I think it’s time to we pulled ourselves out of this, “on this day, this happened” rut we’ve been in for some time and put something up for no particular occasion, so here’s a good one, for no reason other than the music itself. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.
Autry as pictured on a 1930s Perfect Records sleeve.
The iconic Gene Autry made his fame in the 1930s as a singing cowboy, much like his contemporary Roy Rogers, but he started his career in the late 1920s imitating another popular singer by the name of Rodgers, Jimmie Rodgers. By the early 1930s, Autry was starting to come into his own, but he still tended very closely to the style of song forth by the Singing Brakeman, as in fact did a great many country singers of that era. On these 1931 sides, you’ll hear Autry perform songs much like those by Jimmie Rodgers.
Romeo 5052 (in their country and race series) was recorded February 25, 1931 in New York City by Gene Autry, accompanied on steel guitar and harmonica by Frankie Marvin. It was also issued on Banner 32132, Jewel 20052, Oriole 8052, Perfect 12695, Regal 10310, and Conqueror 7843.
The first song is of a solemn tone, a warning to stay on the straight and narrow path, with the singer lamenting his falling in with the wrong crowd and into a life of crime, “’till it led to the use of a gun”, on “A Gangster’s Warning”.
A Gangster’s Warning, recorded February 25, 1931 by Gene Autry.
Now, this next side is one of my favorites of Autry’s songs, “True Blue Bill”, also called “I’m a Truthful Fellow”. This song strikes me as a sort of a twentieth century re-hashing of the old “Four Thousand Years Ago”. It seems that this side was a favorite of a previous owner as well, as it’s been quite well played.
True Blue Bill, recorded February 25, 1931 by Gene Autry.
May 3, 2016 marks the 113th birthday of the best selling recording star of the 20th century, and one of the biggest pop-culture icons in all of history, Bing Crosby who was born on this day in 1903.
Harry Lillis Crosby was born May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, and moved to Spokane at the age of three. As a youngster, he acquired the nickname “Bingo from Bingville” from a neighborhood girl with whom he shared an interest for The Bingville Bugle, a weekly feature in the Spokesman-Review. The nickname was later shortened to “Bing.” As a boy, Crosby worked at the Spokane Auditorium, where he saw Al Jolson perform. While attending Gonzaga University, Bing joined a band of high school students, including Alton Rinker, called the Musicaladers. After the group disbanded, Bing and Al went south to California, making their first record with Don Clark’s orchestra in October of 1926. Crosby and Rinker were soon discovered by Paul Whiteman and drafted into his band as the “Rhythm Boys”, with Harry Barris added to make it a trio. The Rhythm Boys stayed with Whiteman’s troupe until 1930, when they decided to remain in California after appearing in King of Jazz. The group broke up later in 1930, leaving Crosby as a solo act. Appearing for a time with Gus Arnheim’s orchestra at the Cocoanut Grove, Bing had a early success with “I Surrender, Dear”, and after leaving Arnheim’s company, had his first big hit with “Out of Nowhere” for Brunswick records. On September 2, 1931, CBS began airing 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby, which helped to further catapult Bing into his huge success.
Crooning popular ballads in the same vein as Russ Columbo, with periodic whistling and interjections of his trademark “buh-buh-buh-boo”, Bing hit his peak in the 1930s, and stayed there for about a decade. Over the course of the decade, Crosby made numerous appearances in motion pictures. His first starring role came in 1932 with The Big Broadcast, which also featured the Boswell Sisters, Cab Calloway, and many other great talents. His greatest film success came in 1944 with Going My Way, his performance in which won him an Academy Award for Best Actor In 1934, Bing followed producer Jack Kapp to the newly founded Decca records (and in the process sacrificed much of the jazz that his style had previously held). On Christmas Day in 1941, Bing introduced Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”, becoming the best-selling single record of all time with his May 1942 recording for Decca. In the 1940s, Crosby pioneered the practice of pre-recording his radio programs. Though his style of music fell from favor by the 1950s, Bing remained popular throughout the rest of his life, at the end of his life appearing in a Christmas special with David Bowie. After a game of golf in Madrid, Bing Crosby collapsed and died from a massive heart attack on October 14, 1977.
Brunswick 6226 was recorded November 23 and December 3, 1931 in New York City. The band, probably a studio group, as Brunswick commonly employed, may have included Mannie Klein and Jack Mollick on trumpets, Tommy Dorsey on trombone, Benny Krueger on alto sax, possibly Harry Bluestone or Harry Hoffman, Walter Biederman, Walt Edelstein, Joe Baum on violins (lordy, that’s a whole lot o’ violins!), possibly Joe Meresco on piano; Eddie Lang on guitar; Hank Stern on tuba and Larry Gomar on drums.
First up is Bing’s radio theme song, “Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)”. It’s worth noting that this take, “A”, is different than the one I’ve heard on modern reissues.
Where the Blue of the Night—Meets the Gold of the Day, recorded November 23, 1931 by Bing Crosby.
The reverse, “I’m Sorry, Dear”, is a fairly typical of Bing’s early ’30s romantic songs, much like his classic “Just One More Chance”.
I’m Sorry, Dear, recorded December 3, 1931 by Bing Crosby.
At two o’clock in the morning, Sunday, March 13, 2016, most of us will be setting our clocks forward an hour for the beginning of daylight saving time. The practice first began in Europe in 1916, and the United States followed suit in 1918. There’s always been plenty of debate and debacle as to whether or not we should have it or not. I don’t care one way or the other, I’m just here to play good music, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
Victor 22723 was recorded May 26, 1931 at Victor’s Studio 2 in New York City by Maurice Chevalier backed by an orchestra conducted by Leonard Joy. Released as the economy was worsening, it sold 6,551 copies.
Forget about daylight saving time, Maurice Chevalier thinks “There Ought to Be a Moonlight Saving Time”.
There Ought to Be a Moonlight Saving Time, recorded May 26, 1931 by Maurice Chevalier.
On the reverse, Maurice wants your “keesses” “Right Now!”, and how!
Right Now!, recorded May 26, 1931 by Maurice Chevalier.
On February 9, 1902, 114 years ago to the day, Blanche Calloway came into this world. Her career is overshadowed by the fame of her brother, Cab Calloway, but she easily possessed just as much musical talent as her better known sibling. Here are two first-rate jazz songs in honor of Ms. Calloway.
Born into a middle class family of Baltimore, Maryland, Blanche Calloway made her first professional appearance in the local production of Sissle and Blake’s Shuffle Along, against the wishes of her parents. Beginning in 1923, she toured in Plantation Days, starring Florence Mills, which wound her up in Chicago. Sometime during her time with Plantation Days, she was joined by her brother Cab. In 1925, Blanche made her recording debut on Okeh records, singing a pair of blues songs with accompaniment by Louis Armstrong and Richard M. Jones. Later in the 1920s, she recorded several songs with Ruben Reeves’ River Boys before joining Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy as a vocalist. After attempting and failing to take control of the Twelve Clouds of Joy (Andy would have none of that), Blanche formed her own band, the Joy Boys, with some of Kirk’s former band mates, and at times had in her ranks Ben Webster and Cozy Cole. The Joy Boys toured and recorded sporadically throughout the 1930s until she and a band member were arrested in Yazoo, Mississippi for using a whites-only restroom, and while incarcerated, another member of the band absconded with all the group’s money and hightailed it. After retiring from music in the late 1930s, Blanche went on to a variety of occupations, including founding a cosmetics company in the late 1960s. Blanche Calloway died of breast cancer on December 16, 1978, at the age of seventy-six.
Victor 22641 was recorded March 2, 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, at Blanche Calloway’s first Victor session. The band is actually Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy under Blanche’s name, and consists of Harry Lawson, Edgar Battle, and Clarence E. Smith on trumpets, Floyd Brady on trombone, John Harrington on clarinet and alto sax, John Williams on alto sax, Lawrence Freeman on tenor sax, Mary Lou Williams on piano, Bill Dirvin on banjo, Andy Kirk on tuba, and Ben Thigpen on drums. Blanche Calloway of course provides the vocals on both sides.
First, Blanche sings “There’s Rhythm in the River”, with Andy Kirk’s always excellent Twelve Clouds of Joy backing her.
There’s Rhythm in the River, recorded March 2, 1931 by Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys.
On the flip she sings “I Need Lovin'”, with an even better performance by both Blanche and the band. Interestingly, this issue has the song incorrectly listed as “All I Need is Lovin'” though some labels show the correct title.
I Need Lovin’, recorded March 2, 1931 by Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys.
Cliff Carlisle was born in Taylorsville, Kentucky in 1903 one of quite a number of singers that started out as something of a copyist of Jimmie Rodgers, and in fact recorded with him on steel guitar in one 1931 session. He started out recording in 1930 with guitarist and vocalist Wilber Ball for the Starr Piano Company (Gennett) in Richmond, Indiana. After Ball left the act in 1934, Cliff began playing with his younger brother Bill Carlisle, who eventually eclipsed Cliff in popularity. The two brothers continued recording, both together and separately, well into the 1950s, when Cliff retired. Cliff Carlisle died in 1983 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Champion 16212 was recorded February 13, 1931 in Richmond, Indiana, and features Wilber Ball on second guitar. According to the sales figures presented by the Old Time Herald, this record sold 1,461 copies, not a whole lot by any means, but a pretty decent seller by 1931 Champion standards.
One of Cliff’s standards, which he recorded on more than one occasion (this one being the first), “The Brakeman’s Reply” has quite a twist ending; you’ll have to listen…
The Brakeman’s Reply, recorded February 13, 1931 by Cliff Carlisle.
“Box Car Blues” is a perfect example of the kind of rip-roaring steel guitar and hollering yodeling at which Cliff Carlisle so excelled. Just listen to that guitar!
Box Car Blues, recorded February 13, 1931 by Cliff Carlisle.
