Main Performers | Tiny Tim - vocal, ukulele, Joe Cocker, Peter Sarstedt - vocals, guitars |
Orchestra or Band | National Concert Orchestra
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (Vivian Stanshall - trumpet, lead vocal, Neil Innes - piano, guitar, lead vocal, Rodney 'Rhino' Desborough Slater - saxophone, Roger Ruskin Spear - tenor saxophone, 'Legs' Larry Smith - drums) |
Set List | 'God Bless Tiny Tim Overture', R Perry, 'Welcome To My Dream', J Burke, J Van Heusen, 'Livin' in The Sunlight, Lovin' in The Moonlight', S M Lewis, Sherman, 'On The Old Front Porch', B Heath, A Lange, 'I Gave Her That', B DeSylva, A Jolson, 'Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime', J Gorney, E Y 'Yip' Harburg, 'Save Your Sorrows for Tomorrow', B DeSylva, Sherman, 'Love Is No Excuse', J Tubb, 'As Time Goes By', H Hupfeld, 'A Little Smile Will Go A Long, Long Way', J Davis, 'I Got You Babe', S Bono, 'Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life', G Cohen, 'Where Does Daddy Go When He Goes Out?' (Includes 'Hello Hello'), 'You Called It Madness (But I Called It Love)', R Columbo, 'The Other Side', Dorsey, 'I Love Me (I'm Wild About Myself)', W Mahoney, E Weber, 'I Wonder How I Look While I'm Asleep', B DeSylva, R Henderson, 'Frisco Flo', J Fred Coots, J Davis, Medley - 'I'm Glad I'm A Boy', 'My Hero', 'I Hold Your Hand In Mine', T Lehrer, 'Earth Angel', J Belvin Mr Tim Recalls His Visit with Mr Dylan - 'Maine Stein Song', 'I'm Just a Vagabond Lover', 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'My Time is Your Time', Mr Tim Recalls His First Visit with The Rolling Stones - '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', 'Nowhere Man', 'Tip Toe Through The Tulips With Me', 'I'll See You Again' |
Performance Notes | Tiny Tim's performance was recorded and released for the first time in 2000 ('Tiny Tim Live! At the Royal Albert Hall', Rhino).
It was the first time that Tiny Tim had performed with an orchestra. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones attended, hiring boxes for the event.
Debut performance by Peter Sarstedt at the Royal Albert Hall.
'Once upon a time in the land of the Charity, a concert was given in aid of all the boys' clubs all over the country. And into the venue of this concert, known as the Royal Albert Hall, trooped lots and lots of people of fame and fortune and otherwise. All nice people because they were giving of their wealth to help the Charity. And the people who performed in the concert were also nice people, because they gave of their services to help the Charity. And more than that they were nice because they were... Peter Sarsted, Joe Cocker not to forget his Greaseband, Messrs. Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, and Mr. Tiny Tim. I heard Peter Sarsted's record 'I Am A Cathedral' and I liked it quite and I heard it again and liked it more and I was impressed too by what I saw of him at the concert. He only did two numbers 'Cathedral', which is a good song, and one other. I'd like to hear more of him, and I'm sure I will.
It was a damp October evening when it all happened and I arrived at the Albert Hall looking very smart because that's how it said I should look for the concert, only I felt very out of place in my dinner jacket because there were only a few of us wearing the things. It wasn't as if I needed the DJ to appreciate what was going on onstage for example Joe Cocker who I appreciated a lot. At the moment Joe Isn't doing anything different or particularly new. He's just very, very good. He has a great voice, and a dynamic act, and is going to get better and better. I keep having arguments with people about Joe, who dismiss him as cardboard soul and nothing more, whereas he is more anyway, he and the Greaseband were very good at the concert.
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band have such a great attitude to everything that even when their jokes or antics fall flat it doesn't matter, because they do it all with such British enthusiasm. A very professional band of amateurs whom I always enjoy watching, and who always have me rolling in the aisles. I don't think their act at this concert was as good as some of theirs I've seen though some of their ideas were more ingenious than ever. The Bonzos say what they have to say better than most it's just that I'm not sure what they have to say. Underneath all their clowning, though, is serious social comment. (Still, that's what an art college education does for you.)
But the concert really belonged to Tiny Tim. He is beautiful. He is natural. He is sincere. Contrary to popular opinion, I'd say he's a very together person he may be eccentric (?) but he knows what he's doing. And he obviously enjoys doing it.
The National Concert Orchestra were on stage when Tiny Tim's arranger, Richard Perry appeared, clad in all-white formal, almost evening dress, and mounted a highly polished brass rostrum to conduct the assembled players. A medley of Tiny Tim type tunes, and then clouds of smoke accompanied by the sound of the star singing somewhere, hidden. 'Welcome To My Dream' I think the song was. And the smoke got thicker and died away and there was Tiny Tim walking as suavely as he could, which wasn't a particularly elegant sight because he's not very suave. Clutching his large shopping bag and looking embarrassed and sincerely appreciative of the tremendous reception his entrance received. He took his ukulele out of the bag and now we know what Mr. Tim is really about. He's an entertainer, and I don't think there's anyone who gets quite as much pleasure out of entertaining as Tiny. He sings the songs he likes. Songs that are perhaps sentimental and as old-fashioned as himself. He admires the original performers of these numbers, and he tries to sound like them (though he says it's the spirits of the performers who take him over when he sings their songs) but fortunately Tiny Tim's self shines through.
Mr. Tim is at a peak of popularity. I enjoyed the concert, and I daresay most of the audience did. His popularity won't last, though it won't be long before he's out of fashion and forgotten. But he'll still be around, and he'll still have more fans than before. Though less than now. And Tiny Tim would be the first to say: "Well, that's show biz..." (Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, 9 November 1968) |