British Music Hall - C/D, S &D?

It should always be remembered that Music Hall was in its very essence popular entertainment; but covertly (? it was lauded by the likes of J.B. Priestley) such an *art* also. Mark Sinker goes into this terrain very effectively in his piece on Louis Prima; of course that's American tin pan alley, but it can relate also to the British form of old popular entertainment.

To anyone who's considering buying it: go for it! The box is really beautifully done, same format as the Harry Smith anthology. The liner notes (in a hardcover book!) are a bit scattershot, but still informative and likeable enuff.

Have only gotten to listen to CD1 so far; "The Grass Widower" by Dan Leno is my current favourite, but Billy Williams enthusing about "The Taximeter Car" is also grebt:

"For newly married couples it's the best thing that is out
it fairly beats the hansom cab, without the slightest doubt
while driving to the station, to go on your honeymoon
the driver can't look through the top, and watch you kiss and spoon"

I suspect for me though, the most disturbing thing to discover was that 'The Old Bull & Bush' was originally an advertisment for Budweiser...

Anything else?

any opinion on bert lee & r.p weston? wrote rawtenstall fair for randolph sutton in 1932, but seem to have been quite prolific in music hall before then

The great Luc Sante on *Round the Town*:

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0108,sante,22418,22.html

windyridge appear to have a randolph sutton anthology

http://www.musichallcds.com/var1_page.htm

amongst other things

What a great thread - one 'Pop' artist who hasn't been mentioned with, I think, a fair Music Hall streak in his work is Richard Thompson - with a squint it's easy to imagine 'I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight' or 'New Saint George' being sung in variety. Currently listening to a record on Topic, from 1978,by the New Victory Band, which (re-) combines music hall and country dance tunes in a pleasant way

DJ Yoda does something cool and clever with 'if you want to know the time ask a policeman' by george formby on his album 'how to cut n patse volume 2' (track 22). scratching here and there, few beats behind it. dead good.

also his myspace says
"Admired for his originality as well as his sense of fun, he is possibly the only DJ in the world who can fill a club cutting George Formby with Jurassic 5..."

sounds awesome

would be better if he left out the jurassic 5 part though

Caught a 1968 documentary on music hall on the (UK) Performance channel last week called 'A Little of What You Fancy'. Worth looking out for for the historical material and footage, but there's also some amazing contemporary 1968 stuff comparing Carnaby Street fashions with Victorian Dandyism.

There are also songs from the Player's Theatre, who did music hall revival shows at the time and may well have fed into the music hall influence on Brit-psych. Fans of British comedy will be amused to see a young Barry Cryer as MC, looking very sharp in a frock coat and cravat. Performance channel tends to repeat everything, so this should come round again.

there was some MH featured on andrew marr's history of modern britain programme on bbc 2 the other day. sounded good. shame it isnt regarded better in this country.

Would someone more knowledgeable than I be so kind as to attempt a definition, please? I think of it as singalong tin pan alley in a straight major key, or alternatively as cheeky folk music with brass.

it's British pop music before importing rock&roll and before widespread uptake of television.

or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_hall#History_of_the_songs

I wasn't sure if the songs were part of shows; standards performed by the big acts of the day (the big acts being what, solo singers? orchestras?); or even if they were sheet music performed in the home. Your link suggests the second of these.

Strongly recommend Leslie Sarony's Ain't It Grand To Be Bloomin' Well Dead (Parts I and II).

xp it would have been a variety show, so the big act could be a singer (more likely an all-round entertainer), but equally a magician or who/whatever else was popular.

Of course it would, it's obvious now you say it - hence the Royal Variety Show, and the Beatles being booked with conjurers and performing dogs when they first got big.