May 2006

May 18, 2006
 

The Web Of Love
The High Hatters                              1929
(HMV B 5738 mx 40 1115)

I'm In Love With You
The High Hatters                              1929
(HMV B 5738 mx 40 1114)
 
 

This week's recording of "The Web of Love" is one that I have been seeking for a few years - and I recently won it in the last Nauck's Vintage Records auction.   Ever since it arrived in the mail last week, I have been playing it over and over again and have yet to grow tired of listening to it. 

Both of the songs featured in this update were composed by Lynn Cowan and Paul Titsworth and come from the 1929 talking picture The Great Gabbo.   Matt From College Station has a copy of the film and has shown me the musical sequences - and, much to my great surprise and in contrast to this infectiously peppy arrangement here by the High Hatters, the main performance of "The Web of Love" in the movie was rather slow and dull .   Unlike many of the early musical pictures, The Great Gabbo, based on what little I saw of it, seems to have a substantial, if rather sad and tragic, story line.  It also has several nice musical numbers.   It is definitely a movie that I plan to see in its entirety sometime. 

The High Hatters was an in-house Victor Talking Machine Company studio band under the direction of Leonard Joy which specialized in arrangements that were incredibly upbeat even by 1920s standards - which says a lot.   I am very fond of both of these recordings - but, to me, this version of  "The Web Of Love" is simply spectacular.   My copy is a British pressing on the His Master's Voice label.  The American pressing is on Victor 22141. 
 
 

 
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.
 
 

Golden Taiga Woods
G Vinogradov Jazz Orchestra                            1939
(CCCP 5289 50 mx 9759)

Azof Partisan Song
V Bunchikov and V Nechaev with 
Estrade Orchestra of the All Union Radio          1953
(CCCP 5289 50 mx 22248)
 

Here is another record that I won in the recent Nauck's Vintage Records auction.   Last month when I traveled to Houston to record my recent Radio Dismuke broadcast with Kurt Nauck featuring records from the auction, this recording of "Golden Taiga Woods" on a Soviet CCCP label record was one that someone requested that we play.   I fell for it the moment I heard it - and as I listened to it again in the rebroadcasts of the program, I decided that I simply had to have it.   So I put in a  rather large (for me) bid and, happily, ended up getting it for quite a bit less. 

I have no idea why the band on "Golden Taiga Woods" is listed as a "jazz orchestra" as there is nothing even remotely jazzy about it.  The vocalist on the recording is Georgi Pavlovich Vinogradov who was a very famous tenor  in Soviet Russia from the late 1930s through the early 1950s.  Apparently he fell out of political favor with the government sometime after World War II and his name was abruptly removed from official  Soviet music reference books in the 1950s.   For additional biographical information about Georgi Vinogradov as well as a discography and additional audio files of his recordings, visit this website. 

I think "Azof Partisan Song" is a somewhat gloomy sounding recording - but after listening to it a few times, it has kind of grown on me.  I have not been able to find much in the way of biographical information on the recording's vocalists Vladimir Bunchikov and Vladimir Nechaev.  A web search indicates, however, that the two made quite a number of recordings together in the late 1940s and early 1950s. 

 CCCP label records were apparently distributed within the Soviet Union as I have seen photos on the web of them with song and artist information entirely in Russian.  My record, however,  has the information in both Russian and English and the words "Made In The Soviet Union" across the bottom of the record - which suggests to me that it was most likely intended for export to either the UK or the USA.  Since the record features a 1939 recording on one side and one from 1953 on the other side, I wonder if this particular coupling was put together strictly for export without a domestic counterpart. 

If you enjoy these recordings, you will definitely want to check out Radio Moscow, an Internet radio station operated by my friend and occasional Dismuke.org and Radio Dismuke contributor Christian Kohlhaas which features vintage Russian recordings from the 1930s and 1940s. 

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May 11, 2006
 
 

 
Dream Kisses
The Troubadours                              1927
(Victor 2100-B)

Diane
The Troubadours                              1927
(Victor 2100-A)

Should I Be Sorry?
Lloyd Keating And His Music
Tom Frawley, vocal                          1930
(Velvet Tone 2189 V mx 150611)

Here Comes The Sun
Lloyd Keating And His Music
Tom Frawley, vocal                          1930
(Velvet Tone 2189 V mx 100406)
 
 

Victor 2100 - "Dream Kisses"/"Diane"-  was among the first 78 rpm records that I acquired when I was a child in the process of becoming addicted to music popular decades before my birth.   I am not sure what happened to my first copy of the record  - it  may or may not still be in my collection somewhere.   A couple of years ago, I stumbled across another copy of the record and picked it  up out of nostalgia.   I remember enjoying the record as a kid - but when I listened to it again for the first time in years,  it was even better than I remembered. 

The Troubadours was a recording pseudonym for an ensemble of in-house Victor studio musicians.  Most of their output consisted of waltz recordings which, in the 1920s, were still popular with older record buyers and those with more conservative musical tastes.  "Dream Kisses" is a bit of an exception in that it is a peppy fox trot.  I especially enjoy the brief Harry Reser-eque "bubbly" banjo solo about 40 seconds into the recording.   You can find another version of "Dream Kisses" by Sam Lanin's Ipana Troubadours on my archived February 24, 2005 Hit of the Week Update. 

"Diane" is a waltz and more typical of The Troubadours offerings.  While I enjoy the sort of waltzes one finds in Viennese operettas,  I find a great many of the waltz recordings put out by 1920s era dance bands to be rather dull.  This particular recording, however, I think is really nice - it brings to mind a certain elegance that all but disappeared from our popular culture in the decades following World War II. 

"Should I Be Sorry" and "Here Comes The Sun" come from an old Velvet Tone disc.  Velvet Tone was one of Columbia's bargain priced "dime store" subsidiary labels.  Harmony and Diva were Columbia's other subsidiary labels.  All three labels issued the same material with Velvet Tones having a catalog number 1,000 higher than Harmonys and Divas having a catalog number 2,000 higher. 

"Lloyd Keating And His Music" and vocalist "Tom Frawley" are both recording pseudonyms.   The actual band on both recordings was Jack Albin's Orchestra which usually recorded under the name Hotel Pennsylvania Music.  The vocalist on both recordings was Bill Coty.  Don't assume, however,  that all Lloyd Keating recordings you come across were recorded by Jack Albin.   Columbia also assigned the pseudonym to recordings by several other bands including Ben Selvin's, Fred Rich's and Smith Ballew's.  Also, other vocalists besides Bill Coty were credited on recordings as "Tom Frawley." 

"Should I Be Sorry?" is the sort of recording that certain types of jazz critics dismiss as "too commercial."  Personally, I find it very charming. 

"Here Comes The Sun" is a typical early Depression era "cheer up" song.   I think the Bert Lown and His Hotel Biltmore Orchestra had the nicest version of the song - but this arrangement is rather interesting, especially after the vocal. 

 

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.
 

Ilo
Orlando's Orchestra                           1921
(Edison 50821-R mx 8032)

My Yokohama Girl
Arthur Fields and Chorus                    1917
(Edison 50442 mx 5583)

New York Blues
Frosini, accordian solo                        1916
(Edison 50454 mx 4998)
 
 
 

I thought it would be fun to feature some Edison Diamond Discs.  Diamond Discs were quarter inch thick records which weighed a full pound each.   Diamond Discs had the same vertical "hill and dale" grooves found on old cylinder records as opposed to the lateral "zig zag" grooves which, prior to 1919, were protected by patents which only Victor and Columbia had the right to use in the United States.  The discs were also played with a diamond stylus as opposed to the disposable steel needles used on conventional wind-up players designed for vertical records.   If you have a wind-up phonograph which uses steel needles, don't attempt to play an Edison Diamond Disc on it - you will destroy the record.

This recording of "Ilo" is one that I came across a number of years ago and found to be very charming.  Unfortunately, my copy was in rather bad condition.  A few months ago, I was able to locate a better copy and am now able to share it here.   The song's composer was Johnny S. Black.  I was a bit surprised when I dated the record because the song sounds much more typical of the 1910s than the early 1920s.   The publication date of the song, however, is also 1921. 

"My Yokohama Girl" comes from the musical production The Passing Show of 1917 which ran at New York's Wintergarden Theatre for 196 performances between April and October 1917.  The Passing Show is famous for who did not appear in it.   A still largely unknown Buster Keaton was offered a role in the production for $250 a week  (about $3,384 in 2006 dollars).  Just days before rehearsals were to start, Keaton had a chance meeting with Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle who convinced him to break his contract with The Passing Show and appear in a short film instead.  Keaton went on to become one of the biggest stars of silent movies.   While Sigmond Romberg is credited as providing the music for the production, this particular song was composed by and credited to Harry Tierney. 

"New York Blues" was composed by the performer on this week's recording, Pietro Frosini.  Born in Sicily in 1885, Frosini came to America in 1905 and became famous on the vaudeville circuit as "The Wizard Of The Accordion."  He is credited as having composed around 200 songs.   When the advent of talking pictures forced the vaudeville circuits to close in the 1930s,  Frosini became a staff accordionist for New York City radio station WOR where he worked until he died in 1951.  Pietro Frosini should not be confused with Pietro Deiro, another very famous early 20th century accordion player. 

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May 4, 2006
 
 

 
Note - I am very please to welcome back guest contributor Matt From College Station  as he shares some more recordings from his excellent collection of 1920s and 1930s jazz and dance band 78 rpm records. 

All recordings and commentary in this update, both the regular and the "Extra" sections, are from Matt.  My only contribution was to transfer and digitalize the recordings. 

You can learn more about Matt and find his contact information by clicking here. 
 
 

I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken
Heart - Scotch Fantasy
From Philco Radio Transcription Disc
Unknown Orchestra                        circa 1931
(Series JS 1471 Program 16 Part 4)

Never - Accordiana
From Philco Radio Transcription Disc
Unknown Orchestra                        circa 1931
(Series JS 1420 Program 11 Part 5)

Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Marchita - 
I Won't Give Up Til You Give In
From Philco Radio Transcription Disc
Unknown Orchestra                         circa 1931
(Series JS 1505 Program 19 Part 4)
 
 
 

What could be a better way to spend a few minutes  than  to  listen to Philco Radio Broadcasts? Yes, you read right, our friends from Philco return to bring the melodic harmonies and fast rhythms of the Philco Orchestra into your beautiful  home. 

First, we hear a snappy version of the 1931 Fisher, Unger and Stern hit  "All  Dressed Up With A Broken Heart." After a brief vocal the band treats us to a few  syncopated beats! Next, Scottish rhythms are given a modern dance medley treatment by the  band.  I really love the up tempo arrangement used here. I guess this is as close as many  would  get to Scotch, as prohibition was still the law. 

"Never" is an 1931 top tune that is performed especially well here with  soothing instrumental solos. I like the way the muted trumpets back up the semi-hot clarinet  solo  near the middle of the tune. Next an offbeat tune, "Accordiana", is performed at  break-neck  speed and is very entertaining. 

After all those fast syncopated tunes Philco gives us a break with some  "waltzes of yesteryear." These well known standards are appreciated by young and  old  alike ! The Philco Orchestra brings back the heat for the final number titled  "I  Won't Give Up 'Till You Give In." This is another one of those unknown tunes found on  these transcriptions similar to "Sittin' In The Movies Holding Hands," which  was  played on one of my January updates. I don't think this tune was ever issued commercially on 78,  but  it's delightfully danceable!

- Matt From College Station
 
 

[NOTE:  After Matt submitted the text for this update, I became curious when I listened to the announcer on one of the transcriptions mention that the piano-accordian player on the "Accordiana" selection was also the composer.   After a bit of research, my very strong guess is the piano-accordian player is Charles Magnante who appeared with a great many of the era's recording studio bands and is credited as having composed a song by that name.  I was hoping his appearance on the recording would provide a clue as to the name of the band but, unfortunately, it doesn't.  The two most likely guesses as to the band would be the Sam Lanin and Ben Selvin bands - and Magnante is listed as having made recordings with both of them around the same period that these transcriptions were made - - Dismuke]
 

 

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.
 

La Danse De Demoiselles - Mignonette
Victor Salon Orchestra                           1930
(Victrola 9649-B)

Improvisation - Amour Coquet
Rudolf Friml                                            1930
(Victrola 9649-A)
 

Friml was so well received that he was held over for a week! 

Rudolf Friml was born in Prauge, which was then part of the  Austro-Hungarian  Empire. He studied music at the Prague Conservatory and performed as a pianist with the  New York Philharmonic in 1904. The Firefly and  Rose Marie, which were  featured in  last week's Extra, were his most successful operettas. He composed many others concluding with Music Hath Charms in 1934 and later worked in Hollywood, often on film  versions of his own operettas. He died in California in 1972. 

The selections up for this Thursday are some of his lesser known "salon  music" compositions and classical works. I could find very little written about these  recordings, so the reader is left with my elementary musical analysis. 

The first Friml selection, 'La Danse Des Demoiselles', it a beautiful  waltz  that evokes an era of lost elegance. I especially enjoy the French horn interludes. I  imagine that this song was played at many an Edwardian era ball.  "Mignonette"  features  prominent violin solos throughout. 

Secondly, we hear Rudolf Friml play two of his own compositions.  "Improvisation" is sophisticated and somewhat of an abstract piece, but the melody is there. "Amour Coquet" conveys moods of beauty and playfulness first and then becomes passionate with the first theme returning toward the end.

- Matt From College Station