs - especially John - The Goon Show ran until 1960 but Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan were to go on and develop friendships with all the Beatles and even work with them professionally (notably Sellers and Ringo appearing together in The Magic Christian).

Tyler and Steven try to identify as many connections as they can (no matter how tenuous!) and among the things they touch on are:

Spike & Across The Universe; George Martin; Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds; Richard Lester; Sellers in Get Back; The Beatles Cartoon; Paul's poem to Spike; I Am The Walrus; George and Peter in Disneyland; Sellers does A Hard Day's Night; The Grandma Awards; The Goon Show Scripts; You Know My Name Look Up The Number; Unchained Melody; Spike and The Primal Scream; The Nerk Twins... and much much more!

It's a fun conversation which anybody with even a passing interest in the Goons and/or the Beatles will enjoy!

(And it wasn't until the show was edited and in the can that Tyler realised that the young John Lennon could not have possibly seen Idiot Weekly or A Show Called Fred on television as these were only screened in the London region - HOWEVER, he *could* have seen Son Of Fred as apparently that show was screened in the North in late 1956!)

Nothing Is Real: https://www.nothingisrealpod.com/

Steven Cockcroft, co-host of the tremendous Nothing Is Real podcast, joins Tyler this week to delve into the many connections between the Beatles and the Goons.

Tyler and Steven try to identify as many connections as they can (no matter how tenuous!) and among the things they touch on are:

It's a fun conversation which anybody with even a passing interest in the Goons and/or the Beatles will enjoy!

Nothing Is Real: https://www.nothingisrealpod.com/

Previous Episode

Louis Barfe on Angela Morley

Over a career spanning seven decades the composer and arranger Angela Morley brought something special to every project she was involved with, be it movie soundtrack, record, radio show or television programme. Working with such heavyweights as John Williams, Shirley Bassey, Noel Coward, Scott Walker, Andre Previn and Frankie Vaughan she gained a reputation as a talented, reliable and resourceful musical collaborator.

Although her latter career based mainly in the US was primarily focused on film scores (including Watership Down, Star Wars, Home Alone and Schindler's List) plus TV shows such as Dynasty and Dallas, it is for her earlier work that listeners to this podcast are probably most familiar with her - on The Goon Show and Hancock's Half Hour.

Writer Louis Barfe joined Tyler to talk about the life of Angela Morley and some of the standout work and notable musicians with whom she collaborated.

Plus: the generosity of Harry Secombe, being told off by Ken Dodd and a warm tribute to the recently departed Bernard Cribbins.

Next Episode

Jeffrey Holland

Actor Jeffrey Holland is best known for his role as Spike Dixon, the third rate camp comic in the popular BBC sitcom Hi-De-Hi! but he is of particular interest to this podcast as he took on the rather daunting task of performing Peter Sellers' characters in the much-acclaimed 2001 show Goon Again, alongside Andrew Secombe, Jon Glover and Christopher Timothy and produced by friend of the show Dirk Maggs.

Tyler and Jeffrey discuss that show and what the Goons mean to him, as well as running through his career in general - as well as Hi-De-Hi! they talk about You Rang M'Lord (and why it's so popular in Hungary), Are You Being Served, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Dad's Army.

Jeffrey was a delight and very generous with his time - hope you enjoy the show.