The Popular Pair

Charles Hippisley-Cox writes

In the British Dance Band collection is a vast array of old 78 rpm records with attractive labels.  Here’s a rare one from about 1930 advertising Siemens light bulbs!   It is hoped that the collection will provide research material across a wide range of disciplines.  Perhaps a Graphics student might write a thesis on pre-war record label design……..

An advertising record produced for the promotion of Siemens and their Opal and Pearl light bulbs. Recorded by an unidentified group of musicians and the vocalist Eddie Grossbart. Listen out for a lovely pair of solos….an alto just before the vocal and a trombone later on. The presence of Grossbart and the composer credit “Jeanette” have led some people to speculate that the musicians are members of Ambrose’s Orchestra. I am not so sure, and suggest that the band resembles that of Howard Godfrey’s Waldorfians. The record seems to have been pressed using the Duophone “unbreakable” process, but the recording timbre and quality is definitely that of Piccadilly. I would also suggest that the record was made towards the end of 1929 or even 1930 (rather than 1928 given in the discographies).

2 thoughts on “The Popular Pair

  1.   Brett Lowe says:

    Hello Charles and/or Heritage Quay,

    What a fabulous resource this collection of dance band music is. However, I seem to be have difficulty playing any of the recordings other than this YouTube link here. Each recording seems to have a page with a little player but it doesn’t seem to do anything. Perhaps my computer isn’t set up properly, or perhaps the recordings aren’t actually available yet. I’m really excited to hear some more of them, so would be most grateful if you could please let me know if I need to change a setting on my computer (or download some appropriate application), or if the recordings are as yet still to be made available would you please let me know. Maybe there’s something else I’ve missed altogether which is preventing me accessing the actual sound. Please let me know as I am eager to hear more of them and would hate to think it’s just something wrong with my computer. Many thanks for sharing this wonderful collection.

    Regards,

    Brett Lowe (New Zealand)

    1.   Lindsay Ince says:

      Hi Brett
      Thanks for your email. We will need some additional information about how you’re accessing the site to try and understand whether this is something from our side or yours! I will follow up in an email if I may asking those questions, and post a general update once we’ve found a solution! Thanks, Lindsay (HQ)

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