20 replies to this topic

[Stan Patterson]

I dont know if a thread on Neville Lloyd has ever appeared on TNF.... if it has, please forgive me for raising his name again.


I would be interested in hearing any stories, anecdotes, memories of this man, birth, life death etc.

As a young boy growing up out in Australia I used to listen to the LP record of "The Monaco GP 1959" over and over until, as a by-product, I probably became the best Neville Lloyd impersonator on the planet, much to the annoyance of my parents, brother and schoolfriends.

Asking for more mashed potatoes at the dinner table in the dramatic staccato Neville Lloyd fashion can get a little irritating for others I imagine.

Later, in the VCR era , I was thrilled to hear him again on the Random Films Jaguar at Le Mans series and now, in the era of YouTube, one can hear his voice over and over.

To me he was the voice of motor racing..and i would love to hear anything at all about the man behind the voice and his life.


Stan Patterson
Old Aussie Grump

[raceannouncer2003]

Yes, Neville Lloyd...good singer too...oops, wrong guy.

Sorry, Stan, I'm teasing you. Our man was Nevil Lloyd. "The glamor of Grand Prix racing..." I used to recite all that while my family and friends made the sounds! You and I should get together and do a duet! See post 9 on the following webpage. I was "chuffed" to get Brabham and Moss to sign this record cover at Goodwood in 2003:

http://forums.autosp...ghlight=Brabham

Apparently Lloyd raced a Singer at Le Mans in 1935.

Some more info here:

http://www.mrpbooks..../mrphistory.htm

And yes, I've also enjoyed hearing him on Youtube. I agree, "he was the voice of motor racing". Obviously, I can't compare myself to him, but I've always TRIED to emulate him in my announcing. Great style and presentation, while able to portray the excitement of an event. And I have the impression that he was liked and respected by the drivers he talked to.

A friend in Vancouver has put some recordings on tape for me as well. These include the BRM story, Mercedes at Oulton Park, the 1958 British GP, and I think some others. Which brings me to something else...another friend recently put my 1959 Monaco GP recording on CD. If we were to produce and sell these, what would the legal repercussions be? Are there still copyrights on the Riverside and Sound Stories recordings? I have seen CD's of some Riverside recordings for sale at Monterey.

In the meantime, also found this:

http://www.greenegag...rsport/BRM.html

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

[RTH]

One of the great and distinctive, reassuring voices of motor racing.

[Stan Patterson]

The "Glamour of Grand Prix racing has set its own, a special seal......"


I thought Raymond Baxter was at Oulton 1958........

'But lets talk one of the drivers..."


Stan

[Leigh Trevail]

A couple of years ago I burnt some of the Stanley Schofield Sound Stories onto CD, these were straight from vinyl and included the crackling and hissing of the LP. I was selling these on ebay, but I received a legal warning from Duke Marketing who owned the copyright. They admitted that they had no intention to market official versions and when I offered to pay a royalty on each one I sold they said the amount would not be enough make it worth their while. Duke in effect are censoring what you can listen to, and will prosecute anyone selling unauthorised copies.

In the UK the rights for Riverside Records are owned by Ace Records Ltd. London. They have issued on CD the interviews with Carroll Shelby, Phil Hill, Stirling Moss, The Marquis de Portago and the excellent Grand Prix of Gibraltar with Peter Ustinov, at the risk of being reprimanded for advertising I have these for sale at £10 each + P&P, these are genuine editions. Ace will make you a batch of Sebring CDs but it will be a minimum order of 1000 units.....

My favourite recordings were by the Anton Company of Esher, Surrey. These 78 rpm records featuring the voice of Anthony Curtis, not the actor but the HRG driver. I believe that the recordings were made at the trackside using a Standard Shooting Brake as a studio, if anyone wishes I could make up some of these.

[taylov]

Raceannouncer2003 raises an interesting question over copyright of sound recordings.

This issue is very much active in the UK at present - From the BBC news site 16 May 07 - "A committee of MP's has backed the campaign by performers such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Cliff Richard to extend copyright on sound recordings beyond the current 50 years. "

The original copyrights on the UK recordings of Stanley Schofield Sound Stories from the late 1950s are in the process of expiring under the 50 year rule, unless the UK Government is persuaded to find Parliamentary time for a change to the existing Copyright law.

Perhaps a USA-based TNFer can advise on the copyright situation there.

[Stan Patterson]

I have to say..as an Anglophillic Aussie, I dont care about what americans have tried to do to our legal system.....or copywrite laws...

All I know is, when I click on http://www.greenegag...ort/BRM.html.... i get tears in my eyes


And it is Nevil Lloyd who does it......his voice is Motor Racing

Stan Patterson

[Stan Patterson]

Taylov....

If 50 years was good enough for Gilbert and Sullivan, both Knights of the Realm, it should be good enough for the pop industry monkey grinders

" I should think the Climax one Nevill"

Stan Patterson
Old Aussie Grump

[taylov]

Stan,

I could not agree more - It's not as if the likes of Sir Cliff and Sir Paul are down to their last few pounds/dollars.

But there is a more serious side to the issue of extending copyright beyond 50 years as it could open up the whole of Copyright law across Europe with serious implications for historians who use early photographic images.

By the way, I am also a fan of Mr Lloyd's work especially the 1958 "Mercedes at Oulton Park" EP which I've finally managed to buy a copy of on the dreaded eBay.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by taylov

This issue is very much active in the UK at present - From the BBC news site 16 May 07 - "A committee of MP's has backed the campaign by performers such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Cliff Richard to extend copyright on sound recordings beyond the current 50 years. "

Yes, the music business has not managed to make enough money from their recordings since 1957.

[Stan Patterson]

A search on goodle produced virtually nothing on the voice of motor racing - Nevil Lloyd.

Has/does anybody have any photgraphs of him, details of his education, military service, life-style etc etc etc?....anything at all!!!!!!!!!


HELPPPPPPPPPPPP
Stan Patterson
Old Aussie Grump

[taylov]

Stan,

I found this on the Motor Racing Publications website -

MRP History

Books published by Motor Racing Publications Ltd under the MRP imprint first appeared shortly after World War 2. The company’s founder, Nevil Lloyd – well-known in motor racing circles as a commentator, writer and occasional racer – had identified the potential for books on motorsport, interest in which was expanding rapidly in the postwar years.

From the late 1940s until the early 1960s he published a steady flow of new titles, usually keeping at least 20 of them in print at any one time. But his deteriorating health eventually obliged him to step aside, and following his untimely death and a subsequent change of ownership, the company was restructured in 1968.....

[Stan Patterson]

Taylov,

Thanks for your information.....very kind of you to respond

It seems that almost nothing of NL is known or remembered these days...which i find rather odd.

I wonder if he had children?....I have never even seen a photgraph of him.

Surely somebody out there has some information


Stan

[Vitesse2]

"Mr Nevil Lloyd, who died yesterday at his home in St Albans, Hertfordshire, at the age of 49, was a familiar figure in the motor racing world. A racing driver at Brooklands before the war, he became acommittee member of the British Racing Drivers' Club. At Silverstone, a track he helped to build up, he was press secretary.

He leaves a widow and two sons."

Source: The Times, Feb 24 1962, page 10.

His wife's name was Pamela (née Blake) and their two sons were both born at Guys Hospital, on January 29th 1951 and July 26th 1952.

Source: The Times passim.

As to military service, an earlier engagement announcement in The Times (from 1940) cites a Lieutenant Nevil Lloyd, whose parents lived in Thorpe-le-Soken, Sussex. No service or regiment mentioned, but presumably Army, as the letters RN aren't included after his name.

[Stan Patterson]

Hi Vitesse

Thanks for your information ..your research skills are obviously much better than mine!

It fills in a few gaps.....49 was very young to die ...I have always pictured a David Niven type of appearance but much more serious, less-cadish...I wonder if anybody has a pic anywhere?

Thanks Again

Stan

[Vitesse2]

Nevil Lloyd was a lieutenant in the RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) - appointed January 9th 1940.

Source: London Gazette No. 34779, Jan 23rd 1940, p 5

[Vitesse2]

More from the London Gazette: Nevil Lloyd (presumably the same one) was the chairman of a company called Service Engineering & Haulage Co Ltd, which was voluntarily wound up after an EGM at Burcot Close, Burcot, Oxfordshire on August 10th 1956.

No impropriety, it seems, since a later notice from the liquidator states that all known creditors had been paid in full and there was a further notice referring to disposal of remaining assets.

[RTH]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
More from the London Gazette: Nevil Lloyd (presumably the same one) was the chairman of a company called Service Engineering & Haulage Co Ltd, which was voluntarily wound up after an EGM at Burcot Close, Burcot, Oxfordshire on August 10th 1956.

No impropriety, it seems, since a later notice from the liquidator states that all known creditors had been paid in full and there was a further notice referring to disposal of remaining assets.

If only business was conducted with such integrity today .

[Stan Patterson]

I am sure Nevil was the eptiome of decency.....

[raceannouncer2003]

Originally posted by Stan Patterson
I wonder if anybody has a pic anywhere?

Thanks Again

Stan

I found the following photo in an old edition of the California publication "Motoracing". It says "...Sound Engineer...", but is that Nevil Lloyd holding the mike?



By the way, I was doubly "chuffed" at Monaco in May to add the autographs of Brooks and de Filippis to those of Brabham and Moss on the cover of my Monaco GP 1959 record album. I chatted with Sig.ra de Filippis in my "regrettable French"...as she autographed, she apologized for having such a long name!



Vince H.

[Graham Gauld]

Vince,
No that is not Neville Lloyd.