Blyth born bandleader, Ted Rea, had a 12 piece band which played at the Borough Hall, Hartlepool, the Queen’s Rink, West Hartlepool, the Ice Rink, Spennymoor, and various Miners’ Welfare Halls around Durham County. The Band was known as Ted Rea and his All-Star Syncopators.
Ted knew “Hendy” Rowntree from choir days at St. Hilda’s Abbey Church, and, one Sunday evening after Evensong, there was a knock at his door. On opening it, Ted was surprised to see Chick standing there. “Ted, I’d like to be a dance band singer,” said Chick. “Is there any chance of joining your Band?” he asked.
“Well,” said Ted, taken aback a little — “why not come to our rehearsals on Tuesday night? We meet upstairs in the “Big” room at 7.30 p.m. in the North Eastern Hotel in Lynn Street.” Not to be disappointed, Chick per- sisted. “Can’t you give me a “run-over” now on your piano?” A little amused by the insistence, Ted invited him into the sitting room.
“What would you like to sing?” he asked.
“Well, I’d like to try that new one which is quite popular right now,” answered Chick. “It’s called, ‘I’m heading for the last roundup’.”
“Ah, yes,” replied Ted. “I’ve got a copy of the sheet music here somewhere. Do you sing copy key?” he queried.
“I’ll try,” answered Chick. Ted recalled in July 1990...
“He had a very nice voice, rich and manly despite his youth - and a slight build. I asked him to come to the very next rehearsal so that the boys in the Band could hear him and also to see how he would fit in tempo-wise, etc. A good voice is one thing, a sense of rhythm is essential, and both must go together. It became very apparent a~fter the first run through that young Hendy, or Chick, as he became later, took to the Band and the Band took to Chick, like a duck to water. From that moment, he joined the Band and became my regular vocalist!”
Ted Rea supplied vital information which refutes other accounts on what followed. He continued - “We had a Moss Empire Theatre in West Hartle- pool, and the “Hippodrome”. These theatres featured Variety Shows, and many of the popular Radio Dance Bands of the day. One particular week, Jan Ralfini and his Band appeared at the “Hippodrome”, featuring what they called a Grand Talent Spotting Contest. Hendy was determined to enter, acquired and filled in the necessary entry form and was asked to appear on the opening night, which was Monday.”
He sang his ‘pièce de résistance’ — “I’ll be faithful” and won the heat outright. His reception was so fervent that the wise Ralfini asked him to “guest” every night. He agreed, and took the show by storm.
Naturally he won the final, and the leader asked him if he would like to join the Band. Absolutely overjoyed, he decided to accept the offer.
So it was, that, within three weeks, he joined Jan Ralfini for the rest of his tour, and summer season, playing at the Pier, Rhyl, in North Wales.
Young Hendy made many friends and fans there, especially amongst the females who clamoured to see him and talk to him before and after the Shows. One evening after the Show, one of these young girls brought him a hot, freshly cooked chicken for his supper. This strange gift became a joke, so much so that the lads in the Band started to call him “Chicken” — or the short- ened pet form, “Chick”!
However, to “win” an opportunity to sing with a band of this calibre was a dubious honour, not to mention the risk involved from a financial angle alone. It was indeed to give Chick cause for concern later. Dance Bands and ballrooms were regarded as the breeding grounds of tuberculosis by many people. This disease killed thousands of people of all ages in those days, and in its most virulent form was known as “galloping consumption”. Chick was warned that his health would be in danger and he would never know what would happen once he got there. His family had great confidence in his ability, not only as a singer, but also in his determination and ambition as a man.
At home he was much loved — handsome, charming, lovable and, in particular, a “great laugh”. All age groups loved to be in his company. He had a good sense of humour - and loved to mimic people, impersonating the more flambuoyant, and imitating all manner of characters, both real and imaginary. He was to be a great loss as he packed his bags and left. However, he was not alône~ in his migration. Many other North-Easterners left to join the move South - where there had always been greener grass, if not more lucrative employment. Very few of the inhabitants of the North East had ever been to the capital of their country. The very rail fare itself was more than a week’s wage to a labourer or unskilled worker.
Ralfini, real name Ralph Goodliffe, once claimed that he wanted a Latin type stage name when he began recording, just like Geraldo, who was Gerald Bright, so he added ‘mi’ to his forename to make it “Ralfini” — Jan was an- other bit of foreign addition. The story cannot be quite true, as he began recording before Geraldo - and Bertini.
Ralfini was not a big time dance band leader. His first gramophone rec- ords were made in 1926 for the Crystalate Company’s “Imperial” label.
They were all rejected.
Three years later he recorded for ‘Parlophone”.
These titles were rejected too.
One session for Columbia’s “Regal” label was issued but no option was taken up on any more.
In 1930, Ralfim began recording for Crystalate’s 7 inch “Victory” label, which were made exclusively for Woolworth’s. Once again, he never re- ceived an invitation to make any more for them, but in 1931 and 1932, “Sterno” records gave him regular recording work. Aural evidence indicates one trumpet and trombone, three reeds and rhythm, with Jan Ralfini leading on a violin - as so many not so good musician-bandleaders did. Vocals were taken by London session men such as Tom Barratt.
At the time of his Hartlepool visit, his recording days had almost ended. His musicians were virtually all unknown. An attempted recording come- back in 1938 for EMI resulted in all of the recordings being scrapped once again. Although Ralfini was never offered a recording contract after 1935, he continued to lead a band until the 1960’s, and died in April, 1976. At the time of his visit to Hartlepool, he was 36 years old.
Chick had joined Jan Ralfini and his Band in April, 1934, and completed the Ralfini tour with the Band before they settled in North Wales for the summer season. At rehearsals, he became very uneasy as he overheard conversations about the bandleader, job prospects, and money. To him, Ralfini was an established radio and recording artiste - known quite well even in Hartlepool. He was not to know that Ralfini’s recording days were numbered — that he had never been among the top ten bandleaders and that his gramophone records didn’t sell.
Chick (left) with Bill Boland trombonist with the Joe Loss Band, Biackpooi 1938
It was rumoured by some members of the Band that Ralfini’s talent con- tests were a mere front to attract the sort of crowds that he could not get on his musical merits. Others said that he was searching genuinely for a star vocal- 1st to put his Band back on the map. This is not borne out by any foresight on his part, for Chick had everything a leader could need - even the ability to make the only million selling gramophone recorl a pre-war Britain was to hear. To make gramophone records meant a greater possibility of getting broadcasts. Broadcasts meant engagements in nightspots, and invitations to appear in Variety Theatre.
It seems obvious, upon reflection, that Ralfini was having difficulty meeting recording standards. A final disagreement six months later over wages and alleged non-pay- ment, resulted in five mem- bers of the Band quitting and walking out at the end of the summer season at Rhyl. Chick joined them — so the complaints must have been quite serious and well founded - especially when Ralfini did nothing to try and persuade Chick to stay. The six men were fortunate as a group, because they heard that a Dutchman called Louis de Vries, who had come to England, wanted to form an all English Band, to tour and record. They ap- proached him, auditioned, and they all got the job!
De Vries was a well known ‘hot’ trumpet player who hailed from Holland. He made a name for himself as lead trumpet in the “Original Ramblers” - a Dutch outfit of seven, headed by Theo Uden Masman on piano. It is to be greatly regretted that, although de Vries made records under his own name in the jazz style of the 1930’s, he doesn’t get a listing or a mention in Charles Delaunay’s Hot Discographies - nor is he mentioned in Brian Rust’s Dance or Jazz Discographies, despite the fact that English Decca issued the following in 1935:
F.5566 St. Louis Blues I Moon Glow
F.5658 Oh, you sweet thing / I cover the waterfront
- all four titles being listed as by Louis de Vries and his trumpet.
"Dutch trumpet star Louis de Vries"
Although he started out with the “Original Ramblers” (the band became simply “The Ramblers”) the Band did not record until 1932, according to Albert McCarthy’s “Dance Band Era”, where its first session took place for ‘Decca’ in the Chenil Galleries. De Vries was not present.
This is not true, for the Band first recorded in 1929 for HMV and “Odeon”.
His first recorded evidence with the Band is in Holland on 13th August, 1935, when the Band featured him in three of his own arrangements.
AM.174-2 Oh, you sweet thing
AM.175-2 Rhythm is our business
AM.176-3 With all my heart and soul
De Vries does not appear on Matrices 177/8/9/180/1.
On this session, the recording files show Louis de Vries as the leader of the Band instead of Masman, and the recordings appeared as by “Louis de Vries and his Rhythm Boys”, despite the fact that Masman is present and plays!
English ‘Decca’ F.5658 contains track 1 above, “Oh, you sweet thing”. The “Rhythm Boys” were:
George Van Helvoirt - second trumpet
Marcel Thielmans — trombone
Wim Poppink — clarinet, alto, baritone sax
Theo Uden Masman — piano
Jac Pet — guitar
Lion Green — bass
Kees Kranenburg - drums
These titles are omitted, together with the English ‘Decca’ items before them, from “Index to Jazz”. Brian Rust doesn’t mention the Ramblers English or Dutch recordings.
The reason English ‘Decca’ issued the two 78 rpm discs was to coincide with visits that year to England of the Dutch star player, who decided to stay over here and form a Band of his own. Principally this was to provide a show- case for his own trumpet playing. He had advertised the fact just at the time that the six Ralfini lads decided to quit.
This proposed band never actually materialised. De Vries was killed outright in a tragic motoring accident, leaving the five musicians and Chick without any job prospects, or money with which to pay for accommodation. Chick, however, had been on very friendly terms with his previous band- leader, Ted Rea in Hartlepool.
Ted and his fiancee (who became his wife later) attended the Baptist Chapel at Hartlepool, whilst Chick was courting a girl named Frances
(Francey) Sanderson, at St. Hilda’s Church of England Church. The four of them often socialised together when the band was not playing. Conse- quently, Chick knew that Ted’s parents were moving to Slough, in Berkshire.
He remembered this as he visited Archer Street in London. This street was famous as a meeting place for musicians and singers who were seeking work or fancied a change of Band. Vocalists were ten a penny at that time, so there appeared little chance of any immediate work for Chick.
He wrote to Ted, explained his dilemma, and asked if he would see if his parents could put him up as a boarder, reasoning that if he had a base, even at Slough, he could travel into Town (London) each day to continue to look for work. Ted’s parents were happy to agree, and so Chick moved in with them. Travelling into London each day cost money, and money was in short supply. He confided to a “Radio Pictorial” journalist in April 1937, that he had been so ashamed of not being able to pay his board and lodgings, that he slept rough in Trafalgar Square on one occasion.
He decided to sign on at the Employment Exchange at Slough. ‘Dole’ money, liable to be stopped after a matter of weeks in those days, could provide the bus fares to London, and perhaps a sandwich or two, as he wandered from agent to agent, and followed up leads which generally led nowhere at all. It was October, and Christmas 1934 was going to be a very bleak time indeed if he didn’t find a job as a singer.
The totally bleak outlook was averted in the nick of time!
"Eddie Pratt (left) Lead Alto saxophonist in the Joe Loss Band, an oyster seller on Blackpool’s Golden Mile and chick — braces and all! 1938 "
Having registered at the “Dole” in Slough as a time-served Marine Engineer, a vacancy arose in the local factory of Hi-Duty Alloys Ltd. Chick was given a card to go along for an interview as an engineering fitter.
Although his heart was in singing, he had no option but to go for the interview. To refuse this would have meant the end of the meagre unemploy- ment benefit and the means of contributing to the cost of his lodgings.
To the Engineering Company, his appearance at the interview was~a gift not to be questioned - A North-Easterner, time-served in Marine Engineering, was a rare bonus to a factory in Slough. He was given the job and started work immediately at his old trade as an engineer.
At the factory, he fitted in well, making friends quite easily because of his happy and humorous outlook on life.
Naturally, he went to the local dance halls and continued to follow the hit songs and dance bands of the day on the radio. Some evenings, and Satur- days, he continued to visit Archer Street in London, in the hope that he could find regular work as a dance band singer.
Christmas 1934, and New Year 1935, passed uneventfully, and his work at the factory provided much needed cash, most of which he saved. During holidays, he was able to spend each day in London searching for vocal work. His grit and determination paid off.
At that time, Bandleader (aptly named) Harry Leader, was beginning to make a name for himself, putting out two or three outfits in and around London for various kinds of functions.
Chick had approached him before, but this time he was successful. Leader auditioned him at his London office and signed him up to sing with his Band there and then.
It was an open contract in effect. It left Chick free to accept any other vocal work when not actually singing with the Harry Leader Bands. As vocal work was evening work, he continued as long as he could working as an engineer by day.