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this page first published by John Wright, 7 July 2002
last update 26 December 2002vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
Do you have an interest to share? Do you know a musician in your family?
E-mail me and share your interest with me or all our visitors
November 2002
Phil Neely, identified as Ambrose vocalist !
|
| I exchanged CD's of early Ambrose recordings with US collector John Liefert. After playing my CD John contacted me:
John Liefert: "Just wanted to report to you about those titles from the May 31, 1929 Decca M session of Ambrose's which I heard recently. I was quite surprised to hear PHIL NEELY on the vocals. I'm quite familiar with his vocal style. Phil Neely was Abe Lyman's vocalist at the time, and was touring in the UK in the Spring of 1929 with the Lyman band; my supposition is that Neely "moonlighted" on this particular Ambrose session when Lyman had a lull in performances. Other "visiting firemen" from America including Chick Endor and Les Reis, also appeared on British dance band recordings, so Neely wouldn't be alone in that regard. I'd say if you wish to compare - just play any Abe Lyman recording from 1927 to 1930 or so that have Neely vocals and play them back to back with the Ambrose's." John Wright: "John, not having relevant Abe Lyman recordings I got help from colleague Mike Thomas who has recently made many many vocal identifications for the revision of the Rust/Forbes book. Mike is in agreement with you, it is definitely Phil Neely on Ambrose's session of may 31, 1929, You're The Cream In My Coffee, Mean To Me, A Precious Little Thing Called Love, Don't Hold Everything. We will report this finding in the next issue of magazine OK For Sound. John Liefert: "Regarding that particular Ambrose session, playing You're The Cream In My Coffee again and noticed there is a sequence 2/3 through the side with the brass section playing the chorus with a very light touch, and piano chiming in the background, that has a sound very much like the Lyman band of the time. I suspect the "mutual admiration society" was at work here, with Neely singing of course, and possibly some of the Lyman musicians either guesting on the date, supplying a little arranging section, or at least the Ambrose men offering a nod stylistically to Lyman. At any rate, it's a delightful side". | |
November 2002
Elsie Carlisle in 1926
|
| When I aquired an old Feb 1926 issue of the Radio Times, I published a web page listing the many dance band
broadcasts that could be heard then, go to Radio Times. It is interesting to see
that Elsie Carlisle was recording as early as 1926, I've often wondered how much of a 'star' was Elsie in the 1920's?
Here she is broadcasting with Sidney Firman in March 1926, and later she made just a handful of
records as a soloist each year 1926 and 1927 before getting into studios with the dance bands proper in 1928.
One of her earliest recordings, in May 1926, was I Love My Baby, I don't
have the record but I have the sheet music which has her photo on it -
so the sheet music and the broadcasting suggest she was maybe becoming
well known before the recording was made. Or was that sheet music on
sale for years and they put her photo on later editions?
extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/british-dance-bands/ | |
October 2002
Henry Hall, heard at the Olympia 1934
|
| One of my collector colleagues Earl Okin wrote to me: "I notice your website mentions Henry Hall's BBC Orch performing Memphis By Morning at the Palladium in 1934. Well I have Memphis By Morning on a metal-lacquer 12" disc (actually the label says Memphis By Night but Night is certainly a mistake),
and it says at the OLYMPIA 1934".
Earl sent me an mp3 of the recording and it sounded very good. I can confirm it's not the same broadcast recorded at the Palladium in 1934.
On Earl's disc the band's intro plays It's Just The Time For Dancing. Regarding Henry Hall's stage broadcasts, there was the
Radio Olympia exposition performance in August 1933, then the Royal Command Performance at the Palladium on May 8th, 1934, then according to Henry's autobiography
there was a second performance at Olympia when he says 'on my return from America.... almost immediately we visited Radiolympia again'. That's all he says about it, and it would have been
around August 1934, so it all fits nicely.
Memphis By Morning is a marvellous performance, with a fine violin solo. This tune was only ever recorded commercially in Britain by the Brian Lawrance
band (6 July '34), he was a fine fiddler so the virtuoso fiddle seems to be a feature with that song.
I have updated the web page that lists Henry Hall's recorded broadcasts and you can hear a sound clip of Memphis By Morning
at Olympia, it is certainly worthy of inclusion in a future Henry Hall CD.
extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/british-dance-bands/ | |
October 2002
Al Bowlly/Les Allen on Edison Bell Radio 1416, take -2
|
| At the Birmingham 78 Fair I bought about 20 records, quite a variety of stuff, only one features
Al Bowlly. It's one of those 8" Edison Bell Radio records where Al duets
with Les Allen. A lot of collectors tend to ignore these, Al's
contribution is often very minor, it's often hard to get a good sound
from them, and you need a gramophone or a proper non-automatic turntable
to play them to the end as the label is only about 2" diameter.
Anyway EBR1416 is by Al Vocale and his Crooners, probably a Len Fillis
group as the lead instrument is a steel guitar.
It has Say A Little Prayer For Me, a rather pretty 'blues ballad' as
they called it then. Les Allen takes lead vocals while Al Bowlly hums in
harmony, yes he hums most of the vocal part and only joins in with Les
Allen to sing the line 'You're so forgiving, you banish all my sorrows'.
Another guitar is heard throughout so is it another candidate for the Al
Bowlly guitar discography?...only if Al could hum in harmony AND play
the guitar at the same time :0)
The other side is Waiting For That Thing Called Happiness. I quite like
this song, it's more of a duet for Les and Al, and Al does a reasonable
scat too. Again a second guitar is heard throughout but I'm not
convinced that Al could play the guitar during this vocal. Mike Thomas has reminded me
about the symbols used by EBR to distinguish take numbers for recordings and on this copy of
Waiting For... there's a fine clearly drawn triangle so it is
take -2 on my copy. I believe this has not been found before. I'd like to compare
takes -1 and -2, I expect we might only hear a difference in Al's
scat and end up counting do-do-dos and de-de dats! And maybe the violin
breaks will be different.
It's a fine recording, must be one of the better EBR's featuring Al
Bowlly, he and Les Allen compliment each other perfectly, and the
hawaiian guitar and violin breaks are well-played, there's a low-
register clarinet noodling in the back too, a piano, and possibly
another guitar strums. I have recorded it onto my PC and employed the
crude noise removal program Audacity that I have and the results were quite good,
I think because the groove noise is at a near-constant level throughout.
extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bowlly/ | |
September 2002
Grandson of Manuel Elizalde
|
| I received a fascinating e-mail from Juan Miguel Elizalde Harrison:
"Mr Wright, by way of introduction,
I am the grandson of Manuel Elizalde. (Lizz or Manolo--he went by Manolo ever
since I can remember, but as a young boy I thought the name
Lizz was funny!). As you know he was Fred Elizalde's brother. I am the son of Mary Ruth,
Manolo's daughter. I have many fond memories of Uncle Fred who was an
amazing, irreverent character and one of my favorite relatives growing up.
It was wonderful to have holidays at my grandfather's house in Manila and
have Uncle Fred play the piano for us. Grandpa (Manolo) used to play
clarinet in the bands with Uncle Fred way back when but I never heard him
play -- family legend has it that Grandpa had a very bad experience in Manila
during the Japanese occupation in World War II and swore to give up playing
if he got out alive. Whether true or just a romantic family legend, I never
heard Grandpa play with Uncle Fred".
Juan continues "You might be amused to know that some time after the war, Uncle Fred went to
Japan and spent a lot of time there, eventually marrying a most beautiful
Japanese woman name Shigeko. Fred spent a lot of time composing "classical"
music which was supposedly rather atonal! Grandpa, and their sister Carmen
(Carmenchu to us), used to say the music was very strange, describing it as "bing,
bang, bong!" with furrowed brow and a scorn. I never heard these pieces
either!
Juan then asked "I am looking for recordings of Fred and his band so I can hear them play
together. An aquaintance of mine many years ago had a recording which I
heard just once, and, unfortunately, my memory of the event has vaporised. I
have not met the aquaintance since. Do you know where I might be able to
find a recording?"
| |
July 2002
Rare Homochord, Al Bowlly with Fred Bird
|
| Mike Hart writes: "I have the German 78 Homocord 4-2418. Because I love You has the label credit thus:
Fred Bird mit enlischem Refrain: Al. Bowlly Piano: Edgar Adeler Until I was lucky enough to acquire a copy, I'd assumed that it was an Al Bowlly "solo vocal" recording - but Fred Bird gets his name in bold type on the
label. Unfortunately the record is rather worn; Al sings only, there is no banjo/guitar; there are two violins; and there are a couple of single notes that could
be tubular bells. The other side of the record, I'm Alone In Athlone, gives this label credit:
Again, it sounds like two violins, can't hear banjo nor tubular bells. extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bowlly/ | |
July 2002
Noble/Bowlly US radio transcription recordings
|
| John Wright: "I was lucky enough to get a CD of "Ray Noble and his All-Star American
Orchestra" which is a selection of radio transcription recordings from
1935-36. Of the 19 tracks, 10 feature Al Bowlly vocals.
The most stunning tracks sung by Al are 5 from the session December 7, 1936. "Now/Little Old Lady/There's Something In The Air/ Easy To Love/I'll Foresake All Others". Listening to these tracks with headphones or in the car (loud) it becomes very apparent that on that day the original discs somehow captured a very high level of hi-fi. The clarity of Al Bowlly's voice is astonishing, and you can clearly hear Al breathing, all the in-takes of breath can be heard between phrases. "As someone who has listened to Al for nearly 30 years, I can say that this up-close and personal experience with Al's voice was very moving. I'm not aware of other such up-close recordings of Al's voice, the 'hi- fi' is remarkable. There were other titles recorded Dec 7 that are not on the CD: I Love You Truly/Under Your Spell/You Were There". Jeff Wallder: "Those Al Bowlly tracks were taken from the 'Coty Salute To Youth' radio programme. Another number is Night On The Desert. Barry McCanna: "The sessions you are talking about were released on LP in RCA's "The Radio Years" series and have long been favourites of mine. They are worth getting hold of for all of the numbers involved and I agree with what you say about the clarity of the sound". Jaime: "Just wanted to add, re the "London" LPs: London HMG 5019
London HMG 5027
Mike Hart: "I'm fortunate to have one of the Associated records in my collection that was used in the Decca Radio Years series. It's a 12in. disc, hill and dale (vertical cut) at 33.3 rpm that plays from
the outside in and is pressed in a red vinyl-like material:
John Wright: "The CD I have was released in 1992. Jazz Band EBCD2112-2. It says produced by Flyright Record & Dist. Co. Ltd, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, UK. I expect this CD will be hard to find unless it has been re- issued again. The other Al Bowlly tracks on the CD, from May 13 1935, do not have the same super hi-fi sound". extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bowlly/ | |
August 2002
John Thornton, banjo
|
| I was contacted by Jane Doherty of New York City who wrote:
"My grandfather was John Thornton, who played the banjo in various British bands in the 1920's and into the early
30's. By accounts I've heard he was extremely good -- one of the best in England at the time -- but he gave it up because he found the fast-paced
high life too much for him. I am wondering if there might not be any recordings of his playing and thought you might be able to help me with some
suggestions about how and where to begin searching for those. He played in a band called "the Quinquaginta Ramblers" at Cambridge and there was another called the
"The Dixie Coons", they are mentioned in the Melody Maker issues from 1927".
Parlophone R560 another recording session followed in April 1930, we believe also featured John Thornton: Parlophone R656
Please note: Information and photograph reproduced with the permission of Steve Walker, author of a series of articles in the magazine Gunn Report issue no. 100 and others. | |
April 2002
Len Fillis Quintet, Edison Bell Record
|
| I always grab unusual Len Fillis records if I see them at a fair, and the gold-labelled Edison Bell Record B.5633 was unusual, and I had not seen it listed anywhere. Label says Blue Hawaiian Quintet,directed by Len Fillis. It's from an unusual 10" Edison Bell Record series, and at first I thought the matrix numbers dated it to 1931 which might put any vocals in to Al Bowlly possibilities.
One of the vocals did intrigue me for a while. I couldn't say it was Al Bowlly but the singer had a similar style and I had to ask opinions. Mike Thomas put me straight by indicating that the matrix numbers EB1112-1D and EB1113-11D date the recordings from around December 1933, indeed they are consecutive with a Howard Flynn session that produced EBR.5632.
The recordings on my EBR.5633 are typical Hawaiian efforts from a Len Fillis group, but who was the singer on Song Of The Island? The other side is Harbour Of Home Sweet Home EB1112-1D, it also features a short vocal, and this was identified as Dan Donovan by Mike Thomas, and everyone agrees. For the singer of Song Of The Island
we eliminated Al Bowlly, Jimmy Mesene and Harry Bentley, but within weeks I happened to hear
George Barclay singing Blue Hawaii on BBC Radio 2 and I thought... that's the voice!
There is a strong similarity on comparing the two.
The only snag in this theory is that the Edison record I have would appear to be from Dec 1933 but articles I have on George Barclay suggest he probably didn't come down to London for the first time till summer 1934, based on the first records he made with Archie Alexander Regal Zonophone MR-1353. In Memory Lane No. 78 Chris Hayes mentions George's 'first visit to London' when he won a contest at Streatham Locarno. If Chris Hayes' article is chronological then the contest at Streatham
appears to have taken place some time before Archie Alexander's summer 1934 season at Cliftonville. Now we could date the Streatham visit if someone checked out the local press at Streatham, or contemporary music press, when maybe George did a bit of studio work. Although Archie kept a tight rein on his up and coming star George Barclay, it's possible that he was offered an anonymous recording session for George.
extract from files of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bowlly/ | |
April 2002
Art Christmas Jnr.
|
| I received an e-mail from Art Christmas Jnr. : "I would be very interested in providing you with a bio and pics of Art Christmas
who was known as England's leading sax and multi-instrumentalist from the 1930's
to the late 1940's leading many of his own groups and playing with The Roy Fox
Orchestra and The Jack Payne Band to name a couple. He only lived to be 55 years
old but had a very successful career in England and died in Canada shortly after
becoming a music teacher at the Blind River District High School, here in Ontario
Canada".
Of course I was delighted by this offer from Art Jnr. and the result is the Art Christmas web page. | |
March 2002
Danny Polo's family
|
| I receieved an e-mail from Virginia Harris (USA) whose grandmother was Danny Polo's sister.
Virginia wrote: "We have been listening to Danny's music after clicking on your web page of his musical life -- and tears of joy and sadness flow. I have amazed everyone at school by playing Danny's clarinet on the internet! I am now trying to collect all of his music that I can find". I wrote back: "Virginia, if you were to talk to any jazz or dance record collector
in Britain about Danny Polo then you would hear nothing but praise for his
virtuosity and the high esteem with which he was held by all his fellow
musicians over here, and every collector would be able to name a few
records and say something like 'Yeah Danny's on that Ambrose record,
great solo' or 'Danny made some great records with his studio band in
1937-38, jazz masterpieces'.
"There are CD's of the Bert Ambrose orchestra which you can buy on the
internet. These feature Danny Polo (the 'sleeve' notes will tell you
more). From amazon.com you should be able to get: Flapper Past CD 7055 (1995) Glamour Of The Thirties - Ambrose and his
Orch and I suggest you also check Dutton Labs, the Vocalion record label
for Ambrose Orchestra CD's Vocalion CDEA6002 and Vocalion CDEA6025. | |
February 2002
Jose Norman family
|
| I was contacted by Manny Norman who wrote: "I am the eldest son of Jose Norman (who died in 1990) and,
naturally, I remember his band well when I was growing up; it pretty well pervaded our whole life at the time!
The name of the band was actually "Jose Norman and his Rumbaleros".
Manny donated several photos to this website and helped me to compile a web page Jose Norman.
Later in the year Malcolm Laycock broadcast a special BBC tribute programme of 'Sunday Night At Ten' featuring songs written by,
Jose Norman. Manny is now a regular contributor to the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/british-dance-bands/ group | |
February 2002
Memories of great friend Carl Barriteau
|
| I received a very interesting e-mail from Les Johnston who knew Carl Barriteau:
Les wrote: "I was a founder member of the Edinburgh Rhythm Club in the 1940's and
it was at his club the Eldorado, Leith (Edinburgh) that I first met Carl Barriteau.
Due to poor financial management Carl was forced to disband, having been there 1949-51.
He began to feature as a soloist with various groups and did a season on the Isle of
Man with Cyril Stapleton's band, maybe that was summer 1952. Unfortunately
I suffered a badly broken wrist which forced me to give up playing drums
and, eventually, in 1956 I emigrated to Australia where I took up residence
in Sydney and obtained a position with Qantas Airlines eventually becoming a flight crew
member in 1963, on the Kangaroo Route (Sydney/London). This gave me
the opportunity of visiting old friends and haunting record shops such as
Dobells and others around Tottenham Court Road.
In 1968 I transferred to
a ground job as Customer Service Officer and one day saw none other
than Carl Barriteau and Mae Cooper farewelling someone at Sydney
Airport. Well, our friendship was renewed. Carl was working the New
South Wales club circuit as a comedy and instrumental act and remained
doing so until declining health forced retirement in 1980. He subsequently
moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland and, when I retired in 1983, my
wife and I did likewise and thus retained a friendship that began all those
years ago in Edinburgh. Carl had quite a Scots accent and Mae Cooper, his wife, was from Glasgow.
Carl died August 24, 1998".
"I have enjoyed this opportunity now of recalling old times and reminiscing about the characters who made up the
dance band/popular music scene".
Les Johnston. | |
February 2002
Maccaferri guitars and the Selmer Company
|
| Maintaining contact with Lew Davis' family, in particular his grand-daughter Kate, I refered Kate to a couple of websites of interest.
I was researching about Maccaferri guitars for another page on Al Bowlly, and found various references to Ben and Lew Davis and the Selmer music company: The story of Mario Maccaferri is told on this website: www.hotclub.co.uk/html/macaf.html
You can see photos of Al Bowlly and Len Fillis with Maccaferri guitars: | |
February 2002
Reginald Williams family
|
| Phillip Williams wrote to me: "I am very interested in finding some recordings of my father Reginald
Williams (The Futurists), as most of his collection was misplaced and or
sold when he died in the late 80's, I have been living in Singapore for many
years and as you will appreciate its impossible to find anything here !
I would be interested in anyone who has knowledge of recordings of
my father's band.
I wrote back: "The 78's of your father's band are very rare now, very difficult to
find, expensive when they ARE found. All have been re-issued on CD - two of them were re-issued by EMI in 1997, Talk To Me
(vocal by Dinah Miller) and We Speak Of You Often (vocal Bill Richards),
on EMI - CDMFP 6362 and also MFP CD7243 56905 25, and with Al Bowlly vocals Small Town and What Do You Know Aboit Love? were issued
on Hits of '39 ASV CDAJA5086 (1992), not found the CD featuring Al Bowlly singing I'm Madly In Love With You. | |
January 2002
Billy Thorburn family
|
| I was contacted by Bruce Stanford, grandson of Billy Thorburn, pianist who played at the Savoy Hotel and who later had his own band and "The Organ, the Dance band and Me". Bruce told me much
about Billy including the fact that on June 15th 1925 George Gershwin was in Britain and played on a BBC Broadcast Rhapsody In Blue accompanied by Billy Thorburn. We wrote a short biography of Billy Thorburn
which can be found on this website at the Billy Thorburn page
| |
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2007,
2006,2005,2004,2003,2001,2000,1999
