Dec 27, 2022
Two Harrys to start us off. Parry- Trust and Parry and James with Memphis Blues. Henry Allen and his Orchestra- Dinah Lou. Allen was one of the major trumpeters of the Swing era and played with King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong. Count Basie and his Kansas City seven- Lester Leaps in. Lester Young being the Lester. The group released six versions of the song between 1939- 1948. Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers- Stormy Jones, Mugsy Spanier and his Ragtime Band- That Da, Da Strain. Robert Earl- If you love me. A popular tenor in the 1950s. His son, also Robert Earl ,is the founder of Planet Holywood restaurants. Orcestration is by Wally Stott. Musical director of Philips Records at the time. Stott was an arranger, composer and conductor. Worked with Shirley Bassey, Noel Coward, Dusty Springfield and Scott Walker, amongst others. As well as composing Film and T.V scores- from Watership Down to the music for the TV series Dallas. In 1970 Stott undertook gender reassignment surgery and lived the rest of her life as Angela Morely. She went on to have highly succesful career in the US. Amazing story and life. Perfect for Forgotten Songs. The luck of the Irish next, Jack Daly- When the poppies bloom again. He ran out of luck I'm afraid. Could only take about a minute of his warbling! Much beter is- Sydney MacEwan and She moved through the fair. MacEwan was an ordained priest born in Glasgow in 1908. He started his recording career in 1934 and work extensively on the BBC. He did many world tours. Very popular in his day. A favourite from George Formby- In a little Wigan Garden. We finish with the very dark Miss Otis regrets from Jay Wilbur and Elizabethan Serenade, from the Ron Goodwin Orchestra. Goodwin was a profilific film composer- Where Eagles Dare, 633 Squadron and the theme to the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple film. Later used in 'Kill Bill'.