8 Songs from the Darkest Month of Al Bowlly

In the winter of 1936, Al Bowlly returned to the UK from the US and formed his own band, 'Radio City Rhythm Makers,' to pursue success as a solo artist. Although they were initially successful, the band disbanded after Bowlly suddenly developed problems with his voice, causing him a great financial loss. He later attempted a comeback on a smaller scale, but his voice problems returned, leading to the ruin of both his dream of being a solo singer and his marriage. Due to the sudden throat issues, he feared he might have cancer and, in a state of extreme anxiety, began to drink, something he hadn't done before. While barely continuing to record albums under a freelance contract with HMV, he lost his voice for a third time and fell into complete despair. During this period, he lost over 10kg in weight. Fortunately, the diagnosis was not cancer but a wart on his vocal cord. However, to remove it, he had to undergo a very risky surgery with a 50% chance of losing his voice permanently. To get even that surgery, Bowlly went into debt and secretly traveled to New York alone. The eight songs in this playlist are the ones Bowlly, who had already lost and regained his voice twice, recorded at HMV during the final month before losing it for the third time. This one month, July 1937, was the most painful and darkest month of his life. Carelessly - June 19, 1937 On A Little Dream Ranch - June 19, 1937 Blue Hawaii - July 5, 1937 Sweet Is The Word For You - July 5, 1937 Le Touquet - July 17, 1937 Vieni, Vieni - July 17, 1937 Smile When You Say Goodbye - July 17, 1937 Hometown - July 17, 1937