Musical Interlude: Bert Ambrose - Happy Days Are Here Again/ Jack Payne - Do Something

Another one of my definite Desert Island Discs again now (I had thought of doing a single post devoted to my top 8 tunes, but individually I'll get a lot more mileage out of them, I think!).

I own/have heard several different bands' arrangements of Happy Days Are Here Again, a jolly uplifting song regardless of who's playing it, but for me by far and away the best version is this one. Recorded by Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra on the 29th of January 1930 with Lou Aberlado singing the vocals this absolute pip of a tune simply bubbles over with cheerfulness and fairly bounces along, taking you with it; this song literally has me dancing around the room, every time! It is to me one of the best examples of late 1920s (only 1930 by less than a month, remember!) British dance band music.

Speaking of the best examples, as an added treat here also is another song that comes close to matching Happy Days Are Here Again and would share joint billing on my Desert Island if it were allowed(!). Yes, two for the price of one! Recorded on the 3rd of June 1929 by Jack Payne and His B.B.C. Dance Orchestra (vocalists Jack Payne, Bob Busby & Bob Manning), Do Something shares that same rhythmical, joyful liveliness that makes it so much fun to listen to. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!