Dismuke's Hit Of The Week

November 2009 November 8 This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by (Click on image for larger view) The new WAHL EVERSHARP and WAHL PEN (from 1925 ad) Hot Hot Hottentot Roger Wolfe Kahn And His Hotel Biltmore Orchestra 1925 (Victor 19616 B) Angry Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders 1925 (Victor 19786 A) Are You Sorry Don Bestor And His Orchestra 1925 (Victor 19746 B) Fooling Meyer Davis' La Paradis Band 1925 (Victor 19746 A) I Can't Get Over A Girl Like You Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders Billy Murray, vocal 1926 (Victor 20119 A) Here are some dance band selections from the mid-1920s. 1925 was important in the history of recorded sound as that was the year that Victor and Columbia jointly introduced and switched over to microphone-based electrical recording from the old acoustic recording horns. Roger Wolfe Kahn's recording of "Hot Hot Hottentot" was recorded on March 10, 1925 using Victor's old acoustic equipment. The recordings of "Angry," "Are You Sorry," and "Fooling" were all made a few months later using the new electrical process. The side-by -side comparison here illustrates the dramatic improvement the new technology offered. Two of the artist credits acknowledge venues their bands were associated with at the time: New York's Biltmore Hotel and the Paradis Cafe in Washington, D.C. "I Can't Get Over A Girl Like You" is from the musical revue LeMaire's Affairs named after producer Rufus LeMaire. The show debuted in Chicago in 1926 with a cast which included Sophie Tucker and bandleader Ted Lewis. The production was so successful that LeMaire took it on the road and booked it in New York City where it opening show at the then brand new Majestic Theater. On the road between Chicago and New York, LeMaire decided to replace Tucker with Charlotte Greenwood and make changes to the sketches and costumes. The revised New York production was a flop and closed after less than two months. After this update was put together, I realized that I featured the Johnny Hamp recording of "Angry" a few years ago. However, since I have much better audio restoration equipment than I did then, I decided to go ahead and include it with the improved audio file. - Dismuke If you have questions or comments about the music or would simply enjoy interacting with friendly people who share your interest in it, join in the conversation on Dismuke's Message Board. 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. Back In Your Own Back Yard Al Jolson with William F Wirges And His Orchestra 1928 (Brunswick 3867 B) Ol' Man River Al Jolson with William F Wirges And His Orchestra 1928 (Brunswick 3867 A) Jolson recorded both of these selections on March 8, 1928. He is credited as a co-composer of "Back In Your Own Backyard" - but I have read claims that, in fact, he was merely given credit so that he could share in the song's performance royalties. "Ol' Man River" comes from the 1927 musical Show Boat and remains familiar to modern audiences. This version features the song's original lyrics which have evolved over the decades reflecting changing attitudes about race. - Dismuke If you have questions or comments about the music or would simply enjoy interacting with friendly people who share your interest in it, join in the conversation on Dismuke's Message Board. November 3 This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by Clyde-Mallory Lines (from 1929 ad) Broadway Baby Dolls Nat Shilkret And The Victor Orchestra 1929 (Victor 22019 A) Wishing And Waiting For Love Nat Shilkret And The Victor Orchestra Belle Mann, vocal 1929 (Victor 22019 B) Here are two songs from the 1929 First National picture Broadway Babies. Alice White sang both of the songs in the film. You can see a video of White's performance of "Broadway Baby Dolls" in the film at this link to YouTube.com. The vocalist on this recording of "Wishing And Waiting For Love" is Belle Mann, the flapperesque in-house vocalist for the Victor Talking Machine Company in the late 1920s. When the producers of the 1930 film Showgirl In Hollywood decided that Alice White's voice was not good enough for one of the songs in the picture, her performance was dubbed by Belle Mann doing the vocal. You can also see that on YouTube at this link. The White/Mann performance starts 3:15 into the clip. - Dismuke If you have questions or comments about the music or would simply enjoy interacting with friendly people who share your interest in it, join in the conversation on Dismuke's Message Board. 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. My Baby Just Cares For Me Billy "Uke" Carpenter 1930 (Velvet Tone 2221 V mx 150851) Never Swat A Fly Billy "Uke" Carpenter 1930 (Velvet Tone 2221 V mx 150850) Billy "Uke" Carpenter was a ukulele player and vocalist who made records in the 1920s for both Victor and Columbia (or, in this case, Columbia's bargain subsidiary labels Harmony, Velvet Tone and Diva). Unfortunately, little in the way of biographical information seems to be available about Carpenter. "My Baby Just Cares For Me" was introduced in the 1928 Broadway production Whoopee! "Never Swat A Fly" comes from the 1930 futuristic comedy film Just Imagine. - Dismuke If you have questions or comments about the music or would simply enjoy interacting with friendly people who share your interest in it, join in the conversation on Dismuke's Message Board.

This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by

(Click on image for larger view)

The new
WAHL EVERSHARP
and
WAHL PEN
(from 1925 ad)

Hot Hot Hottentot

Roger Wolfe Kahn And His Hotel Biltmore Orchestra 1925
(Victor 19616 B)

Fooling

Meyer Davis' La Paradis Band 1925
(Victor 19746 A)

1925 was important in the history of recorded sound as that was the year that Victor and Columbia jointly introduced and switched over to microphone-based electrical recording from the old acoustic recording horns. Roger Wolfe Kahn's recording of "Hot Hot Hottentot" was recorded on March 10, 1925 using Victor's old acoustic equipment. The recordings of "Angry," "Are You Sorry," and "Fooling" were all made a few months later using the new electrical process. The side-by -side comparison here illustrates the dramatic improvement the new technology offered.

Two of the artist credits acknowledge venues their bands were associated with at the time: New York's Biltmore Hotel and the Paradis Cafe in Washington, D.C.

"I Can't Get Over A Girl Like You" is from the musical revue LeMaire's Affairs named after producer Rufus LeMaire. The show debuted in Chicago in 1926 with a cast which included Sophie Tucker and bandleader Ted Lewis. The production was so successful that LeMaire took it on the road and booked it in New York City where it opening show at the then brand new Majestic Theater. On the road between Chicago and New York, LeMaire decided to replace Tucker with Charlotte Greenwood and make changes to the sketches and costumes. The revised New York production was a flop and closed after less than two months.

After this update was put together, I realized that I featured the Johnny Hamp recording of "Angry" a few years ago. However, since I have much better audio restoration equipment than I did then, I decided to go ahead and include it with the improved audio file.

This week's Hit of the Week is brought to you by
Clyde Mallory Lines - 1929 Ad

Here are two songs from the 1929 First National picture Broadway Babies. Alice White sang both of the songs in the film. You can see a video of White's performance of "Broadway Baby Dolls" in the film at this link to YouTube.com.

The vocalist on this recording of "Wishing And Waiting For Love" is Belle Mann, the flapperesque in-house vocalist for the Victor Talking Machine Company in the late 1920s. When the producers of the 1930 film Showgirl In Hollywood decided that Alice White's voice was not good enough for one of the songs in the picture, her performance was dubbed by Belle Mann doing the vocal. You can also see that on YouTube at this link. The White/Mann performance starts 3:15 into the clip.