Savoy Havana Band - Charleston, Charleston, Show Me The Way (1925)

Charleston, Charleston, Show Me The Way (from "Just a Kiss") (Music Vivian Ellis) -- Savoy Havana Band, At the Savoy Hotel, London, HMV 1925 (UK)

NOTE: Savoy Havana Band - British dance band that was resident at the Savoy Hotel, London, between 1921 and 1927. It was formed in 1921 by the American saxophonist Bert Ralton and included six players (later increasing to ten). Among the players was a young American saxophonist Rudy Vallee, whose attempts to become a vocalist were discouraged by his fellow-players. From 1924, Savoy Havana Band was led by the English violinist Reginald Batten. Both the Savoy Havana Band and their colleagues the Savoy Orpheans were under the management of Wilfred de Mornys. The owner of the Savoy Hotel, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, called the original Savoy Havana Band and the Savoy Orpheans "probably the best-known bands in Europe." However, when de Morny's contract with the Savoy Hotel ended on 31 December 1927, Savoy Havana Band went on tour and disbanded in 1930, while Savoy Orpheans succesfully continued under the new management of Carroll Gibbons.

The recording belongs to British HMV's early electricals and certain failures in the sound engineering are evident (especially in reference to the piano, sounding sometimes like a banjo or vice versa).