Music for the People Popular Music and Dance

Popular music was a powerful and persistent influence in the daily life of millions in interwar Britain, yet these crucial years in the development of the popular music industry have rarely been the subject of detailed investigation. For the first time, here is a comprehensive survey of theBritish popular music industry and its audience. The book examines the changes to popular music and the industry and their impact on British society and culture from 1918 to 1939. It looks at the businesses involved in the supply of popular music, how the industry organised itself, and whocontrolled it. It attempts to establish the size of the audience for popular music and to determine who this audience was. Finally, it considers popular music itself - how the music changed, which music was the most popular, and how certain genres were made available to the public.

List of Illustrations

xii

List of Tables

xiii

Abbreviations

xiv

Introduction

1

(12)

PART ONE The `Mechanized' Popular Music Industry

The Rise of the Gramophone and the Development of the British Gramophone Industry

13

(20)

Introduction

13

(1)

Production patterns of the British gramophone industry, 1907--1939

14

(5)

The development of the gramophone and record Industries

19

(14)

Conclusion

32

(1)

The Role of the Gramophone in Daily Life in Interwar Britain and its Effect on Musical Culture

33

(25)

Introduction

33

(1)

The gramophone in daily life

34

(9)

The music and marketing policies of the gramophone companies

43

(8)

The cultural impact of the gramophone

51

(7)

Conclusion

55

(3)

Radio, Cinema, and Popular Music in Interwar Britain

58

(41)

Introduction

58

(1)

Popular music and the BBC

59

(8)

Commercial radio

67

(19)

The cinema

86

(13)

Conclusion

95

(4)

PART TWO The `Live' Popular Music Industry

Developments in `Live Music' 1918 to 1939: From `Performers' to `Listeners'

99

(28)

Introduction

99

(1)

Self-made `live music': the public as performers

100

(14)

Ready-made live music: the public as listeners

114

(13)

Conclusion

125

(2)

`Live Music': Dance Bands, Dance Music, and Dance Musicians

127

(21)

Introduction

127

(1)

The size and scope of the dance music profession

128

(8)

Dance band musicians

136

(4)

Dance bands, employment, and employers

140

(8)

Conclusion

146

(2)

The Expansion and Development of the Dance Hall Industry

148

(20)

Introduction

148

(1)

The growth of dancing and the dance hall industry

148

(13)

Mecca and the commercialization of dancing

161

(7)

Conclusion

166

(2)

The Experience of Dancing, Dance Halls, and the 'Dance Culture', 1918--1939

168

(25)

Introduction

168

(1)

`Going to the palais'

168

(9)

Dancers, dance culture, and interwar society

177

(8)

Dance halls and sex

185

(8)

Conclusion

190

(3)

PART THREE Popular Music and Popular Music Artists

Tastes in Popular Music, 1918--1939

193

(33)

Introduction

193

(1)

Popular genres and artists

193

(14)

Popular song titles: origins and content

207

(9)

The determination of popular tastes

216

(10)

Conclusion

225

(1)

Conclusion

226

(10)

Appendix: The Moss Popular Songs, 1918--1939

236

(9)

Select Bibliography

245

(10)

Index of Song Titles

255

(3)

General Index

258

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Music for the People Popular Music and Dance in Interwar Britain

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials