Michael Flanders (1922-75) and Donald Swann (1923-94) were popular in concerts and recordings all across the English-speaking world in the 1950s and 1960s. Flanders contracted Poliomyelitis in 1942 during his time in the Royal Navy.
I first heard this years and years ago. Not only have I never forgotten the words (I love them!) but I can no longer just hear this Mozart horn concerto without singing along. I'm sure I'm not the only one.....
I've known this song for over 50 years but I still love listening to it. The lyrics are so clever and very funny and they fit Mozart's tune perfectly - what real talent these two had! Brilliant stuff!
I recently discovered this gem. Try to sing along with the words - it sprints! Quite a few tongue-twisters. That he can keep it up at this tempo and with such deadpan delivery - hat's off!
Poor you for not discovering it earlier and having the pleasure of knowing it for over fifty years, as I have! From now on you'll cheer yourself up each time you sing it, guaranteed!
Always loved their take on things - was extremely honoured later in life to discover that I did the same language course in the Forces as Donald Swann. Bet the bugger was better than me! Loved their turn of phrase. Yes, Tutti!!
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve known the words to this off by heart for about 60 years! That bit in the middle where Donald Swann plays the piano on his own, is the Tutti, a musical term for the whole orchestra playing at once without the soloist. Have a look at this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutti. Thanks again. You made my day!
I searched the comments to find any reference to the word « Tricky » being used as opposed to the correct word « Tutti », which means the entire orchestra will play without the soloist. Thanks for picking up on this.
I used to love Flanders and Swann when I was little. I had some of their vinyl albums. Then I got much older and Armstrong and Miller also added to my delight by doing a very passable parody of them but with much ruder lyrics 🤣 They're on RU-vid if you're interested.
Heh! Watching a rerun of the tv series "Mozart in the Jungle" (S02E01) and there was the Mozart - which of course brought to mind this brilliant song by Flanders & Swann. 😊 Brought back many fine memories of listening to Chicago WFMT's Midnight Special, with Norm Pellegrini hosting and taking particular delight in playing F&S's "Ill Wind". 😁 Yeah, I'm an old fart - and I LOVE this. Thanks for posting. 💕
Re the subtitling above: when the soloist is silent and there is an orchestral interlude during this song doesn't Flanders say "tutti" rather than "tricky"?
I listened to Flanders and Swann with my Dad over 50 years ago. I loved it then and revisiting decades later appreciate just how incredibly professional and witty they are. I listened to the Gas Man Cometh today and had to chuckle. Nothing changes!
Corrections: 1. "(tricky)" should be "tutti" 2. *"gawn" should be spelled "gorn" 3. "Displaying my talent..." NOT "displaying of my talent..." Otherwise, well done!
I was introduced to Mozart's Horn Concertos by my music teacher Lt Col S. Rhodes, I so wanted to play the French Horn, but my parent's couldn't afford an instrument or the lessons sixty years ago, so it never happened.
The correct pronunciation of gnu was nu, but now Gnu is an accepted alternative because of their song. That's fame. Hippopotamus is used as a trial word to test if people has lost any speech capacity. I told some baby paramedics about the song and chorus and they were going to look it up.
I saw them in Toronto at the O'Keefe Centre when I was 10 years old. Flanders rolled over to where I was in the front row and smiled at me. A lovely memory! My favorite is The Slow Train. Their albums were produced by George Martin.
Flanders and Swann's records were made for the British Parlophone label and were produced by George Martin, who later recorded The Beatles. And Michael Flanders's daughter Laura Flanders became a Left-wing journalist and activist later, and she once wrote that she'd been radicalized by the shabby way her dad was treated because he was disabled.
