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Solex

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"Solex" was British Homophone's first attempt at the 8" record market and they were quite short-lived, being available during 1930 and the beginning of 1931. The catalogue numbers started at 1 and ran until about 70 (69 is the highest I've traced). The records cost 1/3 and the record covers described them as "playing longer than the longest 10" record" which is a bit excessive. They did have quite a finely-spaced groove which allowed the same playing time as a normal 10" record. Incidentally, they were not dubs from the 10" Sternos, but separate recordings.

The recording quality was generally equivalent to the 10" Sterno records which were BH's normal production, that is to say, pretty dreadful much of the time.

A few years later, BH produced a acouple of even shorter-lived 10" series on Solex, with a catalogue series in the 700- range and SX-100- range.

 
8" label

This is a first attempt at a listing of the three series. Please e-mail me if you can help me fill in the gaps in any of these series.
Thank you to the following who have provided extra information:
Mike Sumbler.

Cat No Matrix No. Title Labelled Artists Actual Artists
1 L-133
L-134
The Love Parade, selection part 1 & 2 Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
2 L-292
L-293
High Society Blues. selection parts 1 & 2 Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
3 L-186
L-187
Singing In The Bathtub
Lady Luck
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
4 L-235
L-273
Figaro
The Stein Song (6/8)
Solex Dance Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
5 L-261
L-262
Should I?
Crying For The Carolines
Solex Dance Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
6   Silv'ry Moon (waltz)
Land Of The Might Have Been (waltz)
The Hawaiian Players  
7   Puttin' On The Ritz
Alice In Wonderland
Robert Lane (xylophone solo) Frank Browne (Xylophone) & his Orch
8   It Happened In Monterey
Ragamuffin Romeo
Alex Mason (baritone)  
9   I'm In The Market For You
Eleanore
Alex Mason (baritone)  
10   Little Boy Blue
Rose Of Tralee
Arthur Riley (tenor)  
11   Beware Of The Maidens
Vulcan's Song
Reginald Harvey (bass)  
12   King's Guard March
National Emblem March
"Solex" Military Band  
13 L-412
L-416
On The Sunny Side Of The Street Roy Deller and his Orchestra Sir Robert Peel and his Band
14 L-380
L-400
Cheer Up And Smile
The Clever Little Tailor
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Frank Browne & his Orchestra
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
15        
16 L-418
L-419
On With The Show (1930), parts 1 & 2 Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
17 L-401
L-403
Sing A Little Theme Song
When The Little Red Roses
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
18        
19        
20   She Can't Make Up Her Mind
I Ain't A-Gonna Tell
   
21        
22 L-321
L-479
When It's Springtime In The Rockies (waltz)
Blue Is The Night
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
23 L-420
L-427
H'lo Baby
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (waltz)
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
Jan Ralfini and his Band
24 L-404
L-506
Blue Pacific Moonlight (waltz)
One Night Alone With You
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
25 L-476
L-511
Funny, Dear, What Love Can Do
Let Me Sing And I'm Happy
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
26 L-533
L-534
It Happened In Monterey (waltz)
Little White Lies
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
27        
28        
29        
30        
31        
32 L-507
L-565
Swinging In A Hammock
Around The Corner (6/8)
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
33 L-564
L-569
Fire! Fire! Fire!
Adeline
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
34 L-508
L-509
Without A Song
Great Day
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
35 L-561
L-589
Tid-dle-Id-dle-Um-Pum
A Girl Friend Of A Boy Friend Of Mine
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Jan Ralfini and his Band
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
36
L-590
Gypsy Melody (waltz)
Telling It To The Daisies
Larry White and his Band Sir Robert Peel and his Band
Nat Star & his ance Orchestra
37   Down The Lane To Home Sweet Home Alex Mason  
38     Fred Davis  
39     Ted Heath (yodeller)  
40 L-619
L-621
Melodies Of The Moment, parts 1 & 2 Syd Kay and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
41 L-634
L-662
I'll Still Belong To You
I'd Like To Find The Guy Who Wrote "The Stein Song"
Larry White and his Band Jan Ralfini and his Band
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
42 L-664
L-684
Wasn't It Nice?
The Kiss Waltz
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
Jan Ralfini and his Band
43 L-651
L-683
Roamin' Thru' The Roses
Sunny Days
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
Jan Ralfini and his Band
44 L-592
L-618
Livin' In The Sunlight, Lovin' In The Moonlight
You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
Roy Deller and his Orchestra Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
45        
46        
47        
48 L-650
L-706
Let's Have A Sing-Song (6/8)
After The Party
Merry Makers Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
49 L-668
L-742
Oh! Donna Clara
Broken Dreams
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
50 L-708
L-748
Go Home And Tell Your Mother
Elizabeth
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
51        
52 L-654
L-741
My Cradle Is The Desert
The King's Horses
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
53 L-709
L-740
Underneath The Spanish Stars (waltz)
I'll Be Blue Just Thinking Of You
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
54   Down The River Of Golden Dreams
Love Is Like A Song
Arthur Riley  
55        
56 L-648
L-744
Gorgonzola
Sittin' On A Five Barred Gate
Ben Boyd
Will Bailey
 
57 L-750
L-798
Dancing On The Ceiling (as "She's Dancing On My Ceiling")
Three Little Words
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
58 L-665
L-799
With My Guitar And You
Sweet Jennie Lee
Larry White and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
59 L-792
L-796
I Haven't Heard A Single Word From Baby
Blue Lagoon
Ben Lester and his Band Jan Ralfini and his Band
60 L-704
L-749
I Don't Mind Walking In The Rain
Under The Roofs Of Paris (waltz)
Pop Parnell and his Boys Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
61        
62        
63   Barracky Bill
Roger The Lodger
Will Bailey  
64        
65 L-821
L-822
Old Songs Medley, parts 1 & 2 Ben Lester and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
66 L-823
L-857
Wedding Bells Are Ringing For Sally (waltz)
Choo Choo
Ben Lester and his Band Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
67 L-839
L-852
Moonlight On The Colorado (waltz)
Shout For Happiness
Pop Parnell and his Boys Bertini and his Band
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
68 L-836
 
Cheerful Little Earful
On A Little Balcony In Spain
Larry White and his Band Bertini and his Band
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
69 L-794
L-853
We All Go Oo! Ha! Ha! Together
Reaching For The Moon (waltz)
Larry White and his Band Jan Ralfini and his Band
Nat Star & his Dance Orchestra
70        
         

Now the 10" series. Prior to the SX-series, there seems to have been a 700- series on 10". The label design is the same as the others and these have a blue background like the 8" ones.

Cat No Matrix No Title Labelled Artists Actual Artists
701        
702        
703        
704 S-4006
S-4007
Wonder Bar, selection parts 1 & 2   Billy Merrin and his Commanders
705        
706        
707 S-3940
S-3951
Farewell, Harlem
With My Eyes Wide Open
Art Willis and his Band Oscar Rabin and his Romany Band
Casani Club Orchestra (Charlie Kunz)
708        
709        
710        
711        
712 S-3976
S-4050
Two Cigarettes In The Dark
Two Hearts On A Tree
Larry White and his Band The New Grosvenor House Band
(directed by Sydney Lipton)
713        
714 S-3967
S-3969
Not For All The Rice In China
Heat Wave
Syd Kay and his Dance Orch. Teddy Joyce and his Dance Music
715        
716        
717 S-4090
S-4092
Stars Fell On Alabama
I'm Lonesome For You Caroline (waltz)
Al Gold and his Band The New Grosvenor House Band
(directed by Sydney Lipton)
718        
719        
720        

Now the SX-series.

Cat No Matrix No Title Labelled Artists Actual Artists (if different)
SX-101   Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Jerome Kern)
White Heather (Bily Mayerl)
Miss Ena Baga (piano) n/a
SX-102 S-4085
S-4086
Billy Merrin's Medley, parts 1 & 2 Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-103 S-4087
S-4090
Tina
Stars Fell On Alabama
Billy Merrin & his Commanders Billy Merrin & his Commanders
The New Grosvenor House Band (S. Lipton)
SX-104 S-4152
S-4153
Crazy Weather
Yip! Neddy
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-105 S-4123
S-4151
With Every Breath I Take
June In January
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-106 S-4139
S-4142
That Night In Venice
My Heart Was Sleeping
The New Grosvenor House Band
(directed by Sydney Lipton)
n/a
SX-107 S-4140
S-4143
The Continental
Roll Along, Covered Wagon
The New Grosvenor House Band
(directed by Sydney Lipton)
n/a
SX-108        
SX-109        
SX-110 S-4134
S-4135
What A Little Moonlight Can Do
Don't You Cry When We Say Goodbye
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-111 S-4116
S-4117
Who's Been Polishing The Sun?
Way Down South In north Carolina
Solex Dance Orchestra Billy Merrin & his Commanders
SX-112 S-4063
S-5001
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Sweetmeat Joe, The Candy Man
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-113 S-3850
S-4023
One Life One Love (May)
In A Pagoda (Bratton)
Reginald King and his Orchestra n/a
SX-114        
SX-115   Le Grandier March
Enchantress March
St. Hilda Band n/a
SX-116   The Penguin's Patrol
The Swing Of The Kilt (medley of Scots tunes)
Reginald Dixon (organ) n/a
SX-117   Mixed Medley
Third Dragoon March
Professor ?  
SX-118        
SX-119   The Crooner, parts 1 & 2 Charles Heslop (comedian) n/a
SX-120   The Bricklayer's Arms
No! No! A Thousand Times No!
Fred Douglas & Bertha Wilmott n/a
SX-121        
SX-122   The Fire Station, parts 1 & 2 Robb Wilton (comedian) n/a
SX-123        
SX-124        
SX-125 S-4174
S-4175
I Must Have One Of Those
Henry The Ninth
Leonard Henry n/a
SX-126 S-4119
S-4147
In The Valley Of Yesterday (waltz)
His Majesty The Baby
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-127 S-4148
S-4150
Love Is In My Heart
With My Heart In My Hand
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-128 S-4154 Silly Symphony Medley Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-129        
SX-130 S-4052
S-4141
The Aldershot Tattoo
What A Diff'rence A Day Made
The New Grosvenor House Band (dir. Sydney Lipton) n/a
SX-131 S-4166
S-4167
I'm On A See-Saw
If I Love Again
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-132 S-4168
S-4169
There's No Green Grass Round The Old North Pole
Looking For A Little Bit Of Blue
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-133        
SX-134        
SX-135   Classico Selection (Ewing) Reginald Dixon (organ) n/a
SX-136        
SX-137        
SX-138        
SX-139   The Runaway Train
Smokey Mountain Bill
Carson Robison n/a
SX-140        
SX-141        
SX-142 S-4210
S-4212
Old Mammy Mine
Old Bohemian Town
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-143 S-4206
S-4211
Your Head On My Shoulder
When My Ship Comes In
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-144 S-4207
S-4208
Little Girl, What Now?
You're Wonderful
Billy Merrin & his Commanders n/a
SX-145 S-4199
S-4201
Happiness Ahead
Pop! Goes Your Heart
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-146 S-4198
S-4202
How Can You Face Me?
I'm Afraid To Open Your Letter
Solex Dance Orchestra Casani Club Orchestra, directed by Charlie Kunz
SX-147        
SX-148        
SX-149        
SX-150 S-1869
S-1870
The Police Station, parts 1 & 2 Robb Wilton n/a
SX-151 S-4221
S-4224
Getting Round And About
I've Got An Invitation To A Dance
The New Grosvenor House Band (dir. Sydney Lipton) n/a