Hal Kemp & His Orchestra – Late ’30s/Early ’40s

Victor 25651

“Got A Date With An Angel”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Skinnay Ennis, vocal
1937 ( Victor 25651-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – Got A Date With An Angel]

“Lamplight”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Skinnay Ennis, vocal
1937 ( Victor 25651-B)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – Lamplight]

“You And Me”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Judy Starr, vocal
1938 ( Victor 25869-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – You And Me]

“So Lovely”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1938 ( Victor 25869-B)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – So Lovely]

“I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1939 ( Victor 26194-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak]

“Have A Heart”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1939 ( Victor 26194-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – Have A Heart]

“Last Night”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1939 ( Victor 26397-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – Last Night]

“Many Dreams Ago”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Nan Wynn, vocal
1939 ( Victor 26397-B)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – Many Dreams Ago]

“The Lady With Red Hair”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1940 ( Victor 27203-B)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – The Lady With Red Hair]

“The Moon Fell In The River”
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra
Bob Allen, vocal
1940 ( Victor 27203-A)
Hal Kemp And His Orchestra – The Moon Fell In The River]

A recent update featured several recordings by Hal Kemp and His Orchestra from 1931.   Here are some more by the same band but from later in the decade.

During the 1920s and 1930s trends in popular music evolved very rapidly – much more so than in recent decades.  In an era when there were far fewer radio stations (and very few that devoted their entire broadcast day to music) and records were expensive to remain commercially viable in either medium required most bands to keep up with and follow those trends.

This is why those who might enjoy a ’20s or ’30s recording by a particular band on Radio Dismuke and seek additional recordings by the band on CD reissue should exercise caution before spending too much money.   A number of ’20s and ’30s era artists remained active and even continued to record into the ’60s and ’70s.    A recording from the ’40s or ’50s by the same band whose 1920s recordings you enjoy is likely to have a very different sound – and, quite possibly, a sound you will not particularly enjoy.

In these recordings made after Kemp changed his recording affiliation to Victor in June, 1937 the band’s transformation from a predominantly “hot” Jazz Age band into a predominantly “sweet” band of the big band era is complete.

“Got A Date With An Angel” was Hal Kemp’s opening radio theme song.   It was also the theme song for vocalist Skinnay Ennis after he left the Kemp band and formed his own band in 1938.   This recording is a very close remake of a 1934 recording of the song that Kemp and Ennis made on Brunswick and is, therefore,  a bit different stylistically than the rest.

Sadly, Kemp was killed as a result of a car accident in December 1940 while driving in heavy fog from Los Angeles to an engagement in San Francisco.

9/17/11 Edit:  Added “The Lady With Red Hair” and “The Moon Fell In The River” both of which I had prepared for this posting but initially forgot to include.

This entry was posted in 1930s, 1930s Popular Music, American Recordings, Electrical Recordings. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Hal Kemp & His Orchestra – Late ’30s/Early ’40s

  1. Limden says:

    This version of “The Moon Fell in the River” is rather sweet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxQ6F-jYj_M

  2. Thanks to Victor’s 78rpm, I got note. An accident in 1940 while getting an engagement left some of these songs from the 30s and 40s. Hal Kemp was never late before until he launched in 1934 his big job at victor records with the orchestra and it sure helps other. Do you have more songs including kiddie songs of the 30s so top hat and others was a good song. I want more 30s and 40s after posting this story on the late Hal Kemp orchestra has intended.

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