The more sedate cousin to American Swing, the Golden Age of British Dance Bands covered the period between 1927 and 1939.
At that time most top hotels and restaurants would feature a dance band led by one of the era’s great bandleaders.
AVID Entertainment’s tribute to the UK Dance Band era in it’s Essential Collection series features all the legendary leaders of the day from Ambrose, Lew Stone, Ray Fox and Geraldo to the BBC’s Jack Payne and Henry Hall.
Many of these greats even had their own regular radio shows airing to millions of listeners each week.
The start of the second world war put an end to this golden period but the music of course lives on in the grooves of this fine double CD from AVID!
CD1
1. Penny Serenade - Geraldo & His Orchestra
2. Love Letters In The Sand - Ambrose & His Orchestra
3. The Continental - Lew Stone & His Band
4. How’d Ya Like To Love Me? - Roy Fox & His Orchestra
5. Roll Along, Prairie Moon - Jack Jackson & His Orchestra
6. April In Paris - The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall
7. Free - Billy Cotton & His Band
8. From The Top Of Your Head - Carroll Gibbons & The Savoy Hotel Orpheans
9. Deep Purple - Jack Hylton & His Orchestra
10. Love Is A Dancing Thing - Maurice Winnick & His Orchestra
11. Vo-Do-Do-De-O-Blues - The Savoy Orpheans directed by Carroll Gibbons
12. Lullaby Of Broadway - Harry Roy & His Orchestra
13. Sadie The Shaker - Syd Lipton & His Grosvenor House Band
14. Lazybones - Debroy Somers Band
15. Do Something - Jack Payne & His BBC Dance Orchestra
16. The Japanese Sandman - Ray Noble & His Orchestra
17. I Get A Kick Out Of You - The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall
18. What A Diff’rence A Day Made - The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra directed by Carroll Gibbons
19. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby - Hugo Rignold & His Orchestra
20. Begin The Beguine - Joe Loss & His Band
21. Lights Out - Jack Hylton’s Orchestra
22. Wake Up! Chill’un, Wake Up! - Ray Starita & His Ambassadors’ Band
23. Tuxedo Junction - Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson & His West Indian Dance Orchestra
24. I Only Have Eyes For You - Scott Wood & His Orchestra
25. Bye Bye Blues - Ambrose & His Orchestra
CD2
1. Happy Feet - Jack Hylton & His Orchestra
2. Jog Along - Harry Leader & His Band
3. Robins And Roses - Sydney Lipton & His Orchestra
4. Toodle-Oo Brian - Lawrance & His Lansdowne Orchestra
5. I Believe In Miracles - The Casani Club Orchestra directed by Charlie Kunz
6. Annie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore - Lew Stone & His Band
7. Everybody Dance - Jack Harris & His Orchestra
8. My Dance - Jack Payne & His Band featuring Garland Wilson (piano)
9. Remember Me? - Billy Cotton & His Band
10. Let’s Break The Good News - The Organ, The Dance Band & Me directed by Billy Thorburn
11. Look Out For The Sunshine - Billy Merrin & His Commanders
12. I Heard - The Savoy Hotel Orpheans directed by Carroll Gibbons
13. Bojangles Of Harlem - Tommy Kinsman’s Fischer’s Restaurant Dance Band
14. Everything I Have Is Yours - Roy Fox & His Band
15. Goody Goody - Lou Preager & His Romano’s Restaurant Dance Orchestra
16. We’re In The Money (The Gold Diggers’ Song) – Jack Hylton & His Orchestra
17. When Lights Are Low - Teddy Joyce & His Orchestra
18. Goodnight, My Love - Carroll Gibbons & The Savoy Hotel Orpheans
19. Faint Harmony - Jack Jackson & His Orchestra
20. Bye-Bye Baby - Ambrose & His Orchestra
21. A Foggy Day - Geraldo & His Orchestra
22. She Shall Have Music - Mrs. Jack Hylton & Her Band
23. You Go To My Head - Joe Loss & His Band
24. The Chestnut Tree - Oscar Rabin & His Romany Band
25. It’s Time To Say Goodnight - The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall
