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Swingin' London: Billy Cotton's Band - Mood Indigo, 1933

1,736 views · Published 30 January 2015 · 3:11 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: 240252 · 2015 · Music

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Billy Cotton & His Band - Mood Indigo, Fox Trot  (D.Ellington) Regal Zonophone 1933 (UK)

NOTE: Billy COTTON - British bandleader and drummer, b. in London, 1899; d. in London, 1969. He started his career in age of 15, playing drums with the Royal Fusiliers. In the early 1920s, he played in a trio with other two members of his family: his nephew Laurie Johnson on violin and Arthur Rosebery on piano. (Later, Rosebery went on to become a major bandleader himself). They played at the Ealing Palais, and also at the 1924 Wembley Exhibition. After the exhibition, Bill went to work for Jack Howard at the Olympia Ballroom. Then he decided to form his own band, which included Laurie on violin. This led to a resident position at the Regent Ballroom in Brighton, in 1925 yet when Laurie went to form his own band, Billy’s orchestra bagan performing until 1927 at Southport Palais. Having gained a high renown among the Southport visitors, they had the way opened for them to London’s Westend. The band moved to the Astoria, Charing Cross Road, then on to Ciro's Club in about 1929, where Cotton’s band stayed until 1931. During this period, the orchestra started its long recording career, making records for Metropole and Piccadilly, plus solitary discs for Decca.  For most of his career, he and his band did stage shows, with his nephew as his "right-hand" man – and such mix of show and music show has always remained his trademark. However, in 1931 Bill Cotton became ill with rheumatic fever and had to stop performing. His musicians left him, including later famous bandleaders Nat Gonella and Syd Lypton.  Fortunately, in 1932 Cotton managed to recreated his band, which stayed ever since with the British audience until Cotton’s death in 1969. From 1930 to 1936, he made many records for Columbia, Regal and Regal Zonophone, switching then to Rex until the late 1940s. Several records were made for Decca right up until the late 1950s.  Bill had passions other than music. He was a determined racing driver and drove the famous Blue Bird, achieving a speed of 121 mph.  and also had his own aeroplane, a Gipsy Moth, which he often flew in the years before World War II. In 1960s he also led his famed "Billy Cotton Band" comedy & music series on Radio and TV.  His band’s label tune was “Somebody Stole My Gal”.

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