Just a Bit of Fun: Gems of British Comedy

• Artist: Various Artists
• Rating:
• Release Date: January 25, 2005
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Comedy

Review

Just a Bit of Fun: Gems of British Comedy collects 22 of the most memorable skits and novelty tunes from the golden age of wireless. Spanning the years between 1929 and 1953, this collection features the comic talents of some of the most popular performers of the day: the irascible Arthur Askey does a turn with his lighthearted Charles Trenet send-up, "Chirrup!"; a young Peter Ustinov delivers a joyful rendition of "Let's Have a Ride on Your Bicycle"; national treasure George Formby's classic singalong, "Auntie Maggie's Remedy," is included here, as is Gertude Lawrence (in her pre-The King and I days) with her reading of the popular, double entendre-laden "The Physician." Witty, safe, wholesome, and thoroughly British, Just a Bit of Fun will take listeners back to a time when comedy was subtle, and blue-eyed innocent audiences still laughed politely into their hankies. ~ J. Scott McClintock, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Old Sow		Leslie Sarony	(3:05)
New Words for Old	B.C. Hilliam, Malcolm McEachern	Flotsam & Jetsam	(2:45)
The Fourth Form at St. Michael's	Will Hay	Will Hay	(3:13)
The Wives of Commercial Travellers		Lily Morris	(3:05)
The Police Station	Robb Wilton	Robb Wilton	(6:45)
I Had to Go and Find Another Job	Gracie Fields	Gracie Fields, Ray Noble & His Orchestra	(3:25)
Albert Before the Means Test Committee			(6:44)
The Physician	Cole Porter	Gertrude Lawrence, Ray Noble & His Orchestra	(3:05)
It's a Pity	Ronald Frankau, Tommy Handley		(3:33)
At the Court of Good Queen Bess	E.J. Waters		(3:22)
The Magna Charter, 1215	Marriott Edgar	Marriott Edgar	(4:17)
Chirrup!		Arthur Askey	(2:46)
Even a Crooner Must Eat	Sid Phillips, Ray Sonin	Max Bacon	(3:35)
Doris, the Goddess of Wind	Douglas Byng, Norman Hackforth	Douglas Byng	(2:54)
Up'ards	Marriott Edgar	Stanley Holloway	(3:03)
The Vamp of Baghdad	Ken Morris, Charlie Chester		(2:38)
Old Mother Riley Takes Her Medicine			(3:13)
Auntie Maggie's Remedy	George Formby	George Formby	(2:50)
I'm the Man Who's Deputising for the Bull	Eric Sykes/Hattie Jacques	Frankie Howerd	(3:22)
Let's Have a Ride on Your Bicycle	Max Miller	Peter Ustinov	(3:28)
Mock Mozart	Anthony Hopkins	Peter Ustinov	(3:26)
Narcissus (The Laughing Record)	Ethelbert Nevin	Norman Wisdom, Joyce Grenfell	(3:00)

Credits

Norrie Paramor (Arranger), Ray Cook (Compilation), Peter Dempsey (Liner Notes), Peter Dempsey (Compilation), Peter Dempsey (Transfers), Norman Hackforth (Piano), B.C. Hilliam (Piano), B.C. Hilliam (Tenor (Vocal)), Mark Ranshaw (Artwork), Malcolm McEachern (Bass), Leslie Sarony (Arranger), Wolseley Charles (Piano), Joyce Grenfell (Arranger), Alan Bunting (Audio Restoration), Alan Bunting (Remastering), Moore Marriott (Assistant)