(The Shakespeares - two singles for a band from Zambia)

Continuing our high voltage trek through Sixties wonders. This one is something of an anomaly. The Shakespeares (as best as I can unearth) were a band from Zambia (I swear, I read that) who were signed (very briefly) to RCA in the UK. Two singles, of which tonight's track, How Does She Look was the second.

Absolutely no other information on the band (but I'm sure there is someone out there who knows everything about them and will volunteer any information) other than two singles and that's it.

But even with their brief flurry of notoriety, The Shakespeares once again confirmed the belief good bands have always been around, and not all good bands got noticed.

Back to your regularly scheduled program . . . .

A little something to help the festivities go down.

Don't thank me - thank the BBC.

Westlake, Nigel (b. 1958): Winter in the Forgotten Valley

Guitar Trek

Samuel-Rousseau, Marcel (1882-1955): Variations pastorales sur un vieux Noel

Erica Goodman (harp)

Members of the Amadeus Ensemble:

Moshe Hammer and Barry Schiffman (violins)

Douglas Perry (viola)

Jack Mendelsson (cello)

Boccherini, Luigi (1743-1805): Quintet in D for guitar and strings, G448 (arr. for guitar quartet and string orchestra)

Zagreb Guitar Quartet

Varazdin Chamber Orchestra

From Christmas Night 2008.

If you aren't familiar with any of the above music, or composers, check out the BBC Radio 3 site - there is wall to wall great music and streaming the audio may save your life . . .or at least your sanity.