FORCES' SWEETHEART

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 38, 10 April 1942, Page 3

FORCES' SWEETHEART

IS WAR WORKERS' FAVOURITE AT NEW GRAMOPHONE SHOWS Vera Lynn, tlie "sweetheart of the Forces" as the BBC called her, is to-day the favourite singer of men and women workers in Britain's war factories. Half a million records oL "Yours," the song which, made her fame us, have already been sold to the factories and the Forces, and the demand for it goes on. Another big seller ?s Deanna Durbin's "Because" and "Last Rose of Slimmer." two old favourites on either side of the record. The fresh voice of this .young Canadian star has sent its -circulation up to 120,000 copies to date. Others in the lead are Bing Crosby; Ambrose for dance music: Sydney Torch for organ medleys in which the workers join; and Charlie Kunz at the piano. Special 'compered' programmes of mixed items are now being supplied to factories at the bare cost of the records. The idea was Lord Beaverbrook's who asked for an entertainment to fill in half hour breaks in the work. The result is a scheme by which, using double turntables and records from all the different makers, the workers are given a 25-minute mixed programme of popular items — for example, .a hot-rhythm number, a woman vocalist, a military band, an organ solo and a tenor like Caruso or Webster Booth.