Merchandise

Front

(click for larger image 31K)

TELEGOON TOON
and other TV themes
Big Ben Banjo Band

45 RPM 7-inch EP record
Columbia ESG 7901 Stereo, 1964
E.M.I. Records Limited

Also released as
45 RPM 7-inch EP record
Columbia SEG 8303 Mono, 1964,
E.M.I. Records Limited

Fine copies of this EP can cost as much as ?10.

Back

(click for larger image 11K)

SIDE ONE:
1) TELEGOON TOON (White)
(Signature of The Telegoons)
[Length: 02:01 seconds]

2) TAXI! (Robinson-Lewis)
(Theme from BBC TV series Taxi)
Click here to view record label 30K

SIDE TWO:
1) STEPTOE AND SON (Gainer)
(Theme from BBC TV series Steptoe and Son)

2) THE BALLAD OF JED CLAMPETT (Henning)
(Theme from ATV TV series The Beverley Hill Billies)

Play an excerpt from Telegoon Toon (41 sec) (284K):
MPEG Layer 3, 16-bit, 22 kHz, 56 kbps, stereo

BBBB 45 RPM single

Big Ben Banjo Band
45 RPM 7-inch single
Columbia DB 7211, 1964

SIDE ONE:
BEAUTIFUL SCREAMER
(Arr. N. Paramour)

SIDE TWO:
TELEGOON TOON
(Signature of "The Telegoons")
(Edward White)

This 45 RPM single, which has the signature tune from The Telegoons on its B-side,
features a Goon-like instrumental parody of Stephen Foster's classic song,
Beautiful Dreamer (1862) on its A-side.

Your Favourite TV and Radio Themes Vol. 4
33 RPM 12-inch LP record
HMV CLP 1762 mono 1964

SIDE ONE
Track 5:
TELEGOON TOON
(From the 'The Telegoons')
(Edward White) Mecolico.
Big Ben Banjo Band

"One sure way for a musical theme to achieve nation-wide popularity is for it to be used as the introductory signature tune of a long-running radio or TV series, especially if that theme is 'catchy' and melodic. All the titles contained on this LP belong in that category. They have been hummed and whistled by millions of radio and TV audiences everywhere. The...Goonish humour of 'The Telegoons' comes through perfectly on Telegoon Toon."

(click for larger image 31K)

Ted Heath and His Music
Production: Marcel Stellman
45 RPM 7-inch single
Decca F.11765 Mono, 1963

SIDE ONE:
TELEGOON TOON (White)
[Length: 135 seconds]

SIDE TWO:
THE ETON BOATING SONG
(Drummond, Wodehouse)
[Length: 154 seconds]

Play an excerpt from Telegoon Toon (57 sec) (167K):
MPEG Layer 3, 16-bit, 22 kHz, 24 kbps, mono

Pictured on the front cover: Ted Heath and a scene from The Telegoons episode, "China Story" (s01e06).

Music by Edward White
J. Booth Trombone

Recorded on DECCA F11765
BY TED HEATH

Signature of THE TELEGOONS
Produced for B.B.C. T.V.
by Grosvenor Films Ltd.

2/6

? Copyright 1963 by
MOON MUSIC PUBLISHING CO. LTD.
47, Dean Street, W.1.
Sole Selling Agents:
Southern Music Publishing Co. Ltd., 8, Denmark Street, London, W.C.2.

Although the 1965 TV Comic Annual did not feature The Telegoons on the cover, inside there are several two-page comic strips, two of which are in full colour. Good copies of this annual can cost as much as ?20.

The 1965 TV Comic Holiday Special features Eccles, Bluebottle and Neddie Seagoon on the font cover. Notice Doctor Who and his Tardis in the background.

TV Comic Annual 1966
The 1966 TV Comic Annual features Eccles,
Bluebottle, Neddie Seagoon, and many other
TV favourites on the font cover. This annual has the best selection of The Telegoons cartoons and comic strips. Mint copies of this annual can cost as much as ?50.

The 1966 TV Comic Holiday Special features Eccles, Bluebottle, and Neddie Seagoon on the front cover. Puzzles: (1) Can you spot Neddie? (2) Why do Doctor Who, John Steed, and Olive look so worried?

Answers: (1) Something fishy is going on. (2) Tivvy and friends are floating away on the ocean breeze. A pebble launched from Bluebottle's sling-shot is about to save the day, however.

TVC_Annual_1967.jpg (47000 bytes)
The 1967 TV Comic Annual features Eccles
(the one sporting the yellow T-shirt)
on the front cover. Fine copies of this
annual can cost as much as ?30.

Telegoons glove puppet advertisement
Telegoons glove puppet toys advertised in TV Comic 3rd October 1964. Note: 9/11 is about ?2.50 (US$4.00) in 1999 currency.

Eccles

Bluebottle

The Original Telegoons Glove Puppet Toys
These puppets now reside in the collection of the
Museum of Childhood, 41 High Street, Edinburgh, UK.
The museum houses thousands of child related artifacts
from as far back as the early 1800's to the present day.
Material: Vinyl head (like Pedigree doll) and hands,
Hessian sacking cloth (Eccles) or cotton cloth (Bluebottle)
body sized for children's hands. No maker's marks.
Height: 267 mm (10.5 inches)
Photographs courtesy of the Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh.

Telegoons Eccles 12-inch doll advertisement

Telegoons Eccles doll advertised in TV Comic, 23rd May 1964. Note: 29/11 is about ?7.50 (US$12.00) in 1999 currency.

The TV Comic advertisement pictured the actual Telegoons Eccles string puppet used in the television series. The actual doll (half the size of the string puppet, see photo at right) was nonetheless a fairly faithful reproduction, right down to the unfortunate state of Eccles' boots.

An Original Telegoons Eccles Doll
Thanks to Richard Stevens for sending
this photograph. His Telegoons Eccles
(see the advertisement at left)
was originally bought in 1964.

Question: Why is Eccles looking up?
Answer: Because he's talking to the trees.
Harder question: Why is Eccles wearing a
Fraser tartan? Or maybe I'm mistaken...
could it be...could it possibly be...
the Grant of Lurg tartan?
Answer: There must be Scots blood in
Eccles' ancestry somewhere, as he
wears nothing under his sack!

Material: Vinyl head, body, arms and legs
(like Pedigree doll). Hessian sacking cloth
and tartan patches.
Height: 317 mm (12.5 inches)

Titcombe colouring book cover

THE TELEGOONS
In The
ASCENT OF MOUNT EVEREST
A Story and Colouring Book

Storyboards drawn by Bill Titcombe

? Tonwen Ltd. Published by The Galaxy Press, c. 1964. 26 pp.
9 x 7" (23 cm x 18 cm) Plot based loosely on the first television episode, s01e01, The Ascent of Mount Everest.


The RH page carried the story, and also provided a colouring guide for the LH page. Pictures drawn by Bill Titcombe.

The Telegoons in The Ascent of Mount Everest The colouring book script:
Grytpype-Thynne:	GLOBE [newspaper]: Eccentric millionaire offers ?1,000,000 to first man to play and sing Rule Britannia on the top of Mount Everest. Look at this, Moriarty--I see our fortune being made here!
Grytpype-Thynne:	[observing Neddie Seagoon playing the piano] I have a capital idea, Moriarty!
Grytpype-Thynne: Neddie Seagoon:	...so that's it, Neddie--we leave for Mount Everest at dawn--bring your piano and a toothbrush or two! [aside] My big chance, folks!
Grytpype-Thynne:	[whispering to Moriarty] Little does he know that due to the intense cold, without gloves he will be unable to play at the summit--but with these super type Everest gloves we will!
Grytpype-Thynne:	Two weeks later at the foot of Mount Everest... Kindly stop acting the mountain goat, sherpa Bluebottle and lend a hand here!
Grytpype-Thynne:	On and on they climbed until... One last heave, lads!
Neddie Seagoon: Grytpype-Thynne:	My hands! They're numb--I can't play a note! Allow me, Neddie!
Eccles: Neddie Seagoon, Grytpype-Thynne, Moriarty, Bluebottle:	Cor-Halloo! How about a request folks! ARRGGH! The abominable snowman!! [all run down from the peak]
Eccles:	Funny people!
Eccles:	Guess I'll have to play it myself. Now how does it go, ah yes--"Rule Britannia"...
Major Bloodnok:	[descending by parachute from an aeroplane, and carrying a sack full of ???] Beautiful, Sah! The prize must be yours!

Ascent of Everest on Std 8 mm movie film
Front Back
ASCENT OF EVEREST
The Telegoons in another hilarious adventure, typical
goonery for all lovers of Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan
and Harry Secombe.

Caption, Ascent of Everest, Std 8 mm film

The first home movie episode of The Telegoons, released by Mountain Films Ltd. Catalog number T.507(S). A sticker on the box says "SOUND Two Reel Version ?12.00". Standard 8 mm film, 7-inch reel, magnetic sound, 24 fps, length approx. 320 ft., run time approx. 15 minutes. The original purchase price of ?12.00 is about ?60.00 (US$96.00) in 1999 values.

Napoleon's Piano on Std 8 mm movie film
Front Back
The TELEGOONS in
NAPOLEON'S PIANO

Montage of stills from the 8 mm film, Napoleon's Piano

The second home movie episode of The Telegoons, released by Mountain Films Ltd. Catalogue number T.527. A sticker on the box says "SOUND One Reel Version ?6.00". Super 8, 7-inch reel, magnetic sound, 18 fps, length approx. 200 ft., run time approx. 13-1/2 minutes (The opening sequence was omitted, which explains the short run time). The original purchase price of ?6.00 is about ?30.00 (US$48.00) in 1999 values.

Mountain Films also released this episode in the Standard 8 mm format, 16 fps, with magnetic sound, on a 4-inch reel (same catalogue number T.527, minus the opening and several other sequences, in particular the exit from the Louvre).

World of British Comedy LP
The sleeve art for the 33 RPM 12" LP record,
The World of British Comedy features pen & ink sketches of the Telegoon puppets. Spike Milligan is on five tracks out of twelve, including The 1957 Goons hit, Eeh! Ah! Oh! Ooh!
(Decca SPA.39, 1969)

World of British Comedy LP closeup
A close-up view of the LP cover shown at left, showing the Telegoon puppets: (L to R) Major Dennis Bloodnok, Eccles, Bluebottle, Hercules Grytpype-Thynne, and Neddie Seagoon. The drawings are based on BBC publicity photographs. Artist: unknown.

front
The sleeve art for the 33 RPM 10" LP record, The Goons: Unchained Melodies, features photographs of the Telegoon puppets in a cartoon context.
(Decca LF 1332, 1964)
(click on puppets for larger images 18K)

The Goons, Unchained Melodies, 10" LP
back

Designed as a tie-in to BBCtv's The Telegoons, this 10" LP collected together most of the Goons' previous 78, 45 and EP releases. Interestingly, the LP did not take its title from any of these. Instead, it was named for the Goons' hilarious send-up of Unchained Melody, recorded with George Martin at Parlophone in 1955. Several serious versions of Unchained Melody topped charts around the world in 1955, but the Goons' version was not released because the writers of the original, and their publishing company, were not amused. We can only guess at how the Goons' version of this song would have fared in the UK charts!

SIDE 1:
1. The Ying Tong Song (Milligan; 1956)
2. I Love You (Milligan; 1957)
3. Eeh! Ah! Oh! Ooh! (Carbone; arr. Lockyer; 1957)
4. Bloodnok's Rock'n'Roll Call (Carbone; 1956)

SIDE 2:
1. The Bluebottle Blues (Milligan; Carbone; 1956)
2. Whistle Your Cares Away (Milligan; Stephens; 1957)
3. A Russian Love Song (Milligan; Stephens; 1957)
4. I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas (Milligan; Carbone; 1956)

Goon Show trivia:
(1) The Goon Show Companion reveals that the Goons' move to the Decca record label in 1956 was due in part to the bad feeling that resulted from the refusal of Parlophone to release their version of Unchained Melody.

(2) The Goons' version of Unchained Melody was destined to remain in chains for more than three decades, finally to be released in 1990 as the flip-side to Dance with me, Henry (also unreleased since 1955), on an EMI 7-inch 45 RPM single, EM 146. Both tracks also found a home in The Peter Sellers Collection, EMI ECC 5 (tape & CD) in 1990, and again in the EMI 4-CD set, A Celebration of Sellers, in 1993.

The Telegoon puppet sleeve art on this Australian produced 45 RPM 7" EP record, The Goons, is modeled on the UK 10" LP The Goons: Unchained Melodies (see above). (Decca DFEA 7500, 1964)

However, apart from a different pairing of the tracks, the record itself is essentially identical to the earlier UK 45 RPM 7-inch EP, The Goons (Decca DFE 6396), released in 1957.

The Goons, Aussi EP

SIDE 1:
1. The Ying Tong Song (Milligan; 1956)
    with Maurice Ponke and his Orchestre Fromage.
2. Bloodnok's Rock'n'Roll Call (Carbone; 1956)
    Featuring Major Dennis Bloodnok, 43rd Deserters,
    with Roland Rockcake and his Wholly Rollers,
    directed by Maestro Ponke.

SIDE 2:
1. The Bluebottle Blues (Milligan, Carbone; 1956)
    with Maurice Ponke and his Orchestre Fromage.
2. I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas (Milligan,
    Carbone; 1956) with Nick Rauchen conducting
    the Ball's Pond Road near "The One-in-Harmony."

The World of The Goons LP

(click on image for larger picture of puppets 42K)

The sleeve art for this UK-produced 33 RPM 12" LP record, The World of the Goons,
features a pen and ink drawing of three Telegoon puppets (L-to-R: Neddie Seagoon;
Major Dennis Bloodnok; Eccles). Artist: Lauri, 1973.
(Stereo. Decca SPA 569, 1978. Also available on cassette KCSP 569)

SIDE 1:
1. The Ying Tong Song (Milligan; 1956) M.C.P.S.*
2. I Love You (Milligan; 1957) M.C.P.S.*
3. Eeh! Ah! Oh! Ooh! (Carbone; arr. Lockyer; 1957) M.C.P.S.*
4. Bloodnok's Rock'n'Roll Call (Carbone; 1956) M.C.P.S.*
5. Whistle Your Cares Away (Milligan; Stephens;1956) M.C.P.S.*

SIDE 2:
1. The Raspberry Song (Adapted Milligan; 1978) Palace Music
2. The Bluebottle Blues (Milligan; Carbone; 1956) M.C.P.S.*
3. A Russian Love Song (Milligan; Stephens; 1957) M.C.P.S.*
4. Rhymes (Sarony, arr. Milligan; 1978) L. Wright
5. I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas (Milligan; Carbone; 1956) M.C.P.S.*

*These tracks were electronically re-processed to create synthetic stereo.

Goons Classics cassette cover

The cover art for this UK-produced cassette tape, Goons Classics,
features a (rather small) pen and ink drawing of three Telegoon puppets
(L-to-R: Neddie Seagoon; Major Dennis Bloodnok; Eccles). Artist: Lauri, 1973.
(Polygram 820 646 4, 1978. ISBN: 1 85849 700 0)

The Goon songs on this cassette were previously released on an earlier
recording, The World of the Goons (Decca SPA 569, see above). Probably in
the interests of historical completeness, this new release also includes six
musical numbers by the Goon Show's resident musicians, The Ray Ellington
Quartet, and The Max Geldray Quartet. Unfortunately, these new tracks are
included without comment; the introduction by Spike Milligan is unchanged
from the earlier release. Also carried over from the earlier recording, is
the pen and ink drawing of the Telegoon puppets. Unfortunately the space
available on the cassette cover does not do justice to the drawing; for that
you'll need to locate the now long out-of-print LP.

The synthetic stereo processing of the earlier Decca LP is absent from this release.

1.   The Goons: The Bluebottle Blues (Milligan; Carbone)
2.   The Goons: I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas (Milligan; Carbone)
3.   The Ray Ellington Quartet: Teddy Bear's Picnic (Teddie Bear's Boogie) (Bratton Kennedy)
4.   The Goons: The Ying Tong Song (Milligan)
5.   The Goons: Bloodnok's Rock'n'Roll Call (Carbone)
6.   The Ray Ellington Quartet: Slow Coach (Stewart, Price, King)
7.   The Max Geldray Quartet: Blues (Unknown)
8.   The Goons: I Love You (Milligan)
9.   The Goons: Eeh! Ah! Oh! Ooh! (Carbone; arr. Lockyer)
10. The Ray Ellington Quartet: Sally (Hanes, Leon, Towers)
11. The Max Geldray Quartet: My Melancholy Baby (Burnett, Norton)
12. The Goons: A Russian Love Song (Milligan; Stephens)
13. The Goons: Whistle Your Cares Away (Milligan; Stephens)
14. The Ray Ellington Quartet: Little Red Riding Hood (Fermelin)
15. The Goons: The Raspberry Song (Adapted Milligan) Palace Music
16. The Goons: Rhymes (Sarony, arr. Milligan) L. Wright

Merchandise...

**1) Telegoon Toon and other TV themes, BBBB, 45 RPM 7-inch EP record...**

**2) Telegoon Toon by Big Ben Banjo Band, 45 RPM 7-inch single...**

**3) Your Favourite TV and Radio Themes, Vol.4, 33 RPM 12-inch LP record...**

**4) A cover of Telegoon Toon by Ted Heath and his Music, 45 RPM 7-inch single...**

**5) Telegoon Toon sheet music, Ted Heath 1963...**

6) TV Comic 1963 to 1966...

7) Telegoons glove puppets...

8) Telegoons Eccles doll...

9) Children's Telegoons story and colouring book drawn by Bill Titcombe...

10) Moutain Films 8 mm home movies...

11) Goon merchandise incorporating a Telegoons theme...