Flanagan & Allen (otherwise Bud Flanagan, 1896-1968, born Reuben Weintrop, and Chesney Allen, 1894-1982), that cheery duo who provided Cockney banter and cheer-up songs during World War II, have been much imitated if never quite matched: Bud with his chuckling croon, Chesney with that indefinable and tuneless vocal approximation which could hardly be called singing. They have become a British institution. Throughout the 30s and 40s they topped the bill in variety either as a duo or as part of the famous Crazy Gang.

From their first smash hit, Underneath the Arches (their signature tune, and the title of our Retrospective collection) in 1932, they had many great record successes such as The Umbrella Man and those war-time anthems: Run, Rabbit, Run and We’re Gonna Hang Out the Washing On the Siegfried Line. Now no fewer than 27 of their best-loved hits have been drawn tog ether in this, the most comprehensive single-disc survey available.

Tracklisting:
1. Underneath the Arches
2. Dreaming
3. Wanderer
4. Can’t We Meet Again?
5. Hometown
6. Down and Out Blues
7. Music, Maestro, Please!
8. The Umbrella Man
9. Run, Rabbit, Run
10. We’re Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line
11. F.D.R. Jones
12. If a Grey-Haired Lady Says “How’s Yer Father?”
13. On the Outside Looking In
14. Are You Havin’ Any Fun?
15. I’m Nobody’s Baby
16. Yesterday’s Dreams
17. Let’s Be Buddies
18. Round the Back of the Arches
19. Down Forget-Me-Not Lane
20. Rose O’Day (The Filla-Da-Gusha Song)
21. What More Can I Say?
22. I Don’t Want to Walk Without You
23. Miss You
24. We’ll Smile Again
25. Why Don’t You Fall in Love with Me?
26. Two Very Ordinary People
27. Shine on, Harvest Moon