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Dismuke's Hit Of The Week
Previous Selections
May 2004





May 27, 2004
 



This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by
Greyhound Lines - Click Image For Larger View
Greyhound Lines
Click on image or here for larger view
(from 1939 ad)



Feather Merchant's BallClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Teddy Powell and His Orchestra               1940
(Decca 3234-A mx 67778)
 

Teddy Bear BoogieClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Teddy Powell and His Orchestra               1940
(Decca 3234-B mx 67780)
 
 

Teddy Powell was a violin and banjo player who spent several years with the Abe Lyman band where he also served as a vocalist, arranger and helped out on the business side of things.  In 1939 he formed his own band hiring several highly regarded musicians formerly with the Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Casa Loma orchestras.   The band debuted at New York's Famous Door nightclub and the engagement was so successful that Powell began to boast that he had accomplished in six weeks what had taken Goodman and Dorsey years.  Reality caught up with Powell when the band went on the road and few people bothered to show up for the performances due to its lack of name recognition.   Powell began to lose not only  money but also his top musicians who moved on to more promising opportunities.  In 1941, the band lost all of its instruments in a fire at the Rustic Cabin nightclub in New Jersey.  Because copies of the band's arrangements existed elsewhere, it was able to survive the disaster.  Unfortunately, two other factors conspired against Powell's attempt to gain career traction.  In the summer of 1942, the musicians' union declared a strike against the record industry which would last until November 1944.  Not being able to record made it difficult for Powell to build a national following.  Also, as with other bandleaders at the time, Powell had a difficult time retaining musicians due to the wartime draft and actually had to disband for a while because of it.   Powell retired from bandleading in 1954 and became a music publisher. 

Both of this week's selections were composed by Powell with Powell's arranger Ray Conniff sharing the credit on "Feather Merchant's Ball."
 
 

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. 
 

As part of my ongoing effort to replace the older audio files on this site with updated ones taking advantage of my new audio restoration equipment,  here are some selections which originally appeared in  this website's 1920s & 1930s section.  I have not yet updated that section to include these improved sound files, but I expect to have that done very soon. 
 
 

Recordings Originally Posted  June 1998



MadhouseClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra                         1936
(Victor 25268)

I've Got My Fingers CrossedClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
"Fats" Waller and His Rhythm 
"Fats" Waller, vocal                                                 1936
(Victor 25211)

I Wonder What's Become of JoeClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ernie Golden and His Hotel McAlpin Orchestra       1926
(Brunswick 3502-B)

I Found A Million Dollar BabyClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Don Voorhees' Orchestra                                        1931
(Hit of the Week J-2)

El Sombrero De GasparClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Xavier Cugat and His Waldorf Astoria Orchestra     1935
(Victor 24840)

Turn On The HeatClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Horace Heidt and His Californians                            1929
(Victor 22195)
 
 

Recordings Originally Posted  April 1998



If I Had A Talking Picture Of You Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders
Don Howard, vocal                                                  1929
(Victor 22124-B)

Everything's Gonna Be All RightClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Frank Harris, vocal                                                   1926
(Columbia 607-D mx 141786)

Sunny Side UpClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders
Frank Luther, vocal                                                   1929
(Victor 22124-A)

Lounging At The WaldorfClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
"Fats" Waller and His Rhythm 
"Fats" Waller, vocal                                                   1936
(Victor 25430-B)

If I Could Be With You One Hour TonightClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
McKinney's Cotton Pickers
George Thomas, vocal                                               1930
(Victor V-38118-A)
 

I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ipana Troubadours
Bing Crosby, vocal                                                    1928
(Columbia 1694-D mx 147545)

Spanish ShawlClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra                                   1925
(Victor 19851-B)

Sweetheart We Need Each OtherClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Fred Rich and His Orchestra
Smith Ballew, vocal                                                   1929
(Oriole 1760-A mx 19009)

The Very Thought Of YouClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Victor Young and His Orchestra 
George Bueler, vocal                                                 1934
(Brunswick 6931 mx 15388)

YesterdayClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Eddie Miller's Dance Orchestra                                  1927
(Romeo 344-B)

Big City BluesClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Billy Murray & Walter Scanlan, vocal                         1929
(Domino 4413-A mx 8940)

Like An Angel You Flew Into
Everyone's Heart (Lindberg)Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Vaughn DeLeath, vocal                                              1927
(Victor 20674-B)
 
 

Recordings Originally Posted  March 1998



Last NightClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
Bob Crosby, vocal                                                     1939
(Decca 2812-A mx 66667)
 


May 20, 2004
 
 


This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by
Hotel Jefferson - Dallas, Texas
HOTEL JEFFERSON
Dallas, Texas
Dallas Leading Hotel
Lawrence W. Mangold, Managing Director
(from circa 1930s postcard)



 

Streamline StrutClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ambrose And His Orchestra                    1935
(Decca 500-B mx GB 7021)
 

Hors D'OeuvresClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ambrose And His Orchestra                    1935
(Decca 500-A mx GB 6853)
 

I've Got A NoteClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ambrose And His Orchestra
Sam Browne, vocal                                1935
(Decca 517-A mx GB 7130)
 

Cuban PeteClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ambrose And His Orchestra
Evelyn Dall, vocal                                  1936
(Decca 3503-A mx TB2222)
 

From the 1920s through the early 1940s,  Bert Ambrose led the most popular dance band in Great Britain.  The band remained active until the mid-1950s.  The Ambrose band also had a following in other countries, including the United States where its recordings were issued on the Brunswick and Decca labels.

"Hors D'Oeuvres" was a very successful recording for Ambrose and subsequently became the band's theme song.  The song dates back to 1915 and was composed by David Comer.

The song "Cuban Pete" was composed  in 1936 by Jose Norman who led a popular popular Latin style dance band in Great Britain.   Many people associate the song with Desi Arnaz who performed it as the title song in the 1946 film Cuban Pete as well as in a few episodes of his popular I Love Lucy television series.   The song enjoyed a revival in 1996 when it was performed by Jim Carrey  in the film The Mask.  The vocal on this week's recording of "Cuban Pete"  is by American born singer and actress Evelyn Dall who, as a vocalist with the Ambrose band,  was billed as the "American Blonde Bombshell."  Dall was so popular with male audiences that, on some appearances, the band was billed as "The Ambrose Orchestra Conducted By Evelyn Dall." 

I have not been able to find information about who the vocalist is on "I've Got A Note."  If anyone knows, drop me a line and I will post the information on next week's update. 
 
 

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. 
 

As part of my ongoing effort to replace the older audio files on this site with updated ones taking advantage of my new audio restoration equipment,  here are some selections which originally appeared in the June 1998 update to this website's 1920s & 1930s section.   I have not yet updated that section to include these improved sound files, but I expect to have that done very soon. 
 
 

I Won't DanceClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Smith Ballew And His Orchestra
Smith Ballew, vocal                                                     1935
(Conquerer 8507 mx 16919)

East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Chick Bullock, vocal                                                   1935
(Melotone 350902-B mx 17779)

DinahClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Joe Venuti's Blue Four                                                1928
(Okeh 41025 mx 400178)

I Can't Get StartedClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Bunny Berigan and His Boys
Bunny Berigan, vocal                                                  1936
(Vocalion 3225 mx 19013)
 


May 6, 2004
 
 

This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by
Texas Centennial Exposition - Dallas, Texas 1936
TEXAS CENTENNIAL
Central Exposition
Dallas, Texas
1936
(from 1936 matchbook cover)



 
 
 
 

 
It's Like Reaching For The MoonClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ben Bernie and His Orchestra
Billy Wilson, vocal                                1936
(Decca 877-B mx DLA 434)
 

Am I Asking Too Much?Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ben Bernie and His Orchestra
Billy Wilson, vocal                               1936
(Decca 877-A mx DLA 431)

Last week I announced that this week's update would feature the Park Lane Orchestra.  Unfortunately, the record that I planned to use was in worse shape than I thought.  Therefore, I decided to go with something different instead. 

During the 1920s, Ben Bernie had one of the more interesting dance bands and  it often had a nice "Jazz Age" sound.  But trends in popular music can change very rapidly and most bands had to adjust accordingly if they wished to survive..  By the mid 1930s,  what was later known as the big band era was underway and the question facing bandleaders was whether they wanted their bands to be primarily "swing" or "sweet."   As this week's selections demonstrate, the mid '30s Bernie band was more "sweet" than "swing."
 
 

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. 
 

As part of my ongoing effort to replace the older audio files on this site with updated ones taking advantage of my new audio restoration equipment,  here are some selections which originally appeared in the June 1998 update to this website's 1920s & 1930s section.   I have not yet updated that section to include these improved sound files, but I expect to have that done very soon. 

You've Got To Be ModernisticClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Clarence Williams & His Jazz Kings               1929
(Columbia 14488-D mx 149666)

ZonkyClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Clarence Williams & His Jazz Kings               1929
(Columbia 14488-D mx 149665)

Grand Central StationClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
5 Red Caps                                                   1943
(Gennett 7118-B)

Talk Of The TownClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Ted Weems and His Orchestra
Parker Gibbs, vocal                                       1930
(Victor 22304-B)

Why Not Come Over Tonight?Click on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
George Beaver, vocal                                    1930
(Oriole 1956-B mx 19700)

PleadingClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
Harry Maxfield, vocal                                    1927
(Columbia 1058-D mx 144018)

It Had To Be That WayClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Floyd Tillman, vocal                                      1939
(Decca 5751-A mx 66332)

I've Got Something In My EyeClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Amanda Randolph and Her Orchestra
Amanda Randolph, vocal                              1936
(Bluebird 6619-B)

Cocoanut GroveClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Harry Owens And His Royal
Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra                             1938
(Decca 23616-A mx DLA 1166)

Body And SoulClick on song title to stream or right clock on folder to download
Majestic Dance Orchestra                            1930
(Madison 6004-B mx 339)


 
 

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