Harold
Geller and his Orchestra
first appeared in 'Music
While You Work'
in 1946, initially as a
nine-piece ensemble, led
by the maestro on violin
and broadcasting
regularly until 1952.
After a break from radio,
Harold Geller returned in
1955 with a new style and
instrumentation. The BBC
encouraged all the
orchestra leaders on
their books to endeavour
to create an individual
style. The newly-formed
orchestra (now consisting
of 14 players) comprised
strings, saxophone
(doubling flute),
accordion, piano, guitar,
bass and drums
plus the distinctive
sound of a mandoline,
played by the well-known
Hugo D'Alton. Harold
Geller's Orchestra
returned to 'Music While
You Work' late in 1958
and played a total of 52
editions. They would
undoubtedly have done
more but for the fact
that they were
extensively used in other
programmes, noteably 'Morning
Music',
for which they provided
some 115 editions between
1961 and 1965. They had
an attractive and quite
sophisticated style and
despite being officially
classed as a dance
orchestra, their
instrumentation enabled
them to include
contemporary light music
in their repertoire.
During the sixties the
orchestra was resident at
the London's Kensington
Palace Hotel. Harold's
daughter Roslynn became
quite well-known as a
broadcasting and
recording artist, playing
the harp with her trio.
Harold
Geller, who was born in
Sydney, Australia, and
came to this country as a
child, was a prolific
composer. Amongst his
compositions are 'El
Toreador', 'Kibbutzim',
'Street of Linden Trees',
'Dancers of El Paso' and,
most famous of all, 'The
Green Cockatoo'. He also
wrote a mandoline
concerto for Hugo
D'Alton, which was
broadcast by the BBC
Concert Orchestra under
Geller's direction in the
long-running Sunday
morning series, 'Melodies
for You'. Radio work had
completely dried up by
the early seventies and
Harold Geller emigrated
to the United States a
few years later.
He
died in Las Vegas on 26th
February 2005 aged 89.
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Harold Geller
and his Orchestra
as broadcast on the BBC
Light Programme at 3.31pm
on 7th September 1964
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK on 7th
September 1964
played by Harold Geller
and his Orchestra
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Street of Linden trees
Im in a dancing
mood
Apple for the teacher
Drifting and Dreaming
Amapola
Ukulele Boy
Arrivederci Roma
Green Cockatoo
Oh you beautiful doll
Avalon
Jeepers Creepers
Wonder Whos kissing
her now
Aint we got fun
Caravelle
Constantly
Tennessee Waltz
Hold me
Hullabaloo and Custard
Chee-Chee-oo-Chee
Auf Weidersehn
If you knew Susie
Charmaine
The very thought of you
Wrap your troubles in
dreams
It happened in Monterey
Bye Bye Blackbird
Peggy ONeil
Youre Driving me
Crazy
All of me
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Eric
Coates
Harold Geller
Maurice
Sigler
James Monaco
Van Alstyne
Joseph
Lacalle
Harold Geller
Renato Rascal
Harold Geller
Nat Ayer
Frederick
Loewe
Harry Warren
J.Howard/H.Orlob
Richard
Whiting
Reg Owen
S.Seracini
Pee Wee King
Jack Little
Ralph Butler
S.Seracini
Eberhard
Storch
B.G. De Silva
Erno Rapee
Ray Noble
Harry Barris
Mabel Wayne
Ray Henderson
Harry Pease
Walter
Donaldson
Seymore
Simons
Eric Coates |
Listen
to 'Music While You Work'
played by Harold Geller
and his Orchestra
as broadcast on 13th
December 1965
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK on 13th
December 1965
played by Harold Geller
and his Orchestra
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
I'm in a Dancing Mood
An Apple for the Teacher
Drifting and Dreaming
Amapola
A Walk in the Black
Forest
El Toreador
All my Loving
Honeysuckle Rose
Come to Me
Three O'Clock in the
Morning
Tootie Flootie
The Very Thought of You
Isle of Capri
Ain't Misbehavin'
Annie Laurie
Oh you Beautiful Doll
Avalon
Jeepers Creepers
I Wonder who's Kissing
her now
Ain't we got Fun
Kibbutzim
Scarlet O'Hara
Moonlight and Roses
In a Little Shanty Town
When you and I were
Seventeen
Yes Sir, that's my Baby
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Eric
Coates
Zigler
Johnston
Van Alstyne
Lacalle
Horst Jankowski
Harold Geller
Lennon/McCartney
Fats Waller
Prior/Beveridge
Robledo
Bert Kaempfert
Ray Noble
Gross
Walter
Trad. arr. Geller
Ayer
Al Jolson
Harry Warren
Howard
Whiting
Harold Geller
Lordan
Lemare/Black
Mabel Wayne
Rossaff
Donaldson
Eric Coates |
Listen
to Harold Geller and his
Orchestra
playing 'Dusky Slant-eyed
Maiden' by Brian Fahey
(60 second
clip)
MUSIC
WHILE YOU WORK at 10.31
a.m. on 19th December
1958
played by Harold Geller
and his Orchestra
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Sobbing Women
Real Love
Farrago
S'Wonderful
All of You
Pick Yourself Up
Home
There Goes My Lover
Ballet Shoes
Volare
More Than Ever
John and Julie
Pico Carpentero
Tulips from Amsterdam
Loudenboomer Bird
Nice To Know You Care
Bye Bye Baby
Calling All Workers (Sig) |
Coates
De Paul
Harris
Wright
Gershwin
Porter
Kern
Clarkson
Leonard
Dempsey
Modugno
Taccani
Green
Amado
Arnie
Manning
Baguley
Styne
Coates |
|