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Ray Noble was an English pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger (as well as being a radio comedian and actor), who enjoyed huge and sustained success leading his orchestra through the 1930s and 40s, during which time he provided a platform for the career of the popular crooner Al Bowlly. He was that rare phenomenon of a British artist who made the move to the USA and became as popular there as he was in his home country, racking up a such a lengthy string of hits credited with a Top 20 position that there were too many to be able to include them all on this excellent-value 46-track 2-CD set. Every recording in this collection is credited in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memorios book as having reached a chart position of No. 18 or higher in the USA based on available data. Recording initially as a studio orchestra for HMV as The London Mayfair Dance Orchestra, he became the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra and then Ray Noble & His Orchestra, he had chart successes right through to the late 40s. As well as Al Bowlly, his records featured some noted vocalists, including Howard Philips, Tony Martin, Snooky Lanson, Larry Stewart and Buddy Clark. The wall-to-wall hits include the No. 1s Love Is The Sweetest Thing, The Very Thought Of You, Isle Of Capri, Let's Swing It, Paris In The Spring and Linda, and its a feast for nostalgia lovers. REVIEWS “This is a release with a two pronged appeal, containing as it does 46 tracks featuring the Ray Noble Orchestra in various 26 guises but also boasting 27 vocals by Al Bowlly, so it should find a ready audience. Labelled a 'Hits' collection, the contents are based on each track being a top twenty entry in various versions of the US charts during the 16 year time span involved. The thoroughly researched liner essay by Paul Watts as usual is spot on when it comes to providing the context for the music on offer… This set is a worthy tribute to a pioneering British bandleader who thoroughly deserved such honours as induction into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and The Songwriters Hall of Fame. ” – Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 333) “There was little in the Dance Band world that Ray Noble could not or did not do, He wrote some magnificent songs, of which his great mate, Al Bowlly, had the first pick, he played piano, he composed, arranged, conducted and threw himself with gusto into the middle of the corny comedy claque that most bandleaders went in for. The list of compostions is amazing...” – Andrew Liddle (Just Jazz Issue 261) “An impressive collection with vocalist Al Bowlly doing full justice to such Ray Noble classics as Love is The Sweetest Thing and The Very Thought Of You...” – Ron Simpson (The Jazz Rag 158)
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