Dance Bands (big Bands)
From about 1925 to 1946 the most popular form of music in the UK was that produced by Dance Bands. The British Bands never quite adopted the kind of "Swing" music that was generally associated American "Big Band" jazz. It was quite tame compared to American jazz and was generally more sweet. Billy Cotton had perhaps the longest fame, as he still had a prime-time TV programme until the late 60s. The fame of Ted Heath lasted until 1964. Fans tended to divide them into "Sweet" (Ambrose, Geraldo and Victor Silvester) and "Hot" (Harry Roy, Nat Gonella). Jack Hylton's band was "hot" until 1933, then became sweeter as their success grew. Some of the lead singers enjoyed fame on their own. Most famous was Al Bowlly and Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson.
Read more about this topic: Early British Popular Music
Famous quotes containing the words dance and/or bands:
“There are those who dance to the rhythm that is played to them, those who only dance to their own rhythm, and those who don’t dance at all.”
—José Bergamín (1895–1983)
“Nearly all the bands are mustered out of service; ours therefore is a novelty. We marched a few miles yesterday on a road where troops have not before marched. It was funny to see the children. I saw our boys running after the music in many a group of clean, bright-looking, excited little fellows.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)