|
Mike Thomas' Dance Band Encyclopaedia |
Sound Files |
British Dance Bands |
| Home page | Introduction | Label Index | Musicians | Sound Files |
These are all
mp3 files.
They have been transferred by myself from original 78s in my own
collection. You should have something on your computer already
which will play these.
The
files are listed by artist. Within each artist the titles are listed by
recording date.
TO PLAY: If you have a fast connection (broadband), then you can just click on the
title of the piece
and your media player should automatically start; otherwise
right click on the title
and choose "save target as" and browse to a place on your computer where you
wish to save it. This will download the file to your computer so you can play it
at your leisure. The file sizes are between 1.2MB and 1.5MB.
PLEASE NOTE: These are for your own listening pleasure only. Please respect this and DON'T sell them or put them up onto your own website as your own files. I have uploaded other mp3s; see my home page or click here.
As more files get loaded, I am aware it is getting harder to find which are the latest uploads, so to help you, here is a list of the most recent updates with links, latest first (click on the artist's name).
| Date updated | Artist |
| February 13, 2010 | Jerry Hoey |
| January 28, 2010 | Stan Greening |
| January 21, 2010 | Howard Flynn |
| January 12, 2010 | Billy Cotton |
| January 1, 2010 | Nat Star |
| December 25, 2009 | Debroy Somers |
| December 20, 2009 | George Elrick |
| December 13, 2009 | RMS Homeric Dance Band |
| December 6, 2009 | Ray Starita |
| November 21, 2009 | George Scott Wood |
| November 6, 2009 | Larry Brennan |
Page last updated: February 13, 2010
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Ambrose and his Orchestra Probably the best-remembered bandleader of the period, Bert Ambrose employed the best modern dance musicians and played at the most prestigious residencies in the West End; the May Fair Hotel and the Embassy Club (at different times, of course). His recordings are never less than brilliant. in 1933 and 34, his recordings were issued on the Brunswick label; all other dance band recordings were of American origin, Ambrose being the only British band on the label. Here is a selection of those recordings. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| March 8, 1933 | Sweetheart | Sam Browne | Brunswick 1488 | GB-5655-1 | May 3, 2009 |
| May 5, 1933 | Stormy Weather | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01523 | GB-5849-1 | May 3, 2009 |
| May 5, 1933 | You've Got Me Crying Again | Elsie Carlisle | Brunswick 01523 | GB-5852-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| October 5, 1933 | Dinner At Eight | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01606 | GB-6164-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| October 14, 1933 | Night And Day | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01609 | GB-6181-3 | May 3, 2009 |
| October 14, 1933 | After You, Who? | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01609 | GB-6182-3 | May 3, 2009 |
| November 2. 1933 | Love Locked Out | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01624 | GB-6271-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| November 2. 1933 | I've Got You On My Mind | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01623 | GB-6272-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| November 2. 1933 | Happy And Contented | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01624 | GB-6274-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| December 19, 1933 | My Hat's On The Side Of My Head | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01662 | GB-6426-1 | May 3, 2009 |
| December 19, 1933 | You Ought To See Sally On Sunday | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01660 | GB-6428-3 | May 3, 2009 |
| February 2, 1934 | Oceans Of Time | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01695 | GB-6527-1 | May 3, 2009 |
| March 8, 1934 | Because It's Love | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01729 | GB-6638-1 | May 3, 2009 |
| May 30, 1934 | Cupid | Sam Browne | Brunswick 01789 | TB-1291-2 | May 3, 2009 |
| June 12, 1934 | When You Climb Those Golden Stairs | Sam Browne and chorus | Brunswick 01788 | TB-1293-4 | May 3, 2009 |
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Alfredo
and his Band Alfred Gill formed his band in 1925 after leaving Jack Hylton's employ. The band played at the New Princes Restaurant from then until 1930 when Alfredo disbanded the dance band and formed a Gypsy orchestra. From late 1926 onwards, the band personnel was very stable and included Alfie Noakes (trumpet & arranger) and Claude Cavalotti (alto sax), both of whom could play straight or hot. The band recorded solely for Edison Bell, the recordings being issued on Winner, Electron and 8" Radio records. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| March 1928 | Is She My Girl Friend? | Les Allen | Edison Bell Radio 825 | 88058-4 | February 1, 2009 |
| c. July 25, 1928 | Singapore Sorrows | Les Allen | Edison Bell Radio 875 | 88188-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 25, 1929 | Virginia | Eddie Grossbart & Les Allen | Edison Bell Radio 925 | 88484-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| June 27, 1929 | Huggable, Kissable You | Eddie Kollis & trio | Edison Bell Radio 1222 | 88948-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| June 28, 1929 | Glorianna | Eddie Kollis | Edison Bell Radio 1282 | 88953-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| September 1929 | Am I Blue? | Eddie Grossbart | Edison Bell Radio 1248 | 89309-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| April 1930 | Singing In The Bath-Tub | Hal Swain | Edison Bell Radio 1331 | 89846-3 | February 1, 2009 |
| June 1930 | On The Sunny Side Of The Street | Eddie Grossbart | Edison Bell Radio 1375 | 89813-1 | February 1, 2009 |
|
Harry Bidgood and his
Broadcasters Harry Bidgood made thousands of dance band recordings during his tenure as musical director at Vocalion records between 1925 and 1933. Selecting a few for the site has been quite hard especially as I particularly like his recordings. Bidgood used a fairly stable group of musicians, concentrating on good solid no-frills dance music with very little "hot" playing. Most of the records are of his own arrangements, which just sets them apart from other recorded versions of the same tunes. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| May 11, 1927 | If Tears Could Bring You Back To Me | John Thorne | Broadcast 127 | Z-68 | August 7, 2009 |
| August 16, 1927 | Does She Love Me? Positively, Absolutely! | John Thorne | Broadcast 149 | Z-141 | August 7, 2009 |
| August 16, 1927 | There Ain't No "Maybe" In My Baby's Eyes | John Thorne | Broadcast 145 | Z-142 | August 7, 2009 |
| September 7, 1927 | Deep River | John Thorne | Broadcast 164 | Z-176 | August 7, 2009 |
| September 7, 1927 | Clap Yo' Hands | John Thorne | Broadcast 163 | Z-177 | August 7, 2009 |
| September 7, 1927 | The Doll Dance | Broadcast 163 | Z-180 | August 7, 2009 | |
| November 1, 1927 | Ain't That A Grand And Glorious Feeling? | Ramon Newton | Broadcast 178 | Z-249 | August 7, 2009 |
| November 29, 1927 | I AIn't That Kind Of A Baby | Bobby Sanders | Broadcast 183 | Z-271 | August 7, 2009 |
| December 30, 1927 | Gonna Get A Girl | Ramon Newton | Broadcast 194 | Z-298 | August 7, 2009 |
| January 24, 1928 | Bless Her Little Heart | Ramon Newton | Broadcast 206 | Z-336 | August 7, 2009 |
| February 23, 1928 | Marvellous | Ramon Newton | Broadcast 213 | Z-369 | August 7, 2009 |
| March 12, 1928 | Did You Mean It? | John Thorne | Broadcast 230 | Z-387 | August 7, 2009 |
| March 23, 1928 | When Day Is Done | John Thorne | Broadcast 226 | Z-389 | August 7, 2009 |
| May 7, 1928 | Wherever You Are (into: Playground In The Sky) | Broadcast 264 | Z-453 | August 7, 2009 | |
| June 1, 1928 | A Little Dream Nest | Maurice Elwin | Broadcast 274 | Z-477 | August 7, 2009 |
| August 21, 1928 | My Pet | John Thorne | Broadcast 286 | Z-562 | August 7, 2009 |
| October 31, 1928 | Lila | Bobby Sanders | Broadcast 307 | Z-671 | August 7, 2009 |
| December 19, 1928 | Down My The Old Front Gate | John Thorne & chorus | Broadcast 329 | Z-756 | August 7, 2009 |
| February 22, 1929 | I Ain't Never Been Kissed | John Thorne | Broadcast 354 | Z-837 | August 7, 2009 |
|
Billy Bissett and his
Orchestra Canadian-born Billy Bissett spent three years in London, including a season at the May Fair Hotel in London in 1937, and their only recordings (all to be found here) were made in this period. Billy and Alice Mann were married in September 1937. In August 1939, they went to America for a short break, but, due to the outbreak of war, were unable to return to England. Billy formed an American band, and changed his name to Billy Bishop. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| March 2, 1937 | Rainbow On The River | Billy Bissett | HMV BD-5188 | 0EA-4669-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| March 2, 1937 | On A Little Bamboo Bridge | Billy Bissett and Pat Hyde | HMV BD-5188 | 0EA-4670-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| March 2, 1937 | All Alone In Vienna | Billy Bissett | HMV BD-5189 | 0EA-4671-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| March 2, 1937 | Ev'rything You Do | Billy Bissett | HMV BD-5189 | 0EA-4672-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| June 14, 1937 | On A Little Dream Ranch | Billy Bissett | HMV BD-5227 | 0EA-5024-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| June 14, 1937 | There's A Lull In My Life | Alice Mann | HMV BD-5231 | 0EA-5025-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| June 14, 1937 | In A Little French Casino | Billy Bissett and Alice Mann | HMV BD-5227 | 0EA-5026-1 | February 22, 2009 |
| June 14, 1937 | Never In A Million Years | Billy Bissett and Alice Mann | HMV BD-5231 | 0EA-5027-1 | February 22, 2009 |
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Larry Brennan and his Winter
Gardens Dance Band Larry Brennan directed the band at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool at least between 1933 and 1935 when his band made a number of recordings for Regal-Zonophone. These were actually recorded in Blackpool, and I don't believe I've ever seen any re-mastered onto LP or CD, so this could be a first. The band has a distinctive sound, to put it mildly, and a tendency to play numbers rather fast. Here's a selection of those I consider to be the best sides. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| August 31, 1933 | I've Found The Right Girl | Tom Barratt | Regal-Zonophone MR-1044 | WAR-2178-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| August 31, 1933 | Don't Blame Me | Tom Barratt | Regal-Zonophone MR-1043 | WAR-2179-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| September 27, 1933 | Happy Ending | Kathleen Walker | Regal-Zonophone MR-1067 | WAR-2235-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| September 28, 1933 | Let The World Go Drifting By | Tom Barratt | Regal-Zonophone MR-1066 | WAR-2234-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| September 28, 1933 | Oh! Johanna | Tom Barratt | Regal-Zonophone MR-1048 | WAR-2239-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| December 4, 1933 | Was Love A Dream? | Cavan O'Connor | Regal-Zonophone MR-1166 | WAR-2434-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| December 3, 1934 | Can I Be Sure Of You? | Cavan O'Connor | Regal-Zonophone MR-1525 | WAR-3091-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| January 8, 1935 | Wish Me Good Luck, Kiss Me Goodbye | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1590 | WAR-3186-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| April 7, 1935 | Home Again | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1679 | WAR-3350-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| April 7, 1935 | Prairie Schooner | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1679 | WAR-3351-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| April 7, 1935 | March Winds And April Showers | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1680 | WAR-3352-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| April 7, 1935 | Since We Fell Out Of Love | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1680 | WAR-3353-1 | November 6, 2009 |
| May 14, 1935 | Dancing In A Dream | unknown | Regal-Zonophone MR-1734 | WAR-3432-1 | November 6, 2009 |
|
Billy Cotton and his Band As a small boy, I remember the Billy Cotton band show on TV. It wasn't my sort of thing, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started collecting 78s a few years later, that Billy Cotton's Band had made dance band recordings several years earlier. Cotton's recordings start in 1928 for Metropole/Piccadilly before he switched to Columbia and Regal in 1930. In 1936 he changed to make records for Rex until Decca (who by then produced Rex records) ceased production and Billy moved to Decca. Here is a selection from my collection, tending to lean more towards the earlier period. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| July 1928 | I'm A Broken-Hearted Blackbird | Joe Ferrie | Metropole 1045 | 1078-2 | January 12, 2010 |
| September 1928 | Sunny Skies | Sid Buckman & Joe Ferrie | Piccadilly 108 | 1204 | January 12, 2010 |
| November 1928 | Dusky Stevedore | Sid Buckman | Piccadilly 195 | 1324-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| March 28, 1930 | Happy Feet | Trio | Regal MR-107 | WAR-65-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| January 3, 1931 | Makin' Whoopee (into: I'll Still Belong To You) | Sid Buckman | Columbia DB-382 | WA-11024-2 | January 12, 2010 |
| May 5, 1931 | It Looks Like Love | Sid Buckman | Columbia CB-291 | CA-11555-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| September 4, 1931 | Trees | Cyril Grantham | Columbia CB-350 | CA-11941-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| March 19, 1932 | With Love In My Heart | Cyril Grantham | Regal MR-557 | CAR-1114-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| August 24, 1932 | Sing A New Song | Alan Breeze | Regal MR-538 | CAR-1381-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| October 5, 1932 | Sweet Muchacha | Alan Breeze & trio | Regal MR-738 | CAR-1472-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| October 20, 1932 | Say It Isn't So | Cyril Grantham | Regal MR-738 | CAR-1500-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| February 18, 1933 | Street Of Dreams | Alan Breeze | Regal-Zonophone MR-867 | CAR-1773-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| July 7, 1933 | The Gold-Diggers' Song (We're In The Money) | Sam Browne | Regal-Zonophone MR-1003 | CAR-2096-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| July 21, 1933 | Black And Tan Fantasy | Regal-Zonophone MR-1037 | CAR-2134-1 | January 12, 2010 | |
| December 17, 1933 | Doin' The Uptown Lowdown | Ivor Rich & Teddy Foster | Regal-Zonophone MR-1189 | CAR-2439-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| September 27, 1934 | Yes, Sir, I Love Your Daughter | "Chips" Chippendall | Regal Zonophone MR-1449 | CAR-2884-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| November 30. 1934 | That's The Way I Like To Hear You Talk | "Chips" Chippendall | Regal-Zonophone MR-1521 | CAR-3073-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| February 1, 1935 | Blue Moon | Alan Breeze | Regal-Zonophone MR-1588 | CAR-3195-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| June 1, 1935 | Shadows In The Moonlight | "Chips" Chippendall | Regal-Zonophone MR-1735 | CAR-3463-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| February 29, 1936 | This'll Make You Whistle | Alan Breeze | Regal-Zonophone MR-2055 | CAR-3959-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| October 27, 1936 | Midnight Blue | Alan Breeze | Regal-Zonophone MR-2264 | CAR-4254-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| August 11, 1937 | Midnight In Mayfair | Rex 9106 | R-2382-1 | January 12, 2010 | |
| April 22, 1938 | Oooooo-Oh Boom! | Jack Doyle & chorus | Rex 9290 | R-2674-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| January 27, 1941 | Yesterday's Dreams | Alan Breeze | Rex 9923 | R-5294-1 | January 12, 2010 |
| April 14, 1942 | The Whistler's Mother-In-Law | Alan Breeze | Rex 10,120 | R-6774-2 | January 12, 2010 |
|
George Elrick and his Swing
Music Makers When Henry Hall left the BBC In September 1937, George Elrick took the opportunity to strike out on his own. His only problem was that he need a backing band for his act. Luckily for him, Lew Stone was struggling to keep his top-class band of west-end musicians together while he himself was working directing musical shows in theatres, which had no need of expensive dance band musicians. Lew lent his band to George and so these recordings are basically Lew Stone's band, with George Elrick vocalising and nominally directing. By December 1937, Elrick had formed his own band. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| August 17, 1937 | Swing, Swing, Dear Mother-In-Law | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1755 | CA-16500-1 | December 20, 2009 |
| August 21, 1937 | The Lady Who Couldn't Be Kissed | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1755 | CA-16507-1 | December 20, 2009 |
| October 14, 1937 | Goodnight To You All | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1796 | CA-16614-1 | December 20, 2009 |
| October 14, 1937 | The Trouble With Me Is You | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1796 | CA-16615-1 | December 20, 2009 |
| November 16, 1937 | You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1828 | CA-16694-1 | December 20, 2009 |
| November 16, 1937 | You've Gotta Take Your Pick And Swing | George Elrick | Columbia FB-1828 | CA-16695-1 | December 20, 2009 |
|
George Fisher and his Kit-Cat
Band George Fishberg (better known as George Fisher) was an American pianist who came to Britain in 1920 as part of a quintet under Art Hickman's management. Around the beginning of 1928 he formed a band to play at the Kit-Cat restaurant, staying there for about 12 months when Arthur Rosebery took over with his band, at which point Fisher returned to America and nothing more was heard from him, on records at least. During 1928 the band made a number of recordings for Metrolpole / Piccadilly under their own name and moonlighted at HMV as The Rhythm Band. The two sets of recordings show the band in quite different styles, generally. |
| The Metropole recordings: Here are some of the Metropole & Piccadilly recordings. I must apologise for the variation in recording quality of these sides. The company's recordings suffer from inconsistent quality, often being over-recorded and distorted (as on the first side at least). Some have a fuzzy sound due to the company using pressing stampers after they were worn out. The Piccadilly records were labelled as by Tony Young's Ramblers (except Piccadilly 129 which is as Piccadilly Dance Band). |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| c. March 27, 1928 | I've Found A Horseshoe | Three New Yorkers | Metropole 1019 | M-19-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. May 11, 1928 | Miss Annabelle Lee | Three New Yorkers | Metropole 1026 | M-72-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. July 2, 1928 | My Pet | Phil Arnold | Metropole 1081 | 1049-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. August 3, 1928 | Bluebird, Sing Me A Song | Phil Arnold | Metropole 1074 | 1127-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. September 6, 1928 | Didn't I Tell You? | Eddie Grossbart | Metropole 1059 | 1195-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. September 24, 1928 | I'm Afraid Of You | Eddie Grossbart | Metropole 1095 | 1235-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. September 24, 1928 | Collegiana | Eddie Grossbart | Piccadilly 165 | 1236-2 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. September 24, 1928 | More Than Anybody | Eddie Grossbart | Piccadilly 129 | 1237-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. October 15, 1928 | Sascatchewan | Eddie Grossbart | Piccadilly 190 | 1289-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
| c. February 5, 1929 | Great Camp Meeting Day | Cavan O'Connor | Piccadilly 211 | 1597-1 | Sept 12, 2009 |
|
Howard Flynn and his Orchestra Howard Flynn was a songwriter and band organiser who had a financial interest in the Edison Bell company, at least in the early 1930s. The recordings made under his name are likely to be a studio group, though the musicians involved have not yet been identified. There maybe a link with Stanley Barnett's band which played in the restaurant at Madame Tussauds. Here are some of the records the band made for Edison Bell in the early 1930s. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| July 1933 | I Cover The Waterfront | Phyllis Robins | Winner 5576 | EB-1030-2 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| October 13, 1933 | Dinner At Eight | Harry Bentley | Winner 5610 | EB-1075-1 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| October 13, 1933 | Night And Day | Harry Bentley | Winner 5610 | EB-1076-2 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| November 19, 1933 | There's A Home In Wyomin' | Harry Bentley | Winner 5618 | EB-1091-2 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| c. December 21, 1933 | On A Steamer Coming Over | Dan Donovan | Winner 5632 | EB-1110-1 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| c. December 21, 1933 | La-Di-Da-Di-Da | Dan Donovan and others | Winner 5632 | EB-1111-1 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| January 1934 | Faint Harmony | Dan Donovan | Winner 5642 | EB-1126-1 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| January 1934 | Dusty Shoes | Dan Donovan | Winner 5642 | EB-1127-2 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| March 1934 | Sittin' On A Backyard Fence | Harry Bentley & trio | Winner 5654 | EB-1148-1 | Jan 21, 2010 |
| March 1934 | This Little Piggie Went To Market | Harry Bentley | Winner 5654 | EB-1149-2 | Jan 21, 2010 |
|
Carroll Gibbons and the
Savoy Hotel Orpheans From Boston, Mass., Carroll Gibbons arrived in England in 1924 and stayed for the rest of his life, working for the Savoy Hotel Group. After leading the Sylvians and the Savoy Orpheans in the 1920s, he became musical director for the Gramophone Company (His Master's Voice) before directing a reformed Savoy Orpheans from 1931, initially as co-leader with Howard Jacobs, until Gibbons' death in the 1950s. The band recorded exclusively for Columbia. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| December 31, 1931 | Sweet Summer Breeze | Jack Plant | Columbia CB-404 | CA-12324-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 7, 1932 | You'll Be Sorry | Jack Plant | Columbia CB-404 | CA-12343-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 14, 1932 | Sunshine And Roses | Anona Wynn | Columbia CB-413 | CA-12350-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 14, 1932 | One Little Quarrel | Al Bowlly & Anona Wynn | Columbia CB-413 | CA-12351-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 19, 1932 | One More Kiss, Then Good-Night | Jack Plant | Columbia CB-414 | CA-12362-2 | February 1, 2009 |
| February 1, 1932 | Prisoner Of Love | Jack Plant | Columbia CB-421 | CA-12391-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| February 4, 1932 | I'll Make A Happy Landing | Jack Plant | Columbia CB-421 | CA-12400-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| April 26, 1932 | Oh! That Mitzi | Edward Cooper | Columbia CB-449 | CA-12629-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| April 26, 1932 | What Would You Do? | Edward Cooper | Columbia CB-449 | CA-12630-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| July 20, 1935 | Why Start Come Out At Night | Anne Lenner | Columbia FB-1090 | CA-15168-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| July 20, 1935 | Why Dream? | Anne Lenner | Columbia FB-1090 | CA-15170-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| January 9, 1936 | You Were There | Robert Ashley | Columbia FB-1282 | CA-15532-1 | March 19, 2009 |
| January 9, 1936 | Play, Orchestra, Play | Robert Ashley | Columbia FB-1282 | CA-15533-1 | March 19, 2009 |
| October 26, 1936 | Miracles Sometimes Happen | Anne Lenner | Columbia FB-1548 | CA-16012-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| October 26, 1936 | Midnight Blue | Brian Lawrance | Columbia FB-1548 | CA-16013-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| June 2, 1937 | Let's Call The Whole Thing Off | Anne Lenner & George Melachrino | Columbia FB-1705 | CA-16397-1 | February 1, 2009 |
| June 2, 1937 | Shall We Dance? | Anne Lenner & George Melachrino | Columbia FB-1705 | CA-16398-1 | February 1, 2009 |
|
Howard Godfrey and his
Waldorfians The nephew of Sir Dan Godfrey, famous symphonic conductor, Howard Godfrey referred to himself as the black sheep of the family, being the only one whose musical direction was towards dance band music. Howard Godfrey directed the band at the Waldorf Hotel in London for some years; the band recorded for Edison Bell Winner, Victory and Piccadilly and was always augmented from it's original five-piece to a full dance band for recordings. Here is a selection. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| July 1929 | Excuse Me, Lady | Edison Bell Winner 4952 | 12392-1 | March 19, 2009 | |
| July 1929 | Louise | Howard Godfrey | Edison Bell Winner 4952 | 12393-1 | March 19, 2009 |
| Aug 2, 1930 | On The Sunny Side Of The Street | Al Bowlly | Victory 253 | 945-2 | March 19, 2009 |
| April 1931 | When I Take My Sugar To Tea | Val Rosing | Piccadilly 766 | 4325-2 | March 19, 2009 |
| May-June 1931 | Thank You Most Sincerely | Al Bowlly | Piccadilly 781 | 4366-2 | March 19, 2009 |
| August 1931 | Cherie, C'est Vous | Les Allen | Piccadilly 811 | 4425-1 | March 19, 2009 |
| September 1931 | Poor Kid | Les Allen | Piccadilly 816 | 4457-1 | March 19, 2009 |
| October 1931 | Over The Blue | Al Bowlly | Piccadilly 856 | 4514-2 | March 19, 2009 |
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Stan Greening and his Band Stan Greening worked tenaciously at several record companies as their musical advisor; Crystalate (Imperial, Imperial Junior, Mimosa & Victory records), Edison Bell (WInner records), Duophone, Gramophone Company (HMV). In addition, he was greatly in demand on sessions as an instrumentalist; he usually played banjo, guitar and bass on records, but could also play piano and cello. I shall break the selections down into the different record companies. Here's the first. |
|
Regal recordings Stan had a finger in many pies, as musical director at a number of different record companies, but his main work was at Crystalate and Columbia and he made many recordings issued on Regal, Columbia's budget label. Stan's name never appears on the label; all were issued under blanket pseudonyms. Here is a selection of his Regal recordings from 1925 (when he started at Columbia) to 1931 when he made his last dance band recording. Stan Greening continued to work occasionally at EMI (as it became) organising bands to accompany singers. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| c. January 30, 1925 | Eat More Fruit | Thomas Jackson ? | Regal G-8329 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-1561 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| c. February 5, 1925 | Tea For Two | Regal G-8333 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-1675 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| c. February 13, 1925 | In A Little Rendezvous | Regal G-8351 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-1709 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| c. April 17, 1925 | The Story-Book Ball | Regal G-8379 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-1956 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| June 9, 1925 | One Little One More | Fred Rome ? | Regal G-8419 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-2192 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| c. September 28, 1925 | Comin' Home | Regal G-8469 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-2485 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| January 1926 | Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann | Regal G-8545 (Corona Dance Orch.) | A-4081 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| February 2, 1926 | Why Do Short Men Like Tall Girls? | unknown | Regal G-8559 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-2807 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| April 27, 1926 | Hang On To Me | Regal G-8612 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-3210 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| September 13, 1926 | Two Little Bluebirds | Regal G-8693 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-3915 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| November 25, 1926 | I've Never Seen A Straight Banana | Maurice Elwin | Regal G-8764 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-4524 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| April 12, 1927 | Sing | Regal G-8871 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-5227 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| June 22, 1927 | The Devil Is Afraid Of Music | Eddie Morris | Regal G-8906 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-5747 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| November 2, 1927 | You Went Away Too Far | Eddie Morris | Regal G-9005 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-6474 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| December 1, 1927 | There's One Little Girl Who Loves Me | Harry Robinson | Regal G-9037 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-6625 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| February 6, 1928 | I'm Living On Love | Eddie Morris | Regal G-9094 (Lido Dance Orch.) | WA-6915 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| April 19, 1928 | Since I Met Mary Jane | Robert Carr | Regal G-9133 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-7267 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| July 12, 1928 | Happy-Go-Lucky Lane | John Thorne | Regal G-9174 (Raymond Dance Band) | WA-7614 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| November 25, 1929 | Jollity Farm | Tom Barratt | Regal G-9440 (Hal Swain & his Band !) | WA-9786 | Jan 28, 2010 |
| February 6, 1930 | Crazy Pirouette | Regal unissued test | WAR-5 | Jan 28, 2010 | |
| August 31, 1931 | Whistling In The Dark | Leslie Holmes | Regal MR-400 (The Rhythmic Troubadours) | CAR-781 | Jan 28, 2010 |
|
Jerry Hoey and his
Orchestra Saxophonist Jerry Hoey too Leslie Norman's place in Jack Hylton's band in 1924, remaining in the band until late summer 1927. Following a brief spell with the Savoy Orpheans, Jerry joined Jimmy Kelleher's band at the Piccadilly Hotel. He subsequently took over the band on Kelleher's departure, though the band continued to be billed at Kelleher's for a while. The band recorded under Hoey's name in 1931, for (appropriately) the Piccadilly Label. Here is a selection. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| c. February 1931 | Ten Cents A Dance | unknown | Piccadilly 738 | 4230-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| c. February 1931 | Rainbow | Joe Lee | Piccadilly 736 | 4231-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| c. March 1931 | There's Always Tomorrow | Joe Lee | Piccadilly 755 | 4262-2 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| c. March 1931 | It's Not You | Joe Lee | Piccadilly 755 | 4263-2 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| c. March 1931 | Alone And Afraid | Joe Lee | Simcha 10007 | 4267-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| April 1931 | Laughing At The Rain | Jack Plant | Simcha 10007 | 4304-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| September 1931 | Song Of Happiness | Les Allen | Piccadilly 839 | 4497-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| September 1931 | Time Alone Will Tell | Les Allen | Piccadilly 840 | 4498-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| September 1931 | What's Going To Happen To Me? | Les Allen | Piccadilly 840 | 4499-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| October 1931 | At Your Command | Les Allen | Piccadilly 861 | 4529-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| October 1931 | Sweet And Lovely | Les Allen trio | Piccadilly 861 | 4530-2 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| November 1931 | How's Your Uncle? | Les Allen and another | Piccadilly 864 | 4535-2 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| November 1931 | Just A Blue-Eyed Blonde | Les Allen | Piccadilly 859 | 4539-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| November 1931 | You Forgot Your Gloves | Les Allen | Piccadilly 864 | 4544-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| December 1931 | Guilty | Les Allen | Picadilly 883 | 4593-1 | Feb 13, 2010 |
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Jack Hylton and his
Orchestra Britain's greatest show band of the 1920s and 30s recorded thousands of dance records between 1921 and 1940, so selecting some for the site is an enormous task. I decided to just choose one year, for the first upload. These represent just a small selection from the first half of 1926. There will be more to come in the future. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| January 6, 1926 | My Girl's Got Long Hair | Jack Hylton | HMV B-5016 | Bb-7627-2 | July 26, 2009 |
| January 15, 1926 | Why Don't You Say So? | HMV B-5014 | Bb-7707-1 | July 26, 2009 | |
| February 25, 1926 | Ukulele Baby | Jack Hylton & Chappie D'Amato | HMV B-5019 | Bb-7969-3 | July 26, 2009 |
| March 19, 1926 |
"Lady Be Good" selection, part 1. Intro: So Am I; Hang On To Me; Fascinating Rhythm |
Monty Woolf | HMV B-5042 | Bb-8190-3 | July 26, 2009 |
| April 21, 1926 | Oh! Miss Hannah | Chappie D'Amato | HMV B-5055 | Bb-8297-2 | July 26, 2009 |
| April 21, 1926 | So Does Your Old Mandarin | Jack Hylton | HMV B-5054 | Bb-8296-2 | July 26, 2009 |
| April 23, 1926 | Rose OF Samarkand (Eric Coates) | HMV B-5056 | Bb-8311-3 | July 26, 2009 | |
| June 8, 1928 | Blinky Moon Bay | HMV B-5086 | Bb-8507-3 | July 26, 2009 | |
| June 28, 1926 | I'm Taking That Baby Home | Jack Hylton | HMV B-5099 | Bb-8617-1 | July 26, 2009 |
|
Cecil & Leslie Norman and
their Orchestras The Norman brothers were major players in the British Dance Band scene of the 1920s. Having both played in Jack Hylton's band in the very early 1920s, they subsequently played in and/or lead bands at leading venues in London. In the late 1920s they were variously the musical directors for Worldecho and Goodson records; both labels are quite hard to find these days. Here is a selection of the flexible Goodson recordings from 1930-31. My apologies for some distortion due to the warpage of the records. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label, Issue No. & Pseudonym | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| August 1930 | A Bench In The Park | Cavan O'Connor | Goodson 255 (The Collegians) | S-39 | June 28, 2009 |
| September 1930 | If Your Kisses Can't Hold The Man You Love | Goodson 256 (The Ritz-Carlton Band) | S-58 | June 28, 2009 | |
| October 1930 | I Don't Mind Walking In The Rain | Jack Plant | Goodson 305 (The Savoy Plaza Band) | S-75 | June 28, 2009 |
| October 1930 | Take Along A Little Love | Jack Plant | Goodson 306 (The Savoy Plaza Band) | S-77 | June 28, 2009 |
| October 1930 | After Your Kiss | Jack Plant | Goodson 302 (The Radio Revellers) | S-80 | June 28, 2009 |
| October 1930 | Little White Lies | Jack Plant | Goodson 308 (The Collegians) | S-81 | June 28, 2009 |
| November 1930 | Loving You The Way I Do | Jack Plant | Goodson 310 (The White Way Serenaders) | S-88 | June 28, 2009 |
| November 1930 | Without My Gal | Jack Plant | Goodson 310 (The White Way Serenaders) | S-89 | June 28, 2009 |
| December 1930 | Who Cares ? (As Long As There's Love) | Jack Plant | Goodson 320 (The Savoy Plaza Band) | S-119 | June 28, 2009 |
| Jan-Feb 1931 | Okay, Baby | Cavan O'Connor | Goodson 330 (The Savoy Plaza Band) | S-146 | June 28, 2009 |
| Jan-Feb 1931 | Sing A Happy Little Thing | Jack Plant | Goodson 331 (The Radio Revellers) | S-151 | June 28, 2009 |
|
Oscar Rabin and his Romany
Band Oscar Rabin's early 1930s recordings are not easy to find; they were made for Sterno and also other British Homophone labels, 4 in 1 and Plaza. None of these turn up that easily these days, they didn't sell in big quantities, though the 6d Plaza records are probably the most common. Reports at the time say that Rabin never lead the band, but was content to sit at the back of the band playing the bass sax, while guitarist Harry Davis stood out front and directed and made the announcements. However, on all the records the bass is a sousaphone (or sometimes a double bass), so it may be Oscar Rabin took no part at all in the recordings. Here is my collection of Plaza records by this band for your listening pleasure. They were all issued under pseudonyms - noted after the record issue number. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| May 9, 1933 | Wear A Great Big Smile | Sam Browne & the Three Ginx | Plaza P-118 (Plaza Dance Band) | L-990 | August 31, 2009 |
| May 9, 1933 | Deep Water | Elsie Carlisle | Plaza P-103 (Brockman's Band) | L-995 | August 31, 2009 |
| June 27, 1933 | Hiawatha's Lullaby | Jack Plant | Plaza P-116 (Ben Fields & his Band) | L-1081 | August 31, 2009 |
| August 9, 1933 | Shuffle Off To Buffalo | Harry Bentley | Plaza P-128 (The Crackerjacks) | L-1128 | August 31, 2009 |
| August 9, 1933 | You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me | Harry Bentley | Plaza P-128 (The Crackerjacks) | L-1129 | August 31, 2009 |
| August 9, 1933 | I Don't Like Her Dog Fido | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-186 (Plaza Dance Band) | L-1131 | August 31, 2009 |
| September 29, 1933 | Night And Day | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-157 (Plaza Dance Band) | L-1229 | August 31, 2009 |
| September 29, 1933 | Weep No More, My Baby | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-177 (The Twelve Cavaliers) | L-1231 | August 31, 2009 |
| September 29, 1933 | I've Gotta Get Up And Go To Work | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-142 (Alf Bertram & his Band) | L-1232 | August 31, 2009 |
| October 12, 1933 | Give A Cheer | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-157 (Plaza Dance Band) | L-1262 | August 31, 2009 |
| October 12, 1933 | The Golden King Shuffle | Lewis L-28 (Ben Findley's Dance Band) | L-1264 | August 31, 2009 | |
| October 12, 1933 | Romany Blues | Plaza P-155 (Alf Bertram & his Band) | L-1265 | August 31, 2009 | |
| October 12, 1933 | Betcha Life I Do | Harry Davis | Plaza P-165 (The Twelve Cavaliers) | L-1266 | August 31, 2009 |
| October 12, 1933 | Wasting The Evening Away | Dan Donovan | Plaza P-389 (Al Gold & his Band) | L-1267 | August 31, 2009 |
| November 3, 1933 | It's The Talk Of The Town | Harry Davis | Plaza P-193 (Art Willis & his Band) | L-1321 | August 31, 2009 |
| January 18, 1934 | Violet Ray Blues | Plaza P-209 (Willie Freeman's Dance O) | L-1442 | August 31, 2009 | |
| January 18, 1934 | Hawaiian Dream Of Love | Harry Bentley | Plaza P-210 (Tony Miller & his Band) | L-1444 | August 31, 2009 |
|
Bert Ralton and his Havana
Band Bert Ralton arrived in Britain from America at the start of the 1920s with his New York Havana Band. Bert lead the band on saxophone (usually soprano sax). They played at the Savoy Hotel (changing the band's name to the Savoy Havana Band) until the summer of 1923 when Ralton left to go to Australia. Returning to Britain in late summer 1925, he formed the band we hear here, known as his Havana Band. It contained some young up-and-coming musicians such as Jack Jackson (trumpet), Ben Oakley(trombone), Allen Warren (saxes), Dick Escott (tuba) and, on the last session, Lew Stone (piano). Following the last of these recordings, the band left for a tour of South Africa, where Bert died after a shooting accident. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| November 30, 1925 | Isn't She The Sweetest Thing? | Columbia 3826 | WA-2585 | March 28, 2009 | |
| November 30, 1925 | Headin' For Home | Columbia 3825 | WA-2929 | March 26, 2009 | |
| December 17, 1925 | Over My Shoulder | Columbia 3860 | WA-2665 | March 28, 2009 | |
| February 13, 1926 | The Two Of Us | Columbia 3910 | WA-2864 | March 28, 2009 | |
| May 21, 1926 | Carolina | Harry Shalson | Columbia 4019 | WA-3295 | March 28, 2009 |
| July 2, 1926 | Could I? I Certainly Could | Harry Shalson | Columbia 4041 | WA-3533 | March 28, 2009 |
| July 2, 1926 | The Pump Song | Bert Ralton | Columbia 4042 | WA-3535 | March 28, 2009 |
| July 2, 1926 | Fiddle-Dee-Dee-Dee-Dee | Bert Ralton | Columbia 4042 | WA-3536 | March 28, 2009 |
| September 1, 1926 | I Never See Maggie Alone | Bert Ralton | Columbia 4092 | WA-3829 | March 28, 2009 |
|
R.M.S. "Homeric" Dance Band Valentine Buxton Howarth was the director of this band, about which nothing is known of the musicians on thes recordings, apart from the ever-reliable Sam Browne who was brought in to sing the vocals. Howarth played saxophone and violin and presumably does so on these four recordings, the only ones they made, which were recorded in Southampton on board the liner itself. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| June 2, 1933 | Talking To You About Me | Sam Browne | Columbia CB-634 | WA-13620-4 | Dec 13, 2009 |
| June 2, 1933 | I Wish I Had Wings | Sam Browne | Columbia CB-635 | WA-13621-3 | Dec 13, 2009 |
| June 2, 1933 | My Love Song | Sam Browne | Columbia CB-634 | WA-13695-1 | Dec 13, 2009 |
| June 2, 1933 | Have You Had A Good Day Today? (6/8) | Sam Browne | Columbia CB-635 | WA-13696-1 | Dec 13, 2009 |
|
Arthur Rosebery and his
Kit-Cat Dance Band Arthur Rosebery lead bands playing at the Cafe de Paris and the Kit-Cat restaurants in the late 1920s, after which the band played in the orchestra pit for shows such as "Follow Through" and "Wonder Bar". The recordings here cover both the Kit-Cat period and after, and are typical of this lively and unorthodox dance band. Vocalist Len Lees was also the drummer. Considering how good he was at putting over a number, it is odd that he hardly ever made any records after Rosebery disbanded at the end of 1930 |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| March 1, 1929 | Spread A Little Happiness | Len Lees | Parlophone R-303 | E-2337-2 | May 28, 2009 |
| March 1, 1929 | I'm A One Man Girl | Parlophone R-303 | E-2338-2 | May 28, 2009 | |
| February 20, 1930 | Sitting On The Cold, Wet Grass | Len Lees & chorus | Ariel 4517 (Ariel Dance.O.) | E-3078-2 | May 28, 2009 |
| March 17, 1930 | The Wind In The Willows | Harry Bentley | Parlophone R-610 | E-3161-2 | May 28, 2009 |
| September 1930 | That Night In Venice | Len Lees | Parlophone R-739 | E-3599-2 | May 28, 2009 |
| September 1930 | My Future Just Passed | Len Lees | Parlophone R-746 | E-3600-2 | May 28, 2009 |
| September 1930 | The Pick-Up | Len Lees | Parlophone R-746 | E-3601-1 | May 28, 2009 |
|
Debroy Somers' Band William Debroy Somers started his recording career making instrumental recordings for Bulldog records in the immediate post-WWI. Subsequently he had a post as musical director at Aeolian (later Vocalion) records, from 1920-23 before forming the famous Savoy Orpheans to play at the Savoy Hotel. He left the Savoy to pursue his own career and formed his first band in 1926, recordings solely for Columbia for many years. Here is a selection of 80-year old records from 1929, including the famous Savoy Christmas Medley as a suitable nod in the direction of the current season (December 2009) |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| February 21, 1929 | Misery Farm | Tom Barratt | Columbia 5269 | WA-8568-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| February 23, 1929 | Just The Type For Me | Bobby Sanders | Columbia 5302 | WA-8599-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| March 16, 1929 | Flower Of Love | Miss Horsley | Columbia 5325 | WA-8713-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| June 17, 1929 | Do Something | Tom Barratt | Regal G-9408 | WA-9175-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| June 17, 1929 | Jericho | Tom Barratt | Regal G-9408 | WA-9176-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| July 5, 1929 | Dancing Goblin | Columbia 5498 | WA-9247-1 | Dec 25, 2009 | |
| September 17, 1929 | Savoy Christmas Medley (fox trot) | male quartet | Columbia 5441 | WA-9497-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| September 17, 1929 | Savoy Christmas Medley (one step) | male quartet | Columbia 5441 | WA-9498-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| November 4, 1929 | The Doll's House | Tom Barratt | Columbia 5630 | WA-9708-1 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| November 14, 1929 | Painting The Clouds With Sunshine | Tom Barratt & trio | Regal G-9452 | WA-9745-2 | Dec 25, 2009 |
| December 19, 1929 | In The Moonlight (Think Of You, Think Of Me) | Tom Barratt | Columbia 5700 | WA-9869-2 | Dec 25, 2009 |
|
Nat Star and his Orchestra Nat was a pioneer saxophonist in Britain and seems to have spent most of his career in the recording studios. From 1923 to 1934 he was musical director at British Homophone, making records with his hand-picked musicians on the Homochord, Sterno, Plaza, 4 in 1 and various derivative labels. As far as I know, none of his recordings have been made available on LP or CD, so here is a rare chance to hear some. This is a selection covering the whole period mentioned. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| February 14, 1924 | Felix Kept On Walking | Homochord H-533 (Selwin's Dance Orchestra) | L-00560 | Jan 1, 2010 | |
| December 22, 1927 | Oh, Baby, Don't We Get Along | Maurice Elwin | Homochord D-1194 | HH-11960 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| February 21, 1928 | I Ain't Got Nobody | Maurice Elwin | Homochord D-1231 | HH-12746 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| December 31, 1928 | You're In My Heart (But Never In My Arms) | Maurice Elwin | Homochord P-10013 | PL-932-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| February 26, 1929 | Nagasaki | Maurice Elwin | Homochord D-1321 (Eugene Brockman Dance O.) | BL-1012-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| January 25, 1929 | S'Wonderful | Fred Douglas | Sterno 113 (Lester Conn's Dance Band) | S-25-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| February 28, 1929 | Dancing Shadows | Sterno 142 (Bert Maddison's Dance Orch.) | S-61-1 | Jan 1, 2010 | |
| July 12, 1929 | Honey | Cavan O'Connor | Sterno 190 (Bernie Blake & his Orchestra) | S-171-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| November 1, 1929 | Smiling Irish Eyes | Maurice Elwin | Homochord D-1434 (Roylance & his band) | BL-1331-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| November 21, 1929 | Every Now And Then | Tom Barratt | Sterno 278 (Bert Maddison's Dance Orch.) | S-332-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| December 13, 1929 | An Old Italian Love Song | Joe Lee | Sterno 329 (Bernie Blake & his Orch.) | S-373-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| May 12, 1930 | You Can't Believe My Eyes | Tom Barratt | Sterno 413 (Bernie Blake & his Orch.) | S-723-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| August 8, 1930 | I Love You So Much | Cavan O'Connor | Sterno 550 (Bert Maddison's Dance Orch.) | S-886-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| September 24, 1930 | Little White Lies | Cavan O'Connor | Sterno 547 | S-1011-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| March 30, 1931 | Blue Again | Tom Barratt | Sterno 685 | S-1494-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| August 5, 1931 | Ho Hum | Tom Barratt | Sterno 765 | S-1771-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| October 29, 1931 | The Longer That You Linger In Virginia | Geoff Howard | Sterno 817 | S-1990-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| August 6, 1932 | Humming To Myself | Les Allen | Sterno 1008 (Andre Astan & his Orchestra) | S-2517-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| May 15, 1933 | Something Came And Got Me In The Spring | Sam Browne | Plaza P-105 (Brockman's Band) | L-1008-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| October 13, 1933 | Certainly! Why Not | Tom Barratt | Plaza P-162 (Plaza Dance Band) | L-1274-1 | Jan 1, 2010 |
| June 21, 1934 | The Breeze | Leslie Douglas | Sterno 1451 (Sterno Dance Band) | S-3888-2 | Jan 1, 2010 |
|
Ray Starita and his Band American Tenor-saxophone player, Ray Starita came to Britain in the early 1920s and was one of the original members of The Savoy Orpheans. In the mid-1920s, he lead the Piccadilly Revels Band which played at the Piccadilly Hotel, moving to the Ambassadors' Club by 1928. The following recordings are from the Ambassadors' Club period. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No. | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| May 17, 1928 | I'm Saving Saturday Night For You | Phil Arnold | Columbia 4910 | WA-7389-1 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| May 24, 1928 | An' Furthermore | Les Reis | Columbia 4915 | WA-7301-3 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| May 24, 1928 | Teach Me To Dance Like Grandma | Les Reis | Columbia 4915 | WA-7303-3 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| June 13, 1928 | I Call You Sugar | Columbia 4943 | WA-7493-2 | Dec 6, 2009 | |
| September 29, 1928 | Crazy Rhythm | Eddie Grossbart, Ray Starita + 1 | Columbia 5137 | WA-7906-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| October 11, 1928 | Spread A Little Happiness | Eddie Grossbart | Columbia 5228 | WA-7975-1 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| November 28, 1928 | I Think Of What You Used To Think Of Me | Eddie Grossbart | Columbia 5179 | WA-8156-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| March 2, 1929 | I Ain't Never Been Kissed | Phil Arnnold | Couimbia 5304 | WA-8641-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| March 22, 1929 | Second Hand Rose | Betty Bolton | Columbia 5361 | WA-8738-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| May 4, 1929 | The Wedding Of The Painted Doll | Betty Bolton | Columbia 5380 | WA-8950-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
| May 4, 1929 | Wake Up! Chillun, Wake Up! | Betty Bolton | Columbia 5380 | WA-8951-2 | Dec 6, 2009 |
|
Jay Wilbur and his Band Jay Wilbur was musical director for Dominion records between 1928 and 1930 when the company folded. He then moved to Crystalate and remained there even after 1937 when the company was taken over by Decca. Jay Wilbur made thousands of recordings for Dominion, Imperial, Rex, Broadcast, Victory, Eclipse and Crown. Here is a small selection of Eclipse records to start the ball rolling. |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No & Pseudonym | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| December 9, 1931 | Sweet And Lovely | Sam Browne | Eclipse 142 (as The Biltmore Players) | JW-504 | May 16, 2009 |
| December 9, 1931 | Song Of Happiness | Sam Browne | Eclipse 143 (as The Hottentots) | JW-505 | May 16, 2009 |
| December 10, 1931 | Day After Day | Les Allen | Eclipse 142 (as The Biltmore Players) | JW-511 | May 16, 2009 |
| December 10, 1931 | How Bright Everything Seems | Leslie Rome | Eclipse 151 (as The Hottentots) | JW-516 | May 16, 2009 |
| December 19, 1931 | Joey The Clown | Leslie Sarony | Eclipse 149 (as The Connecticut Collegians) | JW-526 | May 16, 2009 |
| January 15, 1932 | Today I Feel So Happy | Leslie Sarony & chorus | Eclipse 151 (as The Hottentots) | JW-525 | May 16, 2009 |
|
George 'Scott' Wood and his
band In the 1930s, Scott Wood was one of EMI's main musical directors, but at the time of the first recordings under his name, in 1931, he was co-directing Jay Whidden's band and it is thought Whidden's musicians may be present on these recordings. (My apologies for the quality of these transfers- they're pretty rare.) |
| Recording Date | Tune Title | Vocalist(s) | Label & Issue No & Pseudonym | Matrix No. | Upload Date |
| February 1931 | The One Man Band | Maurice Elwin, Fred Douglas and one other | Ariel 4687 (as Ariel Dance Orch) | E-3959-2 | Nov 21, 2009 |
| February 1931 | We're Friends Again | Maurice Elwin, Fred Douglas and one other | Parlophone R-901 | E-3960-2 | Nov 21, 2009 |
| April 1931 | Happy I Found You | Maurice Elwin plus one | Ariel 4744 (as Ariel Dance Orch.) | E-4053-2 | Nov 21, 2009 |
This page was first created on February 1st, 2009. Last Updated February 13, 2010.