Note: This week's selections,
both in the regular update and the "Extra," come courtesy of guest contributor
Christian Kohlhaas who provides both the music and the commentary.
My only contribution to the update was to transcribe and digitalize the
records from Christian's collection.
Friday is Armistice Day and marks
the 87th anniversary of the end of World War I. In this week's
"Extra," Christian commemorates the occasion through patriotic recordings
from the era.
Previously, Christian was the
guest contributor on the June 16, 2005 and October 20, 2005 updates.
He runs his own Internet radio station Radio
Moscow which is devoted to vintage Russian recordings from the 1930s
and 1940s. You can read more about Christian Kohlhaas as well as
view his photo and contact information by clicking here
Sweet
Georgia Brown
Isham Jones & His Orchestra
1925
(Brunswick 2913-B)
Can't
Help Lovin' Dat Man
Royal Music Makers
Artie Dunn, vocal
1927
(Okeh 40985 mx 81959 )
Isham Jones led a first-rate dance
band during the 1920s. Interestingly he also served in the military in
1918, making this song tie-in slightly with this week’s ‘extra’ selections.
This particular song is one of my favorites and of all the versions of
it I have this is probably my favorite version.
The ‘Royal Music Makers’ is actually
the Joe Green orchestra. Green was famous for his skill as a xylophone
player and co-led several different orchestras with his brother George
Green, who was also skilled on the xylophone. You can certainly hear that
particular instrument in this selection and it adds a really neat touch
in this excellent recording, I think.
- Christian Kohlhaas
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.
This week’s ‘extra’ features a selection
of songs from the Great War in honor of Armistice Day, November 11th.
The Great War occurred during the
heyday of the home phonograph. Unlike World War Two there were no radio
broadcasts with which the people could hear news, speeches or songs. If
people wanted to hear patriotic music it either had to be live or on a
phonograph record.
There was an outpouring of songs
about the war written at the time, some of which are still famous although
most are now forgotten. These selections include some of my favorite songs
of the war.
Pack
Up Your Troubles In Your
Old
Kit Bag And Smile, Smile, Smile
Victor Military Band
1916
(Victor 18218-B )
This is probably my favorite WWI
song at the moment, and this version played by the Victor Military Band
is great even though there are no vocals. Reinald Werrenrath recorded a
vocal version of this song which is excellent as well.
My
Sweetheart Is Somewhere In France
Elizabeth Spencer
1918
(Victor 18409-B)
I really like this song and have
never heard it anywhere else except on the one record I have.
The
Ragtime Volunteers
Van and Schenck
1917
(Victor 18340-A )
This song is really interesting,
sort of a combination of a rag and march with humorous lyrics.
It's
A Long, Long Way To Tipperary
John McCormack
1914
(Victor 64476)
It's
A Long, Long Way To Tipperary
Victor Military Band
1914
(Victor 17651-A )
Here are two versions of this excellent
wartime song, both of which deserve to be heard I think. This song
was actually composed two years before the start of the war in 1914 but
was very popular among British soldiers and became identified with the
conflict.
Image from Christian Kohlhaas
collection.
Over
There
Nora Bayes
1917
(Victor 45130-B)
“Over There” is one of the songs
from the war which has not yet been forgotten. Written by George M. Cohan
shortly after the U.S. declared war in 1917, the song became very popular
in America as she entered the war. I think it really captures the spirit
of America in 1917 as the soldiers were preparing to depart for France.
Image from Christian Kohlhaas
collection.
When
Uncle Sammy Leads The Band
Peerless Quartette
1916
(Victor 18139-B )
This is a really fun song, sung
by the excellent Peerless Quartet. The Peerless Quartet was one of the
most successful, perhaps the most successful, vocal groups of the
acoustic-recording era.
Fun
In Flanders
Lieut Gitz Rice - Henry Burr
1917
(Victor 18405-A, 18405-B)
Lieutenant Gitz Rice was wounded
at Vimy Ridge in 1917 and afterwards became the officer in charge of military
entertainment for the U.S. Army. This selection is actually composed of
both sides of a Victor record, and is a medley of short soldier’s songs.
- Christian Kohlhaas
Here are a couple of selections
with a very nice late 1920s style recorded within a few weeks after the
October 29 stock market crash.
I have never been able to locate
much biographical information about Bob Haring but he was a rather prolific
recording bandleader in the 1920s. He recorded for various labels
under a number of different pseudonyms, the most famous of which was The
Colonial Club Orchestra.
Both of the songs featured here
were published in the same year as the recordings. "Georgia Pines"
was composed by Peter DeRose with words by Jo Trent. Apparently the
song experienced a successful revival in 1967 when it was recorded by a
group called The Candymen. I know very little about 1960s music so
I am not familiar with that recording or with that group. "Love
Made A Gypsy Out Of Me" was composed by Fred Phillips, Harry DeCosta and
Leon Zimmerman.
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.
Wer
Hat Die Liebe Uns In's Herz Gesenkt
Richard Tauber & Vera Schwarz
Franz Lehar, conductor
circa 1929
(Columbia G-9042-M mx XXB8409 )
Von
Apfelbluten Einen Kranz
Richard Tauber
Franz Lehar, conductor
circa 1929
(Columbia G-9042-M mx 8410)
These selections come from the very
successful Franz Lehar operetta Das Land des Lächelns (The
Land of Smiles) which opened at Berlin's Metropol-Theater in October
1929. These would certainly qualify as "original cast" recordings
as Richard Tauber and, I am pretty sure, Vera Schwarz as well, had staring
roles in the production and the composer himself is conducting the recording
session. Tauber and Lehar also appeared in a 1930 film version of
the operetta. Richard Tauber appeared in a number of Franz
Lehar operettas and Lehar once wrote about him "As a singer he is tremendously
gifted: it is his voice that I hear as I compose."
