Saturday, 3 January 2026

Fifty Forgotten Records

Wyrd Britain reviews 'Fifty Forgotten Records' by R.B. Russell, published by Tartarus Press.
R.B. Russell
Tartarus Press

The follow up to Ray's 'Fifty Forgotten Books' from a few years back is a musical memoir of a life spent immersed in music.  Through it's pages Ray takes us on a journey of discovery that takes in his early finds amongst his parent's record collections - sappy love songs (Ricky Valance) and stirring military epics (The Dam Busters soundtrack) - through the incidental music of TV faves - the BBC Radiophonic Workshop wibbling of 'The Tomorrow People' and the suave soundtracking of the James Bond movies.  He wanders through teenage obsessions - The Fall, The Television Personalities, Kate Bush, and a host of wonderfully obscure Peel show 7 inchers - and eventually into an adulthood of continuous musical exploration - Stars of the Lid, Labradford, Current 93, Antony (now ANOHNI) and the Johnsons - as well as his own musical endeavours.

Wyrd Britain reviews 'Fifty Forgotten Records' by R.B. Russell, published by Tartarus Press.
Personally, growing up I was never much of an indie rock lover - it was music or the posh kids - but like Ray my tastes were ever for the obscure and I chuckled several times as he gently discounted some of my favourite bands and albums and cringed occasionally as he praised those that I, in turn, have discounted.  A number of his choices were distinctly personal and those were the most interesting to me, but in combination with his reflections the entire book made for an affectionate read that revealed the crucial role that music has played in his life and the ways in which it has interwoven with his work with Tartarus Press, and one that both introduced me to some new artists and gave me pause to reconsider some others.

Addendum: in the interest of full disclosure I should note that I - in my musical guise - am mentioned twice in the book, and Ray is entirely correct on both occasions.

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3 comments:

  1. David Ketelby4 January 2026 at 21:51

    Thanks for this review of an intriguing book which I may well seek out.

    At the risk of sounding picky, may I query the reference to "the BBC Radiophonic Workshop wibbling of 'The Tomorrow People'"..?

    While Dudley Simpson - responsible for the show's incidental music - had also worked on 'Doctor Who', 'The Tomorrow People' was a Thames Television production for ITV (1973-9), so presumably the BBC Radiophonic Workshop themselves couldn't have been involved..?

    If you'd referenced 'BBC Radiophonic Workshop-style wibbling' then, okay, fair enough.

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    1. ian holloway5 January 2026 at 12:08

      Yeah, perhaps I should have added 'style', but as the music was composed by Simpson alongside 'Li De La Russe' - a pseudonymous Delia Derbyshire - and 'Nikki St George' - an equally disguised Brian Hodgson - it is, essentially, the Radiophonic Workshop.

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    2. David Ketelby5 January 2026 at 16:49

      Ah, okay - thanks for clarifying.

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