December 2008

December 25
 
 

 
You Can't Cry Over My Shoulder
Park Lane Orchestra 
Vaughn DeLeath, vocal                          1927
(Brunswick 3513-B)

You're The One For Me 
Park Lane Orchestra 
Vaughn DeLeath, vocal                           1927
(Brunswick 3513-A)
 
 

Here is a record that I have had for several years in horrible condition and have FINALLY been able to acquire a copy of in decent shape.   This recording of "You Can't Cry Over My Shoulder" would rate very high on any "best dance band recordings of the 1920s decade" list that I might come up with.   The song and arrangement is infectiously peppy and the band is nice and "hot."   The semi-conversational vocal by Vaughn DeLeath is also especially memorable and towards the end of the recording DeLeath returns for very jazzy and almost improvisational sounding reprise.   My old copy of this recording was thoroughly worn out and listening to this upgrade copy and hearing all of the various subtleties that were previously overwhelmed by surface noise has been pure joy. 

Vaughn DeLeath, unfortunately, is largely forgotten today and is an artist that I think is very deserving of a renaissance.   The flip side, "You're The One For Me" has her performing in a more conventional style.   On all of her recordings, her voice has a certain quality that I am at a loss for words to adequately describe other than by saying that I find it to be very haunting.   My favorite DeLeath recording - and the one I find most haunting - is her version of "There's A Cradle In Caroline" which I featured, along with s few others, in the August 14, 2005 update which you can access in the "Previous Selections" archive below. 

In addition to her vocal accomplishments, DeLeath was known as the "first lady of radio" and is credited for radio's first live vocal performance dating back to an experimental broadcast conducted by inventor Lee DeForrest in January 1920.   She also performed on early experimental television broadcasts as early as 1928.   Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s  she was prominent on radio and recorded for several labels including Edison, Brunswick and Crown.    DeLeath was also became one of the first females to run a radio station, WDT New York. 

The Park Lane Orchestra was a Brunswick recording pseudonym for the Harry Reser Orchestra.  Most Park Lane Orchestra recordings I have come across are excellent - though, unlike other Reser recordings under various pseudonyms,  for whatever reason, Reser's trademark peppy banjo solos seem to be absent from Park Lane Orchestra sides. 

 - Dismuke
 
 

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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.
 
 
 
 
 

Winter Wonderland
Richard Himber And His Ritz Carlton Orchestra 
Joey Nash, vocal                               1934
(Victor 24757-B)

Were You Foolin
Richard Himber And His Ritz Carlton Orchestra
Joey Nash, vocal                               1934
(Victor 24757-A)
 
 

Since this update falls on Christmas, I thought it would be nice to feature a Christmas song for the "Extra."  Unfortunately,  I do not have a whole lot of Christmas themed 78 rpms in my collection - in part because I have made no special effort to specifically acquire such recordings and, in part, because the era's much higher prices for recordings made strictly seasonal offerings much more rare than they are today. 

But I do have this recording of  "Winter Wonderland" in my collection, though it is, unfortunately, not in the best of condition and I had to work pretty hard at cleaning it up.   According to vocalist Joey Nash, writing in the 1970s, this was the very first recording of the song which is now considered an enduring seasonal classic - and it came very close to never having been made.   Nash first learned of the composition from a fan who happened to be the brother of lyricist Richard Smith.  After seeing a handwritten manuscript and listening to a home made recording of the song, Nash discovered that its publisher had pretty much forgotten its existence.   Nash introduced the song on one of Himber's radio broadcasts and it was scheduled to be part of the band's October 23, 1934 Victor recording session.  Because of technical difficulties, the recording session fell behind and time ran out without the song being recorded.  Himber himself had already left the studio.  Nash felt very strongly about making the record and persuaded his fellow band members to stick around a bit longer.  The band agreed - but on the condition that it would be a one-shot deal and if anyone made a mistake that would be it.  Unlike today where musicians are able to record individually with everything being "mixed" together afterwards by sound engineers, in the 1930s, if someone made a mistake during a recording session the band had to record over and over again until the performance was perfect.  Fortunately, that one-shot take was perfect and we are therefore able to listen to it today. 
 

 - 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. 

December 18
 
 

 
Havin' Lots Of Fun
Al Handler's Alamo Cafe Orchestra                          1926
(Columbia 866 D mx 142969)

Oh How She Could Play A Ukulele
Al Handler's Alamo Cafe Orchestra                          1926
(Columbia 866 - mx 142977)
 
 

This weeks's selections come courtesy of the collection of regular guest contributor Matt From College Station.

I have not been able to locate much biographical information about Al Hanlder other than that he led a jazzy Chicago area dance band that cut a handful of sides for Columbia in 1926 and 1927.   The Alamo Cafe was a Chicago nightclub.  By mid 1927, the band was recording under the name of  Al Handler and His Hotel Davis Orchestra.   "Oh, How She Could Play A Ukulele" was one of many song titles that came out of the 1920s fad for the Hawaiian guitar. 

 - 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.
 
 
 
 
 

Lady Play Your Mandolin
The Revelers                                    1931
(Victor 22622-A)

Blue Again
The Revelers                                    1931
(Victor 22622-B)
 

The Revelers were an extremely popular vocal group in the 1920s and early 1930s that performed on vaudeville, radio and records.  The Revelers' success and style were also a major source of inspiration for the famous German vocal group The Comedian Harmonists. 

Nick Lucas and The Havana Novelty Orchestra both had hit recordings of "Lady Play Your Mandolin" in 1930 (The Havana Novelty Orchestra version is featured in the September 1, 2005 update).   Nick Lucas recorded for Brunswick which had been purchased by Warner Brothers Pictures on the premise that the record label and the studio could both benefit from cross promotion.   Perhaps with that in mind, in 1931 the song was featured in and became the title of the very first release of Warner Brother's long running Merry Melodies cartoon series.   You can view the cartoon version on YouTube here.  Abe Lyman's Orchestra played the musical accompaniment on the cartoon - with the credits making due note of the fact that Lyman recorded for Brunswick. 
 

 - 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.