October 2004
October 28, 2004
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
(Click On Image For Larger View)
Russwin Distinctive Hardware
Russell & Erwin Mfg. Co. New Britain,
Conn.
(From 1929 ad)
In
The Sing Song Sycamore Tree
Ipana Troubadours
Harold Lambert, vocal
1928
(Columbia 1283-D mx 145551 )
Four
Walls
Ipana Troubadours
Harold Lambert, vocal
1928
(Columbia 1283-D mx 145549)
My
Ohio Home
Sam Lanin and His Troubadours
1927
(Romeo 532 mx 2774
)
Mad
Dixie Daisies
1929
(Romeo 1039 mx 3952)
I had previously announced that
this update would feature Sam Lanin's Famous Players and the Dixie Daisies.
Unfortunately, it turns out that my copy of Lanin's Famous Players' recording
of "I Just Roll Along" has a very severe skip. I will take
that as a lesson to listen to a record all the way through before announcing
my intention to include it on an update. In its place, I have
substituted two recordings by another Sam Lanin band, The Ipana Troubadours.
Sam Lanin's dance band was very
prolific in the recording studio and was second only to Ben Selvin in terms
of the number of sides recorded. Lanin made records for numerous
record labels under dozens of pseudonyms. His most famous band
was the Ipana Troubadours which were featured on an early network radio
program of the same name which ran on the NBC Red Network on Wednesday
evenings from 1925 to 1931. Ipana was a top selling brand of toothpaste
in the early 20th century. (Today, the only place you can buy it is in
Turkey.) Because it was illegal for American radio stations in the
mid 1920s to run explicit advertising, sponsors' names were often
included in the name of the program or in the on-air dialogue.
The exposure on network radio made
the Ipana Troubadours one of the most well-known dance bands of the 1920s
and resulted in a recording contract with Columbia. The exclusivity
of the recording contract only extended, however to "The Ipana Troubadours"
and Lanin continued to record for other labels under his own name and various
pseudonyms. The name "Sam Lanin and His Troubadours" on this
week's recording of "My Ohio Home" is an obvious attempt by a rival record
label to capitalize on Lanin's radio fame without violating Columbia's
exclusive rights to record the "Ipana Troubadours." Unfortunately,
as you will hear, my copy of this recording has been subjected to quite
a bit of abuse over the decades. However, my restoration equipment
was able to clean it up enough to make it listenable.
The Dixie Daisies was a recording
pseudonym used by Cameo Records and its subsidiary label Romeo for many
Sam Lanin recordings. However, others including the Bob Haring and
Irving Mills bands also recorded a few sides under this pseudonym.
I have not been able to document that this particular recording is definitely
by the Lanin band - but chances are pretty good that it is. Perhaps
someone can tell me for sure one way or another. I only
recently discovered this record. At first glance, I was not very
optimistic that it would even be playable as its surface looks like it
has been "cleaned" with a sheet of sandpaper. To my surprise, however,
the sound quality was much better than I expected and my restoration equipment
was able to clean it up nicely.
EXTRA
This section will present
78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop
and jazz fare that I usually present. Here I will feature
recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities
as well as occasional spoken word recordings.
Persiflage
Fred Van Eps, banjo; Felix Arndt, piano
1912
(Victor 17922-B)
My
Regards Waltz
William H. Reitz, xylophone with orchestra
1912
(Victor 17922-A)
Fred Van Eps, along with Vess Ossman
and Harry Reser, was one of the great banjo players during the early
decades of the 20th century when the instrument's popularity was at its
peak. Van Eps made his first recordings on cylinder records
for Thomas Edison's National Phonograph Company in 1897 and continued to
record for numerous record labels into the late 1920s. In 1956,
at the age of 78, he returned to the recording studios to produce an LP.
Many of Van Eps' recordings featured ragtime compositions.
I wouldn't classify this week's recording of "Persiflage" as an example
of ragtime - but it is quite nice. Van Eps also made recordings of
"Persiflage" in the 1920s for the Columbia and Edison labels.
The song was composed by someone with a last name of Francis. Unfortunately,
I have not been able to locate the composer's first name or the song's
publication date. To read a detailed and interesting biography of
Fred Van Eps, visit this
page on Tim Gracyk's website.
William H. Reitz made a number of
xylophone recordings for Victor in the early 1900s. Unfortunately,
I have not been able to find any additional biographical information about
him. "My Regards" was composed by Edward Llewellyn and is still occasionally
performed. It is possible that the composer is the same Edward Llewellyn
who was the principle trumpet player with the Chicago Symphony during the
1910s and 1920s - but I have no way of knowing for sure.
I think both recordings have a nice
early 1900s charm.
October 21, 2004
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
Lamer Hotels
Salina, Hays and Abilene Kansas
The Clayton-Salina and The Mulroy-Hays are
also "Lamer Hotels"
(From early 1940s postcard)
I'm
Forever Blowing Bubbles
Freddie Rich and His Orchestra
1940
(Vocalion 5507 mx W 26516 )
Til
We Meet Again
Freddie Rich and His Orchestra
1940
(Vocalion 5507 mx W 26514)
The Fred Rich band is one that is
usually associated with the late 1920s and early 1930s when it was very
active on radio and as one of the studio bands for Columbia records.
Until I recently came across this week's recordings, I was not even aware
that Fred Rich was active as a bandleader as late as 1940. Both of
these recordings feature arrangements by Benny Carter. Carter
also performs in the band as does Roy Eldridge.
"I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" was
already considered an "oldie" when this week's recording was made.
The song was introduced in 1919 and became a big hit recording for Ben
Selvin's
Novelty Orchestra.
EXTRA
This section will present
78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop
and jazz fare that I usually present. Here I will feature
recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities
as well as occasional spoken word recordings.
Waltz
Entrancing
Olive Kline
1916
(Victor 17922-B)
The
Ladder Of Roses
Olive Kline
1916
(Victor 17922-A)
Here are two songs from Broadway
productions that opened in late 1915
"Waltz Entrancing" comes from the
Franz Lehar operetta Endlich Allein which opened at Vienna's Theater
an der Wien on January 30, 1914. The Broadway version was called
Alone
At Last and opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 14, 1915.
The show ran for 180 performances. The lyrics in this
week's recording come from the Broadway version. Most Viennese
operettas were performed in London before making their way to America.
Endlich Allein, however, did not due to World War I with Britain
and Austria-Hungary being on opposing sides. The United States
did not enter the war until 1917 so American audiences were still receptive
to Viennese operettas.
"The Ladder Of Roses" was composed
by Raymond Hubbell for the Broadway revue Hip Hip Hooray which opened
at the New York Hipprodrome on September 30, 1915 and ran for 425 performances.
The Shubert Theatre is still in
operation. The Hipprodrome was demolished in 1939.
Olive Kline was a soprano hired
by the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1912. She became a member
of various Victor in-house vocal ensembles including the Victor Light Opera
Company, the Victor Ladies' Quartet and the Victor Opera Sextette.
She also had a large output of solo recordings. While Ms. Kline
was prominently featured in a large number of Victor operatic recordings,
her live performances were confined to concert appearances and she never
appeared on stage in an operatic role. Olive Kline continued
to make recordings for Victor into the 1930s.
October 14, 2004
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
The Mayfair Hotel
ROSS AT ST. PAUL - DALLAS, TEXAS
Outside Rooms - Tub or Tub and Shower
Single or Double - One or Two Persons
$2.00 and $2.50 - None Higher
(from 1938 postcard)
Make
Believe Ballroom
Merle Pitt and His Make Believe
Ballroom Orchestra
Mildred Craig, vocal
1938
(Vocalion 3959 mx 22316 )
With
A Smile And A Song
Merle Pitt and His Make Believe
Ballroom Orchestra
Don Richards, vocal
1938
(Vocalion 3959 mx 23317)
Here is a recently acquired record
by a band that I was previously not familiar with.
Merle Pitt headed up the house band
for New York City radio station WNEW. On this record, the band
is billed as "Martin Block Presents: Merle Pitt and his Make Believe Ballroom
Orchestra."
One of the most sensational and
widely followed news stories of the 1930s was the 1932 kidnapping of Charles
Lindbergh III, the infant son of the the famous aviator, and the subsequent
1935 trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann for his murder.
WNEW was the only radio station to have a reporter inside the New Jersey
courthouse where the trial was held. The station faced
a problem, however, of finding a way to fill the air time between the trial
updates that large numbers of listeners had tuned in for. A
staff announcer by the name of Martin Block proposed a solution:
fill the time by playing records of popular music.
Today, such a solution might seem
obvious but in 1935 it was highly unusual. At the time, most
music on major radio stations and on the networks was performed by
live musicians. The only stations that resorted to "canned" music
were smaller independents which often relied on program transcription discs
specifically recorded and distributed for broadcast. Furthermore,
since most record labels in the early 1930s carried a notice that the record
was "not licensed for radio broadcast," playing records over the air was
of somewhat dubious legality.
WNEW's recorded music was so well
received that the program was continued after the trial ended. Block
called his show The Make Believe Ballroom based on a phrase
used by the announcer of a a similar radio program he had heard a few years
earlier in Los Angeles. During his broadcasts, Block sought
to create the impression that his audience had tuned in to a grand ballroom
featuring the top bands of the day. The program became one
of the top rated programs in New York City and went into national syndication
in 1940. In the mid 1940s, Block left WNEW and eventually hosted
a similar program on ABC radio. WNEW continued The Make Believe
Ballroom under subsequent hosts.
For more information on Martin Block
and The Make Believe Ballroom, see this interesting New
York Daily News article.
The song "Make Believe Ballroom"
was one of the program's opening theme songs - This particular recording
even features an over the music announcer - though I am not sure whether
or not it is Martin Block. Later, Block co-wrote a subsequent and
more famous theme song for the program "It's Make Believe Ballroom Time"
which was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
"With A Smile And A Song" comes
from the Walt Disney picture Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.
I think it is a pretty song - and the particular "swing" arrangement is
excellent.
Unfortunately, I have very little
information about Merle Pitt other than the fact that he was a violinist
and that his band also performed on WNEW under the name of Merle Pitt and
His 5 Shades of Blue Orchestra. I think Pitt's orchestra on
these two recordings has a very nice pleasant style so I will definitely
be on the lookout for additional recordings by his Make Believe Ballroom
Orchestra.
EXTRA
This section will present
78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop
and jazz fare that I usually present. Here I will feature
recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities
as well as occasional spoken word recordings.
Princess
Flavia - Medley
The Troubadours
1926
(Victor 19955-B)
Here is a medley of three tunes
"I Dare Not Love You," "Only One" and "Yes or No" from the Sigmund Romberg
operetta Princess Flavia which was based on the Anthony Hope novel
The
Prisoner of Zenda. Princess Flavia opened at New York's
Century Theatre in November, 1925 and ran for 152 performances.
The Century Theatre was torn down just a few years later in 1930.
The Troubadours was a recording
pseudonym for the in-house band that Victor records used for recordings
of popular waltz tunes.
October 7, 2004
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
(Click Image Or Here
To View Full Size)
HAVANA
"Smartest City In America"
Cuban National Tourist Commission
(from 1928 ad)
King
Porter Stomp
Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra
1928
(Columbia 1543-D mx 145763 )
"D"
Natural Blues
Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra
1928
(Columbia 1453-D mx 145764)
During the 1920s, Fletcher
Henderson fronted one of the best and most successful black dance bands
in New York City. His most significant contribution to jazz history,
however, was as a highly innovative arranger who is widely credited as
being one of the originators of "swing" music. Unfortunately, despite
his talent, Henderson's lack of business savvy and the racial prejudices
of the time prevented him from achieving the level of fame and financial
success enjoyed by others such as Benny Goodman who became famous as the
"King of Swing" in part by playing Fletcher Henderson arrangements.
Henderson was the composer of "'D'
Natural Blues." "King Porter Stomp" is a Jelly Roll Morton composition
dating back to 1924.
EXTRA
This section will present
78 rpm recordings that do not fall within the range of the vintage pop
and jazz fare that I usually present. Here I will feature
recordings from a wide variety of eras, musical genres and nationalities
as well as occasional spoken word recordings.
Hummer
Medley - One Step
Pietro Deiro, accordion
1914
(Victor 17609-B)
Hungarian
Rag
Pietro Deiro, accordion
1914
(Victor 17609-A)
Pietro Deiro and his older brother
Guido Deiro were famous players of the piano accordion. During their
lifetime, there was a rather bitter dispute between the two brothers and
their fans as to which one could properly claim credit for introducing
the piano accordion to the American stage. For an interesting
article on the controversy, follow this
link.
While I don't make any special effort
to seek out recordings of accordion solos, 1910s era records by both
Deiros are sometimes interesting in that they performed a lot of ragtime
selections.
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