Today we make our final visit to the songs of the Music Hall.
Where Did You Get That Hat?” is a comic song which was composed and first performed by Joseph J. Sullivan at Miner’s Eighth Avenue Theatre in 1888. It was a great success and has since been performed by many others including J.C. Heffron and Stanley Holloway. Although originally and Amercian song it soon became at staple of the English Music Hall. The song is now also a very popular piece performed for musical theatre exams (grades 4 to 8) and music hall concerts.
“The Laughing Policeman” is a music hall song recorded by British artist Charles Penrose (published under the pseudonym Charles Jolly in 1922). The composition of the song is officially credited to his wife Mabel under the pseudonym “Billie Grey”. The Penroses wrote numerous other laughing songs (The Laughing Major, Curate, Steeplechaser, Typist, Lover, etc.), but only “The Laughing Policeman” is remembered today, having sold over a million copies. Its popularity continued into the 1970s, as it was a frequently requested recording on the BBC Radio show Junior Choice.
“Proper Cup of Coffee” or “What I Want Is a Proper Cup of Coffee” is a 1926 novelty song by music hall composers Bert Lee and R. P. Weston. An early recording was by Ernie Mayne and it was recorded by the Andrews Sisters in 1958. It has since been covered by several artists, most notably Cosmotheka. It is often performed at folk clubs.
“Hello! Hello! Who’s Your Lady Friend?” is an English music hall song from 1913, with music by Harry Fragson and words by Worton David and Bert Lee. The song was recorded by Fragson in 1913, and by both Stanley Kirkby and Ted Yorke in the following year. It became a popular marching song among soldiers in the First World War. It was later performed and recorded by many other singers.
The Old Bull and Bush is a Grad II listed public house near Hampstead Heath in London, which gave its name to the music hall song “Down at the old Bull and Bush” sung by Florrie Forde. The pub gained a music licence in 1867, when Henry Humphries was the landlord. The pub became popular as a day trip for cockneys. Forde had a powerful stage presence, and specialised in songs that had powerful and memorable choruses in which the audience was encouraged to join. She was soon drawing top billing, singing songs such as “Down at the old Bull and Bush”. She appeared in the very first Royal Variety Performance in 1912.
This song was always used to conclude proceedings in the TV show ‘The Good Old Days’ where Leonard Sachs would invite the audience to join in with the words ‘chiefly yourselves’. It seems appropriate to make it the last of our music hall songs.
