Flanders and Swann: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip away the blanket of comforting illusion and cozy half-truth with which we surround ourselves. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again.''|Michael Flanders ''At The Drop Of Another Hat''}}
{{quote|''The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip away the blanket of comforting illusion and cozy half-truth with which we surround ourselves. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again.''|Michael Flanders ''At The Drop Of Another Hat''}}


Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, who co-wrote and performed comic songs in the 1950s and 1960s. Unusually for the time neither performer stood during their shows, Swann being seated at the piano and Flanders confined to a wheelchair by polio (contracted in service during [[World War 2]]).
'''Michael Flanders and Donald Swann''', who co-wrote and performed comic songs in the 1950s and 1960s. Unusually for the time neither performer stood during their shows, Swann being seated at the piano and Flanders confined to a wheelchair by polio (contracted in service during [[World War 2]]).


The two began their musical careers together at school but were drawn apart on the outbreak of the war. A chance meeting in 1948 led them to begin writing comic songs for other performers to sing before they decided to start performing for themselves in a show titled ''At The Drop Of A Hat''. After touring worldwide they returned to Britain to open their new show ''At The Drop Of Another Hat'' and recorded a number of songs not heard in either show.
The two began their musical careers together at school but were drawn apart on the outbreak of the war. A chance meeting in 1948 led them to begin writing comic songs for other performers to sing before they decided to start performing for themselves in a show titled ''At The Drop Of A Hat''. After touring worldwide they returned to Britain to open their new show ''At The Drop Of Another Hat'' and recorded a number of songs not heard in either show.
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{{creatortropes}}
Their works provide examples of:

* [[Affectionate Parody]]: Many of their songs use this trope, and recently they have become subject to one themselves by [[Armstrong And Miller]].
* [[Affectionate Parody]]: Many of their songs use this trope, and recently they have become subject to one themselves by [[Armstrong And Miller]].
* [[Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better]]: "Sounding Brass"
* [[Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better]]: "Sounding Brass"
* [[Audience Participation]]: "The Hippopotamus"
* [[Audience Participation]]: "The Hippopotamus"
{{quote| '''Flanders:''' ''And tonight, by way of encouragement attendants will be passing among you. With rawhide whips.''}}
{{quote|'''Flanders:''' ''And tonight, by way of encouragement attendants will be passing among you. With rawhide whips.''}}
* [[Black Comedy Rape]]: "Madeira, M'Dear" and "Philological Waltz"
* [[Black Comedy Rape]]: "Madeira, M'Dear" and "Philological Waltz"
* [[But Liquor Is Quicker]]: "Have Some Madeira, M'Dear"
* [[But Liquor Is Quicker]]: "Have Some Madeira, M'Dear"
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* [[Disaster Dominoes]]: "The Gasman Cometh"
* [[Disaster Dominoes]]: "The Gasman Cometh"
* [[Father, I Don't Want to Fight]]: "The Reluctant Cannibal"
* [[Father, I Don't Want to Fight]]: "The Reluctant Cannibal"
* [[He Also Did]]: Donald Swann, working alone, produced an album of music from [[JRR Tolkien (Creator)|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and became good friends with Tolkien himself.
* [[He Also Did]]: Donald Swann, working alone, produced an album of music from [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and became good friends with Tolkien himself.
* [[Here We Go Again]]: "The Gasman Cometh"
* [[Here We Go Again]]: "The Gasman Cometh"
* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: "Greensleeves"
* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: "Greensleeves"
* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]: "The Reluctant Cannibal"
* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]: "The Reluctant Cannibal"
* [[Intellectual Animal]]: The gnu(s) in "I'm a Gnu".
* [[Least Rhymable Word]]:
* [[Least Rhymable Word]]:
{{quote| We were never able to come up with a rhyme for "Khrushchev" until he'd gone: "Did he fall, or was he pusch off?"}}
{{quote|We were never able to come up with a rhyme for "Khrushchev" until he'd gone: "Did he fall, or was he pusch off?"}}
* [[Life of the Party]]: "Twice Shy"
* [[Life of the Party]]: "Twice Shy"
* [[Listing Cities]]: "Slow Train"
* [[Listing Cities]]: "Slow Train"
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* [[Napoleon Delusion]]: "The Elephant"
* [[Napoleon Delusion]]: "The Elephant"
* [[Overly Long Gag]]: "In the Desert" and "Kokoraki"
* [[Overly Long Gag]]: "In the Desert" and "Kokoraki"
{{quote| '''Swann:''' ''I omitted eight verses!''}}
{{quote|'''Swann:''' ''I omitted eight verses!''}}
* [[Patriotic Fervour]]: "A Song of Patriotic Prejudice" is an [[Affectionate Parody]].
* [[Patriotic Fervour]]: "A Song of Patriotic Prejudice" is an [[Affectionate Parody]].
* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]: "Misalliance" (The tragic tale of the right-handed Honeysuckle and the left-handed Bindweed.)
* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]]: "Misalliance" (The tragic tale of the right-handed Honeysuckle and the left-handed Bindweed.)
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Flanders And Swann]]
[[Category:Flanders and Swann]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Double Acts and Groups]]

Latest revision as of 20:54, 15 October 2018

/wiki/Flanders and Swanncreator
The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip away the blanket of comforting illusion and cozy half-truth with which we surround ourselves. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again.
—Michael Flanders At The Drop Of Another Hat

Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, who co-wrote and performed comic songs in the 1950s and 1960s. Unusually for the time neither performer stood during their shows, Swann being seated at the piano and Flanders confined to a wheelchair by polio (contracted in service during World War 2).

The two began their musical careers together at school but were drawn apart on the outbreak of the war. A chance meeting in 1948 led them to begin writing comic songs for other performers to sing before they decided to start performing for themselves in a show titled At The Drop Of A Hat. After touring worldwide they returned to Britain to open their new show At The Drop Of Another Hat and recorded a number of songs not heard in either show.

In 1967 they ceased touring together but remained friends until Flanders' death in 1975.

Flanders and Swann provides examples of the following tropes:

Flanders: And tonight, by way of encouragement attendants will be passing among you. With rawhide whips.

We were never able to come up with a rhyme for "Khrushchev" until he'd gone: "Did he fall, or was he pusch off?"

Swann: I omitted eight verses!

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