Bill
Savill was born in London
on 15th March 1910. In
the thirties he played
drums for Teddy Brown,
fulfilling many
engagements at
night-clubs such as The
Mitre, Golden Square, and
50-50. When war came he
joined the RAF and,
having attained the rank
of Sergeant, was
instrumental in forming
the dance orchestra of
RAF Fighter Command,
which he directed until
1944. He also provided
the resident band at the
Officers' Club, Grosvenor
House, between 1942 and
1946. It was with this
band, a sextet, that he
made his first broadcast
in 1943. In fact, he made
over 100 'Services
Calling' broadcasts, as
well as appearances at
the Allied Club,
Piccadilly, and at St.
James's Palace. If this
wasnt enough, he
was also Musical Director
for a show called 'This
is the Gen' at the
Phoenix Theatre, West
London.
After
demobilisation, he formed
a civilian orchestra
which gave its first
broadcast on the Light
Programme in 1946. He
soon established his own
highly distinctive style
with this 14-piece dance
orchestra, consisting of
strings, saxes, piano and
rhythm. Familiar names
such as Eric Rogers,
Neville Hughes, Reg
Leopold
and Neil Richardson
played in the orchestra
over the years, the
latter being responsible
for many of the
arrangements.
Bill
Savill continued to
fulfill engagements at
the Dorchester,
Claridge's and Hyde Park
Hotels and at the Royal
Albert Hall. He became
very much associated with
London's high society,
playing for private
functions, hunt balls,
and charity balls such as
the Royal Caledonian
Ball, Queen Charlotte's
Debutantes Ball,
and the Westminster
Appeal for the Blind Ball
to name but a few.
There
were also numerous
engagements for RAF
associations and Masonic
and Rotary functions. In
1951, Bill Savill was
awarded the Jack Hylton
Cup for Musical
Directors.
On
radio, Bill Savill and
his Orchestra were
particularly associated
with 'Music
While You Work'
and between July 1946 and
September 1967 appeared
on no less than 308
programmes, sometimes
doing as many as 20
editions in a year. They
were the last ballroom
orchestra to appear in
the series just
nine days before its
demise in September 1967.
No doubt much of their
appeal was due to their
individuality of style
and the fact that they
were one of the few
post-war dance orchestras
to use a string section
instead of brass.
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Letter
to Bill Savill from BBC
Light Entertainment
Booking Manager
(click pages
to read) |
From
1957 onwards, they
produced a series of
superb LPs for Decca,
which were not only
perfect for dancing but
also ideal for listening.
The orchestra was
augmented from 14 to 19
musicians for these
records a few
extra strings were added,
as was a trumpet, but
this was used most
discreetly and the
overall sound was very
similar to the
broadcasts.
After
MWYW finished, Bill
Savill's broadcasts
became infrequent, with
occasional appearances in
'Breakfast Special' until
the late sixties. For
some time, Bill had
provided orchestras in
his own name for private
functions and he
continued to do this for
many years after
broadcasts ceased.
He
died on 3rd March 1995.
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at
3.31p.m on 9th April 1962
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by
Bill Savill and his
Orchestra
on 9th April 1962
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Dearly Beloved
Small Hotel
Lady is a Tramp
Forget me not
The Last time I saw Paris
I love Paris
C'est Mangifique
Moon River
Blonde in the Bikini
What more can I say
My Friend the sea
Ring a Ding Girl
I'm on a See-saw
Dear Little Cafe
Raise your Voices
Stranger on the Shore
Cuban Boy
Softly as I leave you
Gonna build a mountain
Isn't this a lovely day
Cheek to Cheek
Top Hat
Pianissimo
Stork Talk
Dancing in the Dark
Blue Room
You're the cream in my
coffee
Some Enchanted Evening
I enjoy being a Girl
If I had you
An Apple for the Teacher
One, two,buckle your shoe
The Fleet's in Port Again
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Eric
Coates
Jerome Kern
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Vandyke
Jerome Kern
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Henry Mancini
Edward Nash
Art Noel
Ron Goodwin
Syd Cordell
Vivian Ellis
Noel Coward
Jack Fishman
Acker Bilk
Frank Chacksfield
Tony de Vita
Leslie Bricusse
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Alex Alstone
Tony Hatch
Arthur Schwartz
Richard Rodgers
De Silva
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Ted Shapiro
Johnny Burke
Johnny Burke
Noel Gay
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at
3.31p.m on 28th March
1966
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by
Bill Savill and his
Orchestra
on 28th March 1966
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
No Strings
The Sweetest Sounds
On a Clear Day
Selection:Charlie Girl
Song of Alassio
Everything's in Rhythm
Spanish Flea
The Last Time I saw Paris
I Love Paris
C'est Magnifique
How much of the dream
comes true
Second Hand Rose
People
Come on In
I Left my Heart in San
Francisco
Let's Face the Music and
Dance
I Whistle a Happy Tune
You're the Cream in my
Coffee
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Eric
Coates
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Lanes
Sherman
Edward Charles
Harry Woods
Wechter
Jerome Kern
Cole Porter
Cole Porter
John Barry
Hanley
Jule Styne
Syd Dale
Cory
Irving Berlin
Richard Rodgers
Da Sylva
Eric Coates |
(Due
to a sound fault on the
original tape, certain
items have been removed
from this recording)
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at
3.31p.m on 4th March 1963
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by
Bill Savill and his
Orchestra
on 4th March 1963
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Together wherever we go
Lonely
Poor little rich girl
Elizabeth
I'll follow my secret
heart
Someday I'll find you
Betty Dear
Climb every mountain
The night has a thousand
eyes
Slightly out of tune
Dearly beloved
There's a small hotel
The lady is a tramp
Globetrotter
Street of Linden Trees
Soul Bossa Nova
Easy to love
All of you
I could write a book
Tango de la Zarzuela
Cuban Boy
Hidden Persuasion
Riding High
Broken Date
From this moment on |
Eric
Coates
Jule Stein
Acker Bilk
Noel Coward
Katscher
Noel Coward
Noel Coward
Raymond Agoult
Richard Rodgers
Wayne
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Jerome Kern
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Joe Meek
Harold Geller
Quincey Jones
Cole Porter
Richard Rodgers
Cole Porter
Rogers
Frank Chacksfield
Churchill
Cole Porter
Phillips
Cole Porter |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Priogramme at
3.31p.m on 7th October
1964
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK
played by
Bill Savill and his
Orchestra
on 7th October 1964
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
I've got you under my
skin
This is my lovely day
Most gentlemen don't like
love
Ramona
A couple of swells
I got lost in his arms
It's a lovely day today
Bluesette
Hello Dolly
People
No Strings
The Sweetest Sounds
Wrap your troubles in
dreams
Chicken Barbecue
If ever I would leave you
The girl from Ipanema
Rosalie
Have you met Miss Jones
Where or when
Rag Doll
Cuban Boy
Descansado
Bali Hai
Young and healthy
Keep young and beautiful
Lullaby of Broadway
Spread a little happiness
Dance little lady
There's no business like
show business
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Eric
Coates
Cole Porter
Vivian Ellis
Cole Porter
Mabel Wayne
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Toots Thielmans
Jerry Herman
Jule Styne
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Harry Barris
Edward Nash
Frederick Loewe
A. Carlos Jobim
Cole Porter
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Crewe/Gaudle
Frank Chacksfield
Armado Trovajoli
Richard Rodgers
Harry Warren
Harry Warren
Harry Warren
Vivian Ellis
Noel Coward
Irving Berlin
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at
3.31p.m. on 18th March
1963
Music
While You Work at 3.31
p.m. on 18th March 1963
Played by Bill Savill and
his Orchestra
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Let's Face the Music and
Dance
I Whistle a Happy Tune
You're the Cream in My
Coffee
Lonely
The Best Things in Life
are Free
Button Up Your Overcoat
Good News
I'll Follow my Secret
Heart
Some Day I'll Find You
The Night has a Thousand
Eyes
Bushel and a Peck
If I Were a Bell
Guys and Dolls
Slightly Out of Tune
I Get Along Without You
Very Well
Globetrotter
The Street of Linden
Trees
Pied Piper
The Last Time I Saw Paris
I Love Paris
C'est Magnifique
Soul Bossa Nova
Betty Dear
Alley Cat
Surrey with the Fringe on
Top
Out of My Dreams
People Will Say We're in
Love
Broken Date
Together Wherever we go
Everything's Coming Up
Roses
Dancing with My Shadow
My Hat's on the Side of
My Head
Well All Go Riding
on a Rainbow
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Coates
Berlin
Rodgers
De Sylva
Bilk
De Sylva
De Sylva
De Sylva
Coward
Coward
Wayne
Loesser
Loesser
Loesser
Jobim
Carmichael
Meek
Geller
Race
Kern
Porter
Porter
Jones
Agoult
Bjorn
Rodgers
Rodgers
Rodgers
Phillips
Styne
Styne
Wood
Wood
Wood
Coates
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Dutton
Vocalion have recently
re-released two of Bill
Savill's LPs from 1959 on
a CD
WE
COULD HAVE DANCED ALL
NIGHT
The original LP SKL 4019
(1959) STEREO
In
A Dancing Mood
The original LP SKL 4065
(1959) STEREO
Click
on the picture to order
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