The Southlanders

The Southlanders was a Jamaican / British vocal group formed in 1950 by Edric Connor and Vernon Nesbeth. Nesbeth had been receiving singing coaching from Connor, and when Connor decided to record an album of Jamaican songs, he asked Nesbeth to assemble a group to provide vocal backing for it. Members of the group were Vernon Nesbeth, Frank Mannah, and brothers Harold (Harry) and Allan Wilmot. "Songs from Jamaica" (Argo RG33) was released in 1954 with the group credited as "The Caribbeans". Connor then persuaded the group to appear with him in cabaret in London's Celebrity Restaurant to promote the album.

During the following year, the group was briefly known as "The South Londoners" and "The Southerners", but by the time of the group's second recording, again providing harmony vocals to Connor on "Songs from Trinidad" (1955, Argo RG57), it had settled on The Southlanders as its name, and went on to record a third album with him.

The group's biggest commercial hit, and its only appearance in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart, was their 1957 cover version of "Alone", which sold over one million copies. "Alone", released by Decca Records, entered the Chart on 22 November 1957 and spent a total of ten weeks in the chart, peaking at #17 on 28 November.

Its final single, "Imitation of Love", was released in 1961.

The song the group is most identified with is "I am a Mole and I Live in a Hole" (also known as "Mole", "The Mole" and "The Mole in a Hole"). The title line from the song was spoken by the group's bass voice Harry Wilmot, father of Gary Wilmot. Harry Wilmot died in 1961, when his son was six years old. The song failed to make the UK Singles Chart in 1958, but has been performed at every Southlanders' event since its release. Group founder Vernon Nesbeth said that the group tried to take the song out of their set but that club managers and audiences insisted upon hearing it. "It's become protected. Untouchable. We've even sung it in Japanese", said Nesbeth.

After its popularity began to wane, the group performed with success in cabaret on cruise ships and in hotels until it disbanded. Nesbeth semi-retired in January 2004 to reside in Spain; he died on 6 March 2017 in Torrevieja. Allan Wilmot retired and resides in South London.

Here is "I am a Mole(And i live in a Hole) From 1958 Enjoy.

Peter Sellers

Peter Sellers, CBE (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English film actor, comedian and singer. He performed in the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show, featured on a number of hit comic songs and became known to a worldwide audience through his many film characterisations, among them Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series of films.

Born in Portsmouth, Sellers made his stage debut at the Kings Theatre, Southsea, when he was two weeks old. He began accompanying his parents in a variety act that toured the provincial theatres. He first worked as a drummer and toured around England as a member of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). He developed his mimicry and improvisational skills during a spell in Ralph Reader's wartime Gang Show entertainment troupe, which toured Britain and the Far East. After the war, Sellers made his radio debut in ShowTime, and eventually became a regular performer on various BBC radio shows. During the early 1950s, Sellers, along with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine, took part in the successful radio series The Goon Show, which ended in 1960.

Sellers began his film career during the 1950s. Although the bulk of his work was comedic, often parodying characters of authority such as military officers or policemen, he also performed in other film genres and roles. Films demonstrating his artistic range include I'm All Right Jack (1959), Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) and Dr. Strangelove (1964), What's New, Pussycat? (1965), Casino Royale (1967), The Party (1968), Being There (1979) and five films of the Pink Panther series (1963–78). Sellers's versatility enabled him to portray a wide range of comic characters using different accents and guises, and he would often assume multiple roles within the same film, frequently with contrasting temperaments and styles. Satire and black humour were major features of many of his films, and his performances had a strong influence on a number of later comedians. Sellers was nominated three times for an Academy Award, twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his performances in Dr. Strangelove and Being There, and once for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959). He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role twice, for I'm All Right Jack and for the original Pink Panther film, The Pink Panther (1963) and was nominated as Best Actor three times. In 1980 he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in Being There, and was previously nominated three times in the same category. Turner Classic Movies calls Sellers "one of the most accomplished comic actors of the late 20th century.

In his personal life, Sellers struggled with depression and insecurities. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played. His behaviour was often erratic and compulsive, and he frequently clashed with his directors and co-stars, especially in the mid-1970s when his physical and mental health, together with his alcohol and drug problems, were at their worst. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from his first two marriages. He died as a result of a heart attack in 1980, aged 54. English filmmakers the Boulting brothers described Sellers as "the greatest comic genius this country has produced since Charles Chaplin.

Here is "Any Old Iron" From 1957 Enjoy.

Tony Blackburn

Antony Kenneth "Tony" Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey. He first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC. He was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 at its launch at the end of September 1967, and has had several stints working for the corporation. He has also worked for BBC Radio London, Capital Gold and Classic Gold Digital, and has had a singing career.

Blackburn was born in Guildford, Surrey, but in 1946 his family moved to Bournemouth, then in Hampshire, where his sister, Jacqueline, was born. His sister was born suffering from polio and has been unable to walk since birth. Blackburn's mother, Pauline Cubitt (née Stone), was a nurse, and his father, Kenneth Fleming Blackburn, was a GP. He was educated at Castle Court School in Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. He gained entry to Millfield School in Somerset on a sports scholarship and captained the school's cricket team.

He left before taking any examinations, but gained O-levels, following private tuition, and enrolled for an HND course in Business Studies at Bournemouth Technical College.

After beginning his career as a singer, Blackburn then worked as a DJ for the offshore pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London (1964–1967), before joining the BBC in 1967, initially broadcasting on the Light Programme.

After a simulcast with Radio 2 hosted by Paul Hollingdale, Blackburn was the first DJ to be heard on BBC Radio 1 when it officially launched on at 7am on 30 September 1967,with his first words on the new station being "And good morning everyone! Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1". The Move's "Flowers in the Rain" was the first complete record he played. Blackburn recalled in 2014: "My job was to entertain and tell corny jokes, not have opinions or talk politics. If I wanted to wish the Queen a happy birthday, I had to get clearance from above." Throughout his Radio 1 career Blackburn was often accompanied by a jingle with the barking of the dog "Arnold" which he had previously used at Radio Caroline.

At first he was associated mainly with mainstream pop, but he later championed soul music. It was largely due to him that "I'm Still Waiting" by Diana Ross, which was initially just an album track, was released as a single in the UK in 1971 and reached number one. He was a regular host of Top of the Pops for a decade until 1979 and he appeared with fellow DJ's Noel Edmonds and Kenny Everett on the 500th anniversary show where he performed the spoken part of "Won't Somebody Dance With Me" and then danced with singer Lynsey de Paul. In 1968, he fronted his own show, Time For Blackburn, produced by Southern Television for the ITV network. "The Radio 1 DJs were a massive attraction. We were mobbed everywhere we went", Blackburn told Simon Hattenstone, referring to personal appearances. "It was all a bit mad, but great fun", he told Judith Woods in 2014. We "were built up to be stars in our own right, and as a result we were as famous as the artists we played."

In 1973, when his pantomime performance was interrupted by a power cut, he said the miners should go back to work. He was admonished by management and taken off-air for two weeks. In an interview for The Radio Academy's Radio Talk podcast in 2013, Blackburn said that it is not advisable for a broadcaster to reveal their political allegiances. In this interview, he says that he's "not a great lover of the TUC or of unions ... but I keep it to myself now."

He was in a group called Tony Blackburn and the Rovers which at one point included Al Stewart; they performed in the Bournemouth and surrounding areas. His singing career failed to take off, although 3 studio albums and 14 singles were released, of which two, "So Much Love" and "It's Only Love", made the UK Top 40 in 1968 and 1969 respectively. "So much Love" suffered from a shortage of copies because "the pressing plant went on strike, so nobody could get the record", he once recalled. "I don't think the strike was anything to do with the record, though it might have been ...quality control or something." As the years progressed he spent less time making his own music and concentrated on radio work, by the end of the 1970s he had stopped singing altogether.

In 1972 he released a self named album on the RCA label - two of the tracks were released as singles "Chop Chop" written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and "House of Cards" written by Lynsey de Paul and Barry Green. His version of Doris Troy's "I'll Do Anything" was recorded in 1969 for his second album, Tony Blackburn for the Polydor label; it was re-released as a Northern soul single under the pseudonym Lenny Gamble on Casino Classics in June 1978. Blackburn was allegedly furious when Noel Edmonds revealed the alias on air. Nevertheless, Blackburn and Edmonds became close friends.All of the Blackburn's singles, including "I'll Do Anything" and "House of Cards" were finally released in 2012 on a CD compilation album "The Singles Collection 1965-1980" on the Cherry Red label.

In June 1973, he took over the weekday mid-morning slot, where he introduced "The Golden Hour". The feature was to prove durable, being carried on by Simon Bates and Simon Mayo when they took over the slot later.

Over several years of the 1970s, Blackburn was a co-presenter on the BBC's summer programme Seaside Special, alongside other well known names from BBC Radio such as Dave Lee Travis and David Hamilton.

In November 1977 he took over the weekday afternoon show and from September 1979 until December 1981 he presented the Sunday Top 40 show on Radio 1.

At the start of 1980 he took over from Ed Stewart as the presenter of Junior Choice broadcast on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 am to 10 am, while continuing to present the Sunday chart show until the end of 1981. He was succeeded by Tommy Vance. During 1982, BBC Radio 1 dropped the name Junior Choice and the show became the Weekend Breakfast Show which Blackburn continued to host until his final show on 23 September 1984.

Blackburn also presents Sounds of the 60s on BBC Radio 2, having taken over in 4 March 2017 from Brian Matthew, who hosted it for 27 years. The show is broadcast live on Saturday mornings, and he now also presents his Golden Hour music programme on Friday nights.

On 30 September 2017, Blackburn recreated his first breakfast show on BBC Radio 2, playing the songs from vinyl, and he later joined Nick Grimshaw, and guests Mike Read, Simon Mayo and Sara Cox for a special show to celebrate Radio 1's 50 anniversary.

Here is "So Much Love" From 1968 Enjoy.

The Four Esquires

The Four Esquires were an American vocal group from Boston, Massachusetts. They had two hit singles in the U.S. late in the 1950s, both on Paris Records. The first, "Love Me Forever", featured orchestral backing by Sid Bass with a female session vocalist and peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957. It also reached #23 on the UK Singles Chart. The second, "Hideaway", had orchestral accompaniment by Richard Hayman, and peaked at #21 in the U.S. in 1958.
In 1963 the group performed a vocal cover version of The James Bond Theme.
  While able to fill moderate-sized auditoriums and becoming a reliable support act in bigger venues, the Four Esquires clocked up no further chart entries and had disbanded by the early 60s.
Members: Bill Courtney (lead singer) and backing vocalists Walter Gold, Robert Golden and Frank Mahoney.
Here is The James Bond Vocal Cover Version "The James Bond Theme"Enjoy.

The James Bond Theme (Double-O-Seven)

 

Mel Blanc

Melvin Jerome Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor, comedian, singer, and radio personality. After beginning his over 60-year career performing in radio, he became known for his work in animation as the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, the Tasmanian Devil and many of the other characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons during the golden age of American animation. He voiced all of the major male Warner Bros. cartoon characters except for Elmer Fudd, whose voice was provided by fellow radio personality Arthur Q. Bryan, although Blanc later voiced Fudd as well after Bryan's death. He later voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera's television cartoons, including Barney Rubble on The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons. Blanc was also the original voice of Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures and provided vocal effects for the Tom and Jerry cartoons directed by Chuck Jones for MGM, replacing William Hanna. During the golden age of radio, Blanc also frequently performed on the programs of famous comedians from the era, including Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen and Judy Canova. Having earned the nickname The Man of a Thousand Voices, Blanc is regarded as one of the most influential people in the voice acting industry. My Favourite Song From Mel Blanc was "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat" From my years of being a Kid and i still remember it playing on the radio in my mothers kitchen lol. So Here it is From 1950 (But I first heard it on the radio in the 60's)Enjoy.

The Barron Knights

The Barron Knights are a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, as the Knights of the Round Table.
They started out as a straight pop group, and spent a couple of years touring and playing in English dance halls before making their way to Hamburg, Germany. Bill Wyman, later of the Rolling Stones, has written that the Barron Knights were the first group he saw with an electric bass, at a performance in Aylesbury in July 1961, inspiring him to take up the instrument. In 1963, at the invitation of Brian Epstein, they were one of the support acts on The Beatles' Christmas shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London, and later became one of the few acts to tour with both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their debut single was "Let's Face It" / "Never Miss Chris" released in 1962 by Fontana Records (H.368).. They also made their debut on BBC Television in this year performing on the children's programme Let's Go! 
They first came to fame in 1964 with the number "Call Up the Groups" (Parts 1 and 2). It overcame copyright restrictions and parodied a number of the leading pop groups of the time including the Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Dave Clark Five, the Bachelors, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. The song imagined the various artists singing about being conscripted, or "called up" into the British Army, although actual conscription had ended in 1960. The single climbed to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. As an example, the song "Bits and Pieces" by The Dave Clark Five was parodied as "Boots and Blisters". They then followed this parody theme with two more hit singles "Pop Go the Workers" (1965) and "Merrie Gentle Pops" (1966), while continuing to work the cabaret circuit, as they do internationally to this day.
In 1967, the group released the single "Lazy Fat People", a satirical song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. In 1974 they toured South Africa with Petula Clark. By 1977 CBS Records had signed the group, bringing a resurgence in popularity, with "Live in Trouble" reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. It was their first hit for over nine years. "Angelo" was just one song parodied on "Live in Trouble". Their 1978 release "A Taste of Aggro", which parodied "Rivers of Babylon", "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" and "The Smurf Song", became the group's biggest hit with sales of over one million, reaching number 3 in the UK chart.
They achieved four other UK hit singles in the 1960s and 1970s but their only US Billboard Hot 100 charted single, "The Topical Song", was another comedic parody written by the American poet Robert Spring White. Based upon Supertramp's "The Logical Song", White, who also took the 1980 American Song Festival award in the folk category for "Where Does The River Go", confined his humorous lyric compositions for the Barron Knights.
The group also produced Christmas specials on Channel 4 Television in 1983 and 1984 which continued to be repeated throughout the decade, a mix of sketches and songs with a comedy backbone for which the group brought in comedy writer Barry Faulkner (Grumbleweeds, Tom O'Connor, Week Ending, Russ Abbot's Madhouse) to write sketches and links. In 1986, they sang a parody of the Jimmy Dean song "Big Bad John", called "Big Bad Bond". It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Australian entrepreneur Alan Bond and his involvement in Australia's victory in the 1983 America's Cup. The single was released by WEA, and had "The Loan Arranger" on the B-side, both taken from their album California Girls.
As of 2013, the group continue to perform for a worldwide audience in a line-up featuring only Pete Langford from the original band members. Founding member, Barron Antony, retired on 05 October 1985, and fellow founding member Butch Baker retired in January 2007, and was replaced by Len Crawley. The Barron Knights' original lead singer, Duke D'Mond, died on 9 April 2009.
Here is "Call up the Groups" From 1964 Enjoy.