Happy Anniversary... I Think...

This weekend I've been pretty much in the house on my own as Miss Franny has joined our daughter Gill in the Winter Gardens on their craft stall. So I've been doing lots of chores and cleaning of course, but did find some time to play a few 78s I acquired recently... In fact there was a stall with some at the craft fair so I picked up another half dozen whilst the girls were setting up!

One of my favourite of all the British Dance Bands is Jack Hylton and His Orchestra. Jack, between 1921 and 1940 recorded over 2,000 tracks, many of them instantly recogniseable even now. He went on to become an impressario, staging variety shows up and down the country and nurturing new and young talent including a certain Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise...

This title caught my eye. My Prayer is probably much better known these days for the version recorded by the American singing group, The Platters. This is a very nice version of it though - I was well pleased at this purchase.

On the B side (yes kiddies, these records just had one tune on and then you took it off the player, turned it over and played the other side which had a different tune) is another well known tune. Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye was one of Gracie Fields' great hits. The female singer here does a reasonable job but I did notice at least one note that she took down that Gracie would have taken up with her incredible high range - she was her generation's Mariah Carey for her ability to sing notes so high that most of us can only whistle them with difficulty! Both these tracks were recorded on 24 July 1939 in London.

Quite often you find the record details written on the sleeve of records. Artist, title, a code that told you which box to put it in after playing it etc. This one has a far more romantic message. It says simply: "Anniversary, 1957".

I hope it was bought for the lovely message in the lyrics of My Prayer rather than, what would be in the circumstances, the rather stark message of the other side...!