Johnny's Jaunt

Johnny Morris

On 13th September 1966, Delia checked out a tape on which to create "music tracks" for a radio programme "Johnny's Jaunt" produced by R. Pelletier or Brian Patten

Johnny's Jaunt is a series of "brilliant travelogues" for radio in which the renowned zoologist Johnny Morris visits various countries around the world, broadcast from 1954 to 1972.

From the BBC's tape catalogue notes:

(Johnny Morris). Music tracks and makeup followed by edited copy of programme

it appears that Delia's contribution was for one programme only in the series but which?

The first episodes broadcast after September 1966 were Johnny's Jaunt U.S.A.: "Last October he jaunted 2,000 miles around north - east America and recalls his adventures in six programmes.":

• 1. New York (16 Feb 1967, 14 Jul 1967)
• 2. A Train to Boston, Massachusetts (23 Feb 1967, 21 Jul 1967)
• 3. Detroit and Chicago (2 Mar 1967, 4 Aug 1967)
• 4. Buffalo, Niagra and Southern Ontario (9 Mar 1967, 28 Jul 1967)
• 5. St Louis, Nashville, Tennessee and North Carolina (16 Mar 1967, 11 Aug 1967)
• 6. Return to New York (23 Mar 1967)

Tracks

Episodes 1, 2 and 4 have no music. Episodes 3 and 5 have the same orchestral intro and outro music

Episode 3 Intro

Episode 3 Outro

Availability

• In the BBC Sound Archive on tape TRW 6556.
• Colin Suter writes "I have Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of a cassette offering of Johnny's Jaunts, bought years ago from a company called CAM Audio Book Company. They contain Johnny Morris in: France, Germany, Sicily, Corsica, Finland, Yugoslavia, Japan, Maiaysia, Tahiti, New York, Mexico City and Argentina."
• Other people have recorded episodes of the series on tape.

Johnny re-broadcast his jaunts “word for word”. Some versions were first aired in the early 1960’s and then he re-made them in the 70’s.

Episode 1: New York

"One thing about life in New York is that it's never dull for a minute..."

• Johnny's Jaunts USA, episode 1 on youtube has no music.
• USA-01.zip on johnnymorrisjaunts.co.uk

These are the same 1960s version without music.

Episode 4: Buffalo

"I don't mind telling you, we were all frightened of the thing. It was extraordinary. We sauntered into the car hire place..."

• Johnny's Jaunts USA, episode 4 on youtube
• USA-02.zip on johnnymorrisjaunts.co.uk

These are both exactly the same recording, starting with an announcer saying "Last week we left him in Boston".

Episode 5: St Louis etc

1960's version, starting: "be at all curious about anything in America is the tongue..."

• Johnny's Jaunts USA, episode 5 on youtube
• USA-04.zip on johnnymorrisjaunts.co.uk

1970's version: Intro music, then "There's nothing like a touch of curiosity to keep you going and in America of course your curiosity is not only aroused, it's fully woken up and slapped in the face and dragged out of bed. But the one part of the anatomy that slowly ceases to be at all curious about anything in America is the tongue..."

• USA-03.zip on johnnymorrisjaunts.co.uk

Episode 6: Back to New York

• USA-05.zip on johnnymorrisjaunts.co.uk