Big Band Magazine - Magazine - Page 11
PS. Tutti came to England in 1945 as Musical Director for the first ever British
Technicolor Musical a vehicle for the popular English comedian Sid Field
called London Town.
The powers that be thought they needed an American director/producer
Wesley Ruggles. Money was no object due to funding from The Rank
Organisation and Tutti wisely decided to employ The Ted Heath Band as
the nucleus of the film orchestra. The film was not a success but the
exposure not only helped to raise the profile of the Heath band, but put
much needed money into their coffers.
I worked with Heath’s original drummer Jack Parnell regularly in the 1990’s
and in one conversation we had, he said that the band were paid for every
day, even when they were not needed to perform so it was a good earner
for not too much hard work.
