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

Good article.

It is one of my life-long tasks to collect all 249 of the Goon Shows. I have about 120 recorded, and an increasingly large collection of scripts which I've transcribed from those recordings that are sufficiently clear (and uncut).

Apparently, some of the shows were lost from the BBC archives, and they're begging people for any copies that might have been taken from the original radio broadcasts back in the 50s. Heh.

There are hundreds of shows in MP3 format all over the Internet, in various forms and of wildly varying qualities, so it's a nice surprise when a new one turns up somewhere.

If anyone wants a superb book on the The Goons, you can't go far wrong with Roger Wilmut's 'The Goonshow Companion'. It's red. And hilarious.

I never realized there were so many episodes! I discovered the show about 15 years ago and I have the episodes on tape that the BBC put out. If you could help me out with links to some of the sites you found the MP3s at I would be most appreciative.

Hi:

Here in Boston (Massachusetts), we occasionally hear Goon show excerpts on
WCRB, which normally broadcasts classical music but also has occasional
comedy shows. I like the song "I'm walking backward for Christmas," which seems
to capture the absurdity of the season rather nicely.

Harry Secombe has (had?) quite a nice voice. I have an original cast album
for "Pickwick" in which he played the title role. I picked it up in the 1960s
in a bargain rack at Woolworth's, little knowing who Secombe was. I knew who
Charles Dickens was, of course and thought this might be a nice musical.
"If I ruled the world" is from that show, and is probably the best-known song from
that show.

If the Queen thought it would be a "pity" when Secombe got his voice back,
then would she have preferred hearing John Cleese sing? Cleese was somehow
cast in "Half a sixpence" in New York, even expected to sing despite deficits in that
area (according to a biography of Cleese). Happily for the world of comedy,
Cleese ultimately returned to London and was in "Monty Python" and other projects.
Of course, some of us in America would love to have him here again, but we can understand
how Britain might not want to lose him. Sorry if I seem to be rambling.

As for Spike Milligan, for years I have had him mixed up with Richard Mulligan,
who played Julie Andrews' husband in the film "S.O.B.," directed by Blake Edwards.

Links to MP3? Info please!

I have heard many Goon shows, both ORIGINAL and recorded (That gives you some idea of my age!) but am always interested to hear more!

I've been enchanted with the sadly missed team of idiots for as long as I remember - a weekly treat is logging on & downloading an aural treat from Robert Dickson's site (a lovely man I'm convinced)... at http://www.alphalink.com.au/~robertd/GoonShowmp3.html
enjoy

Oooh, I tink I mite haf to go dere! *in best Eccles voice*

I am looking for more goon shoe MP3's that I can download from the internet. I have visited richard Dickinsons page and a few others. However if anyone can help me on my happy quest,then i would be most greatful. Thanks in advance peeps!

If you want to hear the Goon Show, it is on every Monday at noon on BBC Radio 7 which is available via a Freeview box.