Every week at the end of his Radio 2 programme "Sounds of the Sixties" the presenter Brian Matthew thanks his producer Roger "the vocalist" Bowman. Why is he called "the vocalist"?

satguru

The nearest I've got is the programme's homepage http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/sounds60s/biography.shtml where you can contact Brian Matthew directly. Roger Bowman seems conspicuous by his search absence. Jan 02 04, 8:19 PM

MaggieG 5

I surely cannot be the only person in the world who knows this? I didn't find the information on the Internet. I read it in a book. I'll leave it a little longer to see if you can come up with some MORE information. (Big clue) Jan 03 04, 4:11 AM

MaggieG 5

Sorry to keep you in suspense for so long. The answer I was looking for was that he was the singing voice of Mark Lester in the film "Oliver". I know that someone's daughter is credited with it on the soundtrack, but Brian Matthew who has worked with the man for years insists otherwise, and puts out the reminder about it every week. That's all. Jan 08 04, 5:28 PM

satguru

I think that is quite a scoop Maggie, I saw some of it on TV on on Christmas day (as well as when it came out) and I had no idea. Secondly, I was in an amateur production myself (one of Fagin's boys, auditioned first for artful dodger) and I assure you we all sang our own parts there! Jan 09 04, 7:21 PM

MaggieG 5

I read it in Brian Matthew's autobiography which I read a while ago (from the library) and I really can't remember what it is called, sorry! Jan 10 04, 3:38 AM

satguru

Wow, I have since seen the Oliver reunion, and that showed Mark Lester's voice being dubbed by the producer's daughter. I think it would be impossible to disagree with such direct evidence, so Brian Matthew may have got it mixed up, unless he also did a few as well as the young girl. Mar 08 06, 12:43 PM

MaggieG 5

I saw that programme too - and I've contacted the radio programme to find out what the real story is. If I lose this question (quite likely as I haven't got peasy's organisational powers) I'll send you a pm if I ever find out! Mar 08 06, 3:30 PM

Rogerleigh

hope to put the record straight once and for all. I sang the voice of Oliver in the 1968 film for Mark Lester as he was tone deaf. The booker for all the singers for the film was John McCarthy a great friend of my father (Robert Bowman).I came home from my last day at junior school in July 1967 and John was on the phone to dad saying they had a boy called William who was singing the part of Oliver in a new film but just couldn't get it right. I was asked if I'd like to try as I was known to John as a good child singer. I auditioned at Shepperton Studios for musical director John Green then for director Carol Reed and was given the job being paid as a session singer. I started recording in August 1967 and finished my parts early 1968. John Green asked me to cry whilst singing one part of 'Where Is Love', there is certain phraseiology I used in that song as well. In 'Who Will Buy' when I sing Who will buy this wonderful morning... I also say 'morning' to someone as well. The point is, there is no way I wouldn't recognise my own voice at the films premier a few months later in Leicester Square and my father, a professional singer at Covent Garden and top session singer would instantly have known it wasn't me. My father tutored my singing and was in the studio with me at many of the sessions and my mother drove me to Shepperton for many of them. It is really irritating that John Green's daughter has made these claims... and 20 years after the films release. Why? I still don't understand this. There was a piece in the Surrey Comet newspaper in 1968 after the films release about my singing Oliver's voice but sadly the copy is long lost. I hope this once and for all puts to rest the unbelieveable story from Kathe Green that a 22 year old woman could sound like an 8 year old boy which Mark was, I was 11, sadly absolute proof will remain almost impossible and the Mail on Sunday who printed Kathe Greens story didn't want to take it any further with my story as they had paid for hers and effectively didn't want to lose face over a gaping hole in the story.I was a producer with BBC Radio 2 at the time and the likes of Brian Matthew, Sarah Kennedy and Gloria Hunniford and Ken Bruce often made referral to my part in the making of 'Oliver!' Mar 05 11, 10:03 AM