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LATE JOYS

Released: Decca, 1964, MONO

Catalogue Number: LK 4628

A NIGHT AT THE MUSIC HALL

Reissued: Ace Of Clubs, 1967, MONO

Catalogue Number: ACL 1238

Special thanks to David Noades for images supplied for this page.

The original LP release of Late Joys
released in 1964 on Decca, the same year The Rolling Stones released their debut LP on the same label!

This rare 1967 album was basically a reissue of the earlier Decca album Late Joys but is significant because it not only features pictures of the artists on the back of the sleeve including Clive Dunn, Hattie Jacques and Bill Owen.

Clive is also pictured on the front of the sleeve on stage at the Players Theatre, London attired in Victorian garb.

The show was performed in 1964 and was a special re-creation of a Victorian Music Hall night at The Players Theatre in Villiers Street, Charing Cross,
London (where it is still located today, underneath the arches).

The Players was originally located in Soho, but relocated to King Street, Covent Garden in the 1930s which was formerly Evans - Late Joys hotel.

The hotel was so named because it was previously owned by a Mr. Joy, but was taken over by a Mr. Evans, and it was he who introduced music and comedy shows in his supper rooms which was how Music Hall was born. The original album was titled Late Joys in memory of the theatre's most famous address.

In the special all-star show Clive sings a charming version of the Albert Chevalier favourite My Old Dutch, while Hattie Jacques sings Waiting At The Church and Bill Owen gives us The Future Mrs. 'Awkins.

Of course Clive went to cover other old music hall classics on both his album (Trifling Occurences, written by his grandfather Frank Lynne) and on the B-side of Thinking Of You This Christmas (Arry, 'Arry, 'Arry).

He also performed similar material on the TV show The Good Old Days in the 1980s.

The poster reveals that the album presented an edited version of the original show show which was performed on 17th December 1963.

The list of 'Artistes' also reveals that there were a number of other famous names on the bill including Ian Carmichael, Maria Charles, Erik Chitty, Bernard Cribbins, James Robertson Justice, Bernard Miles, Eleanor Summerfield, Peter Ustinov and Ian Wallace.

One can only guess which songs they performed but it must have been a night to remember!

David Noades

The 1967 reissue of Late Joys
sported a different title A Night Of Music Hall and featured Clive Dunn on the album cover.

The Ace of Clubs Label
detail of A Night of Music Hall

The original bill poster for Late Joys
taking place on December 17th 1963