Noel Gay | |
---|---|
Born | Reginald Moxon Armitage 15 July 1898 Wakefield, Yorkshire, England |
Died | 4 March 1954 55) | (aged
Other names | Stanley Hill |
Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
Occupations |
|
Style | Musical theatre |
Children | Richard Armitage Angela Armitage |
Noel Gay (15 July 1898 – 4 March 1954) [1] was born Reginald Moxon Armitage. He also used the name Stanley Hill professionally. [2] He was a successful British composer of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s 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". [3] He is best known for the musical, Me and My Girl .
Armitage was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. [1] He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School before obtaining a scholarship at the age of 15 to attend the Royal College of Music in London, after which he attended university. [4] A precocious talent, he had deputised for the choirmaster of Wakefield Cathedral from the age of eight, [4] becoming honorary deputy organist at twelve. He had become music director and organist at St. Anne's Church in London's Soho district by the age of eighteen, [4] prior a brief period of military service during the First World War and then studied at Christ's College, Cambridge. [2] [3]
Whilst at Cambridge, Armitage's interest in religious music and composition declined as that in musical comedy grew. [4] 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'." His pseudonym of Stanley Hill was used from time to time for his more sentimental work. [2] After contributing to revues such as Stop Press he was commissioned to write the entire score and lyrics for André Charlot's 1926 revue. [3] His next show was Clowns in Clover, which starred Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert, a husband-and-wife team of the time. [4]
Gay's career blossomed due to his talent for writing catchy, popular melodies in styles ranging from music hall to operetta. [4]
His most famous show, for which he contributed the music but not the lyrics, was Me and My Girl. [4] This originally opened in 1937 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London and, after a shaky start, gained popularity when the BBC broadcast it live on radio on 13 January 1938. 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 . In October 1938 one of its leaders read "While dictators rage and statesmen talk, all Europe dances – to 'The Lambeth Walk'." [5] The show was revived in 1952 and again in 1984, when the book was revised by Stephen Fry and came to include some of Gay's own songs. [3] The latter production ran for eight years, initially at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and then at the Adelphi Theatre in London, before going on tour throughout Britain and transferring to Broadway.
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). [4] He wrote two songs for the 1938 comedy film Save a Little Sunshine . [4]
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. [3]
He had created Noel Gay Music in 1938 as a business vehicle. [3] It now forms a part of the Noel Gay Organisation which includes divisions for television and theatre and is a significant British showbusiness agency, under the day-to-day control of his family. [6]
His son, Richard Armitage, set up the Noel Gay Artists agency and became an influential talent agent. [7]
Gay contributed to numerous shows, almost all of them musical comedies or revues. Grove Music Online lists the following, except where the genre is stated as uncertain or as pantomime:
Year | Name | Comedy/Revue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1926 | The Charlot Show of 1926 | R | |
1927 | Clowns in Clover | R | |
1931 | Hold My Hand | C | |
Folly To Be Wise | R | included The King's Horses | |
1932 | She Couldn't Say No | Uncertain genre | |
1933 | That's A Pretty Thing | C | Rev. as La-Di-Da-Di-Da, 1943 |
1935 | Jack O'Diamonds | C | Rev. as Susie, 1942 |
Love Laughs | C | ||
Stop Press | R | ||
1936 | O-Kay for Sound | Book: Bob Weston & Bert Lee; music: Noel Gay, Harris Weston, Michael Carr & Jimmy Kennedy. [8] Included The Fleet's in Port Again | |
1937 | Me and My Girl | C | Filmed as The Lambeth Walk, 1939 |
1938 | Wild Oats | C | |
1939 | The Little Dog Laughed | London Palladium Revue | |
1940 | Lights Up | R | included Let The People Sing, Only A Glass of Champagne, You've Done Something to My Heart, The Girl Who Loves a Soldier |
Present Arms | C | ||
1942 | Gangway | R | |
1943 | The Love Racket | C | |
1944 | Meet Me Victoria | C | |
Ring Time | C | ||
1946 | Sweetheart Mine | C | |
1948 | Bob's Your Uncle | C | |
1949 | Aladdin | Score for pantomime) [3] |
Among Noel Gay's songs were the following, sourced from US Library of Congress copyright catalogues and the catalogue of the National Library of Australia as indicated.
Year | Song | From | Lyrics | Music | Lyrics & Music | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1929 | Tondeleyo | White Cargo (film – this was the first song to be used in a British talkie [3] ) | Stanley Hill (Noel Gay) | Noel Gay | NLA [9] | |
1931 | Girl of a Million Dreams | Jos. Geo. Gilbert | Noel Gay | LCC 1931 [10] | ||
Mrs Elizabeth Brown | Jos. Geo. Gilbert | Noel Gay | LCC 1931 | |||
The King's Horses and The King's Men | Noel Gay & Harry Graham | LCC 1931 | ||||
Laughing at the Rain | Jos. Geo. Gilbert | Noel Gay | LCC 1931 | |||
Goddess of the Moon | The Chinese Bungalow | Noel Gay | LCC 1931 | |||
I Want The World To Know That I Belong To You | On with the Show | Jos. Geo. Gilbert | Noel Gay | LCC 1931 | ||
The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Hold My Hand | Desmond Carter & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | LCC 1932; [11] NLA | ||
Hold My Hand | Hold My Hand | Harry Graham | Maurice Elwin & Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | ||
Dearest, It's You | Jos. Geo. Gilbert / Benny Davis | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
Nobody's Baby Is Somebody's Baby Now | Gus Kahn | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
Ali Baba's Camel | Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1932 | Land of Love and Laughter | Archie Gottler | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | ||
Turn on the Music | Noel Gay & Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
Thou Shalt Not | Archie Gottler | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
All for the Love of A Lady | Archie Gottler / J P Long | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
The Sun Has Got His Hat On | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | ||||
Round The Marble Arch | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | ||||
Lovely Little Silhouette | Archie Gottler | Noel Gay | LCC 1932 | |||
I Don't Want To Go To Bed | Stanley Lupino | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
I've Found The Right Girl / Oh What A Girl | Stanley Lupino & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1933 | La-di-da-di-da | That's A Pretty Thing | Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | LCC 1934 [12] | |
I'm Hitching My Wagon To You | That's A Pretty Thing | Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | LCC 1934 | ||
I Took My Harp to a Party | Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | LCC 1934 | |||
Why Can't We | You Made Me Love You (film) | Clifford Grey | Noel Gay | LCC 1934 | ||
The Song You Gave To Me | Clifford Grey & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Letting in the Sunshine | Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
One Little Kiss From You | Clifford Grey | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
There's Something About A Soldier | Soldiers of the King (film) | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
The Moment I Saw You | Soldiers of the King (film) | Clifford Grey | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
1934 | Fit For Anything | Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | LCC 1934 | ||
Happy | Happy (film) | Stanley Lupino & Noel Gay | LCC 1934 | |||
Who's Been Polishing The Sun? | The Camels Are Coming (film) | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
I'll Pray For You | Roy King & Stanley Hill (Noel Gay) | Jos. Geo. Gilbert & Noel Gay | NLA | |||
1935 | Time | Love Laughs! | Desmond Carter | Noel Gay | NLA | |
All for a Shilling A Day | Where's My Man? | Clifford Grey & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
1936 | The Fleet's in Port Again | O-Kay For Sound (and as film, 1937) | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
Let's Have A Tiddly at the Milk Bar | Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1937 | Red, White and Blue | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
The Lambeth Walk | Douglas Furber | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Me and My Girl | Douglas Furber | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Leaning on a Lamp-post | Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Won't You Buy My Pretty Flowers | Jack Meskill & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
1938 | Love Makes The World Go Round | These Foolish Things | Stanley Hill (Noel Gay) | NLA | ||
1939 | Did You Go Down Lambeth Way? | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
You've Done Something to My Heart | Lights Up | Frank Eyton & Ian Grant | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
Run, Rabbit, Run | The Little Dog Laughed | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
The Girl Who Loves A Soldier | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Let The People Sing | Frank Eyton & Ian Grant | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Birthday of the Little Princess | Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
The Moon Remembered But You Forgot | Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Fare Thee Well | Jimmy Campbell, Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1940 | All Over The Place | Sailors Three (film) | Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |
Oh What A Wonderful Night We've Had Tonight | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Oh! Buddy, I'm in Love | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Whose Little What's-it Are You? | Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Moonlight Avenue | Jos. Geo. Gilbert, Jimmy Campbell & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1941 | Come Happy Day | Bill Hutter & Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Mr Brown of London Town | Reginald Arkell & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Hey! Little Hen | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
She's in Love with a Soldier | David Heneker & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
I'd Never Fall in Love Again | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Oh! How He Misses His Missus (Since He Became A Military Man) | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
He Wants To Be A Pilot | Muriel Watson, Jack Denby & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Who Are You A-Shovin' Of? | Raymond Moore & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1942 | The First Waltz | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | |||
1943 | Happy Days, Happy Months, Happy Years | Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | NLA | |||
Sitting on a Cloud | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
I'm Mad at Myself | Joe Lubin & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
Why Say Goodbye | Tommy Angel, Joyce Cochrane & Noel Gay | NLA | ||||
1944 | We Don't Know Where We're Going | Ralph Butler & Noel Gay | NLA | |||
1945 | The Too-rie on His Bonnet | George Brown | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
1946 | When Alice Blue Gown Met Little Boy Blue | Arnold, Ralph Butler & Simpson | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
1949 | I'll Always Love You | Frank Eyton & Noel Gay | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
1950 | My Thanks To You | Norman Newell | Noel Gay | NLA | ||
Some of his songs featured in the film Overlord
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes & His Orchestra in 1938.
Nathaniel Davis Ayer was an American composer, pianist, singer and actor. He made most of his career composing and performing in England in Edwardian musical comedy and revue. He also contributed songs to Broadway shows, including some of the Ziegfeld Follies.
Douglas Coy Byng was an English comic singer and songwriter in West End theatre, revue and cabaret. Billed as "Bawdy but British", Byng was famous for his female impersonations. His songs are full of sexual innuendo and double entendres. Due to the prejudices of the law and of the public at that time, Byng was a closeted gay performer. To have been out, would have been social and professional suicide. He was noted for his camp performances in the music halls and in cabaret. Byng made a large number of recordings, many of which have been transferred to CD. Byng was also a noted pantomime dame and appeared in over 30 pantomimes.
"September Song" is an American standard popular song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It was introduced by Walter Huston in the 1938 Broadway musical production Knickerbocker Holiday. The song has been recorded by numerous singers and instrumentalists.
John Serry Sr. was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to Voice of America's cultural diplomacy initiatives during the Golden Age of Radio. He also concertized on the accordion as a member of several orchestras and jazz ensembles for nearly forty years between the 1930s and 1960s.
John Frederick Coots was an American songwriter. He composed over 700 popular songs and over a dozen Broadway shows. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then chief collaborator, lyricist Haven Gillespie, for the biggest hit of either man's career, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town." The song became one of the biggest sellers in American history.
Nadine Dana Suesse was an American musician, composer and lyricist.
"The Man I Love" is a popular standard with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira. Part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin musical comedy Lady, Be Good, the song was deleted from that show and put into the Gershwins' 1927 government satire Strike Up the Band, which closed out-of-town. It was considered for, then rejected from, the 1928 Ziegfeld hit Rosalie.
London Calling! was a musical revue, produced by André Charlot with music and lyrics by Noël Coward, which opened at London's Duke of York's Theatre on 4 September 1923. It is famous for being Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical work and for the use of a 3-D stereoscopic shadowgraph as part of its opening act. The revue's song "Parisian Pierrot", sung by Gertrude Lawrence, was Coward's first big hit and became one of his signature tunes.
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".
W. Augustus Barratt was a Scottish-born, later American, songwriter and musician.
Richard Noel Marshall Armitage was a talent agent, active in England in the 1950s–1980s.
Amy Ashmore Clark was a Canadian-born American songwriter, composer, and businesswoman, "equally popular and successful as a writer of lyrics for other people's music, and a writer music for other people's lyrics", despite being unable to read or write music. She also appeared in musical comedy and vaudeville, worked in music publishing, and at several magazines.
Lola Carrier Worrell was an American composer who wrote instrumental music, songs, and at least one piece for musical theatre. Born in St. Johns, Michigan, she studied music with Carlos Sobimo, Francis Hendricks and Horace E Tureman. Lola married Edward S Worrell Jr. on January 12, 1891, and they had three daughters. The family maintained homes in New York and Colorado, where Lola founded the Denver American Music Society and served as its first president. She also organized and served as the pianist for the Chamber Music Quintet of Denver. Along with other musicians such as Caroline Holme Walker, Lola maintained a studio at Brinton Terrace in Denver, where she coached pianists, singers, and young composers. She gave recitals with contralto Louis Merten, whom she accompanied on piano. In addition to her work as a musician, Lola filed patents for dolls she developed in 1922, 1924, and 1925. The 1925 patent application described the doll as a "flapper doll." Her compositions included:
Isidore Lillian was an actor, songwriter, playwright, and composer who was a leading figure in the New York Yiddish Theatre for the first half of the twentieth century. He wrote hundreds of songs for the theatre which were performed by such actors as Boris Thomashefsky, David Kessler, and Jacob Adler, as well as by Lillian himself.
Percy Huntley Trevor was an English songwriter. Generally known as Huntley Trevor, he sometimes published music under the pseudonyms Raymond Wallace, Chester Wallace, and Slade Williams.
Jane Douglass White, born Ruby Jane Douglass, was an American Women's Army Corps officer, music educator and songwriter. A University of Oklahoma graduate, she wrote several songs during World War II to promote the corps; Captain Douglass was selected in 1944 to command the first all-woman Special Service company.
Ottalie Mark was an American musicologist, copyright consultant, composer, and music editor.