John Reed and Kenneth Sandford London OSA5-12103 (Cassette)

This recording was made in celebration of John Reed's twentieth anniversary with D'Oyly Carte. The cast is strong, with the exception of Nanki-Poo and Katisha, though Reed's and Sandford's better days were clearly behind them at this point. The chance to hear Peggy Ann Jones's Pitti-Sing is particularly welcome, as she was usually not allowed to record her roles (Decca wanted a better singer). The recording does not include the dialogue, which is a pity, as it would have been nice to have the Carte interpretations immortalized on disc.

J. Donald Smith commented as follows on the CD re-issue:

For anyone who has only heard the LP of this issue, the CD is a revalation. The LP, like most of the London issues, was recorded at a very low gain, making it impossible to get forte passages. As a result, the LP always sounded muffled and dead. The CD, on the other hand, must have been remastered to take advantage of the digital technology and is bright and clear, and the performers sound very much better than they did on the LP.

Decca/London 425190-2

Decca 473 644-2