Alan Dell
Encyclopedia
Alan Dell, born Alan Creighton Mandell (8 March 1924 – 18 August 1995), was a BBC
radio broadcaster, associated with dance band music of the 1920s, 30s and early 40s.
, South Africa
and graduated from Kearsney College
in Natal. He joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation
in 1943, introducing for several years a programme called Rhythm Club. Moving to England in the 1950s, Dell worked on Radio Luxembourg
(which then had recording studios in London), the BBC Light Programme
and its successor Radio 2
until shortly before his death.
, the BBC's "pop" channel, launched in 1967 as a replacement for the offshore pirate stations
) until 1995 and, in later years, did so in a sequence on Monday evenings with Dell's "other side", The Big Band Sound. The former included recordings by the likes of Jack Hylton
, Ambrose
, Henry Hall
, Geraldo and other dance bandleaders. The main elements of these programmes were retained for a number of years after Dell's death, in a Sunday night programme introduced on Radio 2 by Malcolm Laycock
. (Dance band recordings were sometimes played also on the digital channel PrimeTime Radio
2000-6.)
However, in November 2008 Laycock's Sunday night programme changed format to a more swing orientated playlist. Laycock resigned suddenly in July 2009 which took everyone, including his bosses, by surprise, citing difficulties on agreeing a new contract.
eras, he was also an early presenter of Pick of the Pops
in 1956 and, in his later years, of Sounds Easy, a Sunday afternoon programme on Radio 2 which was notable for its attention to the recordings of Frank Sinatra
and Peggy Lee
(both of whom he pre-deceased). He won a 1983 Grammy Award
in the Best Historical Album
category for The Tommy Dorsey
/Frank Sinatra
Sessions - Vols. 1, 2 & 3.
technology, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
used the Packman Audio Noise Suppressor, a machine developed by a sound engineer, Robert Parker
(1936–2004), to produce stereophonic sound of high quality from 78rpm mono recordings (see The Stage, 1 March 2005). Dell provided the sleeve notes for Dance Bands UK (1988), a BBC compact disc
of ABC "transfer" recordings, thereby illustrating his authority as a historian of such music.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio broadcaster, associated with dance band music of the 1920s, 30s and early 40s.
Formative years
Dell was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and graduated from Kearsney College
Kearsney College
Kearsney College is a private boarding school for boys in Botha's Hill, a small town that lies between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the largest city of KwaZulu-Natal, a province in South Africa.- History :...
in Natal. He joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
in 1943, introducing for several years a programme called Rhythm Club. Moving to England in the 1950s, Dell worked on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
(which then had recording studios in London), the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
and its successor Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
until shortly before his death.
The Dance Band Days
Dell's most celebrated programme, The Dance Band Days, ran from 1969 (initially - and perhaps ironically - on Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, the BBC's "pop" channel, launched in 1967 as a replacement for the offshore pirate stations
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
) until 1995 and, in later years, did so in a sequence on Monday evenings with Dell's "other side", The Big Band Sound. The former included recordings by the likes of Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
, Ambrose
Ambrose (bandleader)
Benjamin Baruch Ambrose , known professionally as Ambrose or Bert Ambrose, was an English bandleader and violinist. Ambrose become the leader of a highly acclaimed English dance band, the Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra, in the 1930s.-Early life:Ambrose was born in the East End of London; his father...
, Henry Hall
Henry Hall (bandleader)
Henry Hall was a British bandleader. He played from the 1920s to the 1950s.-Biography:Henry Hall was born in Peckham, South London and served in both the Salvation Army and the British Army...
, Geraldo and other dance bandleaders. The main elements of these programmes were retained for a number of years after Dell's death, in a Sunday night programme introduced on Radio 2 by Malcolm Laycock
Malcolm Laycock
Malcolm Richard Laycock was a British radio presenter and producer, best known for his work on programmes related to jazz, dance band and big band music. During his career he presented shows for both BBC Radio 2 and the BBC World Service...
. (Dance band recordings were sometimes played also on the digital channel PrimeTime Radio
PrimeTime Radio
PrimeTime Radio was a national UK radio station. It was once part of although it became independent in 2004. It operated as a sister station to Saga Digital radio. The line up featured a variety of presenters including David Hamilton, Don Durbridge, David Allan, Dave Cash, Tony Myatt and Sheila...
2000-6.)
However, in November 2008 Laycock's Sunday night programme changed format to a more swing orientated playlist. Laycock resigned suddenly in July 2009 which took everyone, including his bosses, by surprise, citing difficulties on agreeing a new contract.
Other work for the BBC
Though Dell mostly presented programmes of music from the dance band and swingSwing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
eras, he was also an early presenter of Pick of the Pops
Pick of the Pops
Pick of the Pops is a BBC Radio programme, originally based on the Top 20 UK singles chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 from 1967...
in 1956 and, in his later years, of Sounds Easy, a Sunday afternoon programme on Radio 2 which was notable for its attention to the recordings of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
(both of whom he pre-deceased). He won a 1983 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Best Historical Album
Grammy Award for Best Historical Album
The Grammy Award for Best Historical Album has been presented since 1979. During this time the award had several minor name changes:*In 1979 the award was known as Best Historical Repackage Album*In 1980 it was awarded as Best Historical Reissue...
category for The Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
/Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
Sessions - Vols. 1, 2 & 3.
Digital technology
In the 1980s, with the onset of digitalDigital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
technology, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
used the Packman Audio Noise Suppressor, a machine developed by a sound engineer, Robert Parker
Robert Parker (sound engineer)
Robert Noel Parker was an Australian sound engineer, jazz expert and broadcaster, well known for his radio series Jazz Classics in Digital Stereo....
(1936–2004), to produce stereophonic sound of high quality from 78rpm mono recordings (see The Stage, 1 March 2005). Dell provided the sleeve notes for Dance Bands UK (1988), a BBC compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
of ABC "transfer" recordings, thereby illustrating his authority as a historian of such music.
External links
- Obituary from The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 29 August 1995 (Retrieved on 2008-08-09) - The History of Radio 2 - Alan Dell profile at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...