This curated collection presents classic inter-war dance music on 78rpm, spanning the early 1920s to the late 1930s. Featuring leading British and American orchestras alongside high-quality budget-label issues, it captures the sound of ballrooms, hotels, and fashionable dance floors during the golden age of the fox-trot. With performances by Tommy Dorsey, Paul Whiteman, Jack Hylton, Geraldo, Roy Fox, and the celebrated Savoy bands, the selection offers polished arrangements, memorable melodies, and steady dance rhythms throughout. An attractive, well-balanced group of records ideal for collectors of ballroom dance music, British dance bands, and early swing-era 78s. The records are in VG+ to EX condition. Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra – Song of India / I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You – HMV B 8565 – UK – c.1937. Swing-era polish meets melodic elegance on this classic British HMV coupling. Rimsky-Korsakov’s exotic theme is refashioned into a smooth fox-trot, while Dorsey’s signature trombone tone turns “I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You” into an enduring big-band ballad. Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra – Ukulele Lady / Southern Rose – HMV B 2089 – UK – c.1925. Two contrasting fox-trots from Whiteman’s mid-1920s repertoire. “Ukulele Lady” is bright and urbane, shaped by careful orchestral balance, while “Southern Rose” offers a more relaxed, melodic treatment, illustrating Whiteman’s polished symphonic-dance style for the British market. Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra – My Mammy — Medley Fox-Trot – HMV B 1233 – UK – c.1929. A companion issue highlighting Whiteman’s British-market presence. This medley treatment presents selected themes in a carefully structured fox-trot format, combining Whiteman’s trademark orchestral polish with concise pacing suited to the 78-rpm side. Savoy Havana Band – Last Night on the Back Porch / The Oom-Pah Trot, One Step – Columbia 3349 – UK – c.1923. Early Savoy Hotel sides capturing the band’s formative sound. Both titles reflect the transitional post-war dance style, with bright brass, clear rhythmic emphasis, and a faint novelty edge that hints at jazz influences without abandoning traditional dance-hall structure. Savoy Orpheans – Varsity Yale Blues / Just a Memory – HMV B 5374 – UK – c.1928. Two polished fox-trots from one of Britain’s premier studio orchestras. “Varsity Yale Blues” brings collegiate exuberance and snap, while “Just a Memory” offers a smoother, more sentimental contrast, both executed with the Orpheans’ trademark refinement. Jack Hylton and His Orchestra – I’m Wonderful / The Road Hog – HMV B 1905 – UK – c.1927. A lively pairing from one of Britain’s most prominent bandleaders. “I’m Wonderful” delivers buoyant optimism with crisp ensemble work, while “The Road Hog” adds a touch of novelty rhythm, both executed with Hylton’s trademark drive and precision. Jack Hylton and His Orchestra – ’Round the Bend of the Road / Love Is the Sweetest Thing – Decca F 3253 – UK – c.1931. A well-matched Decca pairing from Hylton’s early-1930s period. “’Round the Bend of the Road” offers a relaxed, melodic fox-trot, while “Love Is the Sweetest Thing,” from Say It with Music, is delivered with polished sentiment and a neatly integrated vocal refrain. Geraldo and the Savoy Hotel Orchestra – Over the Hill / When That Man Is Dead and Gone – Parlophone F 1821 – UK – c.1934. Two contrasting sides from Geraldo’s Savoy Hotel years. “Over the Hill” is treated as a gently flowing slow fox-trot, while the brisk “When That Man Is Dead and Gone” injects humour and pace, supported by clear vocal contributions. Geraldo and His Orchestra – Shepherd Serenade / That Lovely Week-End – Parlophone F 1881 – UK – c.1934. A smoothly matched Parlophone coupling from Geraldo’s mid-1930s period. “Shepherd Serenade” is shaped as a relaxed, lyrical fox-trot with an easy vocal delivery, while “That Lovely Week-End” brings a brighter melodic optimism, neatly balanced by the orchestra’s polished Savoy-style accompaniment. Roy Fox and His Band – Goofus / One Little Quarrel – Decca F 2776 – UK – c.1930. A lively coupling that highlights Fox’s versatility at the Monseigneur Restaurant. “Goofus” leans into novelty rhythms and playful syncopation, while “One Little Quarrel” balances lighthearted melody with smooth ensemble control, typical of Fox’s urbane style. Roy Fox and His Band – Wanderer / Dreaming – Decca F 3331 – UK – c.1932. A stylish Decca coupling recorded at the Café Anglais, London. Both sides display Fox’s smooth leadership and emphasis on melody, with light vocal refrains and restrained swing that typified fashionable London dance music of the early 1930s. Roy Fox and His Band – Aloha Beloved / Little Dutch Mill – Decca F 3958 – UK – c.1933. A smoothly produced Decca issue recorded at the Café de Paris. “Aloha Beloved” brings a gentle exotic flavour to the fox-trot form, while “Little Dutch Mill” provides a brighter, more rhythmic counterpart, both delivered with Fox’s trademark elegance and light vocal touches. Debroy Somers Band – Naila (Intermezzo) / The Fountain (Quick Step) – Columbia DB 1109 – UK – c.1932. Two contrasting sides from one of Britain’s most dynamic dance orchestras. “Naila” offers a romantic, lightly exotic intermezzo treatment, while “The Fountain” sparkles with bright brass and brisk tempo, showing Somers’ flair for precision and drive. Savoy Havana Band – Believe Me / It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ – Columbia 3515 – UK – c.1927. A lively pairing highlighting the band’s adaptability to contemporary American repertoire. “Believe Me” is handled with bright rhythmic assurance, while the novelty-inflected “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’” adds humour and swing flavour within a disciplined hotel-band framework. Paul Ash and His Orchestra – Ain’t That a Grand and Glorious Feeling? – Columbia 4563 – UK – c.1929. A buoyant slice of late-1920s American dance music, recorded for British release. Paul Ash’s orchestra combines jaunty rhythm with a confident vocal chorus, perfectly suited to the optimistic, carefree spirit of early talking-picture songs. The Hannan Dance Band – No One Knows What It’s All About / Me and the Boy Friend – Columbia 3598 – UK – c.1930. A stylish British dance-band pairing from the early sound-film era. Both titles from No, No, Nanette are delivered with crisp rhythm and light-hearted charm, capturing the clean, efficient swing that defined London hotel orchestras of the period. Sydney Kyte and His Piccadilly Hotel Band – That’s Why Darkies Were Born / Close Your Eyes – Regal MR 452 – UK – c.1930. A polished example of British hotel-band dance music from the turn of the decade. Kyte’s orchestra delivers both sides with measured elegance, balancing American popular material with the restrained precision typical of London ballroom ensembles, complete with discreet vocal refrains. Jack Hylton and His Orchestra – Clonk-Er-Ty-Clonk / Himazas – HMV B 5321 – UK – c.1930. A characterful pairing reflecting Hylton’s fondness for novelty material. “Clonk-Er-Ty-Clonk” features playful rhythmic effects, while “Himazas” maintains a steadier fox-trot pulse, both anchored by the band’s disciplined ensemble work. Corona Dance Orchestra – Tea for Two / I Want to Be Happy – Regal G 833 – UK – c.1930. Popular Gershwin and Youmans tunes presented in accessible, dance-floor-friendly arrangements. Issued on Regal’s budget label, this record delivers tuneful melodies and steady fox-trot rhythms aimed squarely at the domestic gramophone market. Corona Dance Orchestra – My Sweetie Went Away / Bebe – Regal G 8064 – UK – c.1930. A neatly balanced pairing of contemporary American fox-trots, played with the Corona Orchestra’s characteristically straightforward approach. Both sides favour tuneful clarity and steady tempo over instrumental display, reflecting Regal’s emphasis on reliable, home-friendly dance records. Regal Dance Orchestra – Omaha (Valse) / Whispering – Regal G 7628 – UK – c.1929. A contrasting coupling pairing a gentle continental-style waltz with a brisk American fox-trot. “Omaha” is treated with light orchestral warmth, while “Whispering” showcases clean articulation and rhythmic lift, aimed at the home dancer rather than the hotspot floor.