UK ACTS POPULAR IN THE USA UP TO 1954

PART 1

In the Victorian days, British entertainers were held in high esteem Stateside, in fact many Americans considered that performers from “The Old Country” had more “class” than their own home-grown talent. Even then, it was not unusual for British singers, tempted by the big money, to take the long voyage across the Atlantic to entertain their “colonial cousins”.

In the 1890s, the first decade of recorded music, no artist outsold Belfast born George J. Gaskin – who gave the world such favourites as ‘After The Ball’ and ‘When You Were Sweet Sixteen’. Similarly, Oldham’s own Ada Jones (who relocated to Philadelphia at age 6) was the most popular female singer in the USA in the first twenty years of the 20th Century. Her name may not ring too many bells but some of her hits might: ‘By The Light Of The Silvery Moon’, ‘What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For’ and ‘Shine On Harvest Moon’. Music Hall’s most celebrated Scotsman, Sir Harry Lauder (who can forget his ‘Stop Your Ticklin’ Jock’ or ‘Roamin’ In The Gloamin’?) also sold a lot of cylinders in the pre World War I years. Nonetheless, by the early 20th Century, Americans were providing most of the world’s popular music with UK acts taking a back seat on the pop music bandwagon - a place they held until the Beatles-led ‘British Invasion’.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Brit hits in the first half of the century. Between the wars sophisticated British orchestras like those of Ray Noble, Ambrose, Henry Hall, and the up-and-coming Mantovani, had successful singles.

The first official US Best Selling Singles chart was launched in July 1940, but it was not until London born, L.A. resident Ray Noble clicked with a couple of Top 10 entries in 1947 that any British act made a mark – and then they both featured US vocalist Buddy Clark. 1948 was a good year for UK acts with Top 20 entries by Gracie Fields, Primo Scala, Vera Lynn and Dick James (yes – The Beatles and Elton John’s music publisher). However, before you get the impression that this was an early “British Invasion”, it should be pointed out that in 1948 a US musicians union strike meant that no recordings could be made in the USA and, therefore, record companies had little choice but to promote records from the most commercial of the other English speaking countries. When the strike ended, interest in British vocalists waned and the only Top 20 entries over the next three years came from the orchestras of (Trinidad born – British citizen) Edmundo Ros and (Italian born – British citizen) Mantovani.

Just months before the NME launched the first UK chart, Vera Lynn became the first UK artist to top the US chart, when ‘Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart’ held the top slot for nine weeks – a record no UK act bettered until 1981!

All the British entries in the US Top 20 between the launch of the UK chart (Nov 14 1952) to the first Beatles chart entry (Jan 18, 1964) are included in the list below, which shows that, apart from Dame Vera and Hull’s big voiced David Whitfield (assisted by Mantovani), the only other big UK hits in America in the pre rock’n’roll years were from instrumental acts: Frank Chacksfield; Eddie Calvert and Frank Weir - the latter with a record that failed to chart in his homeland. That would change, albeit not completely, when rock’n’roll first arrived.


UK ACTS IN BILLBOARD’S ‘BEST SELLERS’ CHARTS 1940-1955

Date Peak Title Act

15/02/47 2 LINDA-Ray Noble & His Orchestra With Buddy Clark

06/12/47 3 I'LL DANCE AT YOUR WEDDING-Ray Noble & His Orchestra With Buddy Clark

31/01/48 4 NOW IS THE HOUR-Gracie Fields

22/05/48 14 YOU CAN'T BE TRUE DEAR-Vera Lynn

03/07/48 19 YOU CAN'T BE TRUE DEAR-Dick James

14/08/48 6 UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES-Primo Scala

28/01/50 16 WEDDING SAMBA-Edmundo Ros

01/12/51 10 CHARMAINE-Mantovani And His Orchestra

21/06/52 1 AUF WIEDERSEH'N SWEETHEART-Vera Lynn

25/10/52 9 YOURS-Vera Lynn

23/05/53 13 THE MOULIN ROUGE THEME (WHERE IS YOUR HEART)-Mantovani And His Orchestra

30/05/53 6 (TERRY'S THEME FROM) "LIMELIGHT"-Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra

05/09/53 2 EBB TIDE-Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra

05/12/53 9 OH, MEIN PAPA-Eddie Calvert

01/05/54 4 THE HAPPY WANDERER-Frank Weir With His Saxophone, Chorus And Orchestra

18/09/54 10 CARA MIA-David Whitfield With Mantovani His Orchestra & Chorus