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Dismuke's Hit Of The Week
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October 2004






October 28, 2004
 



This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by
Ruswin Distinctive Hardware - Click On Image For Larger View
(Click On Image For Larger View)

Russwin Distinctive Hardware
Russell & Erwin Mfg. Co.  New Britain, Conn.
(From 1929 ad)



 

 

In The Sing Song Sycamore TreeClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ipana Troubadours
Harold Lambert, vocal                                1928
(Columbia 1283-D mx 145551 )
 

Four WallsClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ipana Troubadours
Harold Lambert, vocal                                1928
(Columbia 1283-D mx 145549)
 

My Ohio HomeClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Sam Lanin and His Troubadours                 1927
(Romeo 532  mx  2774 )
 

MadClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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. 
 
 

PersiflageClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Fred Van Eps, banjo;  Felix Arndt, piano              1912
(Victor 17922-B)

My Regards WaltzClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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
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 BubblesClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Freddie Rich and His Orchestra               1940
(Vocalion 5507 mx W 26516 )
 

Til We Meet AgainClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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. 
 
 

Olive Kline






Waltz EntrancingClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Olive Kline                                        1916
(Victor 17922-B)

The Ladder Of RosesClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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
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 BallroomClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Merle Pitt and His Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra 
Mildred Craig, vocal                         1938
(Vocalion 3959 mx 22316 )
 

With A Smile And A SongClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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 - MedleyClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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 ZendaPrincess 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
Havana - Smartest City In America  -  Click Image For Larger View
(Click Image Or Here To View Full Size)

HAVANA
"Smartest City In America"
Cuban National Tourist Commission
(from 1928 ad)



 
 
 

King Porter StompClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra         1928
(Columbia 1543-D mx 145763 )
 

"D" Natural BluesClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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 StepClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Pietro Deiro, accordion                           1914
(Victor 17609-B)
 

Hungarian RagClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
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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