Clapham & Dwyer's Page
Clapham and Dwyer were the original radio comedy double act and the first broadcasters ever to
fall foul of the BBC censor. Before becoming known to listeners, Clapham was a clerk in the office of a King's
Counsel, and Dwyer was a commercial traveller. After the partnership was formed, a booking came in the first week,
which was to appear at a private party before the Duke and Duchess of York (Later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth).
At their BBC audition, they were asked to sing, and replied that they couldn't. Instead, they talked the first
nonsense that came into their heads, and got the booking.
The idea of the comic alphabet didn't really catch on until the variety duo produced an English comic alphabet,
which they popularised in the 1930s and later recorded as "The Surrealist Alphabet" It is still quite
well known: A for 'orses, B for mutton, C for thighlanders, and so on.
Dwyer, the one who kept trying to be sensible was the fat one. Clapham, the "silly ass" who could never
find the right word at the right time, was the thin one.
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"On Form"
1 - Making a talkie
2 - The Royal and Ancient Game
3 - It isn't cricket
4 - Tennis
5 - Buying a house
6 - Cooking the dinner
7 - Arguments
8 - At the races
9 - A day's broadcasting
10 - Clapham and Dwyer on Photography
Total running time 57 minutes 51 seconds
These tracks are taken direct from 78 rpm records and in order to maintain the authentic sound,
have not been engineered in any way.
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Available for £5.99 post paid within
the UK
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Please send your cheque or postal order to:
Chris Gavin, PO Box 368, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire AB34 5LZ |
An additional charge may be required to send overseas, please email Chris
Gavin for information. |