Diana Dors - A very British Blonde Bombshell.

Some random facts, that you may or may not know
 on -
Diana Dors - A very British Blonde Bombshell 
and so much more.

Diana Dors (23rd October 1931 - 4th May 1984)

"I’m the kind of girl that things naturally happen to.  When they don’t, I give them a push"

" I was the first home-grown sex symbol, rather like Britain's naughty seaside postcards."

Dors was the maiden name of her grandmother.

When Marilyn Monroe's first film was shown here, a columnist actually wrote, 
"How much like our Diana Dors she is."

her first film was 'Dancing with Crime' (1947) 
and her last was 'Steaming' (1984)

As an actress she covered every thing from Panto to Shakespeare.

She never owned a mansion without a swimming pool. 

It was her ambition as a child playing in a mud pond in her front yard to have her own swimming pool

Not every one can get away with a Mink Bikini.

She was a close friend of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

She loved luxury and didn't care who knew it.

The 1949 Delahaye Roadster, was given to Diana Dors when she was 17.

Which sold for $3 million (£1.9m) at a California auction in 2010

Her first single was released on HMV Records in 1951

The tracks were "I Feel So Mmmm" and "A Kiss and a Cuddle 

She continued to record on various labels:
and in 1982 she recorded  her last single "Where Did They Go?"/"It's You Again"

You can hear her sing on YouTube

Youth never lasts

But a larger than life personality does.

 As well as the glamour she was no stranger to camp -

and comedy

She also found time ( in between outrageous parties ) to do a lot of  work for charity including gay rights

Above at a fund-raiser at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

and here an icon for Morresy.

and for me.

any one denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury, as a "wayward hussy." deserves to be cherished.

She must have been one hell of a woman.

Here is the lady herself with Russell Harty

There will and never could be another. 

Gone but never to be forgotten

Diana Mary Fluck - I and the whole nation adore you

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For more info click the official Diana Dors online resource and archive.

On me Walkman this week - Jo Stafford

Hello me dears,

As you may know we have new smart phones which we hate with a vengeance. Be that as it may, it does have a fab camera and a Walkman app thing. The latter, together with a pair of headphones, has made my very tedious journey to and from work more bearable.

As a result I thought I would do a series of posts on what I am playing, starting with the adorable Jo Stafford.

After training as an opera singer she left classical music to follow a career in popular music - which spanned from the 30s through to the 80s. By 1955 she had achieved more worldwide record sales than any other female artist. She was also the first female artist to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart.

...with this - You Belong To Me:

Her talents and personality didn't stop there. She also turned herself into the wonderful "Cinderella G Stump" and half of the iconic husband and wife duo "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards". Both adored favourites here at 'Delargo Towers' Check out my other half's blog - Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle - click here.

Here she is as Cinderella G. Stump with Red Ingle and the all time classic Tim-Tay-Shun:

and as half of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards - The Last Time I Saw Paris:

So, from the ridiculous to the sublime...

Jo Stafford - Blue Moon:

Jo Stafford - Fools Rush In:

...and to end with, Jo Stafford and Ella Fitzgerald!

Read more on Wikipedia

Hope you have enjoyed my little flight of fancy.

Next? Well... who knows?

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‘London Calling’

Having read Time Out's team of experts celebrate London's finest moments on record in their ' The 100 best London songs ' I was amazed at far down the list some of my all time favourites were and how full the top 20 was of songs I would never have picked.

Here is their top 10.

10
‘Hometown Glory’ - Adele (2007)
9
‘For Tomorrow’ - Blur (1993)
8
‘Baker Street’ - Gerry Rafferty (1978)
7
‘Primrose Hill’ - John and Beverley Martyn (1978)
6
‘Itchycoo Park’- The Small Faces (1967)
5
‘Streets of London’ - Ralph McTell (1969)
4
‘LDN’ - Lily Allen (2006)
3
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys (1984)
2
‘London Calling’ - The Clash (1979)
1
'Waterloo Sunset’ - The Kinks (1967)
click here to get the full list

Needless to say I had to have a bash myself. It was much more difficult that I thought .

Here we go...

At number 1 on my list and 52 in Time Out is ‘London Pride’

2 # A song that went through my head every night on my way home from work on the night bus
here is the wonderful Queenie Watts singing 'Waterloo Sunset'

3# Still in line with Time Out, the Pet Shop Boys classic 'West End Girls'

4# A Music Hall fave of mine, but here sung by none other than Marlene Dietrich - "Wotcha! Knock'd 'em in the Old Kent Road" :

 

#5  'A Foggy Day (In London Town)' by Judy Garland in 1969.  Her guest is Terry-Thomas.

6# Not as well known as some of the others, but I love this number from  Jack Hylton and his Orchestra,
'Life Begins at Oxford Circus'

''

7# How could Time Out leave this song out? I have no idea. Here is Dalida to sing it like no other:
'Le Lambeth Walk'

8# ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square’ is at number 21 in Time Out. This is Anne Shelton's version from 1940 with Ambrose and his Orchestra:

9# This one might not be on any one else's list but I love it - here is Julie Andrews giving it a bit of welly.
'Picadilly', from the Original Motion Picture "Star!" (1968)

10# A last minute substitution - it was going to be Petula Clark - "London is London" from "Goodbye Mr Chips"
But is now Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue", to remind me of when, way back in the mists of time, when I lived for a short time in Brixton; if not on, just off Electric Avenue.

Appendix
And some just for fun

Peter Sellers - 'Balham - Gateway To The South' - 1958

Willie Rushton - 'Neasden'

Hope you have enjoyed going through me list let me know of any comments or suggestion you might have

"Keep it real"

and remember

"You have to use your culture or you lose your culture"

innit

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