Janette
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Music by Lawrence Wright as “Horatio Nicholls”, words by Fred Godfrey as “Godfrey Williams”; EMI credits Wright as “Nicholls” and Godfrey as himself; British Library credits Nicholls only; some sources credit Godfrey only, as himself — London: Lawrence Wright Music, 1928. * * * * * * * * * * * * One of the very few of Fred Godfrey’s “serious” songs to be a success, Janette appeared early in 1928, as noted by the following trade paper report: “Horatio Nicholls [Lawrence Wright] went up to Leeds to conduct the first performance in a public dance hall of his new waltz ‘Janette,’ which was a feature of the final of the dance competition....The waltz was greatly admired and enthusiastically cheered” (The Era, 29 February 1928, p. 19). At this stage in his career, Godfrey seems to have turned his hand more toward lyric writing, and it must be admitted that the song was mostly heard as an instrumental, the musical credit for which must go to Lawrie Wright. Jack Hylton & His Band played it before King George V and Queen Mary at the Royal Command Performance at the Coliseum, London (March 1928). The song was also performed by Nora Bancroft in the revue Playtime, Marine Gardens Pavilion, Folkstone (July 1928), where she was accompanied at the piano by “Horatio Nicholls,” who was on a tour of Britain featuring his songs; by Henry Ford, “the singing vagabond,” London Theatre, Shoreditch, London (May 1928); by Percival Mackey’s Band in the revue Will O’ The Whispers (April 1928); and by Teddy Morris & His Band, Holborn Empire, London (March 1928). Interpolated in Alf E. Dodd’s revue Something New, Metropolitan, London (May 1928).
Recordings Harry Bidgood & His Broadcasters, with Herbert Griffiths at the
Stoll Picture Theatre Organ; Cavan O’Connor, vocal (Broadcast 216,
1928) [unidentified vocal & band] (Little Marvel 1155) |