Essex Mobile Discos

Even in the old days whether it was a formal ball with the band playing waltzes and foxtrots etc, or a knees up round the piano down the pub, everyone loved to Dance. Many homes would have some kind of musical instrument and everyone had a party piece, people could make their own entertainment or so I've heared it said. In about 1880 the first recordings were made on wax cylinders and flat disc records appeared shortly after, things would eventually change forever.

Jimmy savile is credited to be the first person to host a dance when the music was played on disc; this was in 1943 at the loyal order of ancient shepherds in Otley. About the same time and in Nazi occupied Paris, Jazz bands were banned and young people with no choice, gathered in basement bars to listen to recorded music. Maybe because it was cheaper than a live band, or the post war youth craved genuine American music, after the war this trend continued and the first night club (whiskey a go go) opened in Paris 1947. La Discotheques the French word for record library was born.

However I think recorded music was used to entertain the masses much earlier than this. Between the wars people had a hunger to live it up and Dances were hugely popular, the band would strike up and people would take their partners for the next foxtrot or waltz or whatever they did back then. My grand father told me of a dance he had arranged back in the mid 1930’s in Londons east end. The venue was near were he lived in Hoxton Shoreditch and a band was booked to play. Unfortunately the band were late, and thinking fast he ran home to fetch the family record player. He played records amplifying the sound by putting the singer’s microphone in front of record player. The crowd were kept reasonably happy until the evening ended in a massive punch up. In size my granddad was not a big man so he hid under a table while Joe Spinks a champion boxer from Hoxton, stood guard knocking out all comers.

I have no reason to assume this story is not true, and must also assume the occasion of recorded music being used to fill in the breaks taken by the band was not unique. When my great uncle died, himself a drummer in a jazz band, he left a huge collection of pre war recordings. Each record was colour coded and included instructions of when it would be best to play each record at a party. It seems reasonable to assume in the very early days of recordings it would have been problematic to use this new technology at parties. However as time moved on and recorded music became more popular it did feature in at least part of the entertainment in some early 20th century dances.

However although I know my grand dads story to be correct and I saw my great uncles record collection and the guide notes he had written on them for myself. As for the rest it is only guess work. History has decided there are two definite occasions accepted as the first time pre recorded music replaced the traditional band and I am not placed to argue. The Mobile disco DJ first made an appearance in 1942/3. If you can, ask you grand parents when they first remember hearing recorded music at a dance and if the DJ was any good. Cheers.
Mobile discos in Essex