1958-03-15 — Page 14

The editor

joins

up

BUT AFTER SIX MONTHS IN ALGERIA

HE COMES BACK TONGUE-TIED

LIEUTENANT IN ALGERIA. By J. J. Servan-Schralbor.

Hutchinson, 168.

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1958.

RECORDS by PETER BUCHAN

Who'd be Eric?

IST

I wouldn't

TANFORD ROBINSON, who is now unfortunately botter known as Eric Robinson's brother than as Stanford Robinson the conductor, looked hungry. Before lunch he ate his way through a bowl of peanuts, half a bowl of cheese-flavoured pop-corn, moved on to.. an assortment of crispy biscuits, and topped it all off with half a dozen olives, i

I warned him he would

THE

THE publication of this book will introduce British roaders to one of France's most brilliant editors and one of its most controversial figures, Servan-Schrelber. He was called up in 1956 when he was 32, in circum-spoil his appetite. Atance which suggested that the Government were

"You can't" he said, "spoil trying to silence a powerful propagandist against its Algerian policy. When the call-up papers were the appetite of a permanent withdrawn at the last moment he insisted on volunteering B.B.C. official. Wo'ro nil -and this book is a novelettish Becount of his six supposed to spend our lives starving in garrets, aren't months' service in Algeria.

we?"

Servan Schreiber is a strong supporter of Mendes France

his weekly and paper L'Express is dedicated to this cause. He has the distinction of once having been challenged to a duel by a French Prime Minister.

A alight, out young man with a crew cut he runs his paper with chilling austerity-physical, jerks for the staff every morning and at the weekly editorial brains- trust lunch nu drink is served, not even wine. His editora and

visitors distinguished

cat Irugal meal from army dixies.

Consideration

4

As the book itself makes clear once he arrived in Algeria the authorities bent over backwards in the consideration they showed Alm. There was no attempt to shrug him off into some harm- less staff Job where an eye could be kept on him; on the contrary he was given the opportunity of Joining the "Black Commandes." whose job it is to live among the Moslems confidence.

SAM WHITE

to win the confidence of the Moslems are frustrated at every turn by the French settlers in

and Algerin

their powerful lobby in France.

When it comes to suggesting a convincing alternative to the Government's present policy Servan-Schreiber reveals

the

same tanque-tied inability to do so which has resulted in Mendes France'a present poutical Impotence.

He can suggest nothing more than good works and treating the Algerian people as human beings and seeking contact with ny." every possible them in

what the This is precisely French Government la doing on an ever-increasing scale.

Theatricality

When the book was published

and win their in France,

Servan-Schreiber's book opens a little too glibly with un incident which for him sums up a great deal of the self-defeating nature of the war. An unoffend- ing Moslem is shot down, by a nervous soldier and i the general confusion & truck-load of Algerian Inbourers is attacked

under the impression that they are fleeing terrorists.

The author's argument is that a great part of the army is being brutalised by its task in Algerin Fareist to a point at which a mentally, is being Incubated and that there is a great danger that this mentality will in the end infeet Metropolitan France.

course, other There are, of officers who are sickened by the rule the army is called upon to play and whose constant efforts

Then he ordered the rest of

lunch smoked his

salmon, #tenk, two helpings of sweet, a atout (in that order), and coffee.

With it all tucked safely away be announced that he was willing to talk-even to discuss the relative merits of being himself or brother Eric,

man.

of me is waving a baton-and It's usually a back view at that." Stanford. Robinson is a scholarly-locking 53-four years

When Nelson made George III stop

talking

AND THE FIRST LORD FELL

FLAT ON HIS FACE

older and not so bulky as Eric. A PORTRAIT OF LORD NELSON... By Oliver Warner,

Chatto and Windus. 30.

He joined the BBC. in 1924,

which, he claims, entitles him to joke about 11. He says he also gets almost as much free- dom as he wants to take out-ns bide engagements.

AUSING before the well-stocked shelves of their local PA

libraries, readers can be excused a sigh of repletion they run their eyes along the books about Nelson, Biographies about him-rather like his own order of "There is one big advantage! battle-ocem to stretch in an unbroken line, over Eric. I'll get a pension. He wont."

To add to them is courageous; but, as with Nelson, the crown- Stanford Robinson's maining justification for courage is interest at the BBC, has been pera. Even an concert con- duetor one of the things that most praise brought him

has

And Mr Oliver Warner docs more than succeed-he

success. triumphs.

by ROGER FULFORD

The affection and devotion he

He displays the whole Nelson -the admiral, the Sghter, the popular hero, the husband and inspired in the Navy survived even the Norfolk Dumpling the disaster turning his finished portrait this and even

on the Victory" way and that, showing him off day. mastery of the materials a shrewd selection from

"Eric," he said, "alwaya is his arrangement of the Savoy Gilbert and seems to me to be an unhappy Dances from the

I never see him smile Sullivan operas. except on television,

Now he has made a record of them

45 30005, (Pro CEM "And ali

.p.m.). All are well known. by a Stanford Robinson makes them and sound fresh and gay.

It

of

those panel games he does," said Standford makes me shudder to think therh."

He took another cup of coffee. "I wouldn't change places with him for the world. I don't envy him-but everyone even seems to think I ought to."

AN ADMISSION

STANFORD Robinson is, pre pared to admit, however, that Just occasionally he wishes Erte wasn't so well known.

"There wa3 Servan-Schreiber

the time I had been judging at a music festival in the North-one of those affoks where you have to listen to a lot of women singing the same song over and over.

old, with a touch of his usual theatricality, that he would not permit its publication abroad because he did not want it to be used as anti-French propaganda.

This makes it all the more remarkable that he should have ween In his last

chapter to

The

said:

ANDOR

run on 10. our own

them, UNFORTUNATE,

Twin ardours he tells Us burned in Nelson. One was for FOLDES, German-fame, the other for Lady Harail- American planist who has ton. When a young

Grand Prix du married Mrs Nesbit Just won the Disque for his recording ofriend. who Bartok's plano works. tells me King William IV and no mean amputation of his arm he is going to turn conductor. Judge of gallantry, thought

Why?

Saya

Foldes: "One Nelson could not be in love. I thought day

to myself ‘A planist's repertoire is so limited. Think of all the beautiful music you are missing." It made me mad."

surgeons

mugk

RECORD by RAMSDEN

GREIG

ROUND

to

Too old

rock at 30?

MR. LANG ISN'T PARTING WITH

HIS TOOL KIT, JUST IN CASE.....

E had got to that bit

say casually: "And how old are you, old man?" Mr Don Lang, that fresh-faced, exuberant rock 'n' roller from the BBC's Six-Five Special, looked up from his lager and lime and said: “I wish you hadn't asked that question. I really don't think we should let the fans in on my age.

Win the interview when

"After all, they're only kids and they might not like it when they learn that the man who plays and sings their type of music could almost be their Cather."

Having gone elsewhere for the information, I can now report that his grand old man of rock 'n' roll is all of 30 years old.

And more than anything the scraps and trifles collected by the author seem to bring Nelson and his circle before ushis letter

the to the Society for Promotion of Christian Know- man he ledge

asking for Bibles and "The kids," said Mr Lang, His best Prayer Books for the

ship's "ike their rock to be delivered afterwards company; WAG

bis order after the by other kids. That's why Tom- that my Steele, Wee Willie Harris Instruments

and Terry Dene have fi so good. always be kept warm when an Tho fans think that when you Certainly Mrs Nelson, a dry

action was pending; the letter get out of your teens you auto- and rather petulant lady, seema

from the intrepid Si Vincent, "I | matically become a square,"

and bow to your to have lacked both the nature shall come and the art to rouse the passton stump tomorrow"; Sir William which Nelson was to feel zu Hamilton lying below during a One of the last records on years later for Lady Hamilton, alorm with two pistols held to which Foldes will play the "My longing for you sela me his forehead preferring death plano IM Beethoven's Choral un re he wrote to

to what he called "the Lady

guggle Fantasy in C Minor Op. 80. Hamilton

for the Ruggle of salt wather on starting

in my

"the

Ecstatic nota

I helped the grand old mon of rock down from the bar and we sat down to lunch.,

Mr

An edolescent waitress most spilling soup over Lang's sharp blue ett and Sim Jim the said "Mr Long, I want you to know that I dig you the most." There was a tile note of ecstasy in her voice.

DON LANG

You've got to keep ep with the patter

It transpired that out of his

blue suede shoes and sharp bluo suit Don Long is a serious jazz veted Brain's muilcian. Once second best trombone player, ho has played with the Teddy Foster, Vie Lewis and Ken Mackintosh bands.

But the money's in rock," said Mr Lang, who now runs his own band. Without so much as a pink blush, he added: "We and call ourselves Don Lang His Frontle Five."

voice and not his trombone that Ironically, it is Don Lang's

big has lifted him into the money that rolls around rock. His particular gimmick is that

minute.

Compensation

11

don't

It is not as well known in Battle of Copenhagen, Four throat"; Lady Hamilton writing Britain 1.9 most "At the end one of them came

Beethoven days later he wrote to his wife just before Trafalgar to tell him And as a bustling up to me.

works. I thought she was going to say how fair

show-plece desire to be left to myself," she had been to service in for Foldes it ja rather un-

Canterbury cathedral and Hia carliest biographer, writ- canons are eo civil," fortunate. It is used

When Da the sanke an extremely ugly charge have

I had been, how nice it was to

he can sing at 300 words side of a two-record ng under the affectionate eye of tidings of the Nile reach Lady fourth come me, and would I

Lady Hamilton, remarked that Hamilton and the Queen of against the French army.

album of the Beethoven Ninth charge is that just before he was gain,

he was fonder of the fair sex Naples they both faint with (Choral) Symphony (Deutsche "than was quite consistent with excitement, at the Admiralty demobilised he was illel to

"But not at all. Sho Just Grammophon DGM 18361-2 33 the highest degree of there threatened

Christian the First Lord falls flat on his 'Ech, we do like Algiers and

your r.p.m.).

purity."

face and (most remarkable of that if he were not careful as to

Eric on the telly.*"*

uli) George III actually stoja talking for a few moments. what he wrote about Algeria he would be framed on a charge of out army making money brothels.

Knowing how humourless Servan-Schreiber 15, a Jess comes to sinister explanation

was having his leg mind-he pulled.

.

If a count were made, I am certain it would show that Erie's TV and radia appearances were far fewer than Stanford's.

GETTING BETTER

Mr Oliver Warner draws in "warts and all"-he unearths u WATCH the growing flood of "dolly" (girl) on board with records made from dim him in the Mediterranean in soundtracks. They get better, 1795-but we cannot really wish Why, then, the disparity in and one of the best is by a girl him otherwise. Because, as this. called Dogi Grant, who dubs book makes so sparklingly clear, Ana Blyth's songs in Both Ends the shadows across Nelson's

only of the Candle (RCA, RD 27054, | character

enhance 33 r.p.m.).

golden qualities.

their fame?

Saye Stanford: "Eric talics on London Express Service). I television. The most people see

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

The Other Pocket

SO I FORGOT TO SEW THE POCKET-

SO WHAT 7 USE THE OTHER POCKET (“

"THIS

15

THE OTHER POCKET!"

ภาค

These may seem trining a long vanished leams from

lumine age, but they help to the surroundings and reveal the character ok an Immortal Englishman

-London Express Service).

trying to look young you've got Mr Lang said: "Apart from

to keep up with that kind of palter.

What the lady meant was that she understanda me Implicity."

"Frenkly," he said, "I think much of my voice. I wish the kids would pay anore atten- tion to my trombone,"

He is amply

compensated,

In standard English Mr Lang went on: "I wouldn't like you

In a good week this to put me down as one of those however. overnight 1wo-chord guitar- former Halifax electrician can playing singing sensations. I'm take home £250 to his wife ond in rock 'n' roll because the one-year-old girl in their cot- monoy's good. And I get

That in a tage at Wimbledon.

cludes the weekly BBC Fay personal kick out of it."

cheque, considerable record royalties, payments from Ure music publishers for staves he has had a hand in writing ("The Creep still keeps me in cigarette money") and £75 a time for writing and singing 15-second televisica commer- clola,

By Harry Weinert

IN YOUR OTHER SUIT, HUR I

YOU'RE SURE YOU

HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE? ARE YOU SURE

YOU HAVE ANOTHER SUIT ?"

And when rock goes on the Tocks?

"I can always go back to the bands," said Don Lang.

As an added insurance he still keeps his electricians tool kit under the bed at Wimbledon.

Hear him on his latest disc for HMV, 0-0 Hand Jivo (73). It is a run-of-the-mill rocker with a medium tempo.

HMV were sufficiently

im-

pressed by it to offer Mr Lang

a two-year contract,

The offer has been accepted.

DISC. BRIEFS

J

CURTAIN AND TEMPERS GOING UP AND THE THEATRE TICKETS ARE AT.

| HOME -IN THE OTHER POCKET.

"GOSH!

I

FORGOT.

THE

{INVITATIONS,

LECTURE

TONIGHT

OUR LITTLE

FEATHERED FRIENDS

ADMISSION

BY INVITATION

ONLY.

A CASE OF BEING SAVED BY THE OTHER POCKET.

3-2

CORP. THE WORLD CFGHTS nastaven

IMS BY GENERAL, PRATULZI

KEYS DOAT SCOOT

FROM

POCKET

TO

IAL TIME

ONE FINDS · THE POCKET IN WHICH JUNIOR KEPT

HIS DEAD MOUSE.

• Cinema orobostra⋅ pit musl- clan, cal's murielan, symphony orchestra musician and now the bright-eyed boy of the BBC when it comes to light music, Max Jatra fiddles his WAY through 12 numbers in 1'11 See You In My Dreams (Conquest 38). As relaxing as a bottle of tranquillising pills, the record includes Tenderly, The Last Roso of Bummer, You've Done Something To My Heart, and I See You In My Dreams

• Love Mc, Love Me, Love Me, sa sung by the balding. Tony Bennett (Phillipe 18), sounds as if it is coming at you through

• London fog. Mr Bonneli must cfear his throst before · making his next record.

● Want a good weep, lady? Try Nat "King". Cole's Just One of Those Things. (Capitał 38). . A 12-track record, it is devoted exclusively to songs that tell of the end of a romance. Included In this collection: When: Your Lover Has Gone, Who's BorrY Now!, Don't Get Around bluch Any More, The Bong In Ended,

If you must have Elvis Pres toy try, Jall Houen -- 'Rock (RCA 45), which has tho agitated woontist singing five numbers, Le bout of which, la Young and Benalifuk

• Ono' of the best «roufflore of Frankie and Johnny is to be found on Panki Balley ¿¿Funtana

POCKET-

ONLY

SEEMS

THAT

WAY.

THAT OTHER POCKET ROUTINE PROVIDES

A LOT OF FREE MOURISHMENT.

THE CAREFUL CITIZEN WITH A

·SECRET POCKET AND NO MEMORY,