Tommy Steele may be best remembered today for his starring role on both sides of the Atlantic as Arthur Kipps in the 1963 musical Half a Sixpence - one which he repeated for its film adaptation - or for such motion pictures as Finian's Rainbow and Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire.  Considered to be Britain's first teen idol, the London native with the toothy grin and big talents scored such early rock-and-roll hits as "Rock with the Caveman," "Butterfingers," "Water, Water," "Nairobi," "Come On, Let's Go," "Little White Bull," and the chart-topping "Singing the Blues" before moving into stage and film and, later, sculpture and writing.  On November 29, Stage Door Records' Pop imprint will be celebrating Steele with On Air, a collection of 31 tracks culled from his 1964 U.K. radio series The Tommy Steele Show.  None of these tracks have been released since their original broadcast sixty years ago.

Tommy was joined on these recordings by The Johnnie Spence Orchestra and vocal group The Raindrops (featuring Irish singer and Northern Soul favorite Jackie Lee).  The repertoire is a happily mixed bag of radio hits ("Money (That's What I Want)," "What'd I Say," "Puff the Magic Dragon"), standards ("When You're Smiling," "I'm Sitting on Top of the World") and all-around beloved tunes (Disney favorites "Give a Little Whistle" and "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah") - including many which were never recorded by Tommy on any of his studio albums.  On Air contains his performances of three songs ("Inchworm," "The Ugly Duckling," "The King's New Clothes") from Frank Loesser's Hans Christian Andersen, the 1952 RKO film musical which Steele would bring to the stage in 1974 as Hans Andersen.  He anticipated another stage role with his radio performance of Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown's "Good Morning" from Singin' in the Rain; he would star in the 1983 London Palladium production of the musical.

Steele also is heard on his original tunes "Come on In" and "I Puts the Lightie On" (co-authored with Oliver! tunesmith Lionel Bart), live versions of his singles "Come On, Let's Go," "Hit Record," and "My Big Best Shoes," and such mid-century classics as Steve Allen's "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's "High Hopes," and Sid Wyche and Mayme Watts' "Alright, Okay, You Win."

Tommy Steele's On Air celebrates the career of a great all-around entertainer who will turn 88 years young this December.  The CD boasts new liner notes by Steele's biographer/archivist Sebastian Lassandro as well as an introduction from Sir Tommy Steele himself.  This pressing is limited to just 500 copies; it's available for pre-order now from Amazon at the links below!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Tommy Steele, On Air (Stage Door Pop 9103, 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Come On In
2. Alright
3. The Ugle Duckling (from Hans Christian Andersen)
4. What a Mouth (What North and South)
5. Good Morning (from Singin' in the Rain)
6. Early in the Morning
7. Puff the Magic Dragon
8. Beep Beep
9. Money (That's What I Want)
10. The King's New Clothes (from Hans Christian Andersen)
11. I'm Sitting on Top of the World
12. Come On, Let's Go
13. The Little White Duck
14. My Big Best Shoes (from Valmouth)
15. Green, Green
16. Give a Little Whistle (from Pinocchio)
17. Hit Record
18. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da (from Song of the South)
19. Acapulco 1922
20. High Hopes
21. When You're Smiling
22. Hallelujah I Love Her So
23. Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea
24. Alright, Okay, You Win
25. This Little Girl of Mine
26. Popo the Puppet (from On the Riviera)
27. I Puts the Lightie On
28. This Could Be the Start of Something Big
29. Rave On
30. Inchworm (from Hans Christian Andersen)
31. What'd I Say

All tracks previously unreleased