DISC ONE:
- BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME? (1933)
- LOVE IS THE SWEETEST THING (1932)
- TIME ON MY HANDS (1931)
- LADY OF SPAIN (1931)
- LAZY DAY (1931)
- OUT OF NOWHERE (1931)
- HANG OUT THE STARS IN INDIANA (1931)
- SWEET AND LOVELY (1931)
- GOT A DATE WITH AN ANGEL (1931)
- GUILTY (1931)
- HOLD MY HAND (1931)
- I WAS TRUE (1931)
- BY THE FIRESIDE (1932)
- WE’VE GOT THE MOON AND SIXPENCE (1932)
- SAILING ON THE ROBERT E LEE (1932)
- LYING IN THE HAY (1932)
- MAYBE I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH (1933)
- THE OLD SPINNING WHEEL (1933)
- ROLL UP THE CARPET (1933)
- LOVE LOCKED OUT (1933)
- NIGHT AND DAY (1933)
- MY HAT’S ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD (1933)
- CLOSE YOUR EYES (1933)
- YOU OUGHT TO SEE SALLY ON SUNDAY (1933)
- I’LL STRING ALONG WITH YOU (1934)
- OVER MY SHOULDER (1934)
DISC TWO:
- THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (1934)
- WHEN YOU’VE GOT A LITTLE SPRINGTIME IN YOUR HEART
(1934)
- I NEVER HAD A CHANCE (1934)
- ISLE OF CAPRI (1934)
- BLUE MOON (1935)
- MY MELANCHOLY BABY (1935)
- PARIS IN THE SPRING (1935)
- TOP HAT, WHITE TIE AND TAILS (1935)
- DINNER FOR ONE, PLEASE, JAMES (1935)
- THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS (1936)
- I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN (1936)
- WHERE THE LAZY RIVER GOES BY (1936)
- BEI MIR BIST DU SCHON (1938)
- MARIE (1938)
- SWEET AS A SONG (1938)
- MAMA, I WANT TO MAKE RHYTHM (1938)
- MUSIC, MAESTRO PLEASE (1938)
- PENNY SERENADE (1938)
- TWO SLEEPY PEOPLE (1938)
- WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE? (1940)
- DREAMING (1940)
- IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS (1940)
- WHEN THAT MAN IS DEAD AND GONE (1941)
- GOODNIGHT, SWEETHEART (1931)
In the last twenty years much has been written about
Al Bowlly and yet little is known of his life before he arrived in England
in the 1920s. He was born to a Greek Father and a Lebanese Mother in
Mozambique. He later moved to Johannesburg where he worked as apprentice
in a barber’s. He couldn’t have been happy as the story tells of him
learning to play the ukulele, banjo and guitar to entertain customers.
Soon he was playing at local gigs and in 1922 he joined Edgar Adeler’s
‘Hawaiian’ band at the Corner Lounge Tea Rooms in Johannesburg and toured
with them too. He joined other bands on tour as a vocalist ending up
in Singapore.
He was 28 when he arrived in England and got a job
with Fred Elizalde at London’s Savoy Hotel where the Filipino bandleader
needed a good vocalist and Al fitted the bill. During the Summer and
Autumn of 1928 he toured the continent with Elizalde before returning
to the Savoy but, according to what is known, made little impact and
after his contract expired was unemployed, reduced to busking and recording
with some obscure bands. Then, at last, in 1930 he became singer with
Ray Noble’s HMV studio band the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra and so began
a successful association that produced many great records. In the same
year he was also offered the job as vocalist with Roy Fox’s band at
the Monseigneur Restaurant and was making records with him on the Decca
label too. Some thought he was England’s Bing Crosby but of course he
wasn’t. Al has a very different type of voice with a unique style that
immediately appealed when he began to be heard on his recordings. He
expresses real emotion in any song he sings, whether the lyric is sad,
tragic or happy. I’m sure the tracks on this double CD set will stir
up many memories of that era for many.
He recorded "Time On My Hands" in London
in 1931 with Ray Noble. I was about 14 when I first heard this and I
remember hearing that smooth voice saying that time on his hands and
someone in his arms was all he needed. The following month he recorded
"Lady of Spain" again with Noble and here I like how the band
first plays the melody through before Al comes in at which point the
orchestra slightly changes the tempo for that first entrance. In June
he recorded "Lazy Day", less well known today but a quiet
easy song to listen to at anytime. The following month came "Out
Of Nowhere" with Roy Fox and his band. A simple song sung in Al’s
own individual way, but not a song I have heard before so maybe it was
on the B-side of the original record. He followed this with "Hang
out the stars in Indiana" with Ray Noble. This is yet another number
that hasn’t survived well, although it’s one that is pleasant to listen
to and Al continues to persuade you to relax and listen and he does
so in such a way you have to succumb.
The slumberous tone of Al’s voice is even more noticeable
in his next recording "Sweet and Lovely", this time with Carrol
Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans. Slowly the lazy sounds of the
orchestra plays the introduction with Howard Jacobs on alto saxophone
doing a superb job and then Al follows in quite a provocative way telling
you of the girl he has met who is sweeter than the flowers in May. A
lovely song this and so well accompanied. Al himself sings it in such
a way it proves how he can use his voice in any type of song. The fact
that he can do so is also proved when in November 1931 he and Ray Noble
recorded the great "Got A Date With An Angel". A lively version
with the Orchestra springing into life as does Al himself. At the start
of the song you hear the soft quiet voice of a girl for a few minutes
too. Al sings in a breezy happy way and you’ll love this version as
I did. "Hold My Hand" came in the December and is a real gem.
I’ve always liked the melody of this. It makes me feel like standing
up and dancing even today. Ray Noble and his orchestra are brilliant
in all their recordings with Al but in this one are especially fine
with the orchestra playing with enthusiasm.
Imagine sitting in front of a glowing fire, in the
twilight, in a comfortable armchair for two, with someone you love and
seeing pictures in the fire of the future you both will share. That
is exactly what Al’s next recording is all about "By The Fireside"
recorded in January 1932. A simple song, easy to listen to, which Al
sings perhaps a trifle too wistfully but does it so eloquently you can
forgive him. We have a change of tempo next with "We’ve Got The
Moon And Sixpence" recorded in April of that year. A lively number
where you can also hear more of the orchestra who are superb and I felt
that, fine though Al sings, this one belongs to Ray Noble’s band.
In October of 1932 Lew Stone took over as bandleader
at the Monseigneur and Al continued as main Vocalist and in December
recorded "Lying in the Hay" with them. This is a good number
but predominately played by the orchestra containing Nat Gonella on
the trumpet. When Al comes in his voice sounds slightly higher than
usual, but he tells us very clearly that he has nothing to do but lie
in the hay all day dreaming of the one he loves and you do believe him.
The orchestra at that point and without Al, play the introduction again
then gradually slowing down the pace you hear Al half sing and half
speak in a deeper voice of why he is lying in the Hay all day. Al made
many records with Stone and went on tour with his band which became
very popular, particularly through their regular late night radio broadcasts.
Perhaps Ray Noble’s greatest composition as a writer
was "The Very Thought of You" which he wrote for Al Bowlly
and they recorded it in April 1933. What a great version it is. Al is
accompanied predominantly by Monia Liter at the piano, but in the background
you can hear Ray and his orchestra playing softly. This is a great song,
a true standard and for many this will be one of the highlights of this
set as it was for me. The following month Al and Ray recorded "Maybe
I Love You Too Much". There’s a pleasingly plaintive air in the
way the orchestra plays here and Al takes up the mood when he sings.
This is a pleasant, quiet number. One you can relax to, but like a lot
on this set not one that has survived very well. That same month came
"The Spinning Wheel" and I love this old number. With the
very distinctive sounds of the spinning wheel in the background together
and that particular mood the orchestra produced, it makes this a real
delight and Al is also in complete rapport with the band. In July of
that same year we have "Roll Up The Carpet". Ray Noble’s Orchestra
plays more of the melody before we hear from Al who in a suitably abandoned
mood reminding us again just how versatile he was. The message is to
have a wonderful time since the neighbours are out, and why not? Perhaps
it’s fitting that Al follows on with "Love Locked Out" which
is a total change of mood being a quiet simple song. Al was clearly
busy that month as he also recorded the great Cole Porter classic "Night
and Day" with Carroll Gibbons. I could say so much about this particular
song as it is one of my own many favourites. Suffice to say that Al
sings it clearly and with great feeling and the orchestra accompanies
him perfectly, never at any time swamping him, always keeping in perfect
accord
In June 1934 Al recorded "I’ll String Along With
You" and as always retains perfect clarity making this well remembered
number sound its best. The next month brought "Over my shoulder"
a song that has been sung by many people, notably Jessie Matthews, but
at this time Al might well have been the first to record it. Although
I have heard this many times since I have never heard an arrangement
of it, by Ray Noble quite like this before and have enjoyed it enormously.
That same month he made "I Never Have A Chance" which Al sings
briskly, but here I have to admit I enjoyed more Ray Noble’s orchestra
whose individual instrumentalists play with such exuberance. Next we
come to one song I’m sure everyone will know, "The Isle of Capri"
by Jemmy Kennedy. Ray Noble’s orchestra plays a long introduction at
just the right tempo before Al enters. This number is generally associated
with Gracie Fields but I think Al sings it as it should be sung with
real romance in his voice.
In late1934 Ray Noble accepted a job in the USA and
in October Al joined him. In January 1935 they began a series of Victor
recordings in New York. First in January is "Blue Moon" by
Rogers and Hart. How beautifully Al sings this in such a way that every
word is not only melodious but also sweet sounding. The same applies
to "My Melancholy Baby" made in the March. This too is a lovely
song sung by Al from the heart and you can sense this in the way he
changes his voice when it’s appropriate to the words of the song. In
May came "Paris In The Spring". I have heard this one many
times but I have never heard this particular arrangement. When Ray Noble
played the Introduction, which is long, I even thought I was listening
to the wrong song although I liked what I was hearing. As soon as Al
starts to sing there is no mistaking it. You will like it this way,
I’m sure.
From June 1935 we have Irving Berlin "Top Hat,
White Tie And Tails", a song made famous by Fred Astaire around
the same time. Here Al and Noble are joined by The Freshmen. It wasn’t
until November 1935 that we have the next recording from Al’s American
period, "Dinner For One Please, James." I know this number
very well and have always liked it but to hear Al sing with Ray Noble
is a real treat. I love the arrangement and you can hear the sad note
clearly in Al’s voice as he orders dinner for one and you know he normally
has dinner with another. It’s in March 1936 when we hear Cole Porter’s
"I’ve Got you under my skin", another great recording from
Al’s American period. The orchestra delivers that slow, lazy languid
way of Ray Noble’s that is so relaxing and evocative of the period and
Al matches the arrangement perfectly. As always, he means every word.
Feeling ill at ease with the pace of America and by
mutual agreement with Ray Noble, Al and his wife returned to England
in January 1937. He no longer had an agent and so formed his own band
with his brother. He made a few recordings but in the event found he
needed to return to the USA as he needed an operation on his throat
that could only be performed in the States. The operation was a success
and Al made several more recordings in New York before finally returning
to England where some people said that he was a forgotten man. As it
turned out bandleaders came forward and opportunities for work soon
presented, or could be created, and Al was in demand again. However
it wasn’t until January 1938 that he recorded in London "Bei mir
bist du Schon" with Ronnie Munro and his orchestra who play the
introduction in just the slow tempo needed for this. Al sings with his
usual feeling as he attempts to explain all about himself to someone
he has just met. That same month he recorded "Marie" with
Ronnie Munro too. Al sings this in that delightfully smooth and velvety
voice and with the orchestra softly playing in the background it sounds
delightful. The next recording Al did was in April. It’s "Sweet
As A Song" made with "The Five Herons" and Violet Carson
at the piano. British readers over a certain age will recognise the
name of the lady who a quarter of a century later would find TV fame
as Ena Sharples in the soap "Coronation Street." Not a number
I’ve heard before but Al and his choir provide an extra touch of style.
At this time Al toured with Lew Stone and his band
and made many radio appearances from 1938 to 1940 while also making
records with other bands. In April 1938 he recorded "Mama, I Want
To Make Rhythm" with Lew Stone. I knew this was going to be a cheerful,
jolly song and I wasn’t disappointed. In August of that year he recorded
"Music, Maestro, Please" with Stone too. I thought the band
should have played a little softer, though I could hear every word of
the song. Then with Geraldo and his Orchestra Al made "Penny Serenade".
I have heard this song sang by different people over the years, but
never this particular arrangement and I liked it. Al with the girl who
accompanies him, sing it slowly and softly and you soon become aware
that he is singing to a beautiful Senorita who answers him. The band
plays softly too in the background, so in no way does it deter you from
hearing every intonation in either of the singers voices. From the December
we have "Two Sleepy People" which is, of course, a lovely
song that has survived well down the years. I love that special way
that Geraldo and his orchestra play, slow but with a certain something
hard to define. Al sings this with a definite caress in his voice too.
I do notice that since Al had had his throat operation in 1937 you hear
more of the orchestra playing and wonder if his operation had been the
reason, although it made no difference to the quality of his voice.
In May 1939 Al recorded "What Do You Know About
Love" with Reginald Williams and his Futurists. A very ordinary
love song this, as too is "Dreaming" which he recorded in
March with Ronnie Munro. There is little to say about these two songs.
Al sings them well but they are among the few real disappointments.
In April 1940 he recorded with the Café de Paris band of Ken
"Snakehips" Johnston "It Was A Lover And His Lass"
which is an Arthur Young setting from Shakespeare. I can remember singing
these words when I was at school but what a difference between how I
was taught to sing it to what I have just heard. The next recording
was Al’s very last. It’s Irving Berlin’s "When That Man Is Dead
And Gone". This is a really amusing recording improved by sound
effects produced by Al and his own group with the band. It’s a double
irony that it was Al’s last recording. Also that by a sad coincidence
"Snakehips" Johnson was killed in the London Blitz when the
Café de Paris took a direct hit.
I have left "Goodnight Sweetheart"which Al
recorded in London in April 1931 with Ray Noble until the last, as does
CD compiler Ray Crick. I too thought it appropriate after listening
to all these delightful recordings and enjoying each one so skilfully
transferred from old 78 records by Martin Haskell and Doug Shearer that
this could be a final tribute to this great singer. Exactly ten years
after he made it he was killed by a land mine in the London Blitz. He
sings it beautifully and like many others in 1941 this particular song
will bring back so many memories to so many people of that time. A song
that is still played that can mean so much to so many even now when
they say with the song "Goodnight sweetheart, see you in the morning."
There are fifty songs on this two-disc set. I have
not dealt with all of them individually but can honestly say I enjoyed
every one. Taken together they are a wonderful tribute to a master of
song who was a great star of his era.
Joan Duggan
CD Reviews
ASV LIVING ERA
CD AJS 265 2 CDs [2hrs 33mins]