Legends. Al Bowlly -The Very Thought Of You. 2007
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- A fantastic portrait of Britains first true popular singing sensation Al Bowlly. The documentary takes an in-depth look at how the South African barber made his name in the UK by working with many of the great band leaders of the day, Ray Noble being the most notable. Also featured is the tragic decline due to vocal injury and his tragic passing during the blitz in the early 1940's.
My Mother knew Al , She used to say that when she met him his toast with a drink was always "Here's to the day the names is on the record". She had a lovely photograph which he signed "Till the elephants roost in the trees". What a charmer he was and a singing voice to die for. I am a devoted fan.
Tanya, your mother was so lucky to have met him. He was rather gorgeous too, by all accounts.
Hi Tanya - I'd be very interested in hearing more about your Mother's stories of Al. My family has a relative who was a dear friend of Al's. Want to swap email addresses?
Gosh really? How interesting. How did your Mum know Al? I love his voice and the bands he sang with. He was so talented.
@@carolegriggs3107 I expect you've seen the Pathe video of him singing Melancholy Baby? He's very captivating on this!
Oh what a lucky woman! But, she was born at the right time and I wasn't! Dammit! (In spite of the name I am a female btw)
Al Bowlly continues to be discovered by each new generation--primarily because of You Tube. His music doesn't die or get forgotten because he is truly unforgettable.
He was an amazing singer, died too soon. One of my favourites even with me being 29.
my father loved Al Bowlly through his life. If it wasnt for dad i wouldnt have even heard of Al, at 60 i love Al Bowlly and his music. my favourite song is" the very thought of you"..it just melts me. I hope he is having a ball in heaven.
One of the great voices - up there with Crosby, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bennet, also he was the trailblazer - time is at last uncovering his work and life - the best of the best
I discovered AL by sheer accident! What wonderful experience. I especially enjoy his style! Listening to him is a dream. An emotional voice! Moving!
Both of my grandmothers loved Al Bowlly. They were both young women in the 30s, and always talked about how attractive he was. I think he was maybe one of the Elvises of their generation.
I discovered Al Bowlly when I was collecting old records in the early 1970s. He still sounds marvelous decades after I first listened to him.
Im 27 and hearing his music gives me goosebumps few music can
Same here man 27 too lol
Indeed he does!
I’m 37 and it’s hard to not scream. I’m a fully grown man who produces bass music , hip hop etc.
This man is one of my heroes. I have a deep passionate love for this man. I wish I could have met him and chilled watching his band. So glad I found his music
Wish there was much more live footage of him.
CRAB JAB his songs, voice touches you deeply in your soul,. Hello, my name is Nioelle from Melbourne, Australia.
I have a daughter your age, and had heard Al Bowlly as a child. I don't know what's suddenly made me search him out, but so glad I did. I now can't stop playing his music. I wake up singing the songs and all I want to do is listen to him, and the wonderful orchestras who accompanied him. He had such style and cool before his time.
I know- I wish there were more surviving Pathe videos!
@@carolegriggs3107 I get you there Carole! He was very captivating.
Go ahead and scream, Crab Jab. .....I don't mind at all.
With just one word sweetly sung by Al Bowlly and i feel like i'm wearing the finest of suits and transformed to a world of absolute class and tender rich happiness!
Keep our efforts : Al is definitely on his way to eternity. Don't you think his personality, history and dated talent sound in fact beyond his time ?
How many young people have been curious enough, to watch this documentary ?
Thanks a lot for all inspiring gifts you left us, Mr Bowlly
I'm 18 and I listen to Al Bowlly on a daily basis. His music gives me a calm feeling. It transports me to the 1930s. I first heard Al Bowlly in the movie The Shining.
@@leovidmc Cool 👍
I was first introduced to Mr Bowlly's music nearly thirty years ago, as a teenager. A lad who worked with me in a hi-fi shop heard that I liked jazz and asked 'do you like Al Bowlly?' I had never heard of him and assumed it was an Italian baroque composer spelled 'Alboli'!
I found d a CD, just found it! It was meant. By this man speaks to your very being with such gentleness. Play him all the time.xx
Serendipity. Never knew this had been made, and came across it purely by chance. Just wonderful. Al's story is as romantic as the man himself.
Wow, excellent. And now with the UA-cam generation, more people can be thrilled by the singing style of Al Bowlly. Yes, the listener can hear Rudy Valley, Al Jolson, the megaphone in Al Bowlly's vocal renditions. It makes Bing Crosby's accomplishment as a crooner even more remarkable from the the twenties (his start) to his last performance with David Bowie before his death in 1977 (the Little Drummer Boy). But Al Bowlly was truly a gifted performer.
I'm a teenager, in 2016 I started listening to music like Jazz, and in general music from the 20s to the 50s (which was strange since I hear a lot of metal) but it turns out that many of the songs I listened to were Al Bowlly songs, I realised that when I saw an analogue horror series better known as "Fnaf VHS" in 2021, In one of these fictional tapes I discovered that one of the songs I had heard appeared there, I began to investigate and learned about it, one of the best decisions of my life, his music really encourages me a lot.
Any artist recommendations from The 30s to 50s?
It's really disappointing that some people only know about his music because of "it's just a burning memory" instead of learning about his lovely music by themselves
Well I disagree. I did not know Al Bowlly and only learned about him by 'it's just a burning memory' (an amazing piece of art i.m.o). So people find Al from IJABM, which is great!
@@aqua2084 agreed!
It's not disappointing, it's great that lots of people now know of his name.
Love this historical journey of the fabulous Al Bowlly. A truly wonderful singer.
The genius Dennis Potter used Al Bowlly music as an integral part in Pennies from Heaven, The Singing Detective and also in the play shown right at the beginning of this documentary called "Moonlight on the Highway", if you like Al Bowlly, and have never seen these dramas I highly recommend them and also all Dennis Potters work.
Cinescreen, absolutely riveting, how you unfolded and displayed Al Bowlly..and he is still lauded.
he is/was marvelous...
I Love Al. Bowlly, Mum did too, I am now 89. Often play his music on my piano in twenties style…what a marvellous voice..
Thank you so much for uploading this! I am such a huge fan of Al Bowlly. For me, Al is the best crooner of his time. :)
Lloyd Finca Me too, even though his life was sadly shortlived, I am grateful for his dedication to release so many songs which I experience everyday.
Lloyd Finca me too
Well, no, not really the best, only from the point of view of British ones. Not better than Bing Crosby, but up there with the best. A beautiful, sweet and sincere voice and I'm old enough to remember hearing him on radio at the time, when I was very small.
+Peter Taylor, even though I can partly agree, but I believe that the fact that Bowlly died so early made Crosby get ahead and record more music both through his own genre but christmas music aswell. Bowlly would have been just as famous as Crosby if he would have lived to the age of 70-80.
You may well be right. I'm just listening to the quality of the voice, not the selling of it. Crosby was American and they had the power and funds to promote artists, while during the Depression the industry was struggling in the UK. For me, I don't think Al's early and tragic death would have made any difference. He'd produced a mountain of work up to then and was as well known and loved as it was possible to be, as far as I know, by his death in 1940 (or which year it was). But, thank you for your response.
fantastic ¡¡¡¡ i love Al Bowlly music. Live forever
i am in love with him
Great Singer with an unmistakable Voice
He looks like a cross between a young Cary Grant , Al Jolson and Danny Thomas ! Rest in peace Mr. Bowlly
Absolutely lovely !
One word...wonderful.👍
It’s really sad that this guy’s life was cut so short because of the fact that a Luftwaffe mine bomb detonated outside of his house/apartment complex (yes I am American). Really sad stuff. Who knows what else he could have achieved had that bomb not go off.
Discovered this dude through Ready Player One/The Shining.
A WONDERFUL PROGRAMME. HOW DID I MISS THIS, THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT.
Everything good happened in the 1930s: style, music, glamour, music, architecture, etc. Today we still look at the 1930s for glamour and home decor.
The great depression??? Racism.. sadly there's always bad with the good.
I think for most people the 1930's was a time of grinding poverty with the dark clouds of Nazism, Fascism and totalitarian Communism looming.
@@Wotsitorlabart True but there was this other side to the era with the dance bands, music, art deco, classic films. A very interesting era. I'd love a time machine to take me there for a visit!
@@Wotsitorlabart sounds exactly like 2022. History certainly does repeat itself.
The rise of the mono-testicled nutcase, one A. Hitler also happened in the thirties and Britain went to war after having first sold the Czechoslovaks down the river. As much as I adore the thirties, it wasn't all sunshine and roses.
El mejor cantante de esa epoca.Escuche su cancion principal en la pelicula el resplandor hace 8 años y tengo como mas de 60 melodías cantadas por el,con la orquesta de Ray Noble.Puedo decir que lo escucho todos los dias y lo seguiré haciendo hasta el día que muera.
i love all music but AL blows me away..., he should be celebrated more in the UK by the media and I have no idea why he isn't. other than a BBC Documentary film and a 1969 TV play there isn't much. thanks Al x
Holy shit--that's Bilbo Baggins at the beginning. Thank you SO much for posting this. I adore Al Bowlly. Goosepimples. Transported. Very definitely. Again, thanks. ❤️
Al will forever haunt my dreams. I have loved him since i was about 10 years old. Way before my time I'm very sad to say. Also a devoted fan. ❤😢❤
Magnificent! Bravo for uploading .... a pure genius ...
Glad I stumbled across this & learned about Al Bowlly. It's such a shame it took so long.
I was on the walk featured in this documentary.It was a privilege to meet Joyce Stone who said some lovely thing about Al.
My favourite singer. Thank you.x
It was The singing detective that got me into the music of that era .and The Shining If we were back in those days and i wanted to cast someone to play him in a film, id choose Cary Grant to play him. I wasn't around in that era but it seems to transport me to that period, its a great antidote to the modern technological world. Great stuff 😊👍
How come nobody talks about the Filipino band he played with in Indonesia 1924?
God I miss Rich Conaty. He brought me this music decades ago.
Hear, hear.
Love his voice. Is there an al bowley appreciation club?
Contact Memory Lane music magazine
There is a Facebook group
Thank you for uploading this!
thank you so much for uploading this!!!
We have the same origin: Lebanese! I'm proud of him! Now, it's my turn yo make him proud of me in my upcoming singing career!
His mother was Lebabese , and his father was Greek.
One of the greatest singers - up there with the legends -Sinatra, Grosby, and Elvis Presley, the public discovered - too late - that at the very least - he was the greatest singer produced by Britain between the wars and was a victim of the second - there is a film waiting to be made - there was talk once - it was decided that his death robbed the narrative of a happy ending - a third act - but, there is a third act - it is happening now thanks to a revival and interest in his voice and work
Priceless information and entertainment for the discerning listener. Thank you.
I have The Shining to thank for my exposure to Al Bowlly
I'm so grateful for this video documentary. Thank you!
Seria bueno la version en español.
Saludos desde Colombia 🇨🇴
And listening to him since I was in my country (Iran)... Now I live in United States and I'm still listening.... Smooth voice..
thank you so much for uploading this. i love the 1930's ... that era...
Great post.
Thank you for sharing.
A professional vocal coach that does not know why they sang like that back then makes me sad. :(
Because they are too young etc to comment..
The bathroom during the ball scene in The shining. The song It’s all forgotten now was playing and that’s how I discovered Al Bowlly. His music makes me think I’m in Paris having coffee and a cigarette reading the newspaper on a balcony looking out to the Eiffel tower in the 1920s.
Gosto de ouvir musica de Al Bowlly, são verdeiras.
21:50 THE HAUNTED BALLROOM!?!? EVERYONE THIS IS THE SAMPLE FOR THE COVER OF THE CARETAKERS “the haunted ballroom” EVERYONE WE MUST CELEBRATE THE FINDING OF THE COVER! LESS GOOOO
Bang goes the myth that only poorer working people were killed in raids. Now, I read that Bowlly died of a Heart Attack from the pressure of the blast, rather than the blast itself, but they don't say that here.
Who really knows. It's also been said that a internal door fell on him and killed him when the blast went off just outside his apartment. Another one said that he was outside in the street when he died. They also said that he was uninjured physically, and was peacefully dead. That might tie in with a heart attack.
Wow Al Bowlly was born in 1898 --> I was born 100 years after in 1998
Midnight The Stars and You. Yeah where’d Kubrick come up with that haunting song? Look as I might it didn’t seem to be in the credits at the end of “ The Shining” then one day I found the song on You Tube and discovered Al Bowlly.
Great singer the best
i'LL BE WATCHING MY ''PENNIES FROM HEAVEN '' AGAIN TONIGHT. LONG TIME NO SEE.
Wow!
Thank you for this! xo
But he still alive 87 years latter!!! Yes, his music!!!
¡¡¡Bravo!!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷💕💗💟💝💓🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
Todays nov 11 RIP AL BOWLLY
Thank you so much for posting this. Beautiful music and documentary. It is, however, rather stupid and distracting to have that fake, prop gramophone in the background for almost every interview. Someone tell the Millennial set decorator and director that outside horn gramophones were already twenty years out of fashion before Bowlly recorded a single note. The fact that it's fake makes it worse!
Very good documentary - alas with the usual scenes of 78's playing at 33 rpm; and here with added mistake of a wrongly placed soundbox on the record, going against the groove.....
al bowlly is the hottest man who ever lived holy shmut
You mention the tragic decline after the operation on vocal chords, mid 30s. It's been said that, in fact, his voice improved and tha
t the op. was successful. I doubt that there was a vocal decline with his career, and that it was only cut short in 1940/41 when he was killed.
It was all simply that fashion in pop music had changed and the war changed the scene. It was more American jazz, than gentle and sentimental songs.
Just in addition: of course fashion had changed in 1941 but he had been left behind. The struggles he had with his career were tragic. If he could only be here now to see that he didn't really die in that air raid, he lives on thanks to UA-cam and people like Cinescreen.
@@petertaylor3600 Yes I think Al would be very happy that we all love his voice and connect with him in the 21st century x
If this is true I'm very pleased to read this because I've read that he came back to London that night because he was having problems with his voice again and wanted to see his doctor the next day. I'm wondering if this is a myth because from listening to his later records his voice sounds very rich and mature, and good.
I think he could've sang the American jazz just fine. He sang My Woman which is awesome.
@@mabel8179Yes. Eventually he lost his voice again but by that time, the poor man and his style had gone out of fashion (WW2). and that was it, apparently. I totally agree with you, if you listen to the vocal difference pre op. and post, you can hear a huge improvement. Life just isn't fair.
Al stands alone for his greatness.. What a shame Hollywood that worshiped Abbott and Costello rejected this Great Artist ..
Much respect to Al Bowlly, but the ^experts^ fail to mention Louis Armstrong when talking about influential singers of this period.
Louis was in a quite different genre of music, jazz being far from where Bowlly did so wonderfully well .Had he lived, maybe he would have been bigger than Crosby!
Satch would be the first person to roar with laughter at the idea of him being a singer. He sort of growled. But he was a trumpeter first. He sold the song but a singer? No.
Trebulator: Are you serious? Did you mention Louis Armstrong? Old Satchelmouth (even Young Satch because he was young once)… A voice like a bullfrog but a trumpet player without exception. He wasn't a real influence for singers, Treb.
@@petertaylor3600 Louis Armstrong played the trumpet like nobody else! Outstanding.
What are y’all’s favorite Al Bowlly songs?
this is the only artist of mine where i can’t seem to pick a favorite song. they’re all insanely beautiful
@@jupiter8329 I agree, they’re all beautiful.
My personal favorite of his is "You're my everything" but honestly all of his songs are great.
"Heartaches" but I also really love "Love is the sweetest thing"
Close your eyes
A-humm Al Bowlly DIDN'T SMOKE!!!!
I honestly don't understand how that matters, not like he died from it.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
God tier
Has there ever been a film made portraying him and his life? If so what was it called?
I have been listening to this for a long time and I can't figure out what is the song that plays between 27:33 and 28:30.... any ideas? Is a great song...thks
38:18 song ?
Brighter than the Sun
"that's my ginger" 🤣🤣
They did screw up his birthday a little…he was born in 1898, NOT 1899…
😢 if you read this search bowl lee
This is about AL BOWLLY, he was a singer, you know - yet the contributors talk over one of the most of the wonderful singers. Why was this thought acceptable??
13:52 LOL
I think Bowie really means, "Bowlly."
Al was a JOCKEY
I hate online biographies, they always try to ruin the dream...
If you mean documentaries that you can view online: They don't "try" to do anything; they present facts. If facts ruin the dream you have about someone or something, that's between you and you. I don't mean that in a rude way; I mean that you have the power to decide how you feel about any person, entity, situation,etc. (If you're given an 8-ounce glass that contains 4 ounces of water, you can feel happy that you have some water and you can decide to get more, or you can freak out about having too little water and you can sit down, become inactive, and die of thirst. The 4 ounces are the fact; it's up to you how you respond to the fact.)
J J Thank you, Doc; I try to, like the classic song says, accentuate the truthfully positive, eliminate the falsely negative, latch on to the AFFIRMATIVE, and don't mess with any angst in between.
I think your rite
También soy fan del crooner Al Bowlly y colecciono sus canciones y son extraordinarias...