Things were very different in the early 20th century; that will come as no surprise for you to hear.To provide but one illustration, most people never left their village or town, and entertainment, such as it was, was confined largely to public concerts at the local parish hall or private soirees around the family piano in the drawing room. This was even more the case in rural areas; where urbanites at least had a chance to visit the theatre or watch a silent movie at a picture palace. And musical tastes reflected class in a very status quo pro society.
But things were different across the water: Unlike the staid and stately dance customs in this country, a new phenomenon was emerging in North America, in the form of Jazz – a new branch of music based on the negro folk traditions of the deep South. Over a period of time, it began to spread its influence, ultimately having repercussions the world over. But of course, this was a period of time before the advanced media and communications technology we have today: there were few commercial records, no wireless and no quick means of transport. It would not have been surprising if Britain had remained largely ignorant of this new musical innovation. However, the first world war changed all of that: huge numbers of American soldiers were deported across Europe; and brought their musical tastes with them.
Fast forward to the end of the war, and an all-white American group called, ‘The Original Dixieland Jazz Band’ arrived on these shores and created a storm. Out went the strict tempo old time dance routines, to be replaced by a syncopated extrovert brand of music which had young couples flocking in their thousands to listen and dance to it. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Roaring 20’s!
Incidentally, this is the time when the concept of a teenager/young person crystallized…which contradicts the commonly held view, which is that it took the rock n roll of the 50’s to set the generations apart. Not so: it began in the 20’s and 30’s!
In the 20’s, society was a transformed place; the war had wiped the slate clean to a certain extent. National wireless stations emerged, as did mass produced but good quality records (electrical records were first offered in 1925). And silent movies were replaced by ‘talkies’; motor cars and an increasingly accessible telephone system. And not forgetting the rise of efficient public transport systems which meant that urbanites could get around more. Life therefore was buzzing!
Another point of interest: American musicians began appearing here in increasingly large numbers. Their influence was spreading; not least within the realms of Jazz; the new musical form. Although the 30’s were characterised by a great depression, this is considered as the golden period of British Dance bands.
The rich and famous dined out in London’s West End clubs and restaurants, followed by late night dancing to one of the country’s top bands. The posh hotels also began to foster resident orchestras. And the middle classes flocked to watch famous bands on tour, while the less well off listened to their primitive radio or wind up gramophone. Dance band music was popular everywhere in the land.
Dance bands appeared at every appropriate venue in the country and also as star turns in between films at large cinemas. And the roaring 20’s became the Thriving 30’s.
And then in 1939, 6 years of war changed circumstance once more – characterised by austerity and the dismantlement of the dance bands. To quote: ” In little more than two decades, the magnificent spectacle of colourful, uniformly attired bandsmen led by an immaculate baton-wielding leader in lush and glamourous surroundings, gave way to smaller groups of musicians in civvies, eking out an existance wherever anyone would pay to listen to them.”
In the post war period, things again were never quite the same and the dance bands and the culture that supported them became a distant memory for those that had been around at that time.
So, the so-called golden period of British dance bands is the 20’s, the 30’s and 40’s up to the end of the second world ar; at which point, things were never the same again.
