The Case of The Naughty Wife – number eight in the Timberdick series – gives

us a chance to smile at the detective’s interest in Glenn Miller music

Timberdick's author plays a Glenn Miller 78 on his HMV Model 109 (1927) ....

Well, no. The record is from my Nat Gonella collection. (Another story for another day.)

(Just look at that condition!  Talk about 'fine' !)

In 1966, the Hoboken Arms Jazz Band are trying to recreate a Glenn Miller Christmas broadcast from Paris, but Ned insists that he should introduce it ‘from the Cafe Rouge’ (which he mislocates - accidentally, or tongue-in-cheek?).  He already thinks 1966 is a successful Christmas because Sean, the record dealer, has given him a set of French 78s of The Uptown Hall Gang.

Glenn Miller wasn't around to sign this copy of George T Simon's biography of the band,

so the English bandleader Syd Lawrence signed it instead. 

Notice two useful discographies that share this corner of my library.

In the first chapter of The Case of the Naughty Wife, Ned watches a rehearsal by

some American boys, left behind when the AEF Band went to France. 

He lets us know that, the year before, he watched the orchestra play at the club on Midland Road, Bedford.

An lp sleeve signed by Glenn Miller's brother

(No, that's me ... not the brother)

Although Ned shares some banter with the record dealer about post-1955 Miller lps, Timberdick tells us that the Squadronaires, not Glenn Miller, are his favourite.  

Indeed, when a publican, back in ’45, told him that Miller had been captured by

the Germans,  Ned thought he was referring to the Squad’s vocalist, not the famous bandleader.

And, during the Christmas broadcast, Ned conspires with the arranger so that

the local jazz band plays the Squads’ version of String of Pearls rather than sticking

to the Miller script.

I took me years to find a copy of the discography. This copy was worth the wait .... it's signed by four members of

the 1942 band, (but thirty years later, of course)

I have been buying Glenn Miller records for over forty years and I’ve used the novel to, mildly, poke a little fun at my attitudes in those early days. 

I would refuse to listen to anything but “real Glenn Miller” and I was eager to believe

any tale about what had happened to the great man. 

Too many years went by before I got around to listening to these and many similar, excellent recordings.

In The Case of the Naughty Wife, I made sure that Ned Machray makes the same mistake!

In recent years, I’ve realised just how good some of the later bands were,

especially the Ray McKinley and Bobby Hackett recordings. 

As for the myths and legends --- well, Timberdick says that the truth about

Glenn Miller is less important than what people want to believe.

When I bought this series, my wife and I had only just started out together and had little money.

Seventeen volumes was a bit of a struggle.

Originally, it looked as if The Case of The Naughty Wife would be published with an appendix, giving details of the records mentioned in the story.

However, this was removed at the editing stage, although the discography does form

part of the Limited Edition Presentation Pack

Click on the image for the book's webpage

Order The Case of the Naughty Wife on Amazon, or reserve a copy at your local library

Don't forget, our local radio

station, Harboroughfm, has a Glenn Miller hour every Sunday 7am-8am.

(You can pick it up on line)

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