CategoryJay Wilbur

An accomplished bandleader in his own right, Jay Wilbur (1898-1970) had enormous influence over the recording of British dance band music and over Elsie Carlisle’s “solo” output in his role as musical director for such labels as Dominion, Imperial, Eclipse, and Rex. Just as it has long been the custom to identify the glorious voices (including Elsie’s) credited only as “vocal refrain” on dance band records, it is increasingly common to recognize the part that people such as Wilbur played in determining the sound of British popular music. It would be fair to say that Wilbur’s contributions to Elsie’s career rival those of Ambrose.

Jay Wilbur – Wikipedia

Jay Wilbur

“Poor Kid” (1931)

August 9, 2014

“Poor Kid.” Music by Jesse Greer, lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert. Recorded in London by Elsie Carlisle in August 1931 under the musical direction of Jay Wilbur. Imperial 2532 mx. 5770-2.

Elsie Carlisle – “Poor Kid” (1931)

This melancholy 1931 torch song saw American versions by Don Bigelow, Ben Selvin, and Ben Bernie. In Britain there were versions by Ambrose and His Orchestra (Sam Browne, vocalist), Jack Payne, Roy Fox and His Band (Al Bowlly, vocalist), Eddie Gross-Bart and His Café Anglais Band (Eddie Gross-Bart doing the vocals), Harry Hudson (Al Bowlly, vocalist), and Howard Godfrey’s Aldwych Players (Les Allen, vocalist). Betty Bolton did a solo version under the pseudonym Gracie Collins.

“Pardon Me, Pretty Baby” (1931)

August 1, 2014

“Pardon Me, Pretty Baby.” Words by Ray Klages and Jack Meskill, music by Vincent Rose. Recorded by Elsie Carlisle under the musical direction of Jay Wilbur in August 1931. Imperial 2532 mx. 5769-2.

Elsie Carlisle – “Pardon Me, Pretty Baby” (1931)

Elsie Carlisle recorded this version of the popular “Pardon Me, Pretty Baby” for the Imperial label in August 1931 under the musical direction of Jay Wilbur. It is a light song with a chatty patter representing a persistent but inept attempt at a pickup. The tune is catchy, but a trifle repetitive. Elsie makes the song exciting by alternating between playful singing and exaggerated conversational interjections, a technique which reminds one that she was a veteran of musical theater.

In 1931 there were many treatments of “Pardon Me, Pretty Baby” on both sides of the Atlantic. In America, they include those of Joe Venuti’s Blue Four, Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees, Fred Rich and His Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Frank Novak’s Collegians, Ben Bernie and His Orchestra, “Whispering” Jack Smith, Sam Lanin’s Ipana Troubadours, and Gus Arnheim’s Cocoanut Grove Orchestra.

The song was equally popular in Britain, with versions by Jack Payne (with a vocal trio including Billy Scott-Coomber), Ambrose (with two takes on June 19, 1931 — both with Sam Browne as vocalist — one take as Ambrose and His Orchestra and the other as the Blue Lyres), Jack Harris and His Grosvenor House Band (vocalist Harry Bentley), Maurice Winnick and His Band (“Topical Tunes,” with Al Bowlly on the vocals), the Arcadians Dance Orchestra (Bert and John Firman, with a vocal trio including Maurice Elwin), Harry Hudson (Sam Browne, vocalist), the Rhythmic Eight, Eddie Gross-Bart and His Café Anglais Band, Arthur Lally (credited as Al Dollar and His Ten Cents, with Sam Browne as vocalist), Jan Ralfini and His Band (with Tom Barratt as vocalist), Harry Bidgood’s Broadcasters (Tom Barrat, vocalist), Jay Wilbur and His Band (as the Radio Syncopators, with Les Allen singing), and Howard Godfrey’s Aldwych Players (also with Les Allen as vocalist). Betty Warren was notable in her live renditions of the song in Lawrence Wright’s Blackpool North Pier production “On with the Show” (1931).

The composer of “Pardon Me, Pretty Baby,” Vincent Rose, also wrote “Umbrella Man,” which Elsie Carlisle recorded in 1939.

Jay Wilbur

“You’re in My Arms” (1941)

July 26, 2014

“You’re in My Arms.” Words by Jack Popplewell, music by Michael Carr (1941). Recorded by Elsie Carlisle on December 19, 1941. Rex 10092 mx. R-6581-2.

“You’re in My Arms” – Elsie Carlisle (1941)

“You’re in My Arms (and a Million Miles Away)” is a beguine from the 1941 musical “Get a Load of This,” written by playwright and lyricist Jack Popplewell and composer Michael Carr. The song was introduced by 17-year-old Celia Lipton (daughter of bandleader Sidney Lipton) and saw treatments in 1941 by Jay Wilbur and His Band (with vocalist Pat O’Regan), Ambrose and His Orchestra (with Anne Shelton), Joe Loss and His Band (Chick Henderson, vocalist), Harry Roy and His Band (with Marjorie Kingsley – though Regal Zonophone rejected the take), and Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Orpheans (with Anne Lenner). Vera Lynn was to record a version the next year.

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