British Dance Bands
The career of Denny Dennis falls into what is known as the Golden Age of British Dance Bands. Denny sang with several bands including Jack Jackson, Ambrose, Jack Hylton, Roy Fox, Sid Phillips, The Skyrockets and The Squadronaires.
There is renewed interest in the dance bands especially by younger people who are discovering a rich and wonderful musical heritage.
This section of the website will be expanded to form an introduction to the british dance bands. In the mean time, for those wishing to discover more the following sites are highly recommended.
http://www.jabw.demon.co.uk/index.htm
John Wright’s detailed site. John offers many podcasts on dance bands from his own vast collection of original 78 rpm recordings and these are an excellent introduction to wide variety of music and styles of the dance bands.
Memory Lane Magazine
Memory Lane' magazine is enjoying its fortieth year of publication. Packed with the latest CD reviews, the latest Al Bowlly news, plus articles on the stars from the Golden Age of British Dance Bands, expertly written and researched by dedicated and knowledgeable enthusiasts. This magazine is for enthusiasts by enthusiasts. It's all here, plus much more.
Did you know that famed American singing star Gilbert Russell was in reality Val Rosing, the famous singer of 'The Teddy Bears Picnic'?
Did you know that the stars of the day sold hit records made out of cardboard at news stands?
Do you know which famous vocalist Ronald Dennis Pountain became? (You'll never guess!)
Learn more about this excellent magazine via their website. www.memorylane.org.uk
Contact the editor directly - PO Box 1939, Leigh On Sea, Essex, SS9 3UH, England, or e mail the editor on editor@memorylane.org.uk
Londoner, Bert Ambrose, led one of, if not the finest of all British dance bands. Superb vocalists such as Sam Browne, Elsie Carlisle, Jack Cooper, Vera Lynn, Evelyn Dall and Anne Shelton all passed through the ranks. Ambrose broadcast for many years from the Mayfair Hotel, in prime saturday evening position.
Denny joined in 1938 and recorded some of his finest material with Ambrose. He recorded once again with Ambrose in 1943, at the time that Denny was also quite preoccupied with his RAF duties.
Lancashire born Jack Hylton led one of the finest bands of the period and he worked with the best. His initial band was modelled on the successful American band of Paul Whiteman, who had given a young Bing Crosby, Denny’s idol, his start.
Jack’s band grew to become an all round entertainment band, and one was never short of a variety of entertainment at a
Jack Hylton concert.
Denny only made six recordings with Jack and was never really part of the band as such. The recordings are memorable, especially, ‘Blue Orchids’.
American, Roy Fox was already well known when he came to Britain as the thirties began. Known for his style and dress sense, as well as musical taste, this whispering cornetist made quite an impression at the Monseigneur Restaurant, employing a vocalist by the name of Al Bowlly.
After some initial reservations, he took on Denny when he set up a new band. The association led to one of the most memorable partnerships of the period, with Denny going on to record over 200 titles with the Fox band, before it disbanded in 1938.
The extremely talented and gifted Sid had been one of the key arrangers for the Ambrose band. By the late forties he fronted a smaller Dixieland style band, with Sid and his clarinet to the fore. By the early fifties, Sid was quite a star and his band was very popular.
Remembering his old friend Denny, Sid employed him for a couple of years as one of several vocalists with the band. Denny was given the opportunity to duet with an aspiring new vocalist, Alma Cogan.
Jack was one of the top hot jazz trumpeters of the late twenties and the thirties. He worked with Jack Hylton, helping to make several hits along the way. By the early thirties he was leading his own band, which later became well known and broadcast from the Dorchester Hotel.
Jack had come across Denny when Denny was quite unknown. Jack recognised something in Denny’s voice and style and he used Denny on a few broadcasts. Denny made three records with Jack before joining Roy Fox. Jack, in later years became one of Britain;s best loved radio presenters, along with his famous cat, Tiddles’.
The Dance Band Leaders who featured with Denny Dennis throughout his career.
In the glory days of the dance bands, that is the twenties and thirties, it was the bands that were the stars and not the singers, quite the reverse of today’s popular music world. Radio, or as we used to say, the wireless, reigned supreme. It’s hard to imagine just how popular these bands were. Denny, worked for some of the very best of them. Because of that, Denny was expected to be one of the best. Without doubt, he certainly was.
Following time spent with Paul Whiteman’s band, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey led the Dorsey Brothers band, before each starting their own respective bands in the mid thirties. Tommy went on to employ some of the top vocalists of the period, Jack Leonard, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Jo Stafford.
Tommy became aware of Denny through the recording of ‘It’s The Bluest Kind Of Blues’ and asked for Denny to join his band. At that time, 1948, to be asked by Tommy to join the Tommy Dorsey band was just about as good as it could ever be. It was a top band, anywhere!
Future bands and band leaders to feature with links to the career of Denny Dennis
Stanley Black
Phil Green
Bob Farnon
Harry Leader
The Squadronaires
The Skyrockets
Two excellent and informative dance band websites - all you need to know and more