The BBC has released a commercial set of the Carleton Hobbs Sherlock Holmes stories.
I have all of the short stories from the Radio Four Extra broadcasts, so I'm wondering if someone who has this set would be willing to share just the dramatizations of the four novels. Thanks!
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I just thought I'd post this about my emails recently with The Radio Circle (TRC). I tried making a link to their website but it doesn't work right.
The "one-off" Black Peter from 1961 is not in the new release.
In November 2020 I contacted BBC Archives asking if they had it in their archives. They replied, saying no, they didn't, and asked if I could send them a copy. I'm not in a position to copy my copy sadly.
TRC said to me that they do have a copy of BLAC61. TRC are the source of the files used in the new retail collection published by Penguin. The person from TRC I am in correspondence with says they gave all their Hobbs/Shelley Holmes plays, including BLAC61, to Penguin and so they don't know why it was not included in the new collection. They don't know if it was just an oversight. I suggested that maybe, they might be different adaptations (BLAC61 and BLAC69), but maybe Penguin did not want to duplicate stories.TRC say if it was an oversight then maybe Penguin will add it to the on-demand version.
That's where it stands. TRC say they will contact Penguin to see what they say and will then contact me and let me know what they said. That's where things stand. If I find out more I will post here.
I only have experience of buying audiobooks online years ago, or starting years ago at least, with Big Finish, and all I generally hear is Audible has DRM. So sitting in front of my computer now, after Saturdays experience with Google Play, I thought OK let's try again. This time was a better experience.
Well, back on topic. I have read that the new release hasa problem. I think there are 2 Blue Carbuncles. I think Engineer's Thumb is missing. I've not checked.
I don't think I have room on my Onedrive. The Imagination Theater shows I occasionally upload are slowly filling it up.
Here's a Dropbox link to where the adaptations of the 4 novels by this duo from the new release are. They are 128kb mp3. That's how they come. The zip file is 323mb.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nx5at2ige3sgfkh/H-S-4n.zip?dl=1
At the linked Mediafire page below are all 7 series. It's the same link as I used in the page discussion somewhere in this group for the 4Extra versions of all 7 series by Hobbs/Shelley as m4a files which are higher bitrate than used in the new release. Not that I think it makes much difference!
The page shows a list of 7 zip files of m4as for download, one for each series, although I think there could be a problem with the series 3 download. If anybody wants it I'll have a look to see what's going on.
https://app.mediafire.com/ugsj0obilgzzx
Here's Douglas' version of The Sign of the Four. Broadcast on the World Service 1975 I think. It's the same, but the new release version to me has this off-air feel whereas the WS version not so much, sounding a little cleaner. It starts a bit earlier in the starting Holmes/Watson conversation, cut on the US version - the "morphine or cocaine?" bit. Although I miss the old Sholto losing it bit which the US broadcast has at the start!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/j6jzsft0pxjuyg4/SIGN-WS.zip?dl=1
HOUN in this new set starts with the SNT announcer intro, then Holmes/Watson calling for the growler.
I do have an off-air recording, so off-air in fact that you can other channels at times, but it is a single complete recording, albeit I think it's possibly from when this SNT play was repeated as a Sunday Play, 11 April 1965. There's the end of the BBC announcer intro, the same as found that starts the new release's intro at the start, but it skips the growler part.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/benag663vnr95sf/19610805%20HOUN%20%281965...
The new set ends with the Chosen Companions programme with Hobbs readings, presented by Richard Usborne.
This was broadcast on 4Extra at some point, which is the version I have. One of the best when it comes to the BBC's programmes about Holmes.
Chosen Companions
Sherlock Holmes
BBC Radio 4
First broadcast August 23, 1970. 22:10 - 22:50
repeated June 1, 1971. 09:35 - 10:15
Richard Usborne. one-time assistant editor of The Strand Magazine, presents his
choice of extracts from the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Reader: Carleton Hobbs
https://www.dropbox.com/s/13s2b3nv5hwyrxf/CCSH-BBCR4-1970.zip?dl=1
Jake - as always, your commitment to Sherlock is limitless, as is my appreciation for what you share :)
Thanks mate :)
Many thanks for the files Jake and for your analysis of the files as well.
I just tried to buy the new collection on Google Play.
The money was taken off my bank account. Then I tried to find the thing. Not in my Google Play library. I gave it half an hour. Still nothing. I tried to get a refund. As I was filling in the form I checked my account again and the money had been returned. Strange.
I'm hoping 4 Extra air the novels.
I haven't looked much into it but would like to know if it's possible to buy these as a DRM free download. Anybody?
I've got a couple of Audible things - and I don't think you can you take them outside of Audible itself - I'm not uber-techno, but I'm alright, and if I've downloaded something I know how to get the MP3 files (even if I've gotta go looking), but I've personally not been able to get round Audible.
Actually David, as I have been thinking of signing up to Audible to get this new Hobbs/Shelley set, I have been looking around. I get the impression it's possible to do audible to plain mp3 conversions.
It all seems to be about getting the activation bytes.
Here's a post I found on reddit about it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/audible/comments/i4o06j/new_website_where_...
Another tool is AAX Checksum Resolver which generates a ffmpeg command (I do use ffmpeg myself sometimes) to do the conversion, or do it in browser, where I think it means it needs the Audible files need to be uploaded first.
https://audible-converter.ml/
Have you got this set from Audible David? If so, how's the quality of the novels?
With Big Finish, you do have to make an account, but their m4a files don't have DRM. Going back, about 10 years ago, there was also AudioGO (formerly BBC Audiobooks) where you signed up and their files were also DRM free mp3 files.
I'll hang on for a while. See if 4 Extra airs them. If it looks like that's not going to happen then I'll probably take the plunge.
Jake - for info, I did eventually buy these..... yes. They sound good!
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