British Crooner Denny Dennis

Denny Dennis

Source: Jazz Age Music

Born Ronald Dennis Pountain on 1 November 1913 in Derby, England, Denny Dennis was a bit of England's version of Bing Crosby. An early dance band vocalist, he wended that route into the modern era, albeit not for long as he ceased recording in the latter fifties and retired from the music business in 1965.

Dennis issued his first records in 1933 for the HMV label with the Jack Jackson Orchestra: 'From Me to You' / 'Reflections In the Water' (HMV B6384) and 'I'm Getting Sentimental Over You' (HMV B6392). He next recorded with Roy Fox on Decca the same year. His first session with Fox on July 10 yielded 'Drowsy Blues' and 'Jungle Drums'.

'I'm Getting Sentimental Over You'   Denny Dennis w Jack Jackson and His Orchestra

31 Aug 1933   HMV B.6392

Composition: George Bassman

'This Is Romance'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

21 Dec 1933   Decca F3811

Composition: Edward Heyman / Vernon Duke

'Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

18 May 1934   Decca F3993

Composition: Mabel Wayne / Al Hoffman / Maurice Sigler

'Your Heart and Mine'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

22 July 1936   HMV B.D.5096

Composition: Rube Bloom / Johnny Mercer

'It's a Sin to Tell a Lie'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

12 Sep 1936   HMV B.D.5107

Composition: Billy Mayhew

'They Can't Take That Away from Me'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

27 May 1937   HMV B.D.5226

Composition: George & Ira Gershwin

'Too Marvelous for Words'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

21 June 1937   Matrix 0EA-5040-1    HMV B.D.5245

Music: Richard Whiting   Lyrics: Johnny Mercer

'I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart'   Denny Dennis w Roy Fox and His Orchestra

9 Aug 1938 in London   HMV B.D.5397

Trumpet: Sid Buckman / Les Lambert   Trombone: Jock Bain / Freddy Welsh

Reeds: Art Christmas / Hugh Tripp / Tommy Davies / Andy McDevitt

Violin: Harry Balen   Piano: Jack Nathan

Guitar:  Harry Thorne   Bass: George Gibbs  Drums: Maurice Burman

Music: Duke Ellington   Lyrics: Irving Mills / Henry Nemo / John Redmond

Dennis exchanged Fox for Bert Ambrose' orchestra in 1938, 'Joseph, Jospeh' among titles from his first session with Ambrose in October. Dennis left Ambrose for the Skyrockets Dance Orchestra in 1944, his first session with that band in spring to issue such as 'I'm Sending My Blessings' and 'Stairway to the Stars'. Denny's initial recordings with the Squadronaires, the Royal Air Force Band, were about May of 1944. Dennis was with the Skyrockets for less than a year, last recording with them in January of 1945, but continued with the Squadronaires into 1947.

'The Donkey Serenade'   Denny Dennis w Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra

13 Jan 1939   Matrix DR-3217-1   Decca F6927

Suggested personnel:

Trumpet: Tommy McQuater / Stan Roderick / Archie Craig

Trombone: Les Carew / George Chisholm

Reeds: Joe Crossman / Joe Jeanette / Billy Amstell

Violin: Norman Cole / Ernie Lewis   Piano: Bert Read (arrangement)

Guitar: Ivor Mairants   Bass: Tiny Winters   Drums: Max Bacon

Xylophone: Jimmy Blades

Music: Rudolf Friml / Herbert Stothart   Lyrics: George Forrest / Robert Wright

'My Prayer'   Denny Dennis w Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra

17 June 1939   Decca F7107

Music: Georges Boulanger   Lyrics: Carlos Gomez Barrera / Jimmy Kennedy

'It's the Bluest Kind of Blues'   Denny Dennis w Stanley Black and His Orchestra

12 Sep 1946   Decca F8694

Composition: Django Reinhardt / Spencer Williams

'That's The Beginning of the End'

Denny Dennis w the Squadronaires (Royal Air Force band) directed by Jimmy Miller

18 April 1947 in London   Matrix DR11174   Decca F8774

Trumpet: Tommy McQuater / Archie Craig / Clifton French / Jimmy Watson

Trombone: George Chisholm / Eric Breeze

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Tommy Bradbury / Monty Levy / Jimmy Durrant / Andy McDevitt / Cliff Townshend

Piano: Ronnie Aldrich   Guitar: Bert Weedon

Bass: Arthur Maden   Drums: Jock Cummings

Composition: Alex Kramer / Joan Whitney

'I'd Love to See You Home To-Night'   Denny Dennis w Bob Farnon and His Orchestra

16 March 1948   Decca F8915

Composition: Parker / Connor

Dennis didn't visit the States until 1948, doing radio and touring with Tommy Dorsey for a year. Dennis' first of numerous sessions with Dorsey were from an AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) radio broadcast from the Coliseum in Orlando, Florida, yielding such as 'Mary Lou'. He last recorded with Dorsey in April of 1949 in New York City (Victor to issue such as 'Dream of You') before returning to London to work with Sid Phillips. He then hooked up with the Ken Jones, then Johnny Gregory, orchestras, recording to as late as 'Sugar Moon' / 'Return to Me' (Embassy WB291) with Jones, issued in August 1958.

'Someone Like You'   Denny Dennis w Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

13 Jan 1949   RCA Victor DJ-651

Trumpet: Charlie Shavers / Chuck Peterson / Vernon Arslan / Jack Dougherty

Trombone: Nick DiMaio / Dick Noel

Alto sax: Billy Ainsworth (clarinet) / Sid Cooper

Tenor sax: Boomie Richman / Babe Fresk   Baritone sax: Marty Berman

Piano: Paul Smith Guitar: Sam Herman

Bass: Norman Seelig   Drums: Louie Bellson

Composition: Ralph Blane / Harry Warren

'Magic Moments'   Denny Dennis w Ken Jones and His Orchestra

Sometime March 1958   Embassy WB273

Music: Burt Bacharach   Lyrics: Hal David

'Love Me Forever'   Denny Dennis w Ken Jones and His Orchestra

Sometime March 1958   Embassy WB273

Composition: Gary Lynes / Beverly Guthrie

Dennis' brand of audio spectacle had been more popular in the thirties than the fifties. He fared only worse in the sixties, leaving the Owl Country Club in Yorkshire in 1965 to work at a paper mill. Denny eventually retired from that in the eighties and gave a couple of late performances in tribute to Fox and Sid Phillips before his death in Cumbria, England, on 2 November 1993.

Sources & References for Denny Dennis:

All Music

Denny Dennis