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Sydney Kyte

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Sydney Bernard Kyte (born Solomon Barnett Chyte; 1 June 1896 – 29 July 1981) was a British dance band leader and violinist who became known in the 1930s, when he led the resident band at The Piccadilly Hotel in London's West End.[1][2][3][4][5] Kyte made numerous recordings, and remained active into the 1950s.[6][7]

Sydney Kyte
Birth nameSolomon Barnett Chyte
Also known asSydney Chyte
Sydney Bernard Kyte
Born(1896-06-01)1 June 1896
Whitechapel, London, England
Died29 July 1981(1981-07-29) (aged 85)
Great Leighs, Essex, England
GenresBritish dance band
Occupation(s)Musician
Bandleader
InstrumentViolin
LabelsRegal, Durium, Edison Bell Winner, Panachord, Decca, Rex
Formerly ofSavoy Orpheans

Early life

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Kyte, who was Jewish,[8] was born in Whitechapel, east London, in 1896.[4][6] As a 13-year old boy, he took part in a performance of classical music at the Salle Erard which was reviewed in The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper wrote that his solo performance "showed promise".[9] Kyte studied at the Royal Academy of Music, winning a scholarship at the age of 15, and was later an associate of the academy.[5] He joined the Royal Life Guards in 1914.[1]

Career

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Kyte achieved prominence as deputy leader of the Savoy Orpheans dance band,[5] whom he began recording with in 1926 as their violinist. He also played the violin on recordings by The Sylvians, another Savoy Hotel band, in 1927.[7] This was followed by short stints at The Berkeley hotel and Ciro's nightclub.[10][11]

During the 1930s, Kyte was musical director at The Piccadilly Hotel in central London, which he and his band played and broadcast from. 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.[12]

His fame was such that he was one of 25 dance band leaders featured on a 1936 set of Lambert & Butler cigarette cards.[13] 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.[14]

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 his recording sessions included Anona Winn and Sam Costa.[7]

Personal life and death

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Kyte married his wife Amy in Westminster, London, in 1928.[15] From the 1930s to the 1960s, he lived in Golders Green, Middlesex (now Greater London).[16] He survived Amy by three years, and died on 29 July 1981, in Great Leighs, near Chelmsford, in Essex.[3][17] Kyte was 85 years old.

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 9; Page: 1520
  3. ^ a b 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
  4. ^ a b General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office.
  5. ^ a b c d 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.
  6. ^ a b "Sydney Kyte Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More..." AllMusic. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Rust, Brian; Forbes, Sandy (1987). British dance bands on record 1911 to 1945. Harrow: General Gramophone Publications. ISBN 978-0-902470-15-6.
  8. ^ McKay, George (23 November 2005). Circular Breathing: The Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-8728-2.
  9. ^ "Salle Erard". The Daily Telegraph. 17 December 1909. p. 7. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Sydney Kyte Dance Orchestra's Visit". The Gloucestershire Echo. 17 August 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  11. ^ Rust, Brian (1980). 1931-1932 (Media notes). Sydney Kyte and his Piccadilly Hotel Orchestra. World Records. SH387.
  12. ^ "Sydney Kyte and His Band at St George's Hall". The Hinckley Times. 10 February 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  13. ^ Broom, John (30 August 2018). A History of Cigarette and Trade Cards: The Magic Inside the Packet. Grub Street Publishers. ISBN 978-1-5267-2175-4.
  14. ^ Wright, Adrian (2020). Cheer Up!: British Musical Films, 1929-1945. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1-78327-499-4.
  15. ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 1a; Page: 845
  16. ^ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Electoral Registers
  17. ^ Sounds Vintage (Volume 3, Issue 6). 1981.
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