26 May 2026
Episode six. From Putney Dandridge to Miss Louie Brooks- The forgotten and the obscure.
We began with the excellent Spider's Crawl- Billy Banks and his Orch. Originally recorded in 1932. Billy Banks was a fascinating artist. Known as a female impersonator on records. Which conquers up the image of Danny La Ru or RuPaul- which is not the case. Billy Banks voice was on a higher register. Indeed a recording originally credited to Una Mae Charlisle was later found to be the voice of Billy Banks. He recorded with musicians from Red Allen to Fats Waller and worked with famed producer and promoter Irving Mills. He was quite the show man, as well as vocalist, and performed later in his career in cabaret world wide. He died in Tokyo in 1967. Harry Parry and his Radio Rhythm Club Sextet- Dogging Around. Parry is a favourite on Forgotten Songs. He recorded over 100 sides for Parlophone in the 1940s and his band were named after the regular BBC radio programme. His clarinet player is often criticised by jazz aficionados. However Parry brought a rare bit of rhythm and style to popular British music at the time. He often featured top rate guests in the band- often black artists. We'll hear more from him in future episodes. Basin Street Boogie- Will Bradley's Six Texan Hot Dogs, vocals Ray McKinley(1941.) Trombonist Bradley and drummer Mckinley only recorded together as the Hot Dogs for 18 months but produced some excellent swinging numbers. Both men played with numerous bands.
A change of pace. Dave Willis was one of Scotland's most popular comedians in the 1940s and 50s. His son Denny also successfully trod the boards. He gives us Don Juan, which was recorded at Abbey Road in 1939. Gracie Fields with Stop and Shop at the CO-OP shop. George Formby Snr- uncredited. Just before the show. 1919. George Snr was very popular at the turn of the 20th century and its said Chaplain stole part of his act. The label is The Ariel Grand Record, which was a label sold by mail order, set up in Sheffield by J.G Graves. This recording was original a Zonophone. Which is our next label- If you were the only girl in the world(1916). Miss Louie Brooks and Mr Herbert Paine. Herbert Payne was Ernest Pike. He recorded under many names and is reckoned to be Britain most recorded voice 1900 to the 1920s. Miss Louie Brooks, little exists online about her life. Intriguing. Both these last tracks are over 100 years old and were recorded acoustically, they seem to come to us from so far away. A long distant past. A fun record from Ray Nobel Mayfair Orch- Bobbie Comber vocals- The Punter's Lament(1932). Billy Cotton and his Band- A Bungalow, a piccolo and you , vocals Cyril Grantham. Grantham played sax and clarinet for Cotton and Geraldo, as well as singing.
Railroad Man- Irving Mills and Hotsy Totsy Gang(1930) Mills was A highly succesful producer, promoter and publisher, who worked with so big names. He discovered song writers, Hoagy Carmichael and Gene Austin and helped advance the careers of Cab Calloway and Benny Goodman. The Hotsy Totsy Gang featured The Dorsey brothers, Eddie Lang and Benny Goodman, amongst others. Both sides of a Brunswick record from 1930. It's a lonesome road- Ben Bernie and his orch, vocals Pat Kennedy. Bernie was a violinist, band leader and radio personality- 1891 to 1943. Lonesome Town was his theme song. 'Yowza, yowza' was his catch phrase. Famously reused in the 1969 film 'They shoot horses, dont they?' The Little things in life, Earl Burnett and Los Angelos Orc. The orchestra was resident at the Biltmore Hotel, L.A. Burnett was one of the first people to run a small band or, in this case a trio, within his band. The Biltmore trio were Paul Gibbons(vocals and guitar), Eddie Bush(falsetto vocals and steel guitar), Bill Seckler( Ukulele.) Adrian and His Tap Room Gang- Weather man(1935) Vocals Putney Dandridge. Adrian was Adrian Rollini and the tap room was the bar he owned. Musicians were, amongst others, were Wingy Malone, Joe Marsala, Buddy Rich and Putney Dandridge. Dandridge's vocals are great on this track, he was also a pianist. He died, young, aged 44 in 1946. Rollini's death in 1956 is shrounded in mystery.
We end with Hufen Melyn from the Ralph Davies Quartet and Roberto Inglez and his orch with Autumn Leaves- Beguine.
If you would like to get in touch- milestubb@gmail.com
