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The sleeve of LP TAP 10, (Cool music for a hot night), featured a picture of film 'starlet' Jackie Collins, and other LPs carried similar type pin-up pictures on the sleeve. These sleeves later became collectors items in their own right...
In 1946 Colin Pomroy and George Davies established the Tempo Record Society which started to import jazz records from America. After a slow couple of years in 1948 they began to record and issue their own material using UK and visiting musicians. Pomroy and Davies split in 1949, Davies continuing to use the Tempo name continuing to record British trad musicians and to issue, under licence, American releases including Good Time Jazz. Business was not good and in 1953 British Vogue acquired the catalogue. Beset by it's own problems Vogue was acquired by Decca in 1954.

From 1955 Decca started to issue records again on the Tempo label, for the first time recording British modern jazz musicians as well as the traditional bands. The A series (78s or 45s) began from A108 in April 1955, the EXA series (extended play 45s) from March 1955, the LAP series (10" LP's) from July 1955, and the TAP series (12" LP's) from April 1956.

Vogue retained it's autonomy within Decca and Tony Hall generally took charge of of the modern jazz recordings but in 1961 it was decided that the Tempo label fulfilled no function that the Vogue label itself could not handle and Tempo ceased to be.

Tempo, did in the second half of the 1950s, what Esquire had done in the early part of the 1950s. They were responsible for preserving for posterity the British modern jazz sounds of the time. Without their efforts we would have very litttle of the marvellous music from this period available to listen to today. Jasmine have transferred most of the Tempo modern catalogue to CD format and this page is the first step to finding which CD's the music has been included in. Just follow the musician link and look against the date listed....

Tony Hall on the Tempo sessions...
Tony Hall the saviour of Tempo...

The records listed below are the complete modern jazz output of the Tempo label...
All Tempo 12 inch LPs were issued with the TAP prefix. Only the British modern jazz releases are listed below. Further details including band personnels are available by clicking on the links, just make a note of the date and look them up in the discographies. The date shown is the recording date...
TAP 2



Modern Jazz Scene - 1956 - Live NJF concert at The Festival Hall, London:
The New Jazz Group - with Dizzy Reece - 3 titles
Vic Ash Quartet - 3 titles
Tubby Hayes and his Orchestra - 5 titles
18/2/56Reece
Ash
Hayes
TAP 4


Top Trumpets
Dizzy Reece Quartet - 4 titles
Jimmy Deuchar Sextet - 4 titles
(JMC32) 23/7/56
23/4/56

Reece
Deuchar
TAP 5

Jazz at The Flamingo - featuring Tony Crombie, Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott31/7/56Scott
TAP 6After Lights out - featuring The Tubby Hayes Quintet17/7/56Hayes
TAP 8


Victor Feldman In London - Vol One - The Quartet


4/12/56
6/12/56
(JMC33)
Feldman
TAP 9


Progress Report - Dizzy Reece Group


26/4/56 23/7/56 28/1256 (JM0857)Reece
TAP 10













Cool Music For a Hot Night - Mood Music In The Modern Manner
The first sampler album containing (mostly) titles from previous issues:
TAP 4 - How deep is the ocean
LAP 1 - Yesterdays
LAP 5 - Sunshine on a dull day
TAP 6 - Foolin myself
TAP 5 - Stars fell on Alabama / Once in a while
TAP 9 - The gypsy
***** - Body and soul - (Don Rendell Quartet - 2/5/55)
TAP 2 - These foolish things - (The New Jazz Group)
EXA 16 - Chelsea Bridge - (Damian Robinson)
LAP 6 - Deep in a dream
EXA 27 - Imagination
LAP 3 - This is always
(JM0957)
TAP 12



Victor Feldman In London - Vol Two
The Big Band - 4 titles
The Nine-tet - 2 titles
The Quintet - 1 title
12/12/56
11/12/56
3/1/57
(JM1057/0659)
Feldman
TAP 15The Jazz Couriers featuring Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes8/8/57Hayes
TAP 17












Speak Low - More Mood Music In The Modern Manner
The second sampler album containing (mostly) titles from previous issues:
LAP 6 - Duffle coat
LAP 2 - Bass house
LAP 6 - Easy to love
LAP 5 - When
LAP 1 - New Orleans
LAP 6 - Time will tell
LAP 2 - Treble gold
***** - Speak low - (Ronnie Scott New Quintet - 29/10/56)
***** - How long has this been going on? - (Jimmy Deuchar Sextet - 29/3/57)
***** - I'll take romance - (Ronnie Scott New Quintet - 29/10/56)
***** - On a misty night - (Jazz Couriers - 8/8/57)
(JM0558)
TAP 19



Transatlantic Alliance featuring Victor Feldman
Victor Feldman Quartet - 2 titles
Victor Feldman Quintet - 2 titles
Victor Feldman Sextet - 6 titles

28/12/56 3/1/57 3/1/57
Feldman
TAP 20


Pal Jimmy featuring Jimmy Deuchar
Jimmy Deuchar Quintet - 4 titles
Jimmy Deuchar Sextet - 4 titles


7/3/58 4/3/58 (JM1158)
Deuchar
TAP 21









Swingin' The Blues
The third sampler album containing (mostly) titles from previous issues:
LAP 3 - Bang
TAP 6 - Message to the Messengers
LAP 5 - Brawl for all
TAP 2 - Doxy - (Vic Ash Quartet)
***** - Strollin' - (Victor Feldman / Tubby Hayes Sextet - 3/1/57)
***** - Opus de funk - (Jimmy Deuchar Sextet - 29/3/57)
***** - Blow Mr. Dexter - (Don Rendell Quartet - 2/5/55)
***** - Swingin' in Studio Two - (Jimmy Deuchar Sextet - 29/3/57)
(JM1058)
TAP 22Jazz Couriers in Concert featuring Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes16/258Hayes
TAP 24


His Master's Jazz - Eddie Thompson Trio


?5/58
?/6/58
(JM0260)
Thompson
TAP 25

Blue Bogey featuring Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair

26/8/59
(JM0460)
Gaynair
TAP 26

The Last Word The Jazz Couriers featuring Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes

26/6/59
(JM0360)
Hayes
TAP 27

New Horizons The Tommy Whittle Quintet - New Horizons

?/5/59
(JM0760)
Whittle
TAP 28

The London Jazz Quartet featuring Tubby Hayes, Alan Branscombe and Tony Crombie (part reissued on Ember CD "Tubby Hayes - Portrait")?/5/59
(JM0960)
Hayes
TAP 29

Tubby's Groove - Tubby Hayes Quartet

?/12/59
(JM0760)
Hayes
TAP 30

Jazz Inc. Swinging Music In The Modern Manner Tony Crombie Orchestra

6/1/60
(JM0960)
Crombie
TAP 32

The Jazz Five - The Five of Us featuring Vic Ash and Harry Klein

23/10/60
(JM0561)
Ash
All Tempo 10 inch LPs were issued with the LAP prefix. Only eleven of this type were issued. Only the British modern jazz releases are listed below. Further details including band personnels are available by clicking on the links, just make a note of the date and look them up in the discographies. The date shown is the recording date...
LAP 1Meet Don Rendell - Don Rendell Quartet22/2/55
2/5/55
Rendell
LAP 2Jimmy Deuchar Ensemble26/4/55Deuchar
LAP 3A New Star - Dizzy Reece Quintet16/5/55
14/7/55 (JMC21)
Reece
LAP 5Victor Feldman Septet18/8/55Feldman
LAP 6Suite Sixteen - Victor Feldman Modern Jazz Quartet12/9/55
21/9/55
Feldman
All Tempo modern jazz extended play records were issued with the EXA prefix. These issues were on 7inch 45rpm format. Traditional and modern jazz was released. Only the British modern jazz releases are listed below. Further details including band personnels are available by clicking on the links, just make a note of the date and look them up in the discographies. The date shown is the recording date...
EXA 11Don Rendell Quartet22/2/55Rendell
EXA 12Don Rendell Sextet22/2/55Rendell
EXA 14the Little Giant - Tubby Hayes and his Orchestra10/3/55Hayes
EXA 16Don Rendell Sextet / Damian Robinson Trio - Two tracks each9/6/54 22/2/55Rendell
Robinson
EXA 17Tubby Hayes and his Orchestra29/4/55
14/7/55
Hayes
EXA 18Jimmy Deuchar Ensemble26/4/55Deuchar
EXA 20Don Rendell Quintet16/5/55Rendell
EXA 27The Swinging Giant, No.1 - Tubby Hayes Quartet29/7/55Hayes
EXA 28The Swinging Giant, No. 2 - Tubby Hayes Quartet29/7/55 (JMC11)Hayes
EXA 29Victor Feldman Big Band21/9/55 (JMC29)Feldman
EXA 36Modern Jazz Scene - Tubby Hayes Orchestra18/2/56Hayes
EXA 39Modern Jazz Scene - Dizzy Reece New Jazz Group18/2/56Reece
EXA 44Modern Jazz Scene - Vic Ash Quartet18/2/56Ash
EXA 45Ronnie Scott with the Dizzy Reece Quartet23/7/56Reece
EXA 48Jimmy Deuchar Sextet / Dizzy Reece Quartet
Scheduled for release in November, 1956, but never issued...
EXA 55After Lights Out - Tubby Hayes Quintet17/7/56Hayes
EXA 56Jazz at the Flamingo (Tubby Hayes, Harry Klein and Ronnie Scott)31/7/56 (JM0757)Scott
EXA 57Victor Feldman In London - The Quartet6/12/56
4/12/56
Feldman
EXA 67Victor Feldman In London Vol. 2 - The Nine-tet11/12/56 (JM0659)Feldman
EXA 68Victor Feldman All-Star Big Band
Scheduled for release in June, 1957, but never issued...
EXA 69Tubby Hayes, Dizzy Reece, Dave Goldberg
Scheduled for release in June, 1957, but never issued...
EXA 74Betty Smith Quintet with Brian Lemon
4/7/57Lemon
EXA 75The Jazz Couriers8/8/57
15/8/57
Hayes
EXA 79Opus de Funk - The Jimmy Deuchar Sextet29/3/57 (JM0958)Deuchar
EXA 81Swingin' in Studio Two - The Jimmy Deuchar Sextet and Quintet29/3/57 (JM1158)Deuchar
EXA 82Tubby Hayes The Eighth Wonder - solo?/3/58Hayes
EXA 84A Variation on Monk - Dizzy Reece Quintet29/11/57Reece
EXA 85Mutual Admiration - Victor Feldman - Dizzy Reece Group28/12/56
3/1/57 (JM0459)
Feldman
EXA 86"Nowhere to go" film soundtrack - Dizzy Reece Quartet with Tubby Hayes2/10/58 (JM0459)Reece
EXA 87Original Jazz - The Jazz Couriers8/8/57
15/8/57
Hayes
EXA 88Wail - Jimmy Deuchar with Victor Feldman Quintet3/1/57Deuchar
EXA 89On The Scene - Dizzy Reece Quintet29/12/57 (JM1159)Reece
EXA 103Blue Bogey (vol 1) - Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair26/8/59Other
All Tempo modern jazz 78rpm records were issued with the A prefix number. These issues were on 10inch 78rpm format although from 1956 they were also available on the 7inch 45rpm single format. Initially traditional and modern jazz was released. Only the British modern jazz releases are listed below. Further details including band personnels are available by clicking on the links, just make a note of the date and titles and look them up in the discographies. The date shown is the recording date...
A108 Don Rendell Sextet 22/2/55 Muskrat ramble / Thames walk Rendell
A109 Tubby Hayes & his Orchestra. 10/3/55 Orient line / Man ray Hayes
A110 Don Rendell Quartet 22/2/55 You stepped out of a dream / Slow boat to China Rendell
A112 Don Rendell Sextet 22/2/55 Didn't we / Dance of the Ooblies Rendell
A113 Tubby Hayes & his Orchestra 29/4/55 Sophisticated lady / Deuces wild Hayes
A114 Don Rendell Quartet 2/5/55 From this moment on / Blow Mr. Dexter Rendell
A115 Dizzy Reece Quintet 16/5/55 O Moon / Bang! Reece
A119 Tubby Hayes & his Orchestra 14/7/55 Fidelius / Tootsie roll Hayes
A123 Tubby Hayes Quartet 29/7/55 Dance of the Aerophragytes / There's no you Hayes
A127 Victor Feldman Big Band 21/9/55 Elegy / Maenya Feldman
A135 Vic Ash Quartet 18/2/56 Doxy / Blue Lou Ash
A137 Vic Ash Quartet 18/2/56 Early morning / Just one of those thingsAsh
A140 Dizzy Reece Quintet 26/4/56 Chorous / Basie line Reece
A142 Victor Feldman Big Band 21/9/55 Big top / Cabaletto Feldman
A148 Tubby Hayes Quintet 17/7/56 Ode to Ernie / No I woodyn't Hayes
A153 Ronnie Scott Quintet 29/10/56 I'll take romance / Speak low Scott
A154 Victor FeldmanQuartet 4/12/56 Jackpot / You are my heart's delight Feldman
A167 Jimmy Deuchar & pals 7/3/58 Bewitched / My funny valentine Deuchar

This page was last updated during January, 2015.
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