Al Bowlly Discography

AL BOWLLY DISCOGRAPHY - 1926-29

{MH: LEQUIME'S GRAND HOTEL ORCHESTRA
Jimmy Lequime (trumpet), Nick Ampier (trombone), Pete Harmon (soprano/alto sax), Claude "Sax" MacGuire (clarinet, soprano/alto sax), Joe Speelman (ten. sax), Vic Halek (ten. sax, violin), Monia Litter (piano, arranger), Al Bowlly (banjo), Bill Houghton (percussion)
Calcutta, c April 1926
BL-1049 Soho Blues (vocal: Pete Harmon) HMV P-7094
BL-1050 The House Where The Shutters Are Green (vocal: Pete Harmon) HMV P-7094}

With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c July 1927
592bd; B-41819 Song Of The Wanderer Gr/Pol 21034
{593bd; B-41821 Muddy Water Gr/Pol 21035
599bd; B-41820 Hallelujah Gr/Pol 21034
600bd; B-41823 Miss Annabelle Lee Gr/Pol 21036
601bd; B-41824 Memphis Gr/Pol 21036
602bd; B-41825 Rio Rita Gr/Pol 21037
603bd; B-41822 I'm Looking For A Girl Named Mary Gr/Pol 21035
604bd; B-41826 Cheritza Gr/Pol 21037}
[NOTE: Mike Hart comments: "I am now convinced that Song Of The Wanderer is the only vocal from this first session. Certainly Hallelujah, the reverse of DG 21034, has no vocal. Al may well play banjo/guitar on all the Briggs' sides listed, the tenor banjo solo on Song Of The Wanderer MUST be Al, not only the phrasing, but the balance with the rest of the recording.]

With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c August 1927
681bd; B-41887 Ain't She Sweet? Gr/Pol 21124*
682bd; B-41883 Do The Black Bottom With Me Gr/Pol 21122*
684bd; B-41884 Souvenirs Gr/Pol 21122* W-104

With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c August 1927
691bd; B-41889 Since I Found You Gr/Pol 21125
693bd; B-41895 Who-oo? You-oo, That's Who! Gr/Pol 21128*
694bd; B-41893 Rosy Cheeks Gr/Pol 21127*
695bd; B-41896 Roses For Remembrance Gr/Pol 21128*

With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c August 1927
701bd; B-41890 I'm Coming, Virginia Gr/Pol 21125*
702bd; B-41888 It All Depends On You Gr/Pol 21124*

[MH: With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c September 1927
718bd Me And My Shadow DG/Polydor 21130
719bd Are You Happy? DG/Polydor 21130
721bd My Regular Girl DG/Polydor 21131
723bd I'm Walking On Air DG/Polydor 21131]

With ARTHUR BRIGGS'S SAVOY SYNCOPATORS ORCHESTRA
Berlin, c September 1927
734bd Sometimes I'm Happy DG/Polydor 21127
735bd Ain't That A Grand And Glorious Feeling DG/Polydor 21135
736bd Sweet Marie DG/Polydor 21134
740bd Take Your Finger Out Of Your Mouth DG/Polydor 21134
742bd The Little White House DG/Polydor 21135

Acc. by own uke., Edgar Adeler (pno.)
Berlin, September 11, 1927.
M-19372 Blue Skies Hom 4-2386
M-19373 Say, Mister! Have You Met Rosie's Sister Hom 4-2386

With FRED BIRD, THE SALON SYMPHONIC JAZZ BAND.
Berlin, September 12, 1927.
M-19381-2 Ain't She Sweet? Hom 4-2389*
M-19382 In A Little Spanish Town Hom 4-2389
[MH: There is also a Czech pressing of Ain¹t She Sweet, Homochord 4-2389, which uses matrix M19381-1. Al gets label credit on this one "Fred Bird The Salon Symphonie Jazzband with song A. Bowlly"]

[MH: acc. by own banjo, Edgar Adler (pno)
Berlin, September, 1927
M-19413-1 All Day Long Hom 4-2411
M-19414-1 I'm Looking For A Bluebird (To Chase The Blues Away) Hom 4-2411]

[MH: acc. by own banjo, Edgar Adler (pno)
Berlin, September 22, 1927
M-19436-1 Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan) Hom 4-2411
M-19437-1 A Dream Of You Hom 4-2411]

Acc. by own gtr.-I, bjo.-2, Fred Bird [MH: & another](vln.), Edgar Adeler (pno.), [MH: & unkown (chimes)]
Berlin, September 23, 1927.
M-19444 I'm Alone In Athlone-2 Hom 4-2418
M-19445 Because I Love You-1 Hom 4-2418

With GEORGE CARHART'S NEW YORKERS JAZZ ORCHESTRA.
Berlin, September 28, 1927
M-19451 Sunny Disposish Hom 4-2420

Acc. by own gtr.-1, own steel gtr.-3, or own uke.-4, with Heinz Lewy (pno.)
Berlin, November 18, 1927.
M-19566 When You Played The Organ And I Sang `The Rosary'-3 Hom 4-2459
M-19569 Dear Little Gadabout-4 Hom 4-2459
Ev'ry Little Thing I Do Hom 4-2460
Rosy Cheeks-1 Hom 4-2460
My Regular Girl-1 Hom 4-2461
Positively-Absolutely Hom 4-2461

[MH: With RENE DUMONT JAZZ BAND
Berlin, c.December, 1927
1222bd Dawn Of Tomorrow DG/Polydor 21365
1223bd While The Others Are Dancing DG/Polydor 21365]

[MH: With FRED BIRD, THE SALON SYMPHONIC JAZZ BAND
Berlin, c.December, 1927
M-19748-1 Rio Rita Hom 4-2496
M-19749 Souvenirs Hom 4-2496]

With JOHN ABRIANI'S SIX OR JOHN ABRIANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA (On M-19833).
Berlin, January 17, 1928.
M-19826 I Love No-One But You Hom 4-2514
M-19827-1 My Blue Heaven Hom 4-2511, 4-2611
M-19828 Just Once Again Hom 4-2512, 4-2613

Berlin, January 18, 1928.
M-19829 A Shady Tree Hom 4-2613
M-19830 Are You Thinking Of Me Tonight? Hom 4-2612
M-19831 My Regular Girl Hom 4-2512, 4-2611
M-19832 Shaking The Blues Away Hom 4-2514 [MH: NOT a Bowlly item]
NOTE: Matrix M-19832 and M-19834 were never issued; M-19835 has no vocal.

Berlin, January 20, 1928
M-19840 All I Want Is You Hom 4-2532 [MH: NOT a Bowlly item]
M-19841 Can't You Hear Me Say `I Love You'? Hom 4-2532

[MH: With BILLY BARTHOLOMEW'S DELPHIANS
Berlin, June-July, 1928
333br-2 Hallelujah DG/Polydor 21604
334br-2 Under The Moon (with Billy Bartholomew) CD/Polydor 21604
336br-2 A Little Girl, A Little Boy, A Little Moon DG/Polydor 21605

635br-2 C'est Vous DG/Polydor 21596

654br-2 After My Laughter Came Tears DG/Polydor 21599
655br-2 Changes DG/Polydor 21599

697br-2 The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi DG/Polydor 21595
698br-2 I Wonder DG/Polydor 21596

741br-2 Beloved DG/Polydor 21654
742br-2 When DG/Polydor 21654

With FRED ELIZALDE AND HIS MUSIC.
London, c July 25, 1928.
GOOD NEWS - Just Imagine Br 189
Wherever You Are Br 189
After My Laughter Came Tears Rejected

With VAN PHILLIPS AND HIS BAND.
London, November 12, 1928.
A-8089-1 Sometimes Col 5209

{MH: The TRIX SISTERS, acc. by Len Fillis (gtr.), Helen Trix (pno.) Al Bowlly (uke.)
London, November 6, 1928
WA-8068-2 Sweet Ukelele Maid [vocal: Helen & Josephine Trix] Col 5149}

With FRED ELIZALDE AND HIS MUSIC.
London, c November 21, 1928
BB-146-1 If I had You Br 3948

London, December 1928
BB-170-3 Misery Farm Br 206
BB-171-1 I'm Sorry, Sally Br 206

With PERCIVAL MACKEY AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA.
London, April 1929.
1782 When The Lilac Blooms Again Pic 288
[MH: 1783-1 Up In The Clouds Test Pressing exists]
1783-2 Up In The Clouds Pic 264, Met 1141,Oct 291
NOTE: Piccadilly 264 as THE EVER-BRIGHT BOYS.

With LINN MILFORD AND HIS HAWAIIAN PLAYERS AND/OR SINGERS. ("Linn Milford" is Len Fillis, the South African-born guitarist and banjoist).
London, May 15, 1929.
A-9714-1 Honeymoon Chimes Re G-9442, [MH: Australian issue G-20550]
NOTE: Other titles from this session have no vocal refrains.

{MH:Len Fillis (banjo, steel gtr.), Al Bowlly (gtr), Sid Bright (pno.)
London, cMay/June, 1929
WA-9103 Anita Col 5698
Playmates Rejected
Kalua Rejected
NOTE: WA-9104 Progressions Col 5698 has Fillis and Bright only}

{MH: GEORGE METAXA, acc. band including Sylvester Ahola (trumpet), Al Bowlly (guitar)
London, September 16, 1929
Bb-17352-2 Tu Sais (Vocal: George Metaxa) HMV B-3164
Bb-17353-2 Pagan Love Song (Vocal: George Metaxa) HMV B-3164
NOTE: Neither confirmed, but listed by Dick Hill in his Sylvester Ahola discography as possibles}

With LINN MILFORD AND HIS HAWAIIAN PLAYERS AND/OR SINGERS
London, November 5, 1929.
A-9714-1 Lay My Head Beneath A Rose Re G-9442, G-20654
A-9717-1 Last Night I Dreamed You Kissed Me Re G-9442, G-20654
NOTE: Other titles from this session have no vocal refrains [or vocals by Les Allen].

With THE HONOLULU SERENADERS (same group as last).
London, c November, 1929.
1577-2 The Pagan Love Song (with Les Allen) Dmn A-219
1578-1 This Is Heaven (with Les Allen) Dmn A-242
1579-1 S'posin'I Should Fall In Love With You (with Les Allen) Dmn A-242, Diamond 104
NOTE: Matrix 1580, the reverse of 1577, has a vocal by Les Allen only. [MH: 1579-1 S'posin I Should Fall In Love With You c/w Hawaiian Novelty issued on Diamond 104 (a very rare Worldecho-type cardboard disc) by The Beachcomers (sic.)"]

With FRED ELIZALDE'S RHYTHMICIANS, directed by ADRIAN ROLLINI.
London, December 4, 1929.
3262 After The Sun Kissed The World Goodbye Met 1241, Oct 367
3263 If Anything Happened To You Met 1241, Oct 367