Sing A Happy Little Thing + Here Comes The Sun (1930 and 31) Jack Hylton with Pat O'Malley

SING A HAPPY LITTLE THING { 0:00​ }
HERE COMES THE SUN { 3:06​ }
Jack Hylton & his Orchestra – Vocalist Pat O’Malley (plus the band, and two others, respectively)
HMV B-5948 (recorded 5 Jan 1931 and 19 or 21 Dec 1930, respectively; issued February 1931)

This is Jack Hylton & his Orchestra very much in show-band mode.

Unlikely though it seems, SING is one of two songs from a Buster Keaton talkie released by MGM in the US in August 1930. The lyrics smack of morale-building at the time of The Great Depression. The HMV label credits the film as ‘Forward March’, but it is more usually known as ‘Doughboys’. Keaton’s character inadvertently joins the US army and goes to France in 1917. Pat O’Malley sings solo near the start of the record; and some of the band sing towards the end. Is it heresy to say that I don’t much care for O’Malley’s voice? If Jack Hylton was searching for someone who did not sound like Sam Browne, he certainly succeeded.

Takes four to six of SING were cut on Monday 5 January 1931. This record uses take-six. Rust indicates that take two was also used. Takes one to three were cut at the same session as HERE COMES THE SUN, but there is a problem with that session’s date. Rust gives 21 December, which was a Sunday; but the Kelly database has 19 December, a more-likely Friday.

Trying to track Jack’s band requires detective work and scepticism. On 9 December 1930 they (‘Jack Hylton and his Band’) were broadcast by Hilversum radio from the Carlton Hotel Amsterdam. On Sunday 21 December they were amongst a stellar cast at a charity show at London Hippodrome – so, presumably rehearsing in the day. On Monday 22 December they opened for two weeks at Edinburgh Empire (6.40 and 8.50; matinees Xmas Day and New Year’s Day). There was more than one band; and I have found an example of Jack and his band playing variety shows the same week in Blackpool and Glasgow.

HERE COMES THE SUN is taken at an interestingly deliberate pace, nothing like as fast as Hal Swain on the 8-inch Broadcast which I uploaded some time ago.    • Here Comes The Sun + Cupid On The Cake (19...  

Only when scanning the labels did I notice that the record was pressed by The Gramophone Co Ltd in Calcutta. Nevertheless, it has the same coupling and catalogue number as the Hayes factory version. It also uses the G-R-A-M-O-P-H-L-T-D sequence for indicating stamper number digits 1 to 10, respectively. (e.g. M=4; GM=14; DM=104. They can be found on HMVs and Zonophones at the 3 o’clock position in the blank shellac.)