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Dancing to Romantic Bands/Orchestras

A

Anne Jessel

master brummie
Do you remember dancing in those days. NO discos, or the loud music of today please?!!!!!!!!!!!
Who remembers Joe Loss, Victor Sylvester, Edmundo Ross etc etc. Did they ever have "gigs" in Birmingham?
Ladies only - what beautiful dresses did you wear? who did you meet?
Anne
 
I know that was a romantic era but a little before my time so I didn't wear any beautiful dresses. However, Kandor is infamous for them. 8)
 
I remember the Lacarno ballroom and the Tower Ballroom in Birmingham.

Only ever went to the Lacarno once and I think it was the popular rock & roll type of music playing then or I would not have gone.

My mother has for many years gone to the Modern Sequence dancing in the Fircones groups in Birmingham where I know they play older tunes but I dont remember any dance halls around in the 50's with dance bands, but then I was only young and not allowed out much.

There may have been some Saturday night or Xmas dances in the British Legions or Working mens clubs where people got dressed up but not ball gown dances that I know of.

In the 50's I can remember that the bands were on the radio on Sundays, Billy Cotton, Joe Loss and Victor Sylvester.
 
Casino - Palace Erdington - New Crown and Cushion Perry Barr -

As orchestra's go I am not particularly fond of Victor Sylvester yes to Emundo Ross. . .​

I love to go dancing Latin Music is my favourite - If you want fun try dancing it beats going to the gym. . .​

These days I wear evening cocktail dresses not too often a gown
 
Anne

Way back I can remember some brilliant Sunday night visits to the Dudley Hippodrome, (ok outside of Brum, but we were Brummies visiting), and only listening not dancing. I could ice skate but never learned to dance !
I saw Ted Heath's Big Band and his singer Lita Rosa (can't remember the name of his male singer).
Johnnie Dankworth's Band with Cleo Lane, I don't think she was married to him then.
Ronnie Scott's Band.
Eric Delaney's Band, bet no one can remember him. I think he used to play very large drums.
Stan Kenton and his 'wall of sound'
I did see Frankie Laine at the Theatre Royal, he gave a great performance with a very good orchestra - sounded just like his records and he was'nt miming.
 
In the 50's the ICI was the host for all the big bands of the day, we danced to Jo Loss, Ivy Benson, Ted Heath, Johnny Dankworth and many more. Then at the Casino Edmundo Ross was the resident band, Marion Ryan was his singer. I saw Stan Kenton and Dave Brubeck at the Town Hall, the Glen Miller band carried on after his death and I saw them at the Odeon.

We wore what our mothers wore:rolleyes: Not much for us teenagers in those austere days, when the breakthrough came it was in the shape of stiff net underskrts, yards upon yard of nett worn under what we called a full skirt. I had the most lovely scarlet one, the net was topped with paper nylon, no idea why it was called that, but it was shiny a little like satin but much tougher. Pencil skirts followed, they often had a small slit at the back, were mid calf length, underneath if you were lucky and could afford it you wore a lacy underskirt so that the lace showed beneath the slit in the skirt.:)

Dennis Lotus and Dickie Valentine both sang with Ted Heath.
 
oldMohawk said:
Anne

Way back I can remember some brilliant Sunday night visits to the Dudley Hippodrome, (ok outside of Brum, but we were Brummies visiting), and only listening not dancing. I could ice skate but never learned to dance !
I saw Ted Heath's Big Band and his singer Lita Rosa (can't remember the name of his male singer).
Johnnie Dankworth's Band with Cleo Lane, I don't think she was married to him then.
Ronnie Scott's Band.
Eric Delaney's Band, bet no one can remember him. I think he used to play very large drums.
Stan Kenton and his 'wall of sound'
I did see Frankie Laine at the Theatre Royal, he gave a great performance with a very good orchestra - sounded just like his records and he was'nt miming.
Click to expand...

Mohawk

Male Singer

It was Dennis Lotus used to see Ted Heath at the Orange Grove Sutton Park
 
Dennis Lotis AND Bobby Brittan sang with Ted Heath's band - I used to hop over the churchyard wall to get into Handsworth Park and see them for free. I think Bobby Brittan replaced Dickie Valentine..that's where The Finger of Suspicion points anyway ..lol..
I remember the net underskirts Di., also the hooped ones. When you sat down the skirts billowed up and you had to make sure your hands were free to push them down again - otherwise, well........
 
Yes do I remember those skirts Charlie. . In Canada we wore a crinoline petticoat underneath - I still have mine LOL

When I was a bridesmaid I had to wear a hoop skirt and hated each time to billowed up - it showed my underwear - I much preferred the crinoline. .
 
Hello Everyone and a Happy New Year

I have just read all your entries to this thread - in Australia! I am still with all my family out here enjoying 104 - 105 Phew! However I shall be back in the ice and freezing fog and snow???? next week.
I 've enjoyed reading your contributions. Thank you.
Anne
 
'Hutch' link with Birmingham...

Hi Anne

One of my favourite stars of the 30s is Hutch (Leslie Hutchinson). Although I'm nudging 50 he is a real hero of mine and there is some wonderful footage of him on Youtube which you can see by by copying and pasting the link below into your web browser...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMWAavdA48c"]YouTube - Leslie Hutchinson ( at the Café Malmaison) , about 1932[/ame]

He had a brother, Ivan, who moved to Wolverhampton during the war. When Hutch played at the Birmingham and Woverhampton Hippodromes in 1941 he visited his brother who was working at the Boulton Paul Aircraft factory in Wolverhampton and was persuaded to play a concert for the workers in the canteen.

Ivan's wife was called Molly and there were people in Wolverhampton in the 1990s who recalled the couple.

As an amateur pianist I would loved to have seen him play, but the records will have to suffice...
 
Dancing to Romantic Bands

I saw Hutch at a venue in London in the 1960s he was very old then, or so it seemed to me. It was either at The Talk of the Town or a Lyons place that had been converted to a cabaret type venue. He had a very mellow voice but I'm afraid at the time he wasn't my cup of tea.
 
First Impressions

What a good video. Thanks Cov kid.
Sylvia, he looked very handsome here but admittedly first impressions are what stay with you.
Anymore pointers to the dance days?
Anne
 
Hutch is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London. The lady there told me loads of people still come to look at the grave, so it would seem his memory still lives on.
 
Joe Loss and others...

Hi Anne

Here's a bit of nostalgia with a quick reference to Joe Loss. The title would have all sorts of other connotations these days...

Go to: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-MuKG4bMyE"]YouTube - LET'S GO GAY! - 1936[/ame]

Hope you enjoy it!
 
That is a great site Cov.Kid, I could stay on for hours I love the music, the dancing and those frocks are to die for,:)
 
I explore this site everyday Di & I agree its great. It seems to have everything for most folks.

Yesterday I found this for Cowboy Fans, Relive your Saturday's if I where to list every good clip I've found I'd be at it full time

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChdFC551Y6s&feature=related[/ame]
 
And there are other Birmingham treasures too..

I agree with Alf, it's a great site where you find amazing material. Here is a Bullring promotional video from 1964...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Wphod3v4o"]YouTube - Old Bullring Clip 1[/ame]

And a second one...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4BBakhv-9w"]YouTube - Old Bullring Clip 2[/ame]

The poster of both videos is Brummygold.

Another interesting video is a montage of photographs taken in Birmingham. I think that most people will know them but some may not. There are a lot of trams but the settings of the photos migh prove of interest if, like me, you're not a tram enthusiast!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYRtxazLQVM"]YouTube - Birmingham Old Photos[/ame]

Off topic, I know, but hopefully something in there to raise a nostalgic glow...
 
According to my mother my sister was a direct result of a very romantic night out with my father at a Joe Loss dinner dance in Birmingham.
 
Big Bands

What about the jazz nights at the Town Hall in the early fifties,you could see stars like Joe Loss,Ted Heath, Eric Delaney,Ivor and Basil Kerchin,
Vic Ash,Joe Herriot.Johnny Dankworth, Squardronairs,Tubby Hayes George Melly, I could go on, the old hall used to shake with the fabulous music these great musician's could play.
 
Great stories and remembrances. I hope someone can remember going to the Locarno in the early l960's and dancing to a band led by a man called
Colin Jones. He had a full dance band and a couple of singers...one male and one female. The male was a great singer in the style of Frank Sinatra. I believe that the Locarno was owned by Top Rank at this time and the band led by Mr. Jones was voted one of the best Top Rank ballroom bands in Britain at that time.
 
I don't think I ever went to the Locarno Jennyann.

I did go to the Town Hall, Stan Kenton, Humph, Chris Barber, Dave Brubeck in the days when we made paper aeroplanes out of the programme and threw them over the band.:)
 
Sounds like so much fun Di. Jazz, both modern and traditional was very popular in Birmingham during those years and there were some great
shows that were always well attended. My brother as I have mentioned, and his friends were into traditional jazz mostly...Kid Ory, etc. I know they
followed certain bands around Brum venues.
 
Hi Ann, Did you know Edmundo Ross was still alive? I think he is 94 or 96
Im not sure, Joe Loss used to visit Derby every year and play for dancing.
Can not think of his main singer, big chap with a deep voice, came from
Nottingham I think,
When we were courting we often went to Tower Ballroom, the trouble was
getting home, we had to walk into town and then get the All Night bus home I think they used to park outside Greys shop. No ringing up Mommy
or Daddy to collect you in those days!!! take care Bernard:cool:Arnold
 
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