Jimmy's music career biography

Jimmy was a larger than life character, a talented guitarist and vocalist who apparently entered the music business for fun. He appeared most notably with Nat Gonella's Georgians during the latter half of the 1930s. However, he made his debut in the recording studios in August 1931 where he recorded a few numbers with Percy Chandler And His Band. Jimmy was filmed singing Dinah with the Percival Mackey band in September 1932. Made at the Leicester Square Theatre in London, it was part of film entitled Both Sides Of The Curtain which featured a number of music hall acts. Jimmy spent a year and a half on the halls with Percival Mackey's band although he did not record with them. Recording work continued during 1933 and 1934, with Jimmy vocalising with the bands of Joe Loss, George Glover and Teddy Joyce. In 1935, he could be seen once more on the cinema screen playing guitar with the Teddy Joyce band in the film Radio Parade starring Will Hay. This was also the year he joined Nat Gonella And his Georgians with whom he stayed until 1939. Jimmy was primarily a guitarist as the Georgian's were a showcase for Nat Gonella's trumpet playing and engaging vocals. However, Jimmy did vocalise on stage and got a good press following a Nat Gonella concert at the Penge Empire. Part of the report reads A high spot of the show was the singing of Jimmy Mesene who exploited his colossal voice to the full, delivered himself with fine diction and put over some good comedy with Nat. There are other accounts of how this flamboyant and engaging character came into his own on the stage and was always well received by live audiences. This may have been helped along not only by his practicing "mi-mi-mi" exercises but also by his regular drinking before each performance. In 1936 the Nat Gonella Georgians appeared in a film called Variety Parade which also featured amonst others Sam Browne, and The Mrs. Jack Hylton Band. There were apparently twelve songs in the film and we have found a picture from the film showing the Georgians with Jimmy Mesene in the front, standing on the running board of a car holding his guitar. The Georgians appeared in at least two other films: Pity the poor rich made in 1936 which has four tunes from the Georgians including Georgia and Sing as you swing made in 1937... When Nat Gonella was called up for war service the Georgians disbanded and Jimmy was out of work. However, Jimmy was acquainted with Al Bowlly, both having their Greek origins as something in common. Both were trying to revive careers which at the time had hit the doldrums, and there were other similarities. Both sang and played guitar and knew each other well from long periods on the dance band scene; they had similar temperaments; both enjoyed gambling and both spent money as if there was no tomorrow. But there were major differences between them. On a personal level, Jimmy consumed vast quantities of alcohol, (often), whereas Al was teetotal, and on a professional level, Jimmy was rated more for his guitar playing and song writing. In 1939 they decided to form a double-act. As Jimmy was a good guitarist, and Al a passable one, they would not have the problem of finding accompanists for their act. Billed as The Radio Stars with Two Guitars - the Anglo-Greek Ambassadors of Song - Two Voices and Guitars in Harmony, Jimmy and Al made their debut in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1940. Nat Gonella in a later interview ventured the opinion: "1940 was not a good year to launch a new act..neither Al nor Jimmy was a smart enough operator to get their act booked into the number one theatres. But they managed to put together a short provincial tour of lesser variety theatres, NAAFI canteens and palais". The musical press thought this could be a top line act for vocally they were good, although they still needed improved stagecraft. They were said to be too static and that on occasions Jimmy saved the act from becoming slightly boring. The duo made four records for HMV, probably on the back of Bowlly's contract with EMI. The recordings identify some of the problems. Jimmy's style was rather florid compared with Al's and they didn't always blend well and although Al and Jimmy appeared to have a great time, their rather loose approach to harmony comes across as unrehearsed. The act finished when Al Bowlly was killed on April 17th, 1941. Jimmy's career was then in decline. The stories as to his excessive drinking are widely told, many suggesting that it reached a level where people no longer wanted to work with him as he was too unreliable. Jimmy was a capable song writer and from 1937 to 1947 he penned a number of popular songs. Two more records were made, One in 1942 with The Organ, The Dance Band And Me, the other post-war with Mantovani And His Orchestra, with whom he recorded Ranchos Serenade in 1946 before leaving the UK for good. At various stages in his musical career Jimmy also led dance bands, although he never recorded as a bandleader. He never had a a regular band, but used "pick-up" musicians when he got bookings. One such musician was drummer Noel Webb who remembered Jimmy and gave a graphic account in Memory Lane Magazine of what it was like to 'gig' with Jimmy. What we do know, thanks to Ken Overton, former pianist with Carl Barriteau and Harry Parry, is that in 1943 Jimmy Mesene and his Quintet were resident at The Bristol Grill in Cork Street, London W1. We do not know how long they were resident or who the other musicians were. The quintet broadcast on the BBC Home Service in October and November of 1943 but it is unclear how long the band survived. Jimmy Mesene Quintet letterhead from his time at the Bristol Grill: (Copy sent by Ken Overton who hoped to join Jimmy's Quintet at the time. The paper has discoloured but the words Bristol Grill and the date 1943 can be made out). In one press interview, Jimmy said that his father had lost a quarter of a million pounds with his shipping business and it was his ambition to buy the business back for him....he never did!

Please have a look around the site and see whether you have any information that we might like to add: Front page... Biographical notes and recollections... Book excerpts... Memory Lane excerpts... Known pen names... Songs written by... Discography - alphabetically... Discography - chronologically... Gallery... Contact us...