{"id":2006,"date":"2025-05-22T13:23:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/?p=2006"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:55:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:55:33","slug":"savoy-orpheans-1926-1927","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/2025\/05\/22\/savoy-orpheans-1926-1927\/","title":{"rendered":"Savoy Orpheans 1926-1927"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aurevoir.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"491\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aurevoir.jpg 660w, https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/aurevoir-300x223.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10px;\">(Image courtesy the British Library archive HS.74\/1064)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Background information about the recordings can be found below the audio selections.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 31px;\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #f2ebeb; padding-left: 40px; height: 31px; width: 628px;\">\u201cI&#8217;d Rather Charleston\u201d<br \/>\nSavoy Orpheans; Ramon Newton, Estelle Brody, vocal<br \/>\nJune 11, 1926 \u00a0 (HMV-B 5085 mx Bb 8528)<br \/>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2006-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Id-Rather-Charleston.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Id-Rather-Charleston.mp3\">https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Id-Rather-Charleston.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 13px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 13px; width: 628px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 31px;\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #f2ebeb; padding-left: 40px; height: 31px; width: 628px;\">\u201cHe Left Her Behind Before\u201d<br \/>\nSavoy Orpheans; Ramon Newton, vocal<br \/>\nJune 11, 1926 \u00a0 (HMV-B 5085 mx Bb 8530)<br \/>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2006-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-He-Left-Her-Behind-Before.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-He-Left-Her-Behind-Before.mp3\">https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-He-Left-Her-Behind-Before.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 13px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 13px; width: 628px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 31px;\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #f2ebeb; padding-left: 40px; height: 31px; width: 628px;\">\u201cThere&#8217;s Always A Way Into Trouble\u201d<br \/>\nSavoy Orpheans; Ramon Newton, vocal<br \/>\nAugust 16, 1927 \u00a0 (HMV B-5338 mx Bb 11188)<br \/>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2006-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Theres-Always-A-Way-Into-Trouble.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Theres-Always-A-Way-Into-Trouble.mp3\">https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Savoy-Orpheans-Theres-Always-A-Way-Into-Trouble.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Savoy_Orpheans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Savoy Orpheans<\/a> were one of two well-known bands, the other being the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Savoy_Havana_Band\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Savoy Havana Band<\/a>,<span>\u00a0based out of London&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Savoy_Hotel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Savoy Hotel<\/a> during the early and mid-1920s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Debroy_Somers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Debroy Somers<\/a> was the founder and original leader of the Savoy Orpheans.\u00a0 After Somers left the band, its vocalist and violinist, Ramon Newton, and pianist<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Carroll_Gibbons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Carroll Gibbons<\/a> took on the leadership role.\u00a0 Newton can be heard on the vocals of all three recordings featured here.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;d Rather Charleston&#8221; <\/em>is a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Gershwin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">George Gershwin<\/a> composition from the 1926 London production of the musical comedy <a href=\"https:\/\/ovrtur.com\/production\/2883408\/credits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Lady, Be Good!<\/em><\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibdb.com\/broadway-production\/lady-be-good-9638#OpeningNightCast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">original version<\/a> of which opened in New York City in 1924.\u00a0 <em>Lady, Be Good!<\/em> was Gershwin&#8217;s first Broadway collaboration with his brother, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ira_Gershwin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ira Gershwin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;I&#8217;d Rather Charleston&#8221;<\/em> was added to the 1926 British production and was not featured in the 1924 New York version.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fred_Astaire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fred<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adele_Astaire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adele Astaire<\/a>, who also appeared in the New York production, performed the song in the London production.<\/p>\n<p>On the recording here, Ramon Newton is joined on vocals by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Estelle_Brody\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Estelle Brody<\/a>, a little-known American vaudeville dancer who had recently moved to England, where she quickly achieved celebrity status from her roles in British silent films.\u00a0 Her career entered an equally rapid decline due to the transition to talking pictures and an unsuccessful attempt to establish herself in Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cHe Left Her Behind Before\u201d<\/em> was composed by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abner_Silver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abner Silver<\/a> with lyrics by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alfred_Bryan_(lyricist)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alfred Bryan<\/a> and film actor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fandango.com\/people\/bert-hanlon-275531\/biography\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bert Hanlon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThere&#8217;s Always A Way Into Trouble\u201d<\/em> was composed by Savoy Orpheans pianist Carroll Gibbons, who also directed the recording session, with lyrics by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/James_Dyrenforth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Dyrenforth<\/a>.\u00a0 The song was featured in the 1927 production <em>Up With The Lark<\/em> at London&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adelphi_Theatre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adelphi Theatre<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, the Savoy Hotel revived the Savoy Orpheans under the leadership of bandleader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexmendham.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex Mendham<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three recordings by one of Britain&#8217;s most well-known bands of the 1920s made when that decades Charleston craze was still going strong.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/2025\/05\/22\/savoy-orpheans-1926-1927\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":126,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14,53,54,58,57,56],"class_list":["post-2006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-1920s","tag-british-recordings","tag-british-stage-music","tag-estelle-brody","tag-ramon-newton","tag-savoy-orpheans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2006"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2022,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006\/revisions\/2022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.early1900s.org\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}