Thanks to the regular input of many of my readers, this blog continues to reveal rare memorabilia from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood (1952). Matt Crandall has sent me what he describes as a 'super-rare' disc containing songs from the motion picture sung by the Sandpiper Singers with additional lyrics by Marshall Barer.
I have never seen this disc before. It is a Big Golden Unbreakable Record (DBR 5) and the songs include, The Robin Hood Ballad, Riddle-De-Diddle-De-Day and Sing High, Sing Low.
It can now be added to our list of music and records by Elton Hayes and from The Story of Robin Hood.
Elton Hayes (1915-2001) played the part of the minstrel Allan-a-Dale in Walt Disney’s live action movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952).
Today he is sadly almost forgotten, but Hayes was very well-known to radio and television audiences of the 1950’s as ‘the man with the small guitar’ and Paul McCartney recollects that it was his song Whistle My Love from Robin Hood that influenced the Beatles composition Little Child in 1963.
Recently I posted a list of Elton Hayes’s songs that have been released on record down the years. I knew it was incomplete and asked for help. Luckily I was contacted by our regular visitor Geoff Waite. He kindly helped me update my list of Elton’s recordings and sent some interesting facts to go with it.
ELTON HAYES SONGLIST
THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR / THE JUMBLIES
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1950
THE WILD COLONIAL BOY/ BACK TO HILO
78 RPM Melodisc Records 1950/51
JUST A WEARYIN’ FOR YOU/ THE PHANTOM
STAGE-COACH
‘Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood’
78 RPM 2LP Capitol US Released 1952
(Included 20 page colour story book)
(Included songs by Elton Hayes)
WHISTLE MY LOVE / RIDDLE DE DIDDLE DE-DAY
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1952
THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER / SPINNING WHEEL
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1952
I PASS ALL MY HOURS / COURTIN' IN THE KITCHEN
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1952
THE BROOM, THE SHOVEL, THE POKER AND THE TONGS / THE QUANGLE WANGLE'S HAT
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1952
THE LITTLE BLACK HORSE / NOT THE MARRYING KIND
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1953
LITTLE MOHEE / THE PHANTOM STAGE-COACH
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1953
THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO / THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1953
ALL AROUND MY HAT/ THE UNQUIET GRAVE
78 RPM HMV B1052 Released 1953
(Recorded under the auspices of the English Folk Dance and Song Society)
A FROG HE WOULD A WOOING GO/OH THE CUCKOO SHE’S A PRETTY BIRD
78 RPM HMV B1053 Released 1953
GREENSLEEVES / JOE THE CARRIER LAD
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1953
I HAD A HIPPOPOTAMUS / ADELPHI ARCHES
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1954
MY HEART IS LIKE A NIGHTINGALE / BOLD BLACK KNIGHT
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1954
‘FOR THE CHILDREN’
EP Parlophone UK Released 1955
The Table and the Chair/ The Jumblies/The Broom, the Shovel, the Poker and the Tongs/ The Quangle Wangles Hat / The Duck and the Kangaroo / The Owl and the Pussycat.
JAQUELINE / LITTLE BRIDGET FLYNN
78 RPM Parlophone UK Released 1956
‘Folk Songs’
EP 45 World Record Club 1956/57
SWEET MAID IF YOU MARRY / OH GOOD ALE / I PASS ALL MY HOURS/ THE LONDON BEAU/
’TISS TRUE I NEVER WAS IN LOVE/ THE VAIN DREAMER
‘Songs for Children’
EP 45 World Record Club 1956/57
THE CUCKOO CLOCK / THE SOLDIER /THE HOUSEWIFE AND THE HIGHWAYMAN / TWO PIRATES
‘Elton Hayes Sings to his Small Guitar’
EP 45 Parlophone UK Released 1959
JOE THE CARRIER LAD / THE MILLER’S DAUGHTER
THE PHANTOM STAGE-COACH / RIDDLE DE DIDDLE DE DAY
‘The Story of Robin Hood’
LP 33 RPM EMI Music for Pleasure MFP 1285
UK Released 1963
(Movie Soundtrack)
RIDDLE-DE-DIDDLE-DE-DAY
COME SING LOW, COME SING HIGH
‘The Story of Robin Hood’
LP 33 RPM Disneyland DQ-1249 USA Released 1963
(Alternative Cover)
(Movie Soundtrack)
RIDDLE-DE-DIDDLE-DE-DAY
COME SING LOW, COME SING HIGH
‘Disneyland Doubles’
45 RPM Disneyland Doubles UK Released 1971
THE BALLAD OF ROBIN HOOD
(Reverse side was the Ballad of Davy Crocket)
‘Hello Children Everywhere Volume 4’
(Various Artists)
CD Disc EMI Released 1991
WHISTLE MY LOVE
‘Hello Children Everywhere’
(Various Artists)
CD 3 Discs EMI 6999605 Released 2005
THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
The Elton Hayes double CD, that we have been patiently waiting for, is now available on the Retrospective label, from Amazon UK. The 64 recordings display a unique mix of various traditional English ballads performed by Elton. Unfortunately his songs from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) are not featured.
The sleeve notes are written by Geoff Waite, who is not only an authority on the life and career of Elton Hayes, but a regular contributor to this web site. Geoff kindly kept me regularly informed during the albums production.
It is wonderful to finally own this rare collection of music by Elton. Some of the tracks have been skilfully restored from acetate discs. And, one track I particularly enjoyed and recommend, is The Girl in the Wood track 11 on CD2. It is both beautiful and haunting.
The sleeve notes are written by Geoff Waite, who is not only an authority on the life and career of Elton Hayes, but a regular contributor to this web site. Geoff kindly kept me regularly informed during the albums production.
 |
| Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale |
It is wonderful to finally own this rare collection of music by Elton. Some of the tracks have been skilfully restored from acetate discs. And, one track I particularly enjoyed and recommend, is The Girl in the Wood track 11 on CD2. It is both beautiful and haunting.
 |
| The new CD |
John Nelson was in touch to inform me that this Elton Hayes CD has been released. And this one does include the two main songs sung by Elton as Alan-a-Dale, Whistle My Love and Riddle de Diddle De Day.
This CD has been produced on the Windyridge label as part of their "Variety" series (WINDYVAR90) and is available here.
 |
| Tracks on the new CD |
This CD has been produced on the Windyridge label as part of their "Variety" series (WINDYVAR90) and is available here.
 |
| Whistle My Love by Elton Hayes |
 |
| James Hayter as Friar Tuck and Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale |
If you see any errors or have any more information that can be added to the discography please get in touch.
Please click on the Label Elton Hayes to read more about his life.
