London 1920s: Debroy Somers' Band - The Blue Train, 1927 скачать в хорошем качестве

London 1920s: Debroy Somers' Band - The Blue Train, 1927

Debroy Somers & His Orchestra, with Vocal Refrain -- The Blue Train, Fox trot (Titheradge and Gorney), Columbia 1927 (UK) NOTE: In the mid-19th century, the Italian summer paradise was discovered by the Romantic poets, who became founders of the European upper class fashion to spend the winter/spring season in the Mediterranean. Following the growth of tourist traffic going southwards, Companie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grand Express Européens provided a means of traveling between fog-engulfed London and this sun-favored coast. One such means was Calais-Mediterranée Express, which ran from Charing Cross & Victoria Stations via Calais, Paris, Lyon and the Rhone Valley to Côte d'Azur and San Remo in Italy. In 1893, the line was extended to Rome and six years later, the itinerary split in two: the Calais-Rome Express and the Calais-Mediterranean Express. In 1922, this latter train's varnished teak carriages were replaced with those of steel—blue liveried with gold trim—and thus was born the Blue Train. A major innovation of the Blue Train was its offering single compartments designed for those traveling alone. In recognition of the social possibilities aboard, these single accommodations had doors to adjoining suites. In 1929, what had been a November-to-May season on the Riviera became a year-round destination, the Blue Train offering daily service in both directions. English clientele departed London's Victoria Station in time to catch the midday ferry to Calais. The Blue Train took them to Paris, where other passengers would board for a prompt 7:30 p.m. departure. This gave the passengers time to settle into their compartments and dress for dinner. As the Blue Train sped south, passengers would enjoy dinners, the likes of Paté de Canard Périgourdine and Selle de Veau Orloff accompanied by Meursault Goutte d'Or 1923. The Blue Train dining car served 42 passengers at each of two sittings. Daybreak came with the Marseille arrival. Passengers enjoyed breakfast as the Blue Train crossed the Toulon Viaduct on its way to Cannes. By 11:00 a.m., it arrived at Nice. Subsequent Riviera stops included Monaco and Menton, then to Ventimiglia, Italy, and on to San Remo for a 12:30 p.m. arrival. The Blue Train attracted novelists as well. Agatha Christie set her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to solving The Mystery of the Blue Train in 1928, predating her considerably more popular Murder on the Orient Express, 1934. Alas, by mid-century, air and road options diminished attractiveness of European deluxe train connections, including Orient Express and Le Train Bleu. ---------------------------------------------------- (William) Debroy Somers (b. 1890 in Dublin, Ireland -- d. in London, 1952) - British music arranger and bandleader of the Irish origin. He studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and when he joined the military career, he also studied in Royal Military School of Music in class of oboe. However, after the 1st WW he left the military and went to London, where he was doing arrangements for Bert Ralton -- an American, who led the Savoy Havana Band in London Savoy Hotel. When Ralton returned to USA, Debroy Somers took over the band and due to his fabulous leadership and arrangements, the years 1925-27 is the time when Savoy Havana Band (renamed by Somers as Savoy Hotel orpheans) had its best hot dance recordings for HMV. In 1927, when the band's pianist Carroll Gibbons started to take over the leadership, Somers left the Savoy Orpheans and formed his own dance orchestra, which became one of the best dance orchestras, he recorded for Columbia, was featured in films and showcased on Radio Luxemburg. Towards the end of his career, Debroy Somers was still linked to Columbia, as the company's arranger and musical director.