Description: British dance band singer whose inimitable style captured the elegance of the 1930s and 1940s.
Many twentieth-century popular tunes come from the movies. But in some cases, it can be difficult to detect a song that we know from records in the film in which it supposedly originates. Such is the case with “Why Stars Come Out at Night.” Ray Noble, who had relocated from Britain to America in 1934, composed four songs for The Big Broadcast of 1936 (which was actually released in 1935), and “Why Stars Come Out at Night” was filmed with Al Bowlly doing the vocals. Unfortunately, this sequence ended up on t
The tune’s near-exclusion from the film says nothing about its quality, as can be determined by charming renditions outside of celluloid on both sides of the Atlantic. The Savoy Hotel Orpheans’ version of the song is particularly representative of the orchestra’s incredible elegance. Anne Lenner’s vocal refrain could best be described as luscious. There is a delightful interplay between her elevated diction and a certain languid quality in her delivery. As she interprets the song’s lyrical conceit, namely t
Notable American recordings of “When Stars Come Out at Night” were made by Ray Noble and His Orchestra (v. Al Bowlly) , Bill Staffon and His Orchestra (v. Bill Staffon) , and Joe Haymes and His Orchestra (v. Ed Kirkeby).