Next month, American PBS stations premiere Nolly, a three-part miniseries written by Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, It's a Sin) about British television star Noele "Nolly" Gordon (1919-1985), portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter.  The 2023 production is presented on PBS by Masterpiece - formerly Masterpiece Theatre - which describes it as "an outrageously fun and wildly entertaining ride through Gordon's most tumultuous years, and a sharp, affectionate, and heartbreaking portrait of a forgotten icon."  But Gordon, a star of both stage and screen, hasn't been forgotten by everybody.  Stage Door Pop, the new imprint of U.K. label Stage Door Records, is remembering Gordon's legacy with the CD premiere tomorrow, January 26, of the 1975 Pye Records album Crossroads Wedding Party.

Created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling, the weekday soap opera Crossroads debuted on British television in 1964, a time when audiences could only choose from three channels. Despite its notoriously wobbly sets, spotty storytelling, and even actors flubbing lines on camera, the low-budget serial became one of Britain's most popular programs with viewership of 15 million at its peak.  Noele Gordon, whose stage credits included the original West End production of Brigadoon, The Lisbon Story, and Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam, starred on Crossroads as Meg Richardson, owner of the Crossroads Motel embroiled in a feud with her shopkeeper sister Kitty Jarvis, played by Beryl Johnstone.  The original Crossroads ultimately ran through 1988, for a total of 4,510 shows (it was reduced from five episodes per week to four in 1967, then cut to three in 1979, and a mere two by time of its finale in 1988).  Gordon was unceremoniously fired from the show in 1981, causing the national stir which has been dramatized in Nolly.  (It was widely reported that Gordon was fired in the hopes that viewers would abandon the show in protest, therefore allowing ATV to cancel Crossroads and proceed with different programming more to the new network heads' liking.)  Gordon did return for two episodes in 1983 but was too ill to make a proposed longer-term return in 1985.  In happier times, though, Gordon's character of Meg was the bride in a major television wedding.

Crossroads Wedding Party was the official musical companion to the 1975 wedding of Meg Richardson to Hugh Mortimer (John Bentley), an event which garnered the soap opera's highest ratings.  The album opens with Tony Hatch's famous Crossroads theme (presented in stereo) and continues with highlights from the episode's wedding and blessing.  Stephanie de Sykes, as Holly Brown, sings a couple of selections: "It's Been a Long, Long Day" and "We'll Find Our Day," the latter of which premiered in the 1973 musical Smike.  The Crossroads cast performs four choral medleys of classic tunes (including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Side by Side," "Love and Marriage," and "For Me and My Girl"), and Gordon and Bentley each sing one solo.  Noele revisited Brigadoon with the beautiful "Heather on the Hill" (sung by a different cast member in the musical) and John delivered Irving Berlin's "The Girl That I Marry" from Annie Get Your Gun.

Stage Door's first-time reissue adds two bonus tracks: the vocal and instrumental versions of "Benny's Theme" by Paul Henry, who portrayed Benny Hawkins on the soap opera, and The Mayson Glen Orchestra.  "Benny's Theme" was written by Simon May, composer-lyricist of "We'll Find Our Day."  This remastered album has been licensed from BMG, current owners of the Pye Records catalogue.  It joins the CD premiere of The Singing Nolans as the latest addition to the Stage Door Pop roster.  Even if you've never seen Crossroads, the album is an enjoyable look back at a simpler time in television history with some timeless standards.  Look for it tomorrow, January 26, at the links below!

Various Artists, Crossroads Wedding Party (Pye Records PKL 5523, 1975 - reissued Stage Door Pop STAGE 9100, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Stage Door Records)

1. Crossroads Theme - Tony Hatch Orchestra
2. Highlights from the Wedding & Service of Blessing
   • The Lord Is My Shepherd
   • Trumpet Voluntary
3. We'll Find Our Day - Stephanie De Sykes
4. It's Been a Long, Long Day - Stephanie De Sykes
5. Cast Chorus Medley 1
   • I Can't Give You Anything But Love
   • Have You Ever Been Lonely
   • There's a Blue Ring Round My Heart, Virginia
6. Cast Chorus Medley 2
   • Side By Side
   • Love and Marriage
7. The Girl That I Marry - John Bentley
8. Cast Chorus Medley 3
   • Waiting at the Church
   • For Me and My Girl
9. The Heather on the Hill - Noele Gordon
10. Cast Chorus Medley 4
    • Among My Souvenirs
    • The Anniversary Waltz - Noele Gordon & John Bentley
    • Who's Taking You Home Tonight

Bonus Tracks (from Pye single 7N 46027, 1977)

11. Benny's Theme - Paul Henry Featuring The Mayson Glen Orchestra
12. Benny's Theme (Instrumental) - The Mayson Glen Orchestra​