Anna Russell

I found this book by Anna Russell at a flea market in the car park of Southend United football club some years ago. At the time I was drawn to the grimacing face on the cover and was delighted to find a pocket in the back of the book contained a 45 r.p.m. disc featuring two songs and a skit about learning to play the french horn.
Anna Russell was born in London in 1911 and attended the Royal College of Music. She pursued the concert career as a lyric soprano and when the war broke out in 1939 she and her family moved to Canada. She appeared on local radio stations and entertained the troups and was soon writing and arranging her own songs. She moved to New York to further her career but wasn't getting very far so took the bold step in 1948 of hiring the New York Town Hall with a capacity of 1,500. Only 250 of her friends turned up but the critics gave her some good reviews. In 1951 she tried again and this time the venue was almost full and the critics acclaimed her as one of the funniest women of her generation. She has sung with many great orchestras and in many operas and her own Broadway show.
She has since retired and moved to Australia.


Anna Russell - Dripping With Gore

Anna Russell - Miserable

Anna Russell - French Horn


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Bobby Thompson ( The Little Waster )

I found this today in the Age Concern shop for 75p. The accent is a bit hard going at times and one can see why he really didn't mean much outside of his North East England patch.

"Famous for his broad North-east accent, self-deprecating humour and mastery of the mother-in-law joke, Thompson was affectionately known as The Little Waster due to his short stature. His most famous outfit was a worn out stripey jumper and flat cap. His ever-present Woodbine cigarette stub, hanging from the corner of his mouth, was also an integral part of his on-stage persona.

His attempts to move beyond North East England were limited by his accent and the regional bias of his humour, although he did enjoy some success with the BBC show, Wot Cheor Geordie, and with regular appearances on Sunday Night at the London Palladium."

He was also renowned for his problems with the tax man. He incorporated this in his stage act.

Problems with drink, finances and his health affected his career in the 1970s, but he remained a North East favourite, particularly on the club scene, until shortly before his death.

Discover more about Bobby Thompson HERE.


Bobby Thompson - The Little Waster


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Slim Pickins

Found this LP today at the Oxfam in Chester for a couple of quid ( three actually ) which is more than I would usually pay but I was intrigued by some of the song titles and the toxic green vinyl! Also it was signed by Slim and dedicated to someone called Hazel or maybe even Hank? Not to be confused with the american film star of the same name!

Not much to be gleaned about him on the tinternet but he still gigs around the Midlands it seems. This album is on the Westwood Recordings label in Wales and came out in 1975. It reminds a bit of The Two Ronnies when they did that spoof C&W act "Jahosophat & Jones". A nice mixture of comedy and country and western.
Other musicians on the Lp are Stewart Barnes - Lead guitar, acoustic guitar. Steve Hughes - Bass. Alan Holmes - Drums, backing vocals. Jeannie Denver - Backing vocals. Tony Cervi - Piano and an unkown ukulele player. On the sleeve nots it states "None of the musicians have been seen since".


Slim Pickins - I'm A Ladies Man

Slim Pickins - Hoot & Holler Bar & Grill

Slim Pickins - 15 Beers Ago

Slim Pickins - Kansas City Star

Slim Pickins - Make Me A Star


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Singing Dogs

Another 78 from the boot on Sunday. I remember this oddity being played on Children's Favourites on the radio when I was a nipper.

"Carl Weismann - Danish legendary pioneer bird voice recording engineer, working for the Danish State Radio in Copenhagen - HATED dogs!
Yeah, well - he hated their barking spoiling every other of his recordings of singing birds - he became a master in cutting them out of his bird tapes - in those days - the 50's - there was no other way to do it than with a pair of scissors!
So he ended up with two piles of tapes - one with bird voices and one with dog voices.
The dogs really were doomed to be thrown out - but then Carl got an idea! He cut together a tape of various toned dog barks set to the music of 'Jingle Bells'.
He had no further intentions, than it might be fun for a Danish children radio show.
HOW it in 1955 ended up on a 45 rpm with 3 other tunes 'Patty Cake', 'Three Blind Mice' and 'Oh Susanna' as a four-tune medley - I simply don’t know. But the disc was released by RCA in USA and sold 500.000 copies.
Release in Britain around the same time was on Pye-Nixa label, on a 78 rpm disc.
In Sweden it has been seen on the Metronome label.
Howard Smith, host of a four-hour talk-music show over WABC-New York FM outlet, WPLJ who liked to play anything weird or new on his program first started playing the original 45 rpm disc at Christmas 1970.
Someone found it in a Boston used record store and gave it to the father of his girlfriend. Smith played the disc for many weeks prior to Christmas 1971 and told some RCA executives at a record party about the public response to his playing their old record. RCA unearthed the original parts at their plant in Indianapolis and rushed the disc into release in early December 1971.
In 3 weeks alone it sold 420,000 copies, the combined sales through the years thus making it a million seller."


Singing Dogs - Pata-A-Cake etc.

Singing Dogs - Oh Susanna


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Cranes Skiffle Group

Another 78 from the boot sale today. On the Embassy label from 1957. Cranes Skiffle Group was actually Chas McDevitt and His band who had a big hit with "Freight Train" with Nancy Whiskey singing the lead vocal that same year.

"The group had already recorded 'Freight Train' for Oriole Records; thanks to the demo discs produced by their new manager, Bill Varley. Bill ran Trio Recordings, a small studio in Tin Pan Alley. It was Varley who suggested that to get an edge over the other skiffle groups they should include a girl in their line-up. Folksinger, Nancy Whiskey, who had also appeared on the Radio Luxembourg talent competition was invited to join the group. At first reluctant to give up her folksinging, she joined the boys at the end of December 1956. They re-recorded 'Freight Train' with Nancy taking the vocals. On the same session they recorded; 'Cotton Song', 'New Orleans' and 'Don't You Rock Me Daddy O'. The last track was released on Embassy records, Oriole Records' cheap subsidiary that sold in Woolworth's. They used the pseudonym 'The Cranes Skiffle Group'. 'Worried Man', originally recorded for Embassy, whilst Jimmie MacGregor was with the group, was substituted on their second Oriole release."

Discover more about Chas McDevitt HERE.


Cranes Skiffle Group - Freight Train

Cranes Skiffle Group - Cumberland Gap


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Bobby Kimber

Found this old 78 at a boot sale today for 20p. It was recorded "Under the auspicesof the English Folk Dance and Song Society". Solo concertina. I didn't find much about Billy but a quote here about him sheds some light on his songs and his friends.

"Billy's concertina wasn't accepted by all in the side, either, being somewhat new-fangled (patented in 1844 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, though the “anglo” Billy played was probably based on a patent of 1884), but he could do Laudnum Bunches, The Blue-Eyed Stranger, Constant Billy, Country Garden, Rigs of Marlow, How D'Ye Do Sir, Bean Setting, Haste To The Wedding, Rodney, Trunkles, what some called Trunk Hose, and Draw Back. But the side's fiddler, Mark Cox, had gone off for a servant's job at Magdalen College up at Oxford, so they'd have to follow along of Merry Kimber's squeezebox, with young William Washington, the well-digger, him they called Sip, playing the fool. Youngest dancer'd be Charlie Massey, a brickmaker like his father, William, both of them known rather confusingly by the same nickname – Mac – then the two Coppocks, George, known as Spuggle, and George, known as Curly, the latter with great ambitions, later fulfilled, to have a load of men working for his building business, Billy's brother, Richard Kimber, known as Dobbin, making a great career for himself as a worker with the local district council, John Ward, known as Waggle (and you'd soon know why, if you saw him dancing), a labourer, Jim Hedges, known as Gran, a laundry delivery man, and the oldest man in the side, 54-year-old John Horwood, whose brickmaking trade gave him his nickname of Brickdust.

Discover more about Bobby Kimber HERE.


Bobby Kimber - Rodney

Bobby Kimber - Rigs Of Marlow

Bobby Kimber - Beansetting

Bobby Kimber - 29th May


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Sir Harry Lauder

A 10" LP on the HMV label issued in the late 50's or early 60's. The songs themselves are probably not the originals but his "hits" re-made in the 30's and 40's.

"Sir Harry Lauder (1870 - 1950), the popular singer and entertainer, who won international renown, was born at Number 4 Bridge Street, Portobello.

As a boy Lauder worked in a flax-spinning mill in Arbroath, where he attended school, and for a time he was a miner. It was in Arbroath that he first appeared on stage. He had a natural singing voice and a talent for composing simple and tuneful songs.

His stage persona depended heavily on the kilt, a curly walking-stick, and much talk of bawbees and allusions to tight-fistedness, and Lauder's critics complained that he caricatured the Scot. Be that as it may, Lauder was just as popular in his own country as he was in England and innumerable countries overseas.

Songs like Roaming in the Gloaming and Keep Right On to the End of the Road retain their magic and have become part of Scotland's folk music. He was knighted in 1919, and in 1927 received the Freedom of Edinburgh."

Something very irritating about a professional scotman like Lauder who played the part to the hilt, but nevertheless I find the mixture of music hall song and stirring highland sentiment and wimsy very attractive in an odd kind of way. Maybe I have some scottish blood in my veins somewhere?

Discover more about Sir Harry lauder HERE.


Sir Harry Lauder - Roaming In The Gloaming

Sir Harry Lauder - I Love A Lassie

Sir Harry Lauder - Stop Yer Tickling Jock

Sir Harry Lauder - The waggle O' The Kilt


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Roy Hudd

This LP is on the Flash Back series on Precision Record label from 1976.

"A famous face in showbiz for thirty five years, Roy Hudd is natural comedy entertainer, a talented actor, playwright, sketch-writer, and performer.

He broke into TV appearing on Not So Much A Programme, More A Way of Life, but found wider fame with 1969’s The Roy Hudd Show.

Since 1975 The News Huddlines has had an amazing run on Radio 2, and is something of an institution. Although it's currently off-air, it will be back next year.

Roy's work as a dramatic actor in television has also won him praise. Dennis Potter's Lipstick on your Collar proved a huge success. This led to his most endearing dramatic role, again written for him by Potter, that of Spoonerism-afflicted Ben Baglin in Karaoke. "
So says the BBC website of profiles of the stars.

Discover more about Roy Hudd HERE.


Roy Hudd - Where Did You Get That Hat?

Roy Hudd - While London Sleeps

Roy Hudd - It's A Great Big Shame

Roy Hudd - The Future Mrs. Awkins

Roy Hudd - The Hole In The Elephant's Bottom


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Chris Barber

An LP on the Decca "Ace Of Clubs" label from the late 50's with songs from guests Lonnie Donegan who also plays banjo on some tracks and Ottilie Patterson.

"British jazz trombonist Chris Barber celebrated his 50th year as a bandleader in 1999. Inspired by the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, Chris formed his first Barber New Orleans Band in 1949 at the age of nineteen. In 1953, along with Monty Sunshine and Lonnie Donegan, he joined forces with Ken Colyer. Then, with the replacement of Colyer by Pat Halcox, Ken Colyer's Jazzmen became Chris Barber's Jazz Band in 1954 and has been one of Europe's most successful traditional jazz bands ever since.
Over the years, Chris Barber's Jazz Band evolved into the Chris Barber Jazz and Blues Band, a rich eight-piece group, blending brass, reeds, and electric guitar into a unique and unmistakable mix of blues and jazz. And despite being 'on the slide' since 1949, having performed over 10,000 concerts and made thousands of recordings, the Chris Barber Jazz & Blues Band keeps marching on, right into the 21st century. At the end of 2001 Chris extended his band with three more musicians into The BIG Chris Barber Band."

Discover more about Chris Barber HERE.


Chris Barber - Bobbie Shaftoe

Chris Barber - Rock Island Line

Chris Barber - New Orleans Blues

Chris Barber - John Henry

Chris Barber - Stevedore Stomp


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Wout Steenhuis

Found this today in a charity shop for a few pence. I remember Wout in the 60's guesting on radio shows like "Saturday Club" and "Forces favourites". It's a bit too MOR for me but I know a lot of people love this sort of thing. He's still going strong apparently and recently featured on the Cannon & Ball website -

"Wout hails from Holland but settled in England shortly after the war. In his native country he was already known as the guitarist of the famous Orchestra of the Dutch Swing College (still going strong today). At the end of the war his Dutch Resistance activities caught up with him and a serious shot wound could well have ended his career. But, thanks to treatment in a British Army hospital, his arm was saved and he could play his guitar again,

His early reputation was as a solo Jazz, Ballad and Hawaiian guitarist, but in addition his claim to fame now are his multi-track performances. Shades of Les Paul, maybe, but there is one vital difference: Wout sings and plays everything himself, using a choir of his own voices, guitars, Hawaiian guitar, drums, bass, electric and acoustic pianos, organ, ukelele, and latin-american rhythm instruments, all recorded in his own stereo studios. A one-man orchestra and choir is the end product.

From the stage/cabaret floor Wout controls the playing of backing tapes which contain his own pre-recorded orchestral and vocal accompaniments. At the same time, live through his own mixer/amplifier/mike equipment he adds the melody lines on guitar, Hawaiian guitar and vocals. It is not just a gimmick, but an impressive live performance in which he reproduces the sounds and songs audiences know so well from his records and broadcasts. AND: he is self-contained - needs no backing, bandcalls or p.a.

His material ranges from top-twenty songs to ballads and Hawaiian (Wout's speciality) and includes vocals, not just in English but where required in French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Hawaiian and Maori. His easy-going chat and amusing stories linking his songs and his sounds deserve special mention. Altogether a style which particularly suits "middle of the road" audiences in theatres and clubs."

You can find the whole album at Rapidshare HERE.

Howdy Doody Time

"The Howdy Doody Show was one of the first and easily the most popular children's television show in the 1950s and a reflection of the wonder, technical fascination, and business realities associated with early television. While Howdy and his friends entertained American children, they also sold television sets to American parents and demonstrated the potential of the new medium to advertisers.

The idea for Howdy Doody began on the NBC New York radio affiliate WEAF in 1947 with a program called The Triple B Ranch. The three Bs stood for Big Brother Bob Smith, who developed the country bumpkin voice of a ranch hand and greeted the radio audience with, "Oh, ho, ho, howdy doody." Martin Stone, Smith's agent, suggested putting Howdy on television and presented the idea to NBC televi-sion programming head Warren Wade. With Stone and Roger Muir as producers, Smith launched Puppet Playhouse on 17 December 1947. Within a week the name of the program was changed to The Howdy Doody Show."

A strange record on the the Leslee label from the 60's I would guess by the graphics. A weird mixture of newsreel from the 50's and 60's and cut between songs and segments of a puppet show for children! Not quite sure who it is aimed at. Certainly a curiosity and I uplaod both sides here for your bewilderment!


Howdy Doody Time - Side One

Howdy Doody Time - Side Two


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George Melly's Bubbling Over Four

This tape was sent to me some years ago by persons unknown. It's a programme called Saturday Skiffle Club hosted by Brian Matthew and went out on BBC Light Programme , as it was then, on 23rd. November 1957. Others on the programme are Dick Bishop's Sidekicks and The City Ramblers.

"He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe public school, where he discovered his interest in modern art, jazz and blues and started coming to terms with his sexuality. This period of his life is described in Scouse Mouse, a volume of his autobiography.
He joined the Royal Navy at the end of the Second World War because, as he quipped to the recruiting officer, the uniforms were 'so much nicer'. As he related in his autobiography, Rum, Bum and Concertina, he was crestfallen to discover that he would not be sent to a ship and was thus denied the "bell-bottom" uniform he desired. Instead he received desk duty and wore the other Navy uniform, described as "the dreaded fore-and-aft". Later, however, he did see ship duty. He never saw active combat, but was almost court-martialled for distributing anarchist literature."

Discover more about George Melly HERE.


Bubbling Over Four - Casey Jones/Kansas City

Bubbling Over Four - This Train/Sporting Life

Bubbling Over Four - I Want A Butter And Egg Man


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Max Bacon - Requested Re-Up

"Max was the larger-than-life drummer with the Ambrose Orchestra for many years, who also had a unique Jewish-style humour. Prior to joining Ambrose in late 1927, he had been with Leon van Straten's band in 1926 and also was briefly with Fred Elizalde's band (which seems to be made up of Ambrose musicians) and Al Starita's Kit-Cat band (probably a temporary substitute for Eric Little). He was a regular member of Ronnie Munro's band which recorded for Parlophone and Imperial from 1926 to 1929, and also with Arthur Lally's band at Decca in the early 1930s. His stint with Ambrose lasted until 1940 and his wry comments may be heard on a number of comedy titles, including the famous number "Cohen the Crooner (The Crosby of Mile-End)" which is extant on film. On leaving Ambrose, Max went into variety, and also acting, taking small parts in films and television shows."


Max Bacon - William T. Hell

Max Bacon - Little Red Hooding Ride

Max Bacon - Even A Crooner Must Eat


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Golden Voices Of The Music Hall

An old early 60's compilation on the budget Ace Of Clubs label of music hall artistes from the 30's and 40's I imagine. Not much information on the sleeve.

Ella Shields.
"Ella Shields (September 27, 1879 – August 05, 1952[1]) was a music hall singer and male-impersonator. Her famous signature song, "Burlington Bertie from Bow", written by her manager and first husband, William Hargreaves, was an immediate hit that is still sung to this day. Though American-born, Ella achieved her greatest success in England."

Nellie Wallace
"Nellie Wallace was one of the most famous and best loved music hall performers and is one of the stars commemorated in the new Theatre of Variety at the Grand Theatre Blackpool. She was a 'grotesque', one of a genre that also included Lily Morris, who famously sang 'Why Am I Always the Bridesmaid?' These women made themselves look bizarre and illustrated their comic songs and patter with outlandishly grotesque dances that actually required great dancing skills. They were as loveable and appealing as they were extraordinary to look at and since the characters they portrayed were usually down on their luck, audiences took them to their hearts."


Ella Shields - Burlington Bertie

Ella Shields - The Army

Tom Leamore - Mick MacDonald

Tom Leamore - Percy From Pimlico

Nellie Wallace - The Blasted Oak

Nellie Wallace - Three Times A Day


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Spike Jones & His City Slickers

No excuses for uplaoding more Spike Jones and his wonderful band. This 1986 LP on the Harlequin label is a compilation of early stuff from 1942 when Spike had not got as wacky as in later years. It only highlights the exceptional musicianship of his eight peice band and hints at things to come, especially in songs like "I Wann Go Back To West Virginia" and "St-St-St-Stella".


"Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 - May 1, 1965) was a popular musician and comedian. He was born in Long Beach, California.
His father was a Southern Pacific railroad agent. He got his nickname by being so thin that he was compared to a railroad spike. At the age of eleven he got his first set of drums. As a teenager he played in bands that he formed himself. A chef in a railroad restaurant taught him how to use adapted pots and pans, forks, knives and spoons as musical instruments. He frequently played in theater pit orchestras. In the 1930's he joined the Victor Young Band and thereby got many offers to appear to radio shows including the Al Jolson Lifebuoy Show, Burns and Allen (with George Burns) and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall. In 1940, he had an uncredited part in the film Give Us Wings, and in 1942 as a hillbilly in Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy. He joined up with vocalist Del Porter and performed in Los Angeles, gaining a cult following. By 1941 the band included violinist Carl Grayson. Other band members were George Rock (voice and trumpet), Doodles Weaver (voice) and Red Ingle (voice). They became his backing band The City Slickers.Jones's wife was the singer Helen Grayco, who performed on some of his radio shows. They recorded five records for Victor's label "Bluebird" before receiving their big break."

Discover more about Spike Jones HERE.


Spike Jones - I Know A Story

Spike Jones - John Scotter Trot

Spike Jones - The Sailor With The Navy Blue Eyes

Spike Jones - I Wanna Go Back To West Virginia

Spike Jones - Come Josephine In My Flying Machine

Spike Jones - Love For Sale

Spike Jones - Moanin' Low

Spike Jones - St-St-St-Stella


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The Polynesians

"The term "Polynesia" was first coined by Charles de Brosses in 1756, and originally applied to all the islands of the Pacific. Jules Dumont d'Urville in an 1831 lecture to the Geographical Society of Paris proposed a restriction on its use, and also introduced the terms Micronesia and Melanesia. This division into three distinct Pacific subregions remains in widespread use today.
Geographically, Polynesia may be described as a triangle with its three corners at Hawai'i, New Zealand, and Easter Island. The other main island groups located within the Polynesian triangle are Samoa, Tonga, and the various island chains that form French Polynesia.
However, in essence it is an anthropological term referring to one of the three parts of Oceania (the others being Micronesia and Melanesia) whose pre-colonial population generally belongs to one ethno-cultural family as a result of centuries of maritime migrations. Then westerners came (more maritime migrations) and alternately abused and enslaved and intermingled with the population."

This record on the Crown label in California features Harry Baty, Sam Kaapuni, Bob Nichols and Joe Keava.


The Polynesians - Pagan Love Song

The Polynesians - Orchid Lei

The Polynesians - Lei Makamae

The Polynesians - Te Manu Pukarua

The Polynesians - Kamahula


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Bet Lynch's Legs

Bet Lynch as we all know was the brassy barmaid at the Rover's Return pub in Britain's longest running soap "Coronation Street". I don't remember her legs very well but obviously these boys did and named their band after her pins. Other than that I know nothing about them. Two quirky instrumentals from old cowboy films which have been done better but it has a certain charm and certainly different from a lot of stuff that came out in 1979.
I must point out the wealth of other versions can be found at a wonderful blog called "The Cheeze Factory" , who's link you can find at the side here.


Bet Lynch's Legs - Riders In The Sky

Bet Lynch's legs - High Noon


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Mohd. Rafi

An Indian EP on the Angel label from 1969. Part of a soundtrack to a film called "Tumse Achha Kaun Hai". All the songs here are sung by Rafi but he is joined by Lata Mangeshgar on "Rangat Teri Surat".

"Mohd. Rafi was perhaps the most popular male playback singer ever and maybe the second most popular singer of Indian Cinema after who else Lata Mangeshkar!

Rafi could sing for anyone in any style. At one stage in the 1960s Rafi was the voice of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Johnny Walker, Sunil Dutt, Biswajeet, Joy Mukherjee, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and Raaj Kumar! From the classical Madhuban mein Radhika Nachi re to the swinging Aaja Aaja Main hoon Pyar Tera, from the soulful Hum Bekhudi Mein Aapko Pukarein to the comic Sar jo Tera Chakraye, from the philosophical Dekhi Zamaane ki Yaari to the frivolous Aiaiya Karoon Main Kya Sookoo Sookoo, he could sing anything! In fact Rafi was blessed with such a range that he could easily sing in three octaves without veering out of control.

Born in Kotta Sultansingh village in Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rafi moved to Lahore when he was 14. There he studied music under Khan Abdul Waheed Khan, Jeevanlal Matto and Ghulam Ali Khan. He was introduced to radio Lahore by composer Feroz Nizami and made his film debut as playback singer in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch (1944).

He moved to Bombay in 1944 where he was first given a break by Naushad in Pehle Aap (1944). Rafi's earlier singing style appeared influenced by G.M. Durrani and his first really big hit was in Jugnu (1947) where he sang the duet Yahaan Badla Wafaa ka Bewafaee ke Siva Kya Hai with Noor Jehan under Feroz Nizami. But his career really took off with the all-time hit Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki from Dulari(1949). From then there was no looking back and Rafi ruled as the undisputed king of playback singing till the early 70s when Kishore Kumar took over. However it took Rafi much of the 50s to establish his superiority over rest of the competition. Kishore Kumar and to a lesser extent Mukesh and Talat Mehmood were preoccupied by their acting while Hemant Kumar saw a decline in his singing career by the end of the 1950s. Manna Dey never really got the breaks his talent deserved and from 1960-1970 Rafi was unchallenged at the top."

Discover more about Mohd. Rafi HERE.

Mohd. Rafi = Janam Janam Ka Saath Hai

Mohd. Rafi - Tumse Achha Kaun Hai

Mohd. Rafi - Rangat Teri Surat


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

Swaranlata & Karamjit Singh Dhuri

An EP on the Odeon EMI from 1973.

"Swaranlata, a tall and alluring Sikh girl from Rawalpindi, was interested in dance, music and films since her childhood. After completing her education, she joined Academy of Music and Arts - Lucknow (UP), and married a rich merchant P.C. Balmoria at the age of 18. Luckily, P.C. Balmoria was himself interested in films and music; therefore, he introduced Swarnlata to the world of films. Swaranlata's first film Awaaz was released in 1942, which was directed by Rafiq Rizvi. Although Swaranlata was cast in a secondary role, she did her role with great confidence opposite such seasoned actors like Maya Banerji and Wasti. Seeing her enthusiasm for films, she was offered the lead role in Najam Naqvi's Tasveer (1943) opposite superstar hero of his time Motilal. Tasveer, a romantic comedy about a philandering doctor did great business at box-office and there was no looking back for Swaranlata. She was showered with offers and was cast as the leading lady in lots of movies including Rattan (1944) which is still considered as one of the greatest hits of Indian Cinema. In 1945, director-cum-producer-cum-actor Nazir started Laila Majnu (1945) under the banner of Hind Pictures, and Swaranlata was cast as Laila. Indian playback singer, Mohd Rafi also appeared in this film, alongside lead pair Swaranlata and Nazir to sing the chorus in tera jalwa jisne dekha. This film, an Arabian love legend, gave rise to a real life romance off the screen as well. Swaranlata converted to Islam and changed her name to Saeeda Bano. Swaranlata and Nazir got married and were inseparable till Nazir's death in 1983".


Swaranlata & Karamjit - Pehli Raat Bada Hi Dar Lagea Si

Swaranlata & Karamjit - Ghund Chuk Mukhra Dikhade

Swaranlata & Karamjit - Thamle De Kol Kol Di

Swaranlata & Karamjit - Ghada Na Chukayo Kudiyo


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The Ramblers Dance Band

A Highlife LP on the Decca label from West Africa recorded in 1969.

The sleeve notes say-

"It is over a decade now since Decca started recording local artists in West Africa. During this stretch of time dance bands have sprouted and wilted away to die in the true tradition of musicla groups. Somehow one band has satyed around longer than most; it seems to have succeeded where others have failed. The Ramblers Dance Band, nearly eight years old, have introduced glamour to the West African Highlife scene. the band have provided it's dance fans with their highlife tunes, while for those who prefer to listen it has supplied the necessary innovations to the traditional forms."


"From its early development in Ghana through the 1970s, Highlife was Africa's first big popular music trend. Evolving from the the music of society bands and military marching bands, Highlife music re-africanized these contemporary instrumental ensembles, adding local percussion, indigenous rhythms and crafting local lyrics around powerful local themes. Highlife, named for the lifestyle of the high society Africans who were its early patrons, was the first major popular music trend in West Africa. Some of Nigeria's early highlife luminaries Bobby Benson, Cardinal Rex Lawson, EC. Arinze, Stephen Amechi, Inyang Henshaw, Celestine Ukwu and many others are still revered to this day. Though highlife lost some of its national power during the Civil War years, Highlife Heavies like Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and Oliver DeCoque remain powerful National forces. Recentely a young generation has worked to put highlife back on the map."

Discover more about Nigerian Highlife HERE


Ramblers Dance Band - Ekombi

Ramblers Dance Band - Agyanka Dabre

Ramblers Dance Band - Ama Bonsu

Ramblers Dance Band - Nyame Ne Nhyehyee

Ramblers Dance Band - Nyame Mbere

Ramblers Dance Band - Alome

Ramblers Dance band - Knock On Wood


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.