Russell Davies - 01/08/2010

Russell Davies continues to celebrate the popular song, and August 1st brings some nice coincidences, but we open with a classic Ella Fitzgerald recording made on this day fifty years ago. On the same day, Chubby Checker introduced The Twist to the world and Russell tells the story, passes on dance-step instructions and unearths the pre-history of The Twist. He also reminds us of Sinatra's re-working of an older dance form as Everybody's Twistin'. August 1st is also the birth-date of Lionel Bart, who re-worked Dickens' Oliver Twist into the smash-hit musical Oliver! Among other achievements of Bart's, Russell recalls A Handful Of Songs and a piece from Lock Up Your Daughters - When Does The Ravishing Begin?. The subject of songwriters changing their names (Bart was Begleiter) leads to others: Edward Chester Babcock, who became Jimmy Van Heusen (Sleigh Ride In July); Charles N Daniels who used the pseudonym Neil Moret (Moonlight and Roses) and Peggy Lee, originally Norma Deloris Ergstrom (A Good Day). The programme closes with two new releases.