June 2003
June 19, 2003
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
Lincoln Zephyr V-12
(Click on image for larger view)
(from 1941 ad)
Down
Argentine Way
Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm
Sunny Washburn, vocal
1940
(Bluebird B-10886-B)
As a rule, I am not a big fan of
the "Rippling Rhythm" which referred to Shep Fields' sound effects gimmick
of blowing a straw through a glass of water placed near a microphone.
He actually did this quite frequently on his records and radio broadcasts
- and, for whatever reason, his band actually achieved a certain degree
of popularity as a result. This week's selection is a recording
that, happily, does not feature the effect - and without it, the band actually
had a pretty nice sound. The song is from the 1940 film
Down Argentine Way in which it was performed by Betty Grable.
Extra
The following is part of my slow
but ongoing effort to update the audio files on the older portions of this
website with ones that take advantage of my audio restoration software.
All such updates will be featured here in the Hit of the Week section the
same week they are added to the site.
My
Baby Knows How
California Ramblers
Frank Harris, vocal
1926
(Columbia 800-D mx 142871)
(Originally posted August 1999)
June 12, 2003
I
Love My Baby
Isham Jones Orchestra
1925
(Brunswick 3015-B)
Isham Jones was one of the more
popular bandleaders of the early 1920s. This early electric recording
was made three days after Christmas in 1925 and released in early 1926.
The band remained popular through the early 1930s. It broke up in
1936 when Jones went into retirement. In the 1940s, Jones put together
another band but it was not as successful. His most lasting contribution
to popular music was as a composer with around 200 songs to his credit
including such classics as "It Had To Be You," "Swinging Down The Lane,
"I'll See You In My Dreams," and "You've Got Me Crying Again."
Extra
The following are part of my
slow but ongoing effort to update the audio files on the older portions
of this website with ones that take advantage of my audio restoration software.
All such updates will be featured here in the Hit of the Week section the
same week they are added to the site.
Lucille
Wilbur Sweatman's Original Jazz Band
1919
(Columbia A2752 mx 78373)
(Originally posted August 1999)
Out
Of The Dawn
Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra
1928
(Victor 21572-B mx 46322)
(Originally posted August 1999)
June 5, 2003
This week's Hit of the Week is brought
to you by
Williams Shaving Cream
(from 1922 ad)
The
Sheik
Rudy Wiedoeft's Californians
1921
(Brunswick 2175-A)
Bagdad
Ray Miller and His Orchestra
1924
(Brunswick 2681-A)
Due to the enormous popularity of
the Rudolph Valentino silent picture The Sheik, early 1920s
American popular culture experienced a craze for all things Middle Eastern
- or at least the public's romanticized notion of the Middle East.
Suddenly clothing and furniture that had a Middle Eastern look to it became
very fashionable. The craze extended to popular music as well and
most of the major dance bands during the early '20s made recordings with
a Middle Eastern theme.
This week's first selection was
composed by Ted Snyder, the very successful songwriter and music
publisher who, back in 1909, gave Irving Berlin his first big professional
break. While the song was inspired by the Valentino film, Valentino
himself supposedly disliked it. Sometimes known as "The Sheik of
Araby," the song has been recorded by a number of artists through the years.
My favorite versions are two different ones that the Red Nichols Orchestra
recorded during the late 1920s - one of which is currently featured in
the playlist of my Internet
radio station.
"Bagdad," composed by Milton Ager
with lyrics by Jack Yellen, is my favorite of this week's two selections.
The song writing team of Ager and Yellen was very successful and productive
during the 1920s and 1930s. Among their big hits were "Ain't She
Sweet" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" - the song that has come to be associated
with the hard times brought about by the Great Depression.
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