Painting The Clouds With Sunshine + Tip-toe Thro' The Tulips With Me (1929) Harry Bidgood

[@AllMy78s]

Two very recognisable classics!!! Great disc this...

[@Arthur_McGowan]

The cleanest, clearest Broadcast 12 sides I've ever heard,

[@6dBperOctave]

Thank you. Some of it has to do with them using a public hall rather than the usual dull, boxy studio. Check my other Broadcast Twelves.

[@SwingBandHeaven]

Some great use of a harp as a bridge in painting the clouds. Your disks are in not bad condition really only the beginning and then the usual stressed notes. My copy is only slightly better and it's the best copy I've found in 30 years of looking!

[@6dBperOctave]

@@SwingBandHeaven Thanks for the comments.

[@ianblakesley3349]

I'm inclined to believe that Brian Rust was correct partially. In "Painting The Clouds with Sunshine", the vocalist sounds very much like Tom Barrett, but in "Tiptoe Through The Tulips", it could be Cavan O'Connor, unhappy with the key and pace set by Harry Bidgood.

[@6dBperOctave]

Perhaps you misread my text. Rust named Barrett for If I Had A Talking Picture Of You + The Sun Is At My Window. He just gave v for vocalist for Painting the Clouds + Tip-toe Thro'.

[@6dBperOctave]

I'd go for O'Connor as the vocalist - a good suggestion; and the remark about the pitch - he's beyond his comfort zone. I avoid records with him listed as vocalist.

[@6dBperOctave]

@John Davies Oh dear! Don't tell me you like Maurice Elwin, too LOL

[@davidglow3]

Sounds a bit like Cavan O'Connor signing in a too high pitch

[@MikeThomas78]

Definitely not Cavan O'Connor. It doesn't sound anything like him.

[@6dBperOctave]

I still suspect it is O'Connor - there is his nasal timbre in the voice, but he is singing well above his usual range of pitch.

[@MikeThomas78]

@@6dBperOctave It doesn't sound to be in a particularly high pitch, and Cavan O'Connor, as a tenor, could comfortably sing higher than this. It just doesn't sound at all like Cavan O'Connor to me. I think Brian Rust is likely to be correct when he says the singer is the guy who does the whistling. He only sings on the 4 sides where there is also whistling. My guess is that he was a variety artiste who could have been better (or as well) known as a siffleur.

[@6dBperOctave]

@@MikeThomas78 There was a blind singer, pianist, siffleur and entertainer by the name of Ronald Gourlay, who was doing records and radio around this time. There's even a Pathe Pictorial of him on KZbin and several records - but he doesn't sound like our man.

[@MikeThomas78]

@@6dBperOctave Do you know, I never knew Gourlay was blind! You're right, it doesn't sound like him, but I'm sure he was only one of many such entertainers and maybe our guy on the Bidgood sides was someone similar.