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| BBC Four Len Goodman's (British) Dance Band Days |
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| 23rd Dec 2013, 9:08 PM | #1 REPORT | |
 | Whyperion SUBS Too Many Records , Too Little Time Member since Jan 2013 306 Points | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03n2sck BBC Comment ( I think the programme seems a little bit light and over-simplified, but seems watchable) Len Goodman takes a step back in time to the heyday of British dance bands, a golden age of music that laid the foundations for 20th century pop. In the years between the wars, band leaders such as Bert Ambrose and Jack Hylton were household names and the country danced its socks off. It was a time of radio and records, when Britain absorbed black American music and gave it a unique twist. Many of the bands played in the posh society hotels of London's West End. Some were making big money and enjoying the high life. They were also keen to broadcast to the nation via the new BBC. Len discovers that 'Auntie' had a tricky relationship with the bands - though they formed a key part of the corporation's entertainment output, during the 20s and 30s there were concerns about the influence of American culture, song-plugging and commercialisation. Crooning was also developed as a new style of singing, thanks in part to the development of better microphones. But this new 'intimate' form of singing did not impress everyone at the corporation. Despite the BBC's concerns the vocalists continued to enjoy huge success and fame, as did the bands. Len follows the story of vocalist Al Bowlly, a man of huge talent who attracted great public adoration. Al was killed in London's blitz and buried in a mass grave - a sad and symbolic moment in the history of dance bands. Len discovers how we went dance band crazy and asks why, within just two decades, our love affair with this music began to fall flat Edited by moderator on 23rd Dec 2013, 9:40 PM |
| 5th Jan 2019, 2:22 PM | #2 REPORT | |
 | mister_tmg Also on 78rpm Member since Apr 2012 1118 Points | It is occasionally repeated but sadly not for over a year now. BBC Four link It was a good programme, and a follow up to Len Goodman's Dancing Feet: The British Ballroom Story which hasn’t been repeated for a while either. I actually remember the dance band one being on first. I wasn’t sure it was entirely accurate that the dance bands effectively died out in 1945, I think they were still popular in the immediate post war years and recording regularly. |
| 5th Jan 2019, 4:31 PM | #3 REPORT | |
| scrough🍰 No picture 'cos I'm not into 45rpm :( Member since Jan 2013 3428 Points Moderator | The 1945 date for the dying out of dance bands is much too early. I remember being taken to public dances as a small child in the mid 1950s, and the TV series 'Come Dancing' ran from 1950 to 1998. Len Goodman was born in 1944, so couldn't have become a professional dancer until the 1960s. And my research on 78rpm release dates shows many of these dance bands still active into the start of the 1960s. |
| 6th Jan 2019, 12:30 AM | #4 REPORT | |
| mister_tmg Also on 78rpm Member since Apr 2012 1118 Points | I’m glad you agree. It seems to be what Brian Rust and Sandy Forbes also imply in their discography. I would guess that the solo vocalists has overtaken the dance bands in popularity by the late 1940s or early 1950s. If you look at First Hits, you can see who was recording all the popular sheet music songs of the day and the dance bands gradually disappear from the lists, except those doing ballroom dancing covers of the hits. The film Dance Hall was released in 1950 which suggests it was still a popular activity to go dancing with a band at that time. I suppose the era when dance bands dominated popular entertainment ended in the immediate post war years. Many were still active, but others moved into different activities. Jack Hylton as a theatre impresario, Ambrose and Geraldo in light orchestral music, Joe Loss in ballroom dancing. He probably lasted longest. Was dance band music still being issued on 78 into 1960 or 1961 though? Maybe Victor Silvester or Joe Loss? |
| 6th Jan 2019, 3:22 PM | #5 REPORT | |
| scrough🍰 No picture 'cos I'm not into 45rpm :( Member since Jan 2013 3428 Points Moderator | The main UK labels stopped issuing dual format (10" 78 and 7" 45) about April 1960, but dance bands like Joe Loss and Victor Silvester continued on 7" - and other formats - much later. |
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