While The Sahara Sleeps

Listen to a 1926 recording by Fred Douglas.

Music by Lawrence Wright as “Horatio Nicholls”, words by Fred Godfrey as “Eddie Stamper” — London: Lawrence Wright Music, 1926; Melbourne: E.W. Cole, 1926.

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One of the many songs on both sides of the Atlantic that capitalized on the 1920s Rudolph Valentino craze and the success of the 1921 US hit The Sheik Of Araby (Snyder-Smith-Wheeler), While The Sahara Sleeps was a much-played favourite of British dance bands in 1926. By this time, electrically recorded discs, introduced the previous year, had become the industry standard, giving Godfrey songs on disc a fidelity they had lacked in earlier acoustic reproductions.

Recordings

Harry Bidgood’s Orch.; John Thorne, vocal, as “The Sunny South Dance Orch.” (Aco G-16116, 1926; Beltona 1120, 1926); as “The Coliseum Dance Orch.” (Coliseum 1960, 1926); as “The Cabaret Dance Orch.” (Guardsman 1994, 1926); Ariel Grand 1053, 1927)

Teddy Brown & His Café de Paris Band (Imperial 1674, 1926)

The Cabaret Novelty Orch.; dir. by Bert Firman; Eddie Collis, vocal (Zonophone 2836, 1926)

Will Charles (Currys 254, 1926)

Fred Douglas (Regal G8749, 1926)

Barrington Hooper (Zonophone 2843, 1926)

Jack Howard & His Covent Garden Band (Duophone UB-2052, 1926)

Percival Mackey’s Band (Columbia 4151, 1926)

Ronnie Munro & His Dance Orchestra; vocal chorus by John Curtis (Parlophone E-5686, 1926)

Don Parker & His Band At The Piccadilly Hotel And The Kit-Kat Club, London (Vocalion X-9924, 1926)

The Raymond Dance Band; dir. by Stan Greening (Regal G-8764, 1926)

Regent Dance Orchestra (Edison Bell Winner 4556, 1926)

The Savoy Havana Band; dir. by Reginald Batten (HMV B-5158, 1926)

Victor Sterling & His Band; dir. by Charles “Nat” Star (Pathé Actuelle 11212, 1926); and as “The Grafton Orchestra” (Grafton 9237, 1926)

Dave Caplan’s Toronto Band (Polydor 20789)

Bellwood & Burr [Albert Campbell & Harry H. McClaskey as “Henry Burr”] (Scala 1804)

[unidentified band] (Mimosa P87, 1926)

[unidentified band] (Little Marvel 1062)

[unidentified, except as “Song, Fox-Trot”] (The Crown 905, 1926?) [6" disc]