Reginald Dixon MBE - The 78rpms

[carrick]

Back to 1936 for this Reg Dixon side recorded on the relatively new Tower Ballroom 3/13 Wurlitzer - "Laughing Irish Eyes"; "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" and "On the Beach at Bali Bali"
 

 

[Hebridean]

I thought this was really lovely, thank you very much for posting it.

[carrick]

On 09/12/2023 at 16:24, Hebridean said:

I thought this was really lovely, thank you very much for posting it.

Thank you, makes it all the more worthwhile getting a little feedback after putting in a few hours of work on each record side. Always good to know people are listening and enjoying it. 

[carrick]

Continuing on from side one of Dixon Hits No.8 here is side two featuring Reg Dixon at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom's 3/13 Wurlitzer playing "At the Cafe Continental", "Empty Saddles" and "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody". 
 

 

[carrick]

A side of Disney music from Reg Dixon at the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer with this selection from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released in August 1938.
 

 

[carrick]

A little extra upload for today, here is Reg in a throwback to his days playing for church services with this selection of Christmas carols. I could imagine he might do something like this at the Tower for a live audience, you can almost hear the 5000+ strong choir of holiday makers singing along. 
 

 

[Hebridean]

Very nice, thank you for posting - a little insight (or in-sound) into accompanimental history!  Slower than today (or rather, slower than I play them!)  Interesting to hear the 'swoop' in the verse of Adeste fideles, obviously the swoop has quite a pedigree of its own!  I'd hesitate to change dynamic so much in hymns as Mr Dixon did, but perhaps that was much more the norm then!

[carrick]

Following up from the last upload, here is the second side of Reg Dixons selection of Christmas Carols. 

 

[carrick]

Apologies for being a little late in posting. This is the follow up to side one of Reg Dixon's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" selection from August 1938. The last posting of this year, so I'll take the opporchancity to wish you all a very happy new year, lang may yer lum reek!
 

 

 

[carrick]

Very first upload of the new year (Happy New Year to you!) is a little gentle to start off with:- "Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day"; "Love Thy Neighbour" and "Ole Faithful" recorded by Reg Dixon on the Blackpool Tower Ballrooms 2/10 Wurlitzer and released in December 1934.
 

 

[carrick]

The Carioca, Love in Bloom and Over My Shoulder are all part of this record (released in December 1934) made by Reg Dixon on the 2/10 Wurlitzer of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool.
 

 

[carrick]

This week's Reg Dixon upload from the Tower Ballroom Blackpool - I Hate Myself, Isle of Capri and My Song for You, played on the 2/10 Wurlitzer that was installed in 1929.

 

 

[Hebridean]

Very cheerful, thank you - especially the first piece, despite its title!

[carrick]

5 hours ago, Hebridean said:

Very cheerful, thank you - especially the first piece, despite its title!

Bit of a dismal title really, but it reminds me of the Dixieland jazz stomps. 

[carrick]

"With My Eyes Wide Open"; "May I?" and "I Never Had a Chance" - Reginald Dixon at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom's 2/10 Wurlitzer in this Regal Zonophone release from December 1934.
 

 

[carrick]

Three catchy tunes from the 30s. "Oh! Ma-Ma," "I Love to Whistle," and "You're an Education" all played in the signature Dixon fashion with cymbal taps, spicy registrations and toe tapping rhythm. This is Side B of Dixon Hits No.22, recorded on the Tower Ballroom Wurlitzer and released way back in August 1938. 
 

 

[carrick]

Reg Dixon with another recording from the Blackpool Tower Ballrooms 2/10 Wurlitzer. This time we have "A Broken Rosary," "The Old Spinning Wheel," and "In the Valley of the Moon" (with Vocals). This side was released in August 1933. How much the style and sound has changed in those 91 years.
 

 

[carrick]

We're off to Vienna this week as Reg Dixon takes us through the music of Franz Lehar on the 2/10 Wurlitzer of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool on this release from November 1933. 
 

 

[carrick]

We're still in Vienna and music from Franz Lehar played by Reg Dixon at the 2/10 Wurlitzer of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. 
 

 

[carrick]

Three jazz classics from Reg Dixon at the 2/10 Wurlitzer of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. "Chinatown, my Chinatown", "Sweet Sue" and his first recording of "Somebody Stole my Gal"- Stomping stuff!
 

 

[carrick]

Well, it has gone relatively quiet on here this past week. Has everyone gone on holiday?
Here's side two of Reg Dixons "Classics of Jazz" record played on the 1929 205sp Wurlitzer of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. My Blue Heaven, Sweet Sue and Some of These Days all played in typical Dixon fashion. 

 

[S_L]

3 hours ago, carrick said:

Well, it has gone relatively quiet on here this past week. Has everyone gone on holiday?

Perhaps everyone is practising for Easter!!! I know I am!!!

[S_L]

1 hour ago, Andrew Butler said:

The church where I will be playing on Easter Day in rural France, always have a group playing traditional instruments to play the "voluntaries" at Easter.  I just get to accompany the usual (often liturgically-incorrect) drivel.

I can sympathise with that. I also play in rural France although, I suspect, in a slightly different circumstance than you!!  Why is it that, in the UK, we are required to stick with the prescribed texts of the Common and yet, in France they seem to be able to sing paraphrases of the text. And, yes, some of the music is awful! I'm lucky in that i play, on a monthly basis, at a large monastery  Mass begins with a procession around the cloister so no music from the organ at the beginning. That is followed by the Latin Plainsong for the day accompanied by organ. After that the Mass continues in French but with the Common, one week in the vernacular, the other week being Latin Plainsong. I'm playing on Easter day when we have a mixture of French and Latin Plainsong (with the long Plainsong Alleluia - Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus preceding the Gospel) And I get to play a Sortie at the end following the Priest singing "Allez dans la paix du Christ Alleluia" we sing, loudly, with organ, "Nous rendons grace a Dieu, Alleluia, Alleluia"

Happy Easter, Andrew - when it comes!!!

[carrick]

This record was in a rather poor condition, but it still copied in. Music from Lizst, Bizet, Mendelssohn, Rossini and Chopin on this first side of "Classica" recorded by Reg Dixon at the 1929 Wurlitzer 205sp of the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool.