Now available - the following track lists are for my new items and here's
a sample of one of the tracks https://youtu.be/97fcrLvmDvk
Savoy Orpheans #1
The Savoy Orpheans was formed and directed by ex-army bandmaster Debroy
Somers, in 1923. Wilfred de Mornys managed both the Orpheans and the Savoy
Havana Band (led by Bert Ralton and later Reg Batten. Under Debroy Somers
the lineup in 1925 was Vernon Ferry-Walter Lyme-t/ Chick moore-tb/Herb
Finney-Al Starita-cl-as/ Ray Starita-cl-ts/ Cyril Ramon Newton-vn-v/ Frank
Herbin-p/ Pete Mandell-bj/ Fred Underhaye-bb/ Alec Cripps-d/ Debroy
Somers-d. I have included other recording of Debroy Somers' own band after
Carroll Gibbons took over at the Savoy Hotel. This album also includes a
rare occurance of Gibbons directing the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra in a
medley from "This Year Of Grace" (Coward) in 1928 The Orpheans were later
led by violinist Cyril Ramon Newton, and then by pianist Carroll
Gibbons.When de Morny's contract with the Savoy Hotel company ended on 31
December 1927, the Orpheans disbanded. In early December 1927 newspapers
reported of the Hotel management denying the rumour that the Savoy Orpheans,
Savoy Havana Band and the Sylvians were to leave. Reg Batten, of the Savoy
Havana Band stayed on at the Hotel and led a band with the name "Savoy
Orpheans (1928)", indicatng legal issues concerning the rights to the
original name. It was not until 1931 that pianist Carroll Gibbons returned
from working at MGM in Hollywood and, with saxophonist Howard Jacobs, formed
a new ensemble "the Savoy Hotel Orpheans". Rupert D'Oyly Carte, the owner
of the Savoy Hotel, called the original Orpheans and their colleagues,
"probably the best-known bands in Europe." Rust, who wrote in 1971 of the
original Orpheans: "their very name personifies the Dancing Twenties … and
their broad versatility … made this imprint in a way that no band had done
before and few have achieved since". The lineup of the SHB was George
Eskdale-Harry Thompson-t/ Bernard Tipping-tb/ Van Phillips and
another-cl-as/ Leslie Bates-cl-ts/Reginald Batten-vn-ldr/ Ramon Newton-vn-v/
Billy Mayerl-p/ Dave Thomas-bj/ Jim Bellamy-bb/Ronnie Gubertini-d. I believe
the vocal on 'I May Be Dancing' could be Jim Miller and Charlie Farrell. ~
Mickey Clark
Disc #1 CD353A
1-SOME DAY IN CAMBAY SAVOY HAVANA BAND-BERT RALTON COL 3266 03/01/23
73240 RALTON-MAYERL
2-SUNSHINE SAVOY HAVANA BAND-BERT RALTON COL 3266 03/01/23 73241
MORRIS
3-HELLO 'TUCKY SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV B2090 07/24/25
6399 HANLEY
4-COLLEGIATE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV B2090 07/24/25 6400
JAFFE
5-BAH BAH BARTHOLEMEW SAVOY HAVANA BAND-BERT RALTON CYRIL RAMON
NEWTON?HMV B5002 01/22/26 7758 MELCLIFFE-KING
6-TWO OF US SAVOY HAVANA BAND-BERT RALTON CYRIL RAMON NEWTON HMV B5002
01/22/26 7759 PHILLIPS-CAMPBELL-CONNELLY
7-PICADOR SAVOY HAVANA BAND-BERT RALTON HARRY GLEN COL 3938 04/01/26
3052 MORELLE-NICHOLLS
8-DID YOU FORGET? SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV 5144 01/01/26 9076 BATTEN
9-I MAY BE DANCING WTH SOMEBODY ELSE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV 5144
01/01/26 9269 CONRAD
10-TIP-TOES-MEDLEY SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV 5108 01/01/26 BR590/BR591
GERSHWIN TIP-TOES
WAITING FOR A TRAIN-WHEN SHALL WE DANCE-THAT SWEET AND LOW DOWN-NICE
BABY-?-LOOKING FOR A BOY-THAT CERTAIN FEELING
11-BACK BEATS SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV 5226 02/23/27 10206 GUARANTE
12-GEORGIA HOME SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS HMV 5226 02/23/27 10207
CONRAD-SPIER
13-NIGHT TIME BRINGS DREAMS OF YOU DEBROY SOMERS BAND COL 4403
05/31/27 A5600 CONLEY-DAVIS
14-SO BLUE DEBROY SOMERS COL 4403 05/31/27 A5599 DE
SYLVA-BROWN-HENDERSON
15-THIS YEAR OF GRACE MEDLEY NEW MAYFAIR ORCHESTRA-CARROLL GIBBONS DIR
03/01/28
Dance Little Lady-Teach Me To Dance Like Granma-Try To Learn To Love (Freddy
Gardner solo)-Mary Make Believe
16-PLANTATION SONGS SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS PAUL ROBESON HMV C1585
10/02/28 14611 VARIOUS
17-EE,BY GUM SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS-CARROLL GIBBONS GRACIE FIELDS RZN
2767 11/13/28 14929 FLYNN
18-SONNY BOY SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS PAUL ROBESON HMV 2948 01/28/29
15802 DE SYLVA-BROWN-HENDERSON-JOLSON
19-VALSE MEMORIES DEBROY SOMERS BAND OVER THE WAVES/MOONLIGHT MADONNA/
DIANE /CHARMAINE COL 5244 03/01/29 A8261
20-SAVOY CHRISTMAS MEDLEY-FOX TROT DEBROY SOMERS COL 5441 09/17/29
A9497
21-SAVOY CHRISTMAS MEDLEY-ONE STEP DEBROY SOMERS COL 5441 09/17/29
A9498
Disc #2 CD353B
This album features five vocals by the fabulous Al Bowlly. Al sang
with a multitude of bands - some in his native tongue -Africaans. Debroy
Somers' name was never on the Savoy Orpheans records and only got credit for
his records after he left the hotel. He directed the first four tracks on
this album and used his own name or the pseudonym 'The Midnight Minstrels in
the case of the 'Love Parade' Medley. Somers is said to have been proficient
at all the instruments of the orchestra. William Henry Somers was born at
the Doctor Steevens Hospital in Dublin Ireland on 11 April 1890, was the
second of four children of William George and Clara Somers of Ship Street
Barracks. After a stint in the British army, in 1919, Somers went to London
where he had contacts in the musical world. He joined the Aeolian Company as
its Director of Light Music. (Aeolian was a producer of player pianos and
organs, and had started their line of records. The Vocalion Dance Orchestra
and Venetian Dance Orchestra were two of the bands Somers conducted, his
name sometimes appears on the labels of the Vocalion Dance Orchestra.
Arranging for their recordibng sessions gave him valuable exposure. He
formed the original Savoy Orpheans in the mid twenties. After the contract
with the hotel ended in 1927, he continued recording under his own name.
Here is a lineup for the Debroy Somers Band Jimmy Wornell-Vernon Mayall-t/
Jock Flemming-tb/ Charlie Swinnerton-Wright-as/ R. G. Somers-Oboe/ Gerry
McQuillan-bassoon/A. Jacobs, Jean Pougnet-vn/ Nigel Newitt-bj Norman
Perry-Ronnie Munro-p/ Fred Underhaye W.Barnes-d. Carroll Gibbons
returned to England in 1931, after working for M.G.M. Studios in California.
With saxophonist Howard Jacobs Gibbons created a new band. There's A Time
And A Place For Everything is a major departure in style and it really
rocks - setting it apart from the Debroy Somers band. It is Al's first vocal
with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans. In the early thirties, the personnel for the
SHO was
Bill Shakespeare, Billy Higgs -t/Arthur Fenoulhet, Paul Fenoulhet-t-tb/Sam
Acres-tb/ George Smith-cl-ts/ George Melachrino-cl-as/Laurie Payne-
cl-as-bar /
Ben Frankel-vn/ Harry Sherman-g / Carroll Gibbons-ldr-p/ Sid Bright-2nd p/
Jack Evetts-sb/ Rudy Starita-d ~ Mickey Clark
Debroy Somers and the Savoy Hotel
Orpheans(Carroll Gibbons) Disc #2 CD353B
1-LOVE PARADE-GEMS DEBROY SOMERS (MIDNIGHT MINSTRELS) REG MR80
01/01/29 WAR120/WAR121 GREY-SCHERTZINGER LOVE PARADE
2-RO-RO-ROLLIN' ALONG DEBROY SOMERS BAND COL CB83 05/29/30 WA10420
MOLL-RICHMAN-MENCHER
3-AMY DEBROY SOMERS BAND COL CB83 06/02/30 WA10445
GILBERT-NICHOLLS
4-VIENNESE NIGHTS-MEDLEY-DEBROY SOMERS(MIDNIGHT MINSTRELS) I BRING A LOVE
SONG-HERE WE ARE-YOU WILL REMEMBER VIENNA-REGIMENTAL MARCH- REG MR 286 WAR
470/WAR471 HAMMERSTEIN-ROMBERG VIENNESE NIGHTS
5-THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE FOR EVERYTHING SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS AL
BOWLLY COL CB376 10/19/31 12092 TURK-AHLERT
6-SWEET AND LOVELY SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS AL BOWLLY COL CB376
10/19/31 12093 ARNHEIM-TOBIAS-LE MARE
7-WHO AM I? SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS AL BOWLLY COL CB377 10/31/31 12139
GIFFORD-MILNE-NEWMAN
8-LINDA SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS AL BOWLLY COL CB377 10/31/31 12140
TOBIAS-TRENT-DE ROSE
9-YOU ARE MY HEART'S DELIGHT SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS INST COL CB381
11/25/31 12187 LEHAR
10-SONG OF SONGS SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS INST COL CB381 11/25/31
12188 MOYA
11-WHITE FLOWER OF THE ISLANDS SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB387 JACK
PLANT-HUMMING 11/25/31 12208 ABRAHAM FLOWER OF HAWAII
12-I'M JUST A DARKIE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS INST COL CB387 11/25/31
12209 ABRAHAM FLOWER OF HAWAII
13-ALONE WITH MY DREAMS SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB389 12/02/31
12246 EYTON-BUCHANAN
14-I APOLOGIZE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB389 12/02/31
12247 HOFFMAN-GOODHART-NELSON
15-CONSOLATION SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB412 01/16/32
12346 GOTTLER-BOOTH
16-BY THE FIRESIDE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB412 01/16/32
12359 NOBLE-CAMPBELL-CONNELLY
17-I'LL MAKE A HAPPY LANDING SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL DO668
02/04/32 FIELDS-MCHUGH FLYING HIGH
18-ALL OF ME SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL DO668 02/04/32
12398 SIMONS-MARKS
19-SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS AL BOWLLY COL CB426
02/16/32 12426 HIRSCH-MAGINE
20-FIRE IN MY HEART SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB426 02/16/32 12434
MILLS-KNOX
21-COLUMBIA ON PARADE Jack Payne/Norman Long/Albert Sandler/Raymond
Newell/Flotsam & Jetsam/Harry Tate/Trevor Watson/Binnie Hale/Debroy Somers
Band/Billy Mayerl/Layton & Johnstone/Len Fillis/Stanley Holloway/Will
Fyffe/Harry Dirth COL DX299 09/30/27 6246
Savoy Hotel Orpheans 1932-1945 Disc #3 CD353C
Carroll Gibbons was American born (Jan.4,1903) and raised in Clinton,
Massachusetts. By 1921 he found his way to London's Royal Academy of Music
and by 1924 was engaged with the Boston Orchestra at the Savoy Hotel. Liking
Britain, he remained there, later becoming co-leader of the Savoy Orpheans
recording for Columbia and the leader of the New MayFair Orchestra, which
recorded for HMV. In 1929, Gibbons appeared in the British film Splinters as
Carroll Gibbons and His Masters Voice Orchestra. He returned to the U.S.over
1930/1931 to work as staff composer for MGM Studiosin Hollywood. Upon his
return to England he took over the Savoy Hotel Orpheans and also recorded as
Carroll Gibbons and his Boy Friends, featuring vocals by Hildegarde. Jack
Plant was born in Partington, near Manchester on 26th August 1896. He first
started singing as a member of the choir at the local Congregational Church.
Called up for war service in 1914, he was three-and-a-half years in France.
He sang there, entertaining his fellow servicemen in Concert Parties.After
the war he joined the Manchester Bloom Street Choir before moving to London
to study voice with Webster Miller, a leading tenor at the Beecham Opera
House. Jack's voice was more suitable for light vocals so he took up chorus
work and toured with musical comedy companies up to 1928.
Maurice Elwin, well-known with London bandleaders, introduced Jack to dance
bands. Soon Jack was gaining a following and in 1929, signed on with the
Savoy Hotel Orpheans and also subbed for Pat O'Malley with the Jack Hylton
Band although he Jack appeared with Hylton at the London Palladium he was
nevera regular singer with Hylton. A historic Jack Hylton broadcast to
America on 15th December 1931 gave him really good exposure and a stint with
Sydney Kyte and his Piccadilly Hotel band in 1935. He also sang with
Mantovani, Ambrose and Henry Hall's Orchestra - again entertaining the
troops on an ENSA tour and broadcasting on the Forces Programme. Less well
known about him was that he also played piano and duetted with Billy Mayerl.
South African pianist Harry Jacobson was a friend of two other S.A's - Raie
Da Costa and Al Bowlly. This is the personnel of the SHO :Bill Shakespeare,
Billy Higgs -t/Arthur Fenoulhet, Paul Fenoulhet-t-tb/Sam Acres-tb/ George
Smith-cl-ts/ George Melachrino-cl-as/Laurie Payne- cl-as-bar /
Ben Frankel-vn/ Harry Sherman-g / Carroll Gibbons-ldr-p/ Sid Bright-2nd p/
Jack Evetts-sb/ Rudy Starita-d ~ Mickey Clark
Savoy Hotel Orpheans 1932-1945 Disc #3 CD353C
1-TELL ME WITH A LOVE SONG SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB438 03/24/32
12537 KOELER-ARLEN
2-JUST HUMMING ALONG SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB438 03/24/32 12538
HARGREAVES-DAMERELL-EWING-MYERS
3-SHE DIDN'T SAY YES SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS PEGGY WOOD COL CB432
05/03/32 12497 HARBACH-KERN CAT AND THE FIDDLE
4-TRY TO FORGET SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB432 05/03/32
12498 HARBACH-KERN CAT AND THE FIDDLE
5-YOU'RE BLASE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB400 07/01/32
12285 SIEVIER-HAMILTON BOW BELLS
6-MONA LISA SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB400 07/01/32 12323
SIEVIER-HAMILTON BOW BELLS
7-OOH THAT KISS CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS INST COL
DB899 05/01/32 12821 WARREN
8-CABIN IN THE COTTON CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS INST COL
DB899 06/01/32 12868 PARISH-PERKINS
9-DON'T SAY GOODBYE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB513 10/01/32 13125
CARTER-STOLTZ WILD VIOLETS
10-YOU JUST YOU SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB513 10/01/32 13126
CARTER-STOLTZ WILD VIOLETS
11-ROCK-A-BYE MOON SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL CB619 02/06/33 13661
JOHNSON-STEELE-LANG
12-STORMY WEATHER SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS JACK PLANT COL CB619 02/06/33
13663 KOELER-ARLEN
13-NIGHT AND DAY CARROLL GIBBONS-HARRY JACOBSON COL DB1288
06/01/34 14106 COLE PORTER GAY DIVORCEE
14-GAY DIVORCEE-MEDLEY CARROLL GIBBONS-HARRY JACOBSON COL DB1288
06/01/34 14107 COLE PORTER GAY DIVORCEE
After You-Who?/I've got You On My Mind
15-YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS COL DB1478
11/01/34 14782 GIBBONS HI DIDDLE DIDDLE
16-SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS COL
DB1478 11/01/34 14783 KERN
17-FOR ME,FOR YOU CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS HILDEGARDE COL
DB1556 05/20/35 15064 TOWERS-ARDEN
18-DARLING,JE VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP CARROLL GIBBONS AND HIS BOY FRIENDS
HILDEGARDE COL DB1556 05/20/35 15065 SOSENKO
19-ON THE AVENUE-MEDLEY- LET'S GO SLUMING/YOU'RE LAUGHING AT ME/HE AIN'T GOT
RHYTHM/THS YEAR'S KISSES/I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM/ GIRL ON THE
POLICE GAZETTE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS SAM BROWNE COL FB1741 07/01/37 16407
BERLIN CA16407/CA16467 BERLIN
20-ROSALIE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL FB1884 09/01/37 16802 PORTER
ROSALIE
21-IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS COL FB1884 09/01/37
16803 PORTER ROSALIE
22-MADELAINE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS LESLIE DOUGLAS COL FB2788
01/01/41 18930 SPITALNEY-CAPWELL
23-BABY MINE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS ANNE LENNER COL FB2788
01/01/41 18931 WASHINGTON-CHURCHILL
24-LAURA SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS PAUL CARPENTER COL FB3136 01/01/45
19808 MERCER-RASKIN LAURA
Mickey Clark
710 Westminster Avenue West
Penticton BC
Canada
250-462-7881
V2A 1K8
http://mcproductions.ca
1-250-462-7881
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