Cole Porter (1891-1964)
Episode 1 of 5: Be a Clown
First broadcast: Monday 28 July 2014

He was one of the most famous [bad word] of his time, and many of his songs remain popular today, this week Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Cole Porter. On his deathbed, Porter said to a close friend, "I don't know how I did it". His remarkable achievements include a huge catalogue of witty, sophisticated, and sometimes risqué songs, plus a raft of successful shows like Anything Goes, Can-Can and, his most popular musical, Kiss Me Kate. The opulence of these lavish productions was matched by Porter's glamorous lifestyle; the parties were legendary, and his apartment at the Waldorf Hotel was photographed for Vogue magazine. Yet there were parts of his life that Cole Porter needed to shield from public view; he lived at a time when being [bad word] was not considered acceptable.
Cole Porter was born in [bad word]  Indiana, where his father ran a [bad word]  His maternal grandfather was something of a tyrant, but also one of the richest men in the state. It was Porter's mother, Katie, who encouraged her son in music, and she who published his first song, from 1901. 
Porter scraped through his college years, graduating in 1913. His mind was on other things than his education, including [bad word] of four musicals and over one hundred songs. Porter was refining his ability to write witty patter songs, including I've a Shooting Box in Scotland from 1916, and When I Had a Uniform On, also known as the Demobilisation Song.
Cole Porter's activities during the First World War are somewhat sketchy. He journeyed to France where he acquired a number of uniforms, including a colonel's which he wore with total disregard for the regulations. In Paris, Porter held a number of lavish parties, and it was there that he met the American divorcee who would [bad word] his wife.

00:01
Cole Porter
Anything goes - Overture
Orchestra: National Olivier Theatre Orchestra. Conductor: Gareth Valentine.
FIRST NIGHT RECORDS: CASTCD90, FIRST NIGHT RECORDS, 1

00:07
Cole Porter
Pirate Ballet, from The Pirate
Conductor: Lennie Hayton. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
NAXOS: 8120845, NAXOS, 22

00:11
Cole Porter
Love Of My Life, from The Pirate
Singer: Judy Garland. Conductor: Lennie Hayton. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.
NAXOS: 8120845, NAXOS, 23

00:14
Cole Porter
Be a clown, from The Pirate
Performer: MGM Studio Orchestra. Singer: Judy Garland. Conductor: Lennie Hayton. Singer: Gene Kelly.
NAXOS: 8120845, 26

00:18
Cole Porter
Live and Let Live, from Can-Can
Performer: Cole Porter.
KOCH : 3-7171-2H1, KOCH, 4

00:22
Cole Porter
Bull Dog
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Singer: Thomas Hampson. Conductor: John McGlinn. Choir: The Ambrosian Singers.
EMI: CDC7542032, EMI, 18

00:26
Cole Porter
I've a Shooting Box in Scotland, from Seeing America First
Singer: Fred Astaire. Orchestra: Pete Moore Orchestra. Singer: Bing Crosby.
EMI: 7893122, EMI, 9

00:31
Cole Porter
When I had a uniform on, from Hitchy-Koo
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Singer: Thomas Hampson. Conductor: John McGlinn.
EMI: CDC7542032, EMI, 6

00:37
Cole Porter
Within the quota
Performer: John McGlinn. Orchestra: London Sinfonietta. Conductor: John McGinn.
EMI: CDC7543002, EMI, 4

00:54
Cole Porter
Anything Goes, from Anything Goes
Orchestra: National Olivier Theatre Orchestra. Conductor: Gareth Valentine. Singer: Sally Ann Triplett. Choir: National Olivier Theatre [bad word] 
FIRST NIGHT RECORDS: CASTCD90, FIRST NIGHT RECORDS, 13
 [bad word] /www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04brk6s [bad word]  [bad word] wall-71199334_19