Lawrence Wright (music publisher)

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Lawrence Wright (born February 15, 1888 in Leicester , England, † May 9, 1964 in Blackpool ), stage name Horatio Nicholls , occasionally Everett Lynton and Gene Williams , was a British composer and music publisher.

Life

Lawrence Wright was born in Leicester , England in 1888 . His father ran a music shop there. At the age of 10 he was already playing the piano, guitar, banjo and mandolin. He helped his father in the business up to the age of 16, after which he went into business for himself with his own musical stand. In 1906 he rented a shop at 29 Lower Conduit Street and founded the Wright Music Company there. His first successful hit hit was the song “Don't Go Down The Mine, Daddy”, written by William Geddes and Robert Donelly in 1910. In 1912 he established his music publisher in London on Denmark Street.

In 1914 there was a fruitful collaboration with the lyricist Worton David , with whom he wrote the soldier's song “Are We Down Hearted? No! ”Wrote. Nicholls himself did his military service with the Royal Naval Air Service .

After the World War he expanded his business and opened branches in Blackpool , Llandudno , Douglas (Isle of Man) and other seaside towns. During this time Wright began to write his own songs. The first was called “Down by the Stream”. In the course of his career there were over 600 songs, most of them published under his stage name Horatio Nicholls. His most famous hit, which is still played, was “ Among My Souvenirs ”. He was recorded by many artists, including Hoagy Carmichael , Bing Crosby , Frank Sinatra and Connie Francis . As a music publisher he brought u. a. "Shepherd of the Hills", "Sahara" and "Amy, Wonderful Amy".

In 1926 he founded the specialist journal Melody Maker . For 32 years he organized the annual summer concerts “On With The Show” at North Pier in Blackpool.

Despite a stroke that forced him to use a wheelchair in 1943, he did not finally retire until 1956. Lawrence Wright died on May 19, 1964, he is buried in the churchyard of St. Stephen-on-the-Cliffs in Blackpool. Today there is a blue plaque on The Jolly Miller Public House across from his first music store on Conduit Street.

Reception in Germany

Wright was also represented on the music market in Germany as Horatio Nicholls. The jazz band “Dave Caplan's Toronto Band from Canada”, a guest in Berlin in the late 1920s, made several recordings with Horatio Nicholls titles for Deutsche Grammophon , including Jack in the Box , Pearl Of Malabar and While The Sahara Sleeps . Local orchestras such as Efim Schachmeister , Paul Godwin , Bernard Etté or the Dobbri Saxophone Orchestra also played his hits and distributed them on gramophone records. Authors such as Arthur Rebner , Fritz Rotter or Rideamus translated the English texts into German, often with a clever twist into cabaret. His hit “My Souvenirs” was performed in 1928 by the Comedian Harmonists , who were still at the beginning of their careers , with the text by Fritz Rotter.

Works (selection)

A detailed catalog of works (1914–1936) is available from fredgodfreysongs.ca:

  • Are We Downhearted? - NO! , Song (Horatio Nicholls, lyrics by Worton David) c. 1914
  • Blue Eyes (Those Two Blue Eyes): Music by Lawrence Wright as “Horatio Nicholls”, words by Fred Godfrey [as “Godfrey Williams”] (1915/1919)
  • The kingdom within your eyes , Song (Horatio Nicholls, lyrics by Worton David) c. 1922
  • Riviera Rose , Fox Trot (1924)
  • Sahara (Fern in the Sahara), Fox Trot (1926)
  • Ukulele Lullaby , Fox Trot (as Gene Williams) (1926)
  • The Tin-Can Fusiliers, one-step (1926)
  • While The Sahara Sleeps (1926): Music by Lawrence Wright as “Horatio Nicholls”, words by Fred Godfrey as “Eddie Stamper”
  • The Shepherd of the Hills , Fox Trot (1927)
  • Among My Souvenirs (1928)
  • Janette . Waltz (Williams & Nicholls): Music by Lawrence Wright as “Horatio Nicholls”, words by Fred Godfrey as “Godfrey Williams” (1928)
  • My Inspiration Is You (as Gene Williams) (1928)
  • I Never Saw Maggie Alone (as Everett Lynton) / German: I was never alone with Lilli (text by H. Haller) (1928)
  • Mistakes (as Everett Lynton) (1928)
  • Persian Rosebud , Fox Trot (1928)
  • I'm Saving The Last Waltz For You , Waltz Song (lyrics by JG Gilbert)
  • Amy , Fox Trot (lyrics by Jos. Geo. Gilbert) "Specially Composed for the Home-coming of the Heroine of the England-Australia Flight 1930, Miss AMY JOHNSON."

Sound documents (selection)

  • Are We Downhearted? - NO! , Great War Song by Horatio Nicholls, lyrics by Worton David: sung by Florrie Forde, with orchestra. Zonophone Record Serial Number 1408, c. 1914 ( online )
  • The kingdom within your eyes (Horatio Nicholls, words by Worton David) John McCormack, tenor, recorded in 1922 ( Online )
  • Sahara (Fern in the Sahara) Fox Trot (Horatio Nicholls). Saxophone Orchestra Dobbri. Beka B.5320-I (mx. 32 689) - 1925 ( online )
  • Shanghai . Shimmy af Horatio Nicholls. Dan's orchestra “Paul Godwin”. Nordisk Polyphon XS40 706 (S 40 707) - 1925 ( online )
  • Picador . Spanish. One-step (Horatio Nicholls) Chapel Sándor Jószi. Odeon A 41 464 / O-1526 (mx. Be 5527) ( online )
  • Ukulele Lullaby (Gene Williams, lyrics by Gene Williams and Ray Morelle) Vaughn de Leath, voc., Violin accompaniment. American. Columbia 361-D (mx.), Rec. 1925 ( online )
  • Ukulele Lullaby (Gene Williams, lyrics by Gene Williams and Ray Morelle) The Trix Sisters [di Helen and Josephine] with piano. Brit. Columbia 3914 (mx. A 2810), up. London, Feb. 2, 1926 ( online )
  • Araby (Horatio Nicholls; German text "Am Nil, am Blaue Nil" by Arthur Rebner) Orchestra Bernard Etté , Vox 08187 (mx. 608 AA) - Berlin, April 1926 ( online )
  • Araby (Horatio Nicholls; German text "Am Nil, am Blaue Nil" by Arthur Rebner) Dobbri saxophone orchestra. Beka B.5482-II (mx. 33 354) ( online )
  • Jack in the box (Horatio Nicholls) Dave Caplan & His Toronto Band From Canada (1926). Polydor 20 710 - Berlin, Sept./Oct. 1926 ( online )
  • I would like to be a flea one day (Jack in the Box, Horatio Nicholls, German text by Rideamus) Dobbri saxophone orchestra with refraing singing. Beka B.6096-I (mx. 33 778) - Berlin 1926 ( online )
  • Pearl of Malabar (I give you a pearl band) Foxtrot (Horatio Nicholls, German text by Rideamus) Dave Caplan & His Toronto Band From Canada. Gr 20 713 - Berlin 1926 ( online )
  • Night (Bei Nacht) Foxtrott (Horatio Nicholls) Dave Caplan & His Toronto Band From Canada Gr 20 783 - Berlin, Nov. 1926 ( online )
  • While the Sahara sleeps , Fox Trot (Eddie Stamper & Horatio Nicholls) Dave Caplan's Toronto Band from Canada: Grammophon 20 789 (Mx.-No .: 705 bk) - Berlin, November 1926 ( online )
  • Shepherd of the Hills , Foxtrot (Horatio Nicholls). Herbert Glad Chapel. TRI-ERGON Colorit 3180 (mat. 0509) - 1927 ( online )
  • Among my Souvenirs , Fox Trot (Nicholls) Ben Selvin and his orchestra, with vocal refrain. Columbia Viva Tonal 1188-D (mx. 144.809) - 1927 ( online )
  • Among My Souvenirs , Fox Trot (Nicholls) Paul Whiteman and his Concert Orchestra with vocal refrain. Victor Orthophonic 35 877-A, rec. 1927 ( online )
  • A little bliss (Among My Souvenirs) (Edgar Leslie & Horatio Nicholls, German text: Fritz Rotter) Comedian Harmonists. Odeon O-2586 (Be 7120) - Berlin, summer 1928 ( online )
  • My Inspiration is You , Fox Trot (E. Leslie - H. Nicholls) Alfredo and his band with vocal chorus. Edison Bell Radio No. 884 (mx. 88 333) rec. Oct. 8, 1928. An early recording by the band of Alfred Gill . ( online )
  • I was never alone with Lilly! , Foxtrot (Everett Lynton, German text by H. Haller) Orchestra Efim Schachmeister with refraing singing by Franz Baumann . Gr 23 ...? ( online )
  • Amy , Foxtrot (Jos. Geo. Gilbert & Horatio Nicholls) Jack Hylton & His Orchestra. The vocalist is Pat O'Malley. HMV / Electrola EG2013 (mx. Bb 19 467-IV) rec. Small Queens Hall, London, June 2nd 1930. ( online )
  • Adeline! , Foxtrot by Horatio Nicholls and Joseph Gilbert. Jay Wilbur and his band. Vocal Chorus: Al Bowlly , Jack Plant & Les Allen. Imperial No. 2355, in Germany as "Adrian Schubert" on Kristall No. 4048 (mx 5516-IV) - Late October 1930, released Jan. 1931 ( online )
  • We're All Good Pals At Last (Horatio Nicholls) Layton and Johnstone, American Duettists. Columbia DB.562 (CA 11 768) - 1931 ( online )
  • My beautiful sans souci! , slow foxtrot. Music: Horatio Nicholls. Text: Hans Felder. Harald Paulsen with the Odeon Dance Orchestra. Odeon O-11 860 (Be 10 337) - rec. Berlin, may / june 1933. ( online )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. fredgodfreysongs
  2. ↑ cf. to folkarchive.de
  3. ↑ cf. london signpost
  4. ^ Wright , Find a grave
  5. ↑ six young men who first appeared as The Melody Makers and The German Revellers , in: Joachim Iffland: Influences of media technology on music using the example of the Comedian Harmonists and the Revelers. 2009. S. 5, ( online ( memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. ) (PDF ; 131 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.allitera.de
  6. ↑ cf. Blue eyes
  7. ↑ cf. While The Sahara Sleeps
  8. ↑ cf. Janette
  9. ↑ Waltz Song at Songfacts.com (English), accessed on August 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ Amy, Fox Trot at Songfacts.com (English), accessed August 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ Schlager à la Whiteman “pimped at concert”, label shown at Discogs.com
personal data
SURNAME Wright, Lawrence
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nicholls, Horatio; Lynton, Everett; Williams, Gene
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British composer and music publisher
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Leicester , England
DATE OF DEATH May 9, 1964
Place of death Blackpool