h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, also French as you say.

The information is the result of a really quite cursory web search. I didn't look in depth because that seemed enough to be going on with.

Oh good... it's not just my imagination...

¦M¦

The catalogue numbers on the spine of my copy of the 3 CD set are CDFSB 1 and CDS 7974642. The individual CDs are CDFSB 11, 12 and 13; CDP 7974652, 662 and 672. The information is rendered superfluous if you are able to get it from [url removed by moderator] (currently available on 1-2 week back order). Don't buy "Flanders and Swann EMI Comedy" or "A Transport of Delight" as they duplicate songs in the boxed set. 24 quid well spent in my view.

...many thanks 105953...numbers are useful

the bit that the m********s removed would have been nice too...ah well

alec.

There was also a fourth vinyl recording, which came out in the 1980s,
called "Tried by the center court." There were a few songs not included
in the earlier recordings--they were not professionally recorded, and
not of as high sound quality as the earlier ones.

Personal favorites:

"In the bath," "Shy," "The hippotamus song" (which I sang in college
in the late 1960s), "I'm a gnu," and "High fidelity."

Flanders and Swann were at their peak during the 1960s, which I
like to think of as the golden age of comedy.

CDFSB 1
CDS 7974642
Title 'The Complete Flanders & Swann

Info taken from the Box

First and Second Law of Thermodynamics didn't come up at my school until A-level Physics (well, not by name anyway), and my Physics teacher hadn't heard of Flanders and Swann (prior to that I had held a high opinion of his learning, but there were obviously big gaps in his education!). So, I copied the song on to tape, and let him borrow it. He must have liked it, because I never saw it again. I've left school now, so it's probably gone for good.

Glad I didn't lend him the record!

The songs are great, and can be enjoyed on many levels, as your experience(s) prove. However, I think the best parts of the shows were Michael Flanders' introductions. Amoung my favourites are "By Air" - which leads into the "Slow Train" song, and the introductions to "The Gnu" and "The Hippopotamus" - the latter winding up with the words, "Many people think the title of this song is irrelevent. But it's not 'ar-elephant', it's a hippopotumus" (Boom boom). Such awful jokes were apparently ad-lib, and you can hear Donald Swann laughing in the background.

Long may their memory be laughed at,
Cadi

Hear! Hear!

Donald Swann is always laughing in the background...

¦M¦

I wrote this proposed update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A658857

Anyone know how I can commend it to the Italics for incorporation & update?

I haven't a clue, sorry...

¦M¦

Simple! Just go to

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A496451.

and follow the instructions given there

Oops!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A496451

Without the full stop at the end

I linked the H2G2 Clue entry to Jon Naismith, he seemed to like it

Have just found this conversation and found it thoroughly entertaining.I was brought up listening to this magnificent duo on Two Way Family Favourites on a Sunday lunchtime and became familiar with quite a lot of their repertoire (hope I spelt that correctly)so
am pleased that they are still appreciated.At least I now know which
record labels/catalogue numbers to look for so I can add them to my collection.Many thanks to all who did the research.Long may The Gnu
Song reign supreme.

The Hippopotamus is better!

¦M¦

My second favourite song,that one,with the Transport Of Delight third.
Got into a conversation with a friend of mine before christmas and
she's a big fan as well.(Her nickname is Gnu!!!)The good thing is that she's letting me borrow what she has of there recorded output.
Can't think of many nicer ways to start a new year than catching up on a few old favourite tunes.And,yes,I have been called a sad git in
the past,but what the heck.

Nothing sad about Flanders and Swann!

¦M¦

I will confess that I am very fond of the Song of Patriotic Prejudice. Very un-PC, and very amusing.

And all the world over
Each nation's the same
They've simply no notion
Of playing the game
They argue with umpires
They cheer when they've won
And they practice beforehand
Which ruins the fun!

You can see what I originally wrote here http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A359066

Quick! Before they find some other reason to ban it.