Blackpool, The Pantomime & Her BBC Shows ...
After the Blackpool Summer Shows, which lasted for 11 Weeks, and after only a short rest she started rehearsals for the BBC TV series Mary Hopkin "In The Land Of..." rehearsals started at 10am and finished at 7.00pm or later every day! There were six shows, each with a different theme, "In the land of Legend, Films, Theatre, Rhymes, Pantomime and Books.
On the Wednesday after recording the series she started work on the Christmas 1970 Pantomine at the Opera House Manchester where she was to play the part of Cinderella. It was the first pantomime to be staged there for 30 years, Bernard Delfont assembled a wonderful cast to appear in this most popular of all pantomimes. Lonnie Donegan played 'Buttons', Arthur Askey the 'Baron', Peter Butterworh and Joe Black took the parts of 'The Ugly Sisters', Tony Adams 'Prince Charming' and David Essex played 'Dandini'.
Now while in the summer shows at Blackpool it was reported in the 'Society' newsletter that... "the past few Sundays had been spent in London where Mary was busy recording her new LP and Single, this has meant recording all day on Sunday until very late and again on Monday and then hopping on a plane to get back to the first performance on Monday evening".
But because of her busy schedule, TV series, Panto etc, the LP was unfinished and un-released...
Her new single "Think about your children" was due for release in the October that year, but did we miss out on a little gem of an LP I wonder, which must have had at least "Both Sides Now" on it.....
Around this period many of us wondered why we could not get hold of 'Fields of St. Etienne' and 'Que Sera Sera' One reason why it was not released in the States was that Capitol records believed that because of its anti war theme it would not have much air play!!! It was also reported that Mary was disappointed that 'Fields' was not released as the A side and was not really pleased with the 2 versions made here and refused to let it be released in the UK, but she said at the time she wanted to use it for a theme for a short film she would soon be making!! Mmmmm wonder what that was . (The version of 'Fields' on the "Those Were the Days " CD is apparently the version she preferred. )
The panto was a real success even though she had been ill with flu and a sore throat she managed to get through each show with the help of throat tablets and hot drinks. ( Some years later I read an Interview with David Essex who told a great story about the last performance, "as Dandini I had to come out onto the stage every night with a glass slipper asking to whom this slipper fits etc... And I would get to Mary and then put the slipper on her foot and the transformation would take place, the last night we swapped the slipper for a large wellington boot and she had to walk around the stage with this great big wellington on her foot underneath this fabulous gown, it was hysterical and Mary took it all in good fun and enjoyed the joke as well....).
While she was working in the Panto the BBC invited her to take part in the 'Songs of Praise' programme which was to be recorded at Alltwen Tabernacle very close to Pontardawe her home town, Mary had a very warm reception from the congregation particularly from the choir of the Cwmtawe Comprehensive School which Mary attended when it was a Grammer School. She sang 2 songs this was the first time I heard her sing 'Mary Had A Baby' and its a very different version and in my opinion a preferable version to the one released in 1972. It was a wonderful programme and I can remember it as if it were yesterday.
1971
February marked the third anniversary of when Mary first appeared on television, she had appeared on Hob y Deri Dando a Welsh TV show it was on this programme that Mary had been first 'spotted' by Mr Joe Jones of Cambrian records they had never met before even though they lived in the same town.
She was voted "Top Girl Singer of 1970" and "Miss Valentine 1971" by 'Disc' readers and it was announced that she would be appearing in her own summer show at Margate. Its also announced she is to start work on a new single and LP.
Pat richmond 2008
To be Continued
