Sydney Kyte | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sydney Chyte Sydney Bernard Kyte |
| Born | Solomon Barnett Chyte (1896-06-01)1 June 1896 Spitalfields, London, England |
| Died | 29 July 1981(1981-07-29) (aged 85) Chelmsford, Essex, England |
| Genres | British dance band |
| Occupations | Musician Bandleader |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Labels | Regal,Durium,Edison Bell Winner, Panachord,Decca,Rex |
| Formerly of | Savoy Orpheans |
Sydney Bernard Kyte (bornSolomon Barnett Chyte; 1 June 1896 – 29 July 1981) was aBritish dance band leader and violinist who became known in the 1930s, when he led the resident band atThe Piccadilly Hotel in London'sWest End.[1][2][3][4][5] Kyte made numerous recordings, and remained active into the 1950s.[6][7]
Kyte, who was Jewish,[8] was born inSpitalfields, east London, in 1896.[4][6] As a 13-year-old boy, he took part in a performance of classical music at theSalle Érard which was reviewed inThe Daily Telegraph. The newspaper wrote that his solo performance "showed promise".[9] Kyte studied at theRoyal Academy of Music, winning a scholarship at the age of 15, and was later an associate of the academy.[5] He joined theRoyal Life Guards in 1914.[1]
Kyte achieved prominence as deputy leader of theSavoy Orpheans dance band,[5] whom he began recording with in 1926 as their violinist. He also played the violin on recordings by The Sylvians, anotherSavoy Hotel band, in 1927.[7] This was followed by short stints atThe Berkeley hotel andCiro's nightclub.[10][11]
During the 1930s, Kyte was musical director atThe Piccadilly Hotel in central London, which he and his band played and broadcast from. In 1939, it was estimated that apart fromHenry 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 signature song was "Tune In, Keep Listening" byHarry S. Pepper andJohn Watt. After his stint at the Piccadilly, Kyte toured the UK.[13]
His fame was such that he was one of 25 dance band leaders featured on a 1936 set ofLambert & Butler cigarette cards.[14] According to this profile, he enjoyed fishing, "particularly for octopuses off the coast of Majorca". It also noted that he was musical director to theDuke of Westminster.[5] Kyte and his orchestra appeared in the 1937 musical filmSaturday Night Revue.[15]
In October 1931, Kyte began his recording career as a bandleader, in a session with the Piccadilly Hotel Band forRegal 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 theDurium label, where he led their Durium Dance Band. The following year, Kyte's band switched toEdison 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 withDecca for three sessions. This was followed by a recording session forRex 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 includedAnona Winn andSam Costa.[7]
The last Kyte show onBBC Radio was a June 1942 broadcast for theForces Programme network.[16]
Kyte married his wife Amy inWestminster in 1928.[17] From the 1930s to the 1960s, he lived inGolders Green, Middlesex (nowGreater London).[18] He survived Amy by three years and died on 29 July 1981, aged 85. He had latterly lived inGreat Leighs, nearChelmsford, Essex.[3][19]