Joshua Alexander “Joe” Loss LVO OBE (22 June 1909 – 6 June 1990) was a British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra.
The Joe Loss Orchestra was one of the most successful acts of the big band era in the 1940s, with hits including “In the Mood”. In 1961 they had a hit with “Wheels—Cha Cha”, a version of the String-A-Longs’ hit “Wheels”. Other hits included David Rose’s “The Stripper” in 1958, “Sucu Sucu”, “Must Be Madison”, “The Theme from Maigret” and “March of the Mods (The Finnjenka Dance)” of 1964.
In April 1951 Elizabeth Batey, vocalist with Joe Loss, fell and broke her jaw. Joe was badly in need of a replacement and remembered hearing Rose Brennan on radio during a visit to Ireland. Within days he had located her and, before a week was out, she was in Manchester rehearsing with the band. She stayed with Loss for fifteen years, before giving up showbusiness in the mid 1960s. She wrote many of the songs she recorded with Joe Loss under the name Marella and co-wrote songs with John Harris. Her co-vocalists with the orchestra from 1955 were Ross MacManus (father of Elvis Costello) and Larry Gretton.
The Joe Loss Orchestra carries on under the musical direction of Todd Miller, who was a vocalist with the band for 19 years before Loss’s death. In 1989 Joe Loss became too ill to travel and in 1990 he entrusted the leadership to his longest serving band member, trombonist and player manager of many decades, Sam Watmough and to Todd. The orchestra has been in constant operation since 1930 and in 2015 it celebrated its 85th anniversary.
Specialist dance band radio stations continue to play his records. Joe Loss also features regularly on the Manx Radio programme Sweet & Swing, presented by Howard Caine.
133 recordings by Joe Loss you can hear at Instrumentals Forever:
(They Long To Be) Close To You • (We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock • 12th Street Rag • A Banda • A Man Without Love • A String Of Pearls • A Waltz Is For Dancing • Adios • Al Di La • American Patrol • April In Portugal • At Last • Beg, Steal Or Borrow • Begin The Beguine • Belle Of The Ball • Bridge Over Troubled Water • Blue Skies • Brazil • Bugle Call Rag • Can’t Help Falling In Love • Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man • Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You • Carnival from ”Black Orpheus” • Cavatina • Celebration • Ciribiribin • Clair de Lune • Compadre Pedro Juan • Congratulations • Copacabana • Dear Boy • Delilah • Do You Know The Way To San José • Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue • Everything’s Coming Up Roses • Fascination • For All We Know • Forever And Ever • Frenesi • Girl Talk • Green Eyes • Guantanamera • Guitar Tango • Hey Jude • How Deep Is Your Love • Humoreske • I Left My Heart In San Francisco • I Only Have Eyes For You • I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing • If You Love Me • In The Mood • It’s Impossible • Jealousy • Jersey Bounce • Joanna • La Cumparsita • Lily The Pink • Little Brown Jug • Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) • Love Is Blue • Make Believe • Mamma Mia • Marbella • March Of The Mods (Finnjenka Dance) • Match Maker, Match Maker • Match Of The Day • Moonlight Cocktail • Moonlight Serenade • Music To Watch Girls By • My Cherie Amour • My Guy’s Come Back • My Star • Nicola • Now I Live Again • Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da • Oh My Papa • Olé Guapa • On A Clear Day You Can See Forever • On The Street Where You Live • Panama Poppa • Pennsylvania 6-5000 • Puppet On A String • Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head • Rivers Of Babylon • Roses From The South • ‘s Wonderful • Save Your Kisses For Me • Shadow Of Your Smile • Shake, Rattle & Roll • Singin’ In The Rain • Solamente Una Vez • Something Tells Me • Sometime Somewhere • Spanish Gypsy Dance • St Louis Blues • Stardust • Stranger On The Shore • Sugar Blues • Sugar, Sugar • Sunrise, Sunset • Sweetie • Swingin’ Samba • Tango 68 • Tango d’Amore • Tango • Tea For Two • Tequila • The Blue Danube • The Champ • The Charleston • The Entertainer • The Happy Trumpeter • The Last Waltz • The Legend Of Xanadu • The March Of The Matadors • The March Of The Toreadors • The Song from ”Moulin Rouge” • The Stripper • The Village Band • Theme from ”A Summer Place” • This Guy’s In Love With You • This is Life • This is My Song • Till • Toreando • Tuxedo Junction • Twistin’ In The Mood • Wand’rin’ Star • Wheels • Y Viva España • Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday • Zorba’s Dance • Music To Drive By •
