|
Vintage 1926
80 years ago April 21 1926 the now Queen Elizabeth
11 was born to the then Duke and Duchess of York, in a house in Bruton
Street, off Piccadilly. At the time just a few miles away songs were
first sung that still mean something these years later.
Rudolf Friml's Rose Marie was at the Theatre
Royal, Drury Lane;
Mercenary Mary at the London Hippodrome -
its songs by Con Conrad and Irving Caesar. Sigmund Romberg enchanted at
the then His now Her, Majesty's Theatre, and at the Empire
Theatre, Leicester Square, brother and sister, Fred and Adele Astaire
starring in the sell-out sensation of the day:
Lady Be Good with music and lyrics by the
Gershwin Brothers.
Cinema was still silent Emil Jennings classic
Variety playing. Meanwhile Variety itself was top of the bill at
the Alhambra Theatre (now the Odeon) in Leicester Square: Little Tich
and Billy Bennett headlining; at the London Coliseum, Maid of the
Mountains star, Jose Collins led the way; Albert Whelan and Gillie
Potter shared top at the Holborn Empire, while Talbot O'Farrell and
Harry Hemsley big in their day were at the Victoria Palace.
The Midnight Follies took the stage at the
Metropole Hotel in Trafalgar Square, while Lester Alien and His Band
played for dancers at the Piccadilly Hotel. And just what did they dance
to 80 years ago? Well tunes and songs that you and I still recall today:
Fascinating Rhythm and The Half of it Dearie Blues from Lady Be Good and
I'm a Little Bit fonder of You from Mercenary Mary. The No No Nanette
score was sweeping town and country: Tea for Two, Too Many
Rings Around Rosie and I Want To Be Happy were
indeed, tip, top, sappy!
There was a Serenade in the Student Prince, a
rollicking Drinking Song, and the still endearing ballads. Deep in my
Heart, Dear, and The Golden Song. Then in Rose Marie the gorgeous duet
Indian Love Call (When I'm calling you...) and the still catchy Totem TomTom. Also at vintage 80, songs that have stayed closed to me through
my life, I?m sure you too will know. I've alphabetisized some that not
only come to mind, but which I've looked up to prove their point, find
them on records in your record store and at the Library- they won't be
far away or hard to discover.
I am convinced you too will have a favourite from
which to choose: Bird Songs at Eventide by our own prestigious Eric
Coates, then. Baby Face: Bye Bye Blackbird, and the still cutest dance
ever The Black Bottom.
C for Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie, signature tune
of syncopated pianist and band leader, Charlie Kunz; (Dinah is there anyone finer).
Moving along a pace there's Tap-happy: / Love My
Baby (my baby loves me), Im Sitting on Top of the World; the Vincent Youmans classic,/ Know That You Know: I Never See Maggie Alone;
Moonlight and Roses, which years later beloved country singer Jim Reeves
took to the top. Rolling Round the World composed and performed by Scott
Sanders;
Sleepy Time Gal; Sunny and Who? Both by Jerome
Kern, and that cheery arbiter from all year round: When the Red, Red,
Robin Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin along.
Best sellers all on sheet music in 1926, so too the
ballads Leanin', and the one that George Clutsam wrote for Paul Robeson:
My Curly Headed Baby.
Dance Bands of the day played them all.
Jack Hylton, The Savoy Havana Band,
Fred Elizalde and Teddy Brown and
their outfits playing Moonlight on the Ganges and
Ca
Cest
Paree,and the lady with a
Parisian-French sort of name,
Jeanne
de
Casilis, who later became popular funny lady "Mrs Feather", chose
as her signature tune another of the 1926 Royal Parade of songs:
The More We Are Together (together, together, the more we are
together the merrier we will be")My sentiments entirely.
Let's hope we'll hear some of the above this April 21 when BBC Radio Two plan an evening
celebration for Queen Elizabeth 11, 80 years young!
Happy Birthday, for
which Let There Be Music!
Neil
Stevens
|
|
LET THERE BE MUSIC
