Noel Gay (15 July 1898 – 4 March 1954) was born Reginald Moxon Armitage. He also used the name Stanley Hill professionally. He was a successful British composer of popular music of the 1930's and 1940's whose output comprised 45 songs as well as the music for 28 films and 26 London shows. Sheridan Morley has commented that he was "the closest Britain ever came to a local Irving Berlin".
He began writing popular songs, using the stage name Noel Gay. According to Morley the name was derived "from a sign he read on a London bus in 1924: 'NOEL Coward and Maisie GAY in a new revue'." Gay's career blossomed due to his talent for writing catchy, popular melodies in styles ranging from music hall to operetta. His most famous show, for which he contributed the music but not the lyrics, was Me and My Girl. It starred Lupino Lane as Bill Snibson and it ran for 1,646 performances despite being bombed out of two theatres. The "showstopper" in that work was "The Lambeth Walk" which has the distinction of being the only popular song to be the subject of a leader in The Times.
Gay went on to write songs for revues by The Crazy Gang, and for star artists like Gracie Fields, Flanagan and Allen and George Formby, as well as penning popular World War II songs such as "Run Rabbit Run" (with lyrics by Ralph Butler). He wrote two songs for the 1938 comedy film Save a Little Sunshine.
After the war, his musical output diminished and he concentrated more on production, in part because of increasing deafness and also because the fashion for cheerful Cockney-themed songs was on the wane.
1. Let The People Sing - Evelyn Laye
2. The Melody Maker - Jack Hylton & His Orchestra
3. The Sun Has Got His Hat On - Ambrose & His Orchestra
4. Leaning On A Lamp Post - George Formby
5. That Started It - Billy Cotton & His Band
6. All Over The Place - Geraldo & His Orchestra
7. The Fleet's In Port Again - Jack Payne & His Band
8. The Girl Who Loves A Soldier - Billy Cotton & His Band
9. Lambeth Walk - Lupino Lane
10. You've Done Something To My Heart - Evelyn Laye
11. Medley: Gay Tunes Part 1: A) Love Makes The World Go Round/B) Moonlight Avenue/C) You've Done.. - London Piano Accordion Band
12. There's Something About A Soldier - Cicely Courtneidge
13. Oh! What A Wonderful Night - London Piano Accordion Band
14. Love Makes The World Go Round - Leslie Hutchinson
15. Who Been Polishing The Sun - Jack Hulbert
16. Me And My Girl - Ronnie Munro & His Orchestra
17. Moonlight Avenue - Victor Silvester & His Ballroom Orchestra
18. I Took My Harp To A Party - Billy Cotton & His Band
19. Hold My Hand - Ray Nobles & His Orchestra
20. Whose Little What's-It Are You? - London Piano Accordion Band
21. Run, Rabbit, Run - Flanagan And Allen
22. Medley: Gay Tunes Part 2: A)Whose Little What's-It Are You?/B) Run, Rabbit, Run/C) Let The People... - London Piano Accordion Band
(link updated 24/02/17)
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