RECORDS IN REVERSE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 12 January 1944, Page 1

RECORDS IN REVERSE

Christopher Stone, celebrated radio compere of gramophone programmes, who once a month puts on the “requests” in the 8.8. C. “India Command” programme—to British forces in India —has a fund of good stories about broadcasting and about gramophone records. as his listeners may well imagine. He always says he got his broadcasting engagement through complaining. While editor of a gramophone trade journal, he wrote to the 8.8. C. criticising the way the gramophone programmes were presented, ending, sa - castically. with a remark that he could do it better with his eyes shut. The reply was not what he expected. It was to this effect—then come and do it. With what result listeners round the world know. In his* book “Christopher Stone Speaking,” he. told some behind-the-scenes stories of the early Savoy Hill days. A “surprise item” had been introduced into one programme and the man whose idea it was made Stone borrow a “backwftrd”-playing gramophone and play well known records on it — some of music, some of voices. A piano record, he says, sounded like an organ performance; Mr Bernard Shaw’s voice was “really amusing” when treated in this “undignified ’way.” When, before a music society, he put on a number of records in “reverse.” the only composer the audience recognised was Delius, “who sounded Delius whether played backward or forward.” Wherever Stone goes he seems to be surrounded by records. He describes himself as having worn a scholar’s gown at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was “chiefly known for his singing, at smoking concerts, in a high treble voice of a song called ‘lf no-one ever marries me.’ ” Ultimately “somebody did,” and he has been “happy ever after.”