Sydney Kyte
Sydney Bernard Kyte (1 June 1896 – 29 July 1981) was a British dance band leader and musician who became known in the 1930s, remaining active into the 1950s.[1][2] Kyte played the violin and led the Piccadilly Hotel Orchestra.[3]
Sydney Kyte | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sydney Bernard Kyte |
| Born | 1 June 1896 Stamford Hill, London, England |
| Died | 29 July 1981 (aged 85) Great Leighs, Essex, England |
| Genres | British dance band |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Bandleader |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Labels | Regal, Durium, Edison Bell Winner, Panachord, Decca, Rex |
Kyte, who was Jewish,[4] was born in Stamford Hill, north London, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music, winning a scholarship at the age of 15. He joined the Royal Life Guards in 1914.[3][1] Kyte was subsequently an associate of the Royal Academy of Music. He served as deputy leader of the Savoy Orpheans dance band,[5] whom he began recording with in 1926, as their violinist. Kyte also played the violin on recordings by The Sylvians, a Savoy Hotel band, in 1927.[6]
During the 1930s, Kyte's band played and broadcast from The Piccadilly Hotel in central London. In 1939, it was estimated that apart from Henry Hall, no other bandleader had achieved as many hours of radio broadcasting as Kyte, at over 700 hours. By that point, Kyte had been resident bandleader at the hotel for six years.[7] His fame was such that he was one of 25 dance band leaders featured on a set of Lambert & Butler cigarette cards. According to this profile, he enjoyed fishing, "particularly for octopuses off the coast of Majorca". It also noted that he was musical director to the Duke of Westminster.[5] Kyte and his orchestra appeared in the 1937 musical film Saturday Night Revue.[8]
In October 1931, Kyte began his recording career as a bandleader, in a session with the Piccadilly Hotel Band for Regal which included the popular song "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries". His band recorded regularly for Regal until September 1932. That month, he moved to the Durium label, where he led their Durium Dance Band. The following year, Kyte's band switched to Edison Bell Winner for three sessions. After a break from recording of over 18 months, he started recording for Panachord in 1935. In 1936, the band were with Decca for three sessions. This was followed by a recording session for Rex in June 1939, which saw the end of his regular studio sessions. Among the titles recorded by Kyte were "Paradise", "The Sun Has Got His Hat On", "Stars Fell on Alabama" and "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody". Vocalists on Kyte's recording sessions included Anona Winn and Sam Costa.[6]
From the 1930s to the 1960s, Kyte lived in Golders Green, Middlesex (now Greater London).[9] He died on 29 July 1981 in Great Leighs, near Chelmsford, in Essex.[10] He was 85 years old.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Sydney Kyte Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More..." AllMusic. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 9; Page: 1520
- ^ a b Schleman, Hilton R. (1978). Rhythm on record (Repr. d. Ausg. London 1936 ed.). Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-20257-5.
- ^ McKay, George (23 November 2005). Circular Breathing: The Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-8728-2.
- ^ a b Digital Collections, The New York Public Library. "(still image) Sydney Kyte, (1850 - 1959)". The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ a b Rust, Brian; Forbes, Sandy (1987). British dance bands on record 1911 to 1945. Harrow: General Gramophone Publications. ISBN 978-0-902470-15-6.
- ^ "Sydney Kyte and His Band at St George's Hall". The Hinckley Times. 10 February 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ Wright, Adrian (2020). Cheer Up!: British Musical Films, 1929-1945. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1-78327-499-4.
- ^ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Electoral Registers
- ^ Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England