Customer Reviews

In London 1930-1934, Vol. 1: Midnight, The Stars and You

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My Dad was an electrical engineer and a ham radio operator in the late-1930's. He had some of the best shortwave receivers available at that time and a really "hot" antenna system that he designed. All of the preceding is to set the stage for my local and shortwave radio listening in the late thirties. I found an English station (usually loud and clear)and their recordings of English dance bands of the early thirties and got hooked on Ray Noble and his male vocalist,Al Bowlly, when I was barely ten years old. I was elated to find this CD copy of some of Ray's greatest early recordings. This CD is a classic vis-a-vis portraying the technical aspects of the dance music orchestration and vocalization of that era. The unique --- yet typical of that time --- voice of Al Bowlly was a trademark for the then-popular Rudy Valley and Art Tracy style of singing. Al's voice was smooth and well modulated with less "nasal" qualities than many of the Rudy Valley sing-alikes of that time. Ray Noble's orchestra was a cut above many of his American contemporaries and their "big bands". This was mainly because of Ray's passion for perfection and his genius in composing, selecting and arranging music. Ray moved to America in the late thirties and worked with Glenn Miller to form the "American" Ray Noble Orchestra.I remember hearing him frequently as the "lead-in and interlude" orchestra for weekly radio shows of the late thirties and early forties.Ray often engaged in comic patter and dialogue with the show principals.I enjoyed his smooth English accent and humor almost as much as I enjoyed his music.

If you can remember the thirties (you'd have to be in your seventies, at least)or if you have a penchant for dance music of the early thirties then this CD is a must.

Incidentally, if you're a fan of the current daily (evening) radio talk/commentary show, John Batchellor, heard on ABC stations, you have heard the title song of this album. John regularly spins about one minute of the song (and frequently comments on the recording date and vocalist's name)as his sign-off theme. He mentions at times that Al's career was abruptly ended, and tragically so, when he was killed by a bomb explosion during the German Luftwaffe's Blitz of London in April 1941.

This CD of Ray Noble and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra is the first in a series of 10 CDs compiling every recording that crooner Al Bowlly made with the Ray Noble Orchestra in the 1930s. On this first CD you will find 24 songs recorded between 1930-1934. Among them is the timeless classic, "Midnight, the Stars, and You", recorded February 16, 1934. When you reminisce and think of The Good Ol' Days --- the days of simpler, kinder times --- it is this song that evokes and defines that feeling. This is a must CD for those who enjoy the quiet tranquillity that only the Big Band Music of the 1930s can bring. You will not be disappointed.

I was born in 1982, so I was obviously not around when Ray Noble and Al Bowlly were popular. I never would have thought that I would like music as old as this considering that the 1950s are about as old as I am willing to go regarding music; however, I fell in love with the song "Midnight, The Stars, and You" after hearing it in Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining." The song was a perfect complement to the eerie, otherworldly quality of the film and I always promised myself that I would eventually find it on CD. Although I bought this compilation primarily for "Midnight," I was very happy to discover that I also love the other songs and they all have the same period feel to them, immediately conjuring up images of white jackets, black ties, and glittering ballrooms. There is a simplicity to some of the lyrics that render a few of the songs quite corny (e.g. "Make Yourself A Happiness Pie"), but this does nothing to diminish their charm. These are beautiful songs, expertly produced and arranged, and the voice of Al Bowlly is one in a million, pure gold. The 1930s was a decade that I did not get to experience, but it is one that I am happy to have found on disc.

PS The title of this review is a line spoken by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."

This CD is as glorious as it gets. Beautiful transfers from original 78s probably sound better than when they were new. One of the songs, "Midnight, the Stars and You", was featured in the Stanley Kubrick film, "The Shining". If you like music from the 1930s, this is the CD for you!

This CD does take one back to the 30s era of music. If you enjoy that type of music, you must have this. I wish we had more music like this today.

I had not received this order after 5 weeks (4 weeks from shipment). Amazon customer service - with its usual insensitivity to the details of particular customer problems - unable to understand that if it is not here in that time then it is unlikely to arrive. Have to wait another month with no commitment they will send it again even if it is not here after that.

I love this era of music, but it reminds me of the music used on the soundtrack of the original Stephen King movie adaptation of "The Shining" which, unfortunately, was not what I was hoping for!