Savoy Hotel Orpheans #1 Recorded 1923 - 1929 CD353A

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

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