[ The Harmonica Band ]
Currently no information available. Appeared in the 1936 British picture 'Sunshine Ahead'

      [ Jack Harris Band ]
Currently no information available. Appeared in the 1933 British made film 'Send 'Em Back Half-dead', and in a 1935 picture too.

      [ The Jack Hart Orchestra ], (Active Mid -Late 1930s - disbanded late 1939)
Here's a photograph of the Jack Hart Orchestra, on stage. Harry Weston is seated at the far left, and seated third from left is Harry's brother, Jack Weston. These two men, in addition to their duties as Tenor Saxmen, were vocalists in the band's vocal group called The Rhythm Racketeers. (L-R Harry Weston (Tenor Sax), Jack Weston (Tenor Sax), and Joe Kirkham.) In addition to their live appearance, they were also seen in at least one 1937 British film.

In private correspondence, Mr Anthony Weston, son of Tenor Sax player Harry Weston, and nephew of Jack Weston, has said:
       "As far as I recall The band was on the British Gaumont Circuit in
       the mid to late 1930s I know that they also performed on the Isle of
       Man on several occasions. They cut several records with, I believe
       The Parlaphone Record Co.I was told that the band was one of the
       first in the UK to introduce comedy routines into their act with
       songs performed by the band members, I was also told that "spies"
       were sent to performances by Billy Cotton who's band eventually
       became well known on radio etc for their comedy routines. I believe
       the band broke up in mid to late 1939. (Previously) The band was
       featured in an advertising campaign featuring my Father and Uncle
       by Conn Saxophones...."

One reader, Mr. Alan Dean, has also recalled that "Jack went on to become a Showman and was running a Bingo Stall at the Battersea Fun Fair in the 1950s. He often spoke of making a comeback with the orchestra, but it never materialised."
The BigBands Database Plus thanks Mr Anthony Weston (and his sister Ms Pat Davis) who graciously supplied the photographs, and their memories of the 'Jack Hart Orchestra' and 'The Rhythm Racketeers' vocal group. Harry Weston was their father, and Jack Weston, their uncle.

      [ Holland's Magyar Band ]
Currently no information available. Appeared in British films including 1936 picture 'Murder at the Cabaret'

      [ Jack Howard Orch. ]
Currently no information available. Appeared in some British films.

      [ Henry Hall (& his BBC Dance Orch) ], (30's)
b. London, 2 May, 1898, d. Eastbourne, 28 October, 1989
Theme songs:
Original: "Come Ye Back To Bonnie Scotland"
Later:
In Theme: "It's Just The Time For Dancing"
Out Theme: "Here's To The Next Time"
Overview
Henry Hall (photo source unknown) is best remembered for the five year period in the 1930's when he directed the BBC Dance Orchestra and was the most popular radio star in Britain receiving the largest fan mail of any broadcasting artist, but that was only part of a most successful career as bandleader, composer, arranger, impresario and broadcaster.

As a youth, Henry worked with the Salvation Army's Musical Services division. His formal musical studies were at the Guildhall School of Music and also at Trinity College. After WW1, he worked as a pianist in silent pictures theaters.

His first break came in 1922 when he joined the LMS Railway Hotel chain as a pianist and ten years later he was the Musical Director for the hotels controlling 32 bands. In the middle of 1924 he formed a band for the new ultra-grand Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire,Scotland, and broadcast for the first time from the opening night ball. Henry made a few records for Columbia over the next two years but no real impact was made outside the hotels until Thursday 31 July 1930 when he made his first late night broadcast from Gleneagles. (Note: From the late 1920's until 1936 the BBC would broadcast live dance music between 10.30pm and midnight, - six nights a week.) From then onwards Henry Hall and his Gleneagles Band was broadcasting practically every week. When the Gleneagles Hotel closed during the winter months, Henry would transfer to either the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool or the Midland Hotel in Manchester, and in this latter venue the band started recording for Decca in March 1931. Henry's first record hit was his arrangement MUSICAL COMEDY SWITCH (Decca K..581) and on one of those first Decca sessions the innovative British jazzman Spike Hughes deputised on string bass and probably Henry's jazziest record I LOST MY GIRL FROM MEMPHIS (Decca F.2330) was the result. The Gleneagles Band broadcasts attracted a lot comment as the band was small for a regular broadcasting unit - about six musicians - which could hold an unseen audience for 90 minutes without a vocalist. Their signature tune was COME YE BACK TO BONNIE SCOTLAND.

The BBC were impressed and when their resident dance bandleader, Jack Payne, decided to leave to go on tour, Henry was invited to form a new BBC Dance Orchestra. Many in the London musical profession were shocked that a leader from "the provinces" had been given the prestigious job and music critics were scathing about the new band but Henry soon won the hearts of the British public with his fine music and quiet but engaging personality. Their first broadcast was on March 15th 1932 and was also notable for being the first transmission from Broadcasting House, London. Henry introduced his two new signature tunes, opening with IT'S JUST THE TIME FOR DANCING and closing with the still warmly remembered HERE'S TO THE NEXT TIME. For the next five years the Orchestra was heard most week days with regular daily broadcasts at 5.15pm, every Thursday on the late night spot, later alternating Saturday nights with the Ambrose Orchestra. With the BBC post came a new recording contract with Columbia and the band had an enormous hit in its first year with TEDDY BEARS PICNIC (Col.DB.955/FB.2816) which went on to sell a million. Henry realised that a lot of youngsters would be listening to his afternoon programmes and he introduced a lot of numbers like TEDDY BEARS PICNIC to appeal to them. There was something for all the family.

Jack Payne had established a hot rhythm style as leader of the BBC Dance Orchestra, but Henry decided that a radically different approach was needed to identify his band. Less emphasis on brass and more on melody (the new 1932 BBC band even sported a cello)!!. Henry's many vocalists included Val Rosing, Les Allen, Kitty Masters, Phyllis Robins, Dan Donovan, Leslie Douglas, Bob Mallin and George Elrick. The band increased size over the years until in March 1936 there were 27 instrumentalists and vocalists. American Benny Carter was added to the impressive list of arrangers which included the band's pianist Bert Read, Ronnie Munro, Phil Cardew and Burton Gillis, the saxophonist who joined Henry in 1929 and stayed until the war. Although few of Carter's scores were recorded, his work can be heard to great effect on I'M PUTTING ALL MY EGGS IN ONE BASKET (Col.FB 1364), BYE,BYE,BABY (Col.FB 1547) and ONE,TWO, BUTTON YOUR SHOE (Col.FB 1627). The BBC Band was at its glorious best between 1935 and 1937 when the band had a big sound. Surviving broadcast recordings show that the band would tackle such material as STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY while its Columbia records concentrated on the popular songs of the day.

In 1934 Henry introduced a new presentation with his "Guest Nights" which was to continue into the 1950's, long after he disbanded. The 'Henry Hall Orchestra' appeared in the 1935 film 'Music Hath Charms' which starred famed American songstress 'Hildegarde'. Over the years many of the great American songwriters like Irving Berlin , Harry Revel and Mack Gordon, appeared with the band on air. On August 4th 1936 a half-hour programme featured the music of Johnny Mercer with Mercer himself singing I'M BUILDING UP TO AN AWFUL LETDOWN, GOODY GOODY and I'M AN OLD COWHAND. This complete programme is available on CD - "Henry Hall's Hour" Radiogram RGM 001- a real treasure. Henry made several trips to the States to learn about developments in dance music and he directed the music on the maiden voyage of the liner RMS Queen Mary in May 1936. However, Henry was a well-known supporter of British songwriters and he himself had considerable success with his own IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODNIGHT.

On 25 September 1937, The BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall made its farewell broadcast and was back on air on September 30th as Henry Hall and his Dance Orchestra. The band went on tour to an enormous reception. Apart from the Orchestra's starring role in their film MUSIC HATH CHARMS in 1935, and a few appearances at the London Palladium amongst others, most people hadn't actually seen the band perform. When Henry and the boys arrived at the Central Station in Glasgow the police were called out to control the enthusiastic crowds. Over the next two years the Orchestra toured Britain and Europe and continued to record on Columbia. In 1938, the band visited Germany and played the National-Scala Theater in Berlin.

The band kept going during the war and for some years after until Henry diversified his activities and became a successful businessman.
(These notes on Henry Hall were kindly supplied by Mr Peter Wallace.)

      [ Jerry Hoey Orch. ]
Overview
From 1929 to 1940, Hoey was one of the resident bands at Londons Piccadilly Hotel. His band displayed a rather high musical standard, and the hotels wealthy, and often titled, patrons enjoyed this friendly, and personable leader. In the mid-1930s, the hotel considered not renewing Hoeys contract. But the idea was dropped when management received a petition signed by scores of influential guests.

During the 1920s, Jerry played Reeds (Clarinet and Alto Sax) in many local orchestras. In 1923, he joined Jack Hyltons Band remaining with Jack until late 1927 when he joined the Savoy Orpheans. He stayed with the Orpheans for over three years until the Savoy contract ended, and Fred Elizalde's Band, became resident at the Savoy, staying there from Jan. 1st, 1928 until July 1929. (While at the Savoy Elizaldi signed an unknown singer, Al Bowlly, who would go on to become the world's most recorded Popular Song vocalist.)

In 1929, he was one of the sidemen in Jim Kellahers Band then at the Piccadilly Hotel. He left when the management asked him to form his own band for appearance in the prestigious Grill Room. During a long series of radio broadcasts, the band became quite popular. Throughout 1931, they were recording for the Piccadilly label.