Clyde, Gordon

Gordon Clyde was born in St Andrews, Scotland.

A natural performer from an early age, he cut his teeth as a child actor in local repertory theatre before going on to read English and music at Christ’s College, Cambridge, from 1951.

His path into broadcasting began behind-the-scenes rather than in front of a camera. After joining the BBC as a studio manager and relief announcer for the World Service at Bush House, he left the Corporation’s staff in 1959.

It was a former colleague who would prove pivotal to his television future: Play School producer Molly Cox, who had worked alongside him at Bush House, put his name forward for an audition on the programme.

He attended accompanied by pianist Patrick Harvey, and the rest followed naturally.

Gordon became the eighteenth presenter to appear on Play School, making his debut on Monday 5th July 1965 alongside Carole Ward.

Over the following five years he presented 110 editions of the programme, with his final appearance coming on 13th November 1970, alongside Miranda Connell.

Of that considerable body of work, only six programmes are known to survive in the BBC Archives – among them one complete week, broadcast between 24th and 28th January 1966.

He narrated several overseas films for BBC TV children’s programmes:

• Film from Sweden – Tales from Europe: Summer at Salty Creek (BBC One, 1965);
• Film from Hungary – Tales from Europe: The Limping Boy (BBC One, 1966);
• From Poland – Tales from Europe: The Millionaire (BBC One, 1967);
• From Russia – Tales from Overseas: The Lost Summer (BBC One, 1969);
• From Germany – The Touaregs (BBC One, 1970);
• From Hungary – Operation Otter (BBC One, 1974).

He also voiced presentation trails for BBC Television from around 1970 to 1974.

To wider audiences, however, Gordon is most fondly recalled for an entirely different kind of screen presence. As the perpetually unfortunate interviewer in The Dick Emery Show (BBC One, 1969 – 1974) – forever being shoved aside by the irrepressible Mandy and Hetty – he demonstrated a gift for physical comedy that endeared him to millions.

He also made several appearances alongside the legendary double act Morecambe and Wise: on The Morecambe and Wise Show (BBC One, 1970 and 1971) and Show of the Week: Morecambe and Wise (BBC Two, 1971 and 1972).

Other television credits include:

• Scotland Yard (BBC TV, 1960);
• No Hiding Place (ITV, 1962);
• Off Beat… (BBC Two, 1965);
• R.3 (BBC One, 1965);
• Dr Finlay’s Casebook (BBC One, 1965);
• The Golden Shot (ITV, 1968);
• Voice on Zokko! (BBC One, 1968 – 1970);
• The Harry Secombe Show (BBC Two, 1968);
• Zingalong (BBC One, 1971 – 1972);
• Christmas Night with the Stars (BBC One, 1971);
• Little Big Time (ITV/Southern TV, 1971);
• Jackanory Playhouse: The Wily Wizard and the Wicked Witch (BBC One, 1972).

Radio, though, was the medium in which Gordon Clyde truly thrived.

Across the course of his career he accumulated more than 3,000 musical broadcasts as presenter, performer, writer and composer – a staggering body of work by any measure.

Among his regular engagements was a slot on Start the Week, presented by Richard Baker (BBC Radio 4, 1970 – 1972), to which he returned in September and October 1974 – by then hosted by Robert Robinson – for the musical week spot section.

From 1974, he presented the classical music programme The Pleasure’s Yours on the BBC World Service.

Other radio credits include:

• Poetry for Holy Week (BBC Home Service, 1960);
• Goats in the Sun Lounge (BBC Home Service, 1960);
• Indian Summer (BBC Home Service, 1960);
• Woman’s Hour (BBC Light Programme, 1964 – 1966; BBC Home Service, 1967; BBC Radio 2, 1967, 1968 and 1970);
• A Very Cool Look Round (BBC Home Service, 1964);
• Comedy Parade (BBC Light Programme, 1965);
• Spare A Copper (BBC Light Programme, 1965 – 1966);
• The Men from the Ministry (BBC Radio Light Programme, 1965 and BBC Radio 4, 1970);
• Sweet and Savage (BBC Light Programme, 1966);
• There’s One Born Every Minute (BBC Radio Light Programme, 1966);
• Double Scotch (BBC Light Programme, 1966);
• The Lid’s Off Libby (BBC Light Programme, 1967);
• You’re Only Old Once (BBC Radio 2, 1968 – 1969);
• The Ronnie Corbett Thing (BBC Radio 4, 1970);
• I’m Ken, He’s Bill (BBC Radio 2, 1972 and 1975);
• Parsley Sidings (BBC Radio 2, 1973);
• Kenneth Williams Playhouse (BBC Radio 4, 1975);
• Dr Finlay’s Casebook (BBC Radio 4, 1976 – 1977 and 1985);
• Afternoon Theatre (BBC Radio 4, 1977);
• Maclean Up Britain (BBC Radio 2, 1977);
• My Sainted Aunt (BBC Radio 2, 1978 – 1979);
• Lord Peter Wimsey (BBC Radio 4, 1978 and 1981);
• Jim the Great (BBC Radio 2, 1979);
• Ernest Fontwell versus The Experts (BBC Radio 4, 1979);
• The Jason Explanation of the Family (BBC Radio 4, 1980 and 1984);
• Keep It Maclean (BBC Radio 2, 1980 – 1981);
• Week Ending (BBC Radio 4, 1980);
• Give or Take (BBC Radio 4, 1981);
• How to Survive the Office Party (BBC Radio 4, 1981);
• Drop Me Here, Darling: Indefinite Articles (BBC Radio 2, 1982);
• Yes, Minister (BBC Radio 4, 1983 and 1999);
• Detective (BBC Radio 2, 1984);
• Glamorous Nights (BBC Radio 2, 1985);
• BBC International Festival of Light Music (BBC Radio 2, 1985);
• Guyler Galore (BBC Radio 4, 1985);
• Behind the Mask (BBC Radio 4, 1985);
• Gala Concert (BBC Radio 2, 1985);
• Happy Families (BBC Radio 4, 1990 Rpt);
• The Great Musicals (BBC Radio 2, 1991 – 1992).

His compositional talents extended to the stage and screen alike. He wrote the score for The Franchise Trail (LWT, 1968) and composed the music for the stage musical Kisses on a Postcard, with a book by Terry Frisby.

The theatre, too, was a constant throughout his career. He appeared in nine West End musicals during the 1960s and 1970s, amassing an impressive list of stage credits:

• How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Shaftesbury Theatre, 1963 – 1964);
• Hello Dolly at Drury Lane Theatre with Carol Channing and Dora Bryan (1966 – 1968);
• The Four Musketeers! with Harry Secombe (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1967 – 1969);
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Phil Silvers (1973 – 1974);
• Jane Eyre (Theatre Royal, Windsor, 1973);
• Jeeves (directed by Eric Thompson and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s only musical failure, Bristol Hippodrome and Her Majesty’s Theatre, March – May 1975).

Away from the professional spotlight, Gordon was a quietly formidable pool player, regularly to be found at The 43 in Streatham.

He died at the age of 74 and was buried in Aberdeen.

Conversation

Paul R. Jackson met Gordon at BBC Broadcasting House in London in 1989. He recalled his time on Play School. Some short excerpts from that conversation:

“We recorded five programmes over two-and-a-half days and I worked on the programme every six to eight weeks. We began working at Riverside Studios and later moved to TV Centre.”

“A Windows film showed a young boy fishing and the commentary said: ‘Let’s see if he catches one?’ but there was a misprint and I read: ‘Let’s wee if he catches one…’.

“The crew fell about laughing and they had to do a re-take.”

“I wrote two songs for the programme – one was called On the Moon, with a lyric that began ‘Not made of chocolate, not made of cheese’ and for many years afterwards I received royalties for them.”

“I performed a one-man show in 1969 at the Mayfair Theatre, that included a skit on the programme similar to Hale and Pace in the 1980s.

“It was seen by Cynthia Felgate and the team. It didn’t go down very well, so after five years with the programme, I decided it was time to move on.”

 

Personal information

Clips of Gordon on The TV Room

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Acknowledgements