Harry ROY
born Harry Lipman, 1900, died 1971. Harry and his brother Syd formed a band which they called 'The Darmswells'. It must have been a successful group because, when the Original Dixieland Jazz Band left the Hammersmith Palais, they were replaced by the Roy Brothers Original Lyrical Five. They again changed name becoming the Original Crichton Lyricals. At times, the band recorded as 'The Lyricals'; 'Sid Roy's Crichton Lyricals', and just 'The Crichton Lyricals'. The Roy's band was very popular in London where they played at all the better spots including the Alhambra, the London Coliseum, Rector's Club, Oddenino's, and the Cavour Restaurant. In February of 1927, they were booked into the Cafe de Paris. During 1928, they toured to South Africa and to Australia. In 1930 they made some recordings in Germany.
In 1932, the Harry Roy band was at the London Pavillion, and one year later they were at the Cafe Anglais, where they began BBC broadcasts. From 1934 to 1936, the band was resident in the Mayfair Hotel. It's whan Harry received quite a lot of publicity, marrying in 1935 Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of the Rajah of Sarawak. During the war years, Harry toured around. He was in the Embassy Club in 1942, and a little later, toured the middle-east. In 1948, Harry went to the U.S. but was unable to get a work permit. Returning to England, he formed a new band for the Cafe Anglais, in 1949. By the early 1950's the big band era had come to an end. Harry disbanded, but still drifted in and out of the music scene. In the 50's, he was running his own restaurant. In 1969, he led a quartet in the London Lyric Theatre's show "Oh Clarence". In February, 1971, he died in London.
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Recording:
Harry Roy & His Orch., vocals: Harry Roy, Bill Currie & chorus - She Had To Go And Lose It At The Astor (John Doe /Joe Doaques), Parlophone 1939
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A propos this song, there was published an interesting -- and very characteristic for the era -- article in the TIME (March 25, 1940):
ASCAP Against Smut
Cross between a union, an agent and a burial society is the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), which collects fees and royalties for the men who write and market most of the nation's songs. Always sensitive about its public relations, ASCAP was worried last week by a wave of smut which seemed to be breaking over the U. S. song trade. Its directors formally condemned writers and publishers of "salacious and suggestive songs," threatened them with spankings or worse. On the carpet this week were three ASCAP members (names kept secret). Possible penalties: a warning, a fine, reduction in rating, suspension, outright expulsion from the society.
Tin Pan Alley's current trend has been called "the double-entendre era" by Eli Oberstein, president of U. S. Record Corp. Mr. Oberstein's biggest hit (150,000 copies) is „She Had To Go And Lose It At The Astor", ostensibly written by John Doe and Joe Doaques (actually Hugh Prince and Don Raye). A sister piece, „She Really Meant To Keep It Till She Married", has sold 75,000 records for Mr. Oberstein. Not yet recorded is „I'm A Virgin But I'm On Vhe Verte", by ASCAP Member, Paul Denniker.
Such "blue" songs are naturally not allowed on the radio networks. Last week NBC revealed that 147 songs are on its black list. Because their titles are suggestive 137 may not even be played instrumentally. Among them: „Lavender Cowboy", „Sweetest Little Lassie", „Keep Your Skirts Down, Mary Ann", „Dirty Lady", „A Guy What Takes His Time", „But In The Morning, No". Many another song has to be laundered before NBC will pass it. Not to be sung in „Thank Your Father" are the lines: Though your father's name was Stanley /Thank God that he was manly.
