CD REVIEW – LONDON SOUVENIR
A Musical Souvenir of London Town
WALLY STOTT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
ÉL RECORDS ACMEM299CD [78:30]

'

Another classic light music album released in 2015 very worth getting, if it is not already in your collection, at an extremely attractive price.

Wally Stott (1924-2009), who later became Angela Morley and a favourite of RFS members, was a big name in British light orchestral music in the years after WW2 into the 50s as a composer, arranger and resident MD of the new Philips record label in the UK.

Here the first 15 tracks (43:31) comprise the originally named 'LONDON PRIDE' album with expert arrangements, some a tad jazz tinged, such as the title tune, Rotten Row, The British Grenadiers, Limehouse Blues, A Foggy Day and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. There is also a fun track: Music Hall Burlesque – Wot Cher (Knocked 'Em In The Old Kent Road, Don't Dilly Dally On The Way and Any Old Iron.

There are then two items from the celebrated 1956 album 'MEL TORMÉ MEETS THE BRITISH' accompanied by Stott and His Orchestra. Following these are five tracks by Stott contemporaries: Travelling Along conducted by Robert Farnon and A Canadian in Mayfair with the Sidney Torch Orchestra (both composed by Stott/Morley), Trevor Duncan's The Girl from Corsica by Ron Goodwin and His Concert Orchestra and the Jack Leon conducted High Heels, and Clive Richardson's Melody on The Move with Charles Williams conducting the Queen's Hall Light Orchestra.

The disc is completed by five tracks from 'NOËL COWARD SINGS HIS GREAT SUCCESSES' (1953) with Stott and His Orchestra again in attendance. Coward's piano accompanist is Norman Hackforth, who oldies might remember as the "mystery voice" on BBC Radio's Twenty Questions programme.

The booklet has lots about Stott/Morley and the music (some needing a magnifying glass to read) with photos of London landmarks in black and white, and original sleeve covers in colour. We even get a map of the London Underground.

Congratulations to Cherry Red Records for this winning long-playing CD collection along with the earlier reviewed 'OUT OF THIS WORLD'.

© Peter Burt 2022

Back to Reviews Page

Back to Home Page

.

.