Billy Merson - Memories (1933)

In the late 20s and early 30s a revival in interest in music-hall comics saw a few of the surviving stars of early 20th Century Music Hall in studio recording medley's of their past hits for the 'Regal' and 'Columbia' labels. This one of Billy Merson was recorded in studio with Chorus and Orchestra on 1st June 1931 towards the end of his career. Billy sings Signora, A Prairie Life For Me, On The Good Ship Yacki Hicki Doola, Photo of the Girl I Left Behind Me, and his biggest hit for which is was famous, The Spaniard That Blighted My Life.
Like most of the other music-hall medley's produced around this time Billy's was available on a choice of labels, Decca and Columbia.
Billy Merson (1879--1947) was an English music hall performer and songwriter. He began his career while working in a lace-making factory, and doing shows in the evenings. It took some time until he could make a living from his stage work. "For five or six years on the stage, I survived on a salary hardly enough to keep body and soul together", he said. In 1922, he starred in Whirled into Happiness.
Songs he wrote include "The Photo of the Girl I Left Behind", "Desdemona" and (possibly his best known) "The Spaniard that Blighted My Life".
He was chairman of the music hall at the Players Theatre in London. He also appeared in a few films, including three made in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, Billy Merson Sings Desdemona, Billy Merson Sings Scotland's Whiskey (a satire on Sir Henry Lauder), and Billy Merson in a Russian Opera (all 1926-1927).
He came from Nottingham.

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thanks a lot for uploading this recordings :)