... Olivia's back and different Gaia--Olivia Newton-John COMPILED BY PETER HEPPLE (D Sharp DSH LCD 7017) The Australian-born singer has had more than her share of emotional and health problems in recent years and it is good to see her back and casting off the disco diva status she had in the seventies. The songs are all serf-written and largely inspired by her native land but they are not ...

... Adventures of Mr Toad Huddersfield Rather than make do with the usual Home Counties accented amphibian, director Damian Cruden has quite rightly chosen a north country Mr Toad for the Lawrence Batley's Christmas entertain ment. He is played with great spirit and a rich summer wine voice by Daniel O'Bnen. Much careful thought has gone into this version of The Adventures of Mr Toad. It has ...

... A grand affair fit for a Prince Nobody in this country seems to have known much about the gala concert in honour of Hal Prince, which Bavarian Radio in Munich staged last October and which Hugh Wooldridge directed. But to judge from First Night's CD (DOCRCD 2), it appears to have been a grand affair, enthusiasti cally received, with many American performers, some known here, like Len Cariou ...

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... Baker's Dozen still rising high The Boss Is Home--Kenny Baker's Dozen Big Bear ESSCD 224 It was back in the early years of the Second World War that Kenny Baker's name first came to the notice of British swing enthusi asts and suffered because of confusion with an American singer who was starring in films at the time. Now the singer is forgotten but our Kenny goes marching on, well into his ...

... Singing Gay's happy tunes The Songs of Noel Gay Flapper PAST CD 7035 The VE anniversary celebrations brought the music of Noel Gay back into prominence, though it would be a mistake to think he wrote only cheerful, knees-up songs. He could write a romantic bal lad as wen, the best instance on this compilation being You've Done Something to My Heart, which Evelyn Lave sings here to Gerakto's ...

... Just different Bach Goes to Town-- Alec Templeton Flapper PAST CD 7057 Few people can remember, or have even heard of. Alec Templeton, a brilliant blind pianist from south Wales who was discovered by Jack Hylton, given a spot in his big show band, went to the States with him and remained there to become a radio personality before his death in his early fifties. A veritable musical magpie, his ...

... Lehar Operetta--Original Cast Series Pearl GEMM CD 9110 Selections from four of Lehar's operettas which received such acclaim from British audiences between the wars, though The Merry Widow was first seen back in 1907, the three tracks here, featuring artists from the 1923 revival, being actually recorded nearly ten years later. These are a very individual rendering of Maxim's by the Danish ...

... Let's Face the Music-- Bruce Adams/Alan Barnes Quartet Big Bear ESSCD 269 Big Bear have found themselves a winner in this quintet, whose second album this is. In its baldest sense, this is straight-up bebop, of the type played in the fifties, with strong themes, some of them standards, then a suc cession of solos from the musi cians and a recapitulation of the theme at the close. But, as if to ...

... Oliver-1994 London Palladium Cast Recording First Night Cast CD 47 No British musical since the Second World War has quite so many good tunes as Lionel Bart's masterpiece. From Food, Glorious Food, the opening song in the show, to the last, Reviewing the Situation, they stick in the public conscious ness, and this CD gives the chance to appreciate the fine new orchestrations by William David ...

... Paris! Oh! Que J'aime Paris Flapper PAST CD 7069 A sampler of artists who have other Rapper compilations to themselves, this includes a song from Edith Piaf's first recording session in 1936, Les momes de la cloche, in which she is backed by an accordion band. The earliest tracks, from 1930, feature Josephine Baker, and Maurice Chevalier, and there are later items from France's other ...

... Professor Pip's Songs and Prances Pip 9401 CD Ian Cameron, who used to lead the band at Danny La Rue's club and then built up a society band- leading connection, has an origi nal concept in records for children here. Basically it is music for young children to march up and down to, familiar melodies but arranged in a modem instrumerv tal style, interspersed with jolly chorus and action songs, ...