The Wompom

[@MG-dd9kj]

Have only recently discovered F&S, but when I started praising them to a British colleague, she just informed me that back home they are a household name for our generation of the 60plus. Now I incorporated them into my stock of imperishable Britannica!

[@peterfrancisfielding]

These men shaped my childhood and they have my heartfelt thanks.

[@jeremybevis6441]

Brilliant! To see them perform together like this takes me back 60 years. Their live recordings had so many gems in their little asides that I did not understand at the time. I suppose I was a little like Michael Flanders nephew and Madera cake! Yes, my childhood was full of the "Hippopotamus song", "The Gnu" song and not forgetting the tragic tale of the " Bindweed and the Honeysuckle". Excellent! Thank you for posting it.

[@jonnyparry-jennings739]

Funny songs

[@joshuakohlmann9731]

Thanks for uploading this rarity. Watching two grown men - a reputable actor and a respected composer - being so unrestrainedly (and brilliantly) silly was the highlight of my Sunday morning!

[@britishcomposers]

Only razor sharp intellect could pull off such precision and timing; let alone the rehearsed tongue-twisting and complex lyrics at break-neck speed! This is the fastest I've heard them. As an audio visual engineer, their take on the burgeoning interest of hobbyists with their hi-fi equipment in the late 50's in the 'Song of Reproduction', (quite possibly aided with the technical points by their sound recordist, George Martin), was a masterstroke of subtle sarcasm and wit. What amazes is that on their 'Drop of a Hat' stereo recording of the last show in around 1959, the sound quality reproduction Sir George achieved is as good as recorded sound gets.

[@johnstorey6848]

britishcomposers 9

[@TonusFabri2024]

Yes,but you'll only get the proper stereo effect if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard...flutter on your bottom.

[@666izzy]

This has so much more energy and life than the version on the record, which was recorded in a studio. They seem to have fed, in some way, on the energy of the audience. Thank you for sharing it.

[@Innperlenburg]

Wonderful. Thanks so much. This has got to be my favourite of all their songs.

[@colindurham5085]

Still giggling at the reference to "that great English scientist, Werner Von Lebensraum".

[@LeonPFB]

2 March 2012 would've been Michael Flanders's 90th Birthday. I've raided the Archive to upload rare footage of one of F&S's nonsense songs. Leon Berger (Archivist: THE FLANDERS & SWANN ESTATES)

[@simont936]

i have been teaching small chidlrend in Hungary this song.... off we go ok,.. not paedo or anything but I am teaching Hungarians English. Thanks for making this public, it helps them to get the sounds of English. I speak English French Hungaian and several other languages. It is very good to get them to learn during lockdown. Thanks for making it public.

[@csurname]

glad you clarified you're not paedo

[@claudiadavies8786]

I love there's songs and its gose to show it doesn't matter how old the song is it still good and I'm 20 years old and I've known this song ever since I was young basically I first heard it when when I was in my Mum's bedroom and she had iTunes on the computer and I heard the Barcelona's whale and I thought wow that is amazing I love this song then a few years later I was in the car with my dad and my sister doing a singing competition and I heard anything The Reluctant cannibal and of that even more and then another time I was over at my grandma's house with my dad and my sister and he put the CD on and that's how it all started you see when my grandma she saw Flanders and Swann live when she was young and she kept a record or so and my dad and Uncle Gareth used to listen to it and I like it as well and it's just amazing really the best of the best and I like it a lot and I have very wide range of music and yes🙂

[@TheMimifur]

I'm still searching for the wompon

[@5610winston]

Such infectious energy!

[@gillianstleger2523]

Thanks Ath's Mike and Cherri - had some fun browsing a few of my favourite songs.... Here's one..... but also The Gas Man Cometh, Weather song - wish I could find a good recording of The Warthog song....

[@bigspongeyfan1]

Gillian StLeger they’re all on spotify now.

[@gilgamess]

Thank you, Leon Berger! One of my favorites of theirs. It such a joy to see even more footage of them.

[@5610winston]

My friend's Leonberger says 'WOOF!'

[@barabamama]

Thank you very much for this. How wonderful to see them perform! I only have the CD (I'm sure Michael Flanders would have a good joke to make on that one...).

[@lilytanghe2862]

so this is what it's like inside my brain 24/7

[@Richard-lg4jw]

I was raised with British comedy you must smile everyday and put marmalade on your toast ✌🏻✌🏻🍺🍺

[@franmcmullen2115]

"Gaudeamus wompom ! " Love it ! :)

[@rosemcguinn5301]

Lolz I've loved this song since I was a toddler. My parents are ardent anglophiles who brought home from our many trips to the library all sorts of lovely music, including the album At the Drop of a Hat. They would later find and buy that very same recording. We all know everything by heart, even decades on.

[@Estonius]

Fantastic and classic!

[@Xenogeek2]

Who would have guessed that Flanders and Swann were the first rappers?

[@rossisaurus]

Gilbert & Sullivan?

[@jenniferfox301]

Brilliant!

[@StuartSolberg]

Priceless!!

[@ruthbarron625]

I wish that I could do an interview with Flanders & Swann.

[@leonberger5749]

What would you ask? I knew Swann for the last 7 years of his life and am currently writing the biography of Flanders, so might be able to hazard an answer!

[@ruthbarron625]

Oh I'd ask them loads of questions about their songs. Like what sounds does a Gnu make? or how did they get the idea for the hippopotamous song AKA Mud Mud Glorious Mud?

[@leonberger5749]

I'm not sure that either Michael or Donald really were acquainted with any gnus until well after the song was written. The Hippo was almost entirely Michael's idea. It came to him while driving home one night from Brighton and he was mulling over the old Music Hall Song 'Beer, beer, glorious beer' - which, apart from the cadence of the phrase, bears no oither remblance to the F&S song!

[@ruthbarron625]

And what about that sing about The Reluctant Cannonball.

[@NickJay]

Thanks for the upload, Leon. Heard of this song but not heard it before, if that makes sense. :)

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

Possible inspiration for the silver tongued devils in HHGTTG?

[@vialegiorgio9224]

BRAVISSIMO !

[@vorpalz]

no audio... tried 2 different browsers :(

[@NickJay]

Has this come from the same recording as the half of the American TV concert of Hat that's already been 'released'? The setting seems rather familiar. :)

[@ze_rubenator]

My right ear feels left out =(