This collection places British dance-band music at the centre of its story, charting its development from early sound-era cinema through to the polished orchestral style that defined popular listening in Britain during the 1930s and beyond. At its forefront stands Ambrose, whose recordings represent the highest level of sophistication achieved by British dance orchestras, and whose ability to adapt American film and stage repertoire for UK audiences made him a defining figure of the era. Surrounding Ambrose’s key sides are important screen-linked recordings by major American and British vocalists, including Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ethel Merman, Anne Shelton, and Dick Haymes, alongside later light-orchestral interpretations by Frank Chacksfield and the Melachrino Strings. Taken as a whole, the collection offers a focused but revealing portrait of how film and stage music was absorbed, refined, and re-presented through British recording culture, illustrating Ambrose’s central role in shaping a distinctly transatlantic popular sound that continues to resonate with collectors. The records are in VG+ to EX condition. The full list of records: Ambrose and His Orchestra – Lullaby of Broadway / The Words Are in My Heart – Decca F.5558 – UK – 1935. From Gold Diggers of 1935. A cornerstone Ambrose Decca and one of the most culturally important discs in the group. This peak-period 1935 pressing represents Ambrose at his most influential, adapting Warner Bros. musical material into a distinctly British orchestral idiom. Essential to any serious British dance-band collection. Ambrose and His Orchestra – Too Marvellous for Words / It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane – Decca F.6448 – UK – 1937. From Ready, Willing and Able. A mature Ambrose recording featuring Mercer repertoire, highly valued for musical quality and historical placement. This disc exemplifies Ambrose’s role as the leading interpreter of American film and stage music for British audiences. Ambrose and His Orchestra – Gulliver’s Travels (Selection) – Decca F.7325 – UK – 1939. From Gulliver’s Travels. A specialist but highly collectable Ambrose title with crossover appeal to animation and film-music collectors. Particularly important as a late pre-war example of British orchestral adaptation. Bing Crosby – Shadows / Sing Me a Song of the Islands – Brunswick 03555 – UK – 1937. From Waikiki Wedding. A prime-era Crosby film recording from his most influential decade. Collected internationally as an example of the vocal style that reshaped popular singing worldwide. Ethel Merman – I’m an Indian Too / You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun – Brunswick 03770 – UK – 1947. From Annie Get Your Gun. A definitive document of Broadway performance on record. This UK pressing preserves Merman’s authoritative screen interpretations and is essential to collectors of American musical theatre. Doris Day – It Had to Be You / A Load of Hay – Columbia DB.3417 – UK – 1949. From I’ll See You in My Dreams. A key early Doris Day UK issue marking her emergence as a major Hollywood vocalist. Long-term collectability is driven by her enduring popularity and cross-genre appeal. Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman – Zing a Little Zong / Tickle Me Maiden Love – Brunswick 04981 – UK – 1935. From Just for You. An important Crosby duet from his formative studio-era years. Collected for its Hollywood context and its role in shaping mainstream vocal performance. Anne Shelton – It All Comes Back to Me Now / Anniversary Song – Decca F.8728 – UK – 1946. From The Jolson Story. A culturally significant British vocal issue tied to the most successful musical biopic ever released in the UK. Essential within Anne Shelton and post-war Decca collections. Dick Haymes – Let the Rest of the World Go By / Laura – Brunswick 03590 – UK – 1946. From Laura. A defining noir-era vocal disc featuring one of cinema’s most recognisable themes. Strong and enduring cross-collector interest. Howard Keel – The World Is Mine Tonight / My Magic Heart – MGM MGM.428 – UK – 1952. From Royal Wedding. A representative UK MGM pressing documenting the post-war baritone musical lead. Collected steadily for its MGM provenance and Keel’s vocal authority. Les Baxter – Unchained Melody / The Medic Theme – Capitol CL.14257 – UK – 1955. From Unchained / Medic. A historically important mid-1950s orchestral pop issue featuring the first major life of “Unchained Melody.” Collectable across soundtrack and easy-listening fields. Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra – Limelight / Terry’s Theme from Limelight – Decca F.10106 – UK – 1953. From Limelight. An important UK orchestral interpretation of Chaplin’s most enduring score, valued for its sound quality and film association. The Melachrino Strings – April in Portugal / Theme from Limelight – HMV B.10497 – UK – 1952. From Limelight. A classic light-orchestral HMV pressing collected for its luxurious string sound and cinematic mood. Jackie Brown and His Orchestra – Ballet of the Bells / Theme from The Glenn Miller Story – Columbia DB.3408 – UK – 1954. From The Glenn Miller Story. A British orchestral tribute appealing mainly to Glenn Miller specialists and collectors of film-related swing revival material. Roy Fox and His Band – Good-Night, Vienna / Living in Clover – Decca F.2889 – UK – 1932. From Good-Night, Vienna. An early Decca illustrating the transition from continental operetta and film into British dance-band style. The Peter Knight Singers – It’s Easy to Sing / Oh, Look at Me – Parlophone R.3973 – UK – 1954. From Salad Days. A representative British stage-musical vocal issue, primarily collected for its direct link to a landmark West End production. Hollywood Dance Orchestra – Waitin’ at the Gate for Katy / Lullaby in Blue – Rex 8196 – UK – 1934. From Bottoms Up. A period British dance-band record valued mainly for historical context rather than core collectability.