“It Was A Lover And His Lass”
Ken “Snakehips” Johnson And His West Indian Orchestra
Al Bowlly & The Henderson Twins, vocal
1940 (HMV BD 5592 mx OEA 8583)
Ken Snakehips Johnson And His West Indian Orchestra – It Was A Lover And His Lass]
“Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind”
Ken “Snakehips” Johnson And His West Indian Orchestra
Al Bowlly & The Henderson Twins, vocal
1940 (HMV BD 5592 mx OEA 8582)
Ken Snakehips Johnson And His West Indian Orchestra – Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind]
When I selected this record to present here on the blog it occurred to me that both of its featured artists were killed less than a year later in two separate bombings during the London blitz.
Ken “Snakehips” Johnson was Britain’s most successful black bandleader. Johnson’s band had a long term engagement at London’s Cafe de Paris nightclub where it was performing on March 8, 1941 when two bombs came into the building through a ventilation shaft and exploded in front of the band killing Johnson and dozens of others.
A little over a month later on April 17, 1941 vocalist Al Bowlly was killed when a parachute mine exploded outside of his apartment.
Radio Dismuke