Ray Noble

Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 3 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United States.

Noble wrote both lyrics and music for many popular songs during the British dance band era, known as the "Golden Age of British music", notably for his longtime friend and associate Al Bowlly, including "Love Is the Sweetest Thing", "Cherokee", "The Touch of Your Lips", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", and his signature tune, "The Very Thought of You". Noble played a radio comedian opposite American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's stage act of Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy, and American comedy duo Burns and Allen, later transferring these roles from radio to TV and popular films.

Birth and Death Data: Born Brighton, Died April 3, 1978 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: director, composer, songwriter, lyricist, conductor, arranger, vocalist, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 201-225 of 253 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 0B5138 10-in. On or before 10/18/1933 Experiment Gertrude Lawrence Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5139 10-in. 10/24/1933 Nymph errant Gertrude Lawrence Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5200 10-in. 11/29/1933 Song without words Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B5380 10-in. On or before 10/11/1933 It's bad for me Gertrude Lawrence Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5381 10-in. On or before 10/11/1933 How could we be wrong? Gertrude Lawrence Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5821 10-in. 12/7/1933 My song goes round the world Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B5833 10-in. 12/20/1933 On a steamer coming over Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B5835 10-in. 12/20/1933 You ought to see Sally on Sunday Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B5906 10-in. 2/20/1934 St. Louis blues Paul Robeson Bass vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Gramophone 0B5913 10-in. 2/27/1934 I'll follow my secret heart Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5914 10-in. 2/27/1934 Nevermore Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band director  
Gramophone 0B5936 10-in. 3/12/1934 Not bad Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B5937 10-in. 3/12/1934 What now? Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0EA5942 10-in. 12/15/1937 For only you Denny Dennis ; Roy Fox Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0B5983 10-in. On or before 4/27/1934 My sweet Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6414 10-in. 1/31/1933 Butterflies in the rain Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6434 10-in. 2/7/1933 Wheezy Anna Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6452 10-in. 2/27/1933 The moment I saw you Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6453 10-in. 2/27/1933 My heart's to let Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6454 10-in. 2/27/1933 When you've fallen in love Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6455 10-in. 2/27/1933 There's something about a soldier Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6474 10-in. Three wishes Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6476 10-in. 3/16/1933 Let me give you my happiness Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6479 10-in. 3/16/1933 Stay on the right side of the road Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Gramophone 0B6535 10-in. 5/10/1933 That's what life is made of Ray Noble ; Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director, composer  
(Results 201-225 of 253 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Noble, Ray," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102805.

Noble, Ray. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102805.

"Noble, Ray." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102805

External Sources

Wikipedia: Ray Noble

Discogs: Ray Noble

Allmusic: Ray Noble

Grove: Ray Noble

IMDb: Ray Noble

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Noble, Ray, 1903-1978 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80063207

Wikidata: Ray Noble - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q953019

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/37102927

MusicBrainz: Ray Noble - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/716a01fc-da79-41b8-816c-4e98168f002f

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/55323 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/55323

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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