Louise – Música

“Louise” is a song written by Leo Robin & Richard A. Whiting for the 1929 film Innocents of Paris, where it was performed by Maurice Chevalier. The song was Chevalier’s first hit in the United States, and was among the best selling records for 10 weeks in the summer of 1929. Chevalier recorded the song again in 1946 with Henri René’s Orchestra – RCA VICTOR-25-0093-A.

1929 HITS ARCHIVE: Louise – Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Chevalier & Leonard Joy Orchestra – Louise 1929

Wonderful! Oh, it’s wonderful
To be in love with you.
Beautiful! You’re so beautiful,
You haunt me all day through.

Every little breeze seems to whisper “Louise.”
Birds in the trees seem to twitter “Louise.”
Each little rose
Tells me it knows I love you, love you.

Every little beat that I feel in my heart,
Seems to repeat, What I felt from the start,
Each little sigh
Tells me that I adore you, Louise.

Just to see and hear you
Brings joy I never knew.
But to be so near you,
Thrills me through and through.

Anyone can see why I wanted your kiss,
It had to be But the wonder is this:
Can it be true,
Someone like you Could love me, Louise?

Innocent! You’re so innocent
And gentle as a dove.
Heaven sent! You were heaven sent,
An angel from above.

Every little breeze seems to whisper “Louise.”
Birds in the trees seem to twitter “Louise.”
Each little rose
Tells me it knows I love you, love you.

Every little beat that I feel in my heart,
Seems to repeat, What I felt from the start,
Each little sigh
Tells me that I adore you, Louise.

Often when I’m gloomy
And in my lonely room.
Thoughts of you come to me,
Like a sweet perfume.

Anyone can see why I wanted your kiss,
It had to be But the wonder is this:
Can it be true,
Someone like you Could love me, Louise?

Crazy Rhythm – Música

“Crazy Rhythm” is a thirty-two-bar swing show tune written in 1928 by Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, and Roger Wolfe Kahn for the Broadway musical Here’s Howe.

Roaring 20s: Crazy Rhythm – Roger Wolfe Kahn & His Orch.,1928

Only the verses in bold are sung in this version

I feel like the Emperor Nero when Rome was a very hot town
Father Knickerbocker, forgive me, I play while your city burns down
Through all its night life I fiddle away
It’s not the right life, but think of the pay
Someday I will bid it goodbye, I’ll put my fiddle away and I’ll say

Crazy rhythm here’s the doorway
I’ll go my way, you’ll go your way
Crazy rhythm from now on we’re through
Here is where we have a showdown
I’m too high-hat, you’re too low-down
Crazy rhythm here’s goodbye to you

They say that when a high-brow meets a low-brow walking along Broadway
Soon the high-brow, he has no brow
Ain’t it a shame, and you’re to blame
What’s the use of Prohibition?
You produce the same condition
Crazy rhythm I’ve gone crazy, too

Ev’ry Greek, each Turk and each Latin, the Russians and Prussians as well
When they seek the lure of Manhattan, are sure to come under your spell
Their native folksongs they soon throw away
Those Harlem smoke songs, they soon learn to play
Can’t you fall for Carnegie Hall, oh Danny, call it a day and we’ll say

Crazy rhythm here’s the doorway
I’ll go my way, you’ll go your way
Crazy rhythm from now on we’re through
Here is where we have a showdown
I’m too high-hat, you’re too low-down
Crazy rhythm here’s goodbye to you

They say that when a high-brow meets a low-brow walking along Broadway
Soon the high-brow, he has no brow
Ain’t it a shame, and you’re to blame
What’s the use of Prohibition?
You produce the same condition
Crazy rhythm I’ve gone crazy, too

My Sweeter Than Sweet – Música

Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, voc. L. Lewin – My Sweeter Than Sweet, Victor 1929

My Sweeter Than Sweet – Champion Dance Kings (Elmer Grosso & His Orch), v. Elmer Grosso, Champion 1929

LYRICS NOT AVAILABLE

Am I Blue? – Música

“Am I Blue?” is a song copyrighted by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929 and then featured in four films that year, most notably with Ethel Waters in the movie On with the Show. It has appeared in 42 movies, most recently Funny Face and The Cotton Club, and has become a standard covered by numerous artists.

1929 HITS ARCHIVE: Am I Blue? – Ethel Waters

Ben Selvin – Am I Blue?

AM I BLUE
From the film “On With The Show” (1929)
(Harry Akst / Grant Clarke)

Ethel Walters & The Harmony Four (Film Soundtrack) – 1929
Ethel Waters with Chick Webb & His Orch. – 1929
Libby Holman – 1929
Annette Hanshaw – 1929
Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orch. (vocal: Don Howard) – 1929
Ben Selvin & His Orch. (vocal: Smith Ballew) – 1929
Tom Gerun & His Orch. (vocal: Jimmy Davis)- 1929
Jimmy Noone’s Apex Club Orch. (vocal: May Alix) – 1929
Vaughn DeLeath – 1929
Ziggy Elman & His Orch. – 1938
Billie Holiday & Her Orch. – 1941
Spade Cooley – 1945
Woody Herman’s Second Herd (vocal: Woody Herman) – 1948
Dinah Washington – 1953
Monica Lewis – 1956
Ricky Nelson – 1957
Jeri Southern – 1957
Judy Holliday – 1958
Mose Allison – 1959
Gloria Lynne – 1959
Mary Ann McCall – 1959
Eddie Cochran – 1960
Fats Domino – 1961
Julie London – 1966
Brenda Lee – 1967
Connie Francis – 1968
Claudine Longet – 1968
Bette Midler – 1972
Judith Durham & The Hottest Band In Town – 1973
Barbra Streisand (feat. in the film “Funny Lady”) – 1975
Willie Nelson – 1978
Teresa Brewer – 1982
Elkie Brooks – 1984
Linda Ronstadt – 1986
Carmen McRae & Betty Carter – 1987
Rita Coolidge – 1996
Terry Blaine – 2002

Also recorded by:
Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen; Bunny Berigan & His Orch;
Dave Brubeck; Charlie Byrd; Hoagy Carmichael; Cher;
Diahann Carroll; Ray Charles; Freddy Cole; Kid Ory;
Frances Langford; Anita O’Day; Les Paul & Mary Ford;
Charlie Rich; Jimmy Roselli; Earl Hines; Jo Stafford;
Vic Damone; Lee Hazelwood; Nat King Cole; Anona Winn;
George Shearing; Ella Fitzgerald:….and many others.

I’m just a woman, a lonely woman
Waiting on the weary shore
I’m just a woman who’s only human
One you should feel sorry for

It was a morning, long before dawn
Without a warning I found he was gone
How could he do it, why should he do it
He never done it before

Am I blue, am I blue
Aint these tears in these eyes telling you
How can you ask me am I blue
Why, wouldnt you be too
If each plan with your man
Done fell through

There was a time
When I was his only one
But now I’m the sad and lonely one…lonely
Was I gay, until today
Now he’s gone, and we’re through
Am I blue

**********

As recorded by RITA COOLIDGE:

Am I blue, am I blue
Ain’t these tears in my eyes tellin’ you

Am I blue, you’d be too
If each plan with your man done fell through

There was a time, I was the only one
But now I’m the sad and lonely one, ooh lawdy

Was I gay till today
Now he’s gone and we’re through, am I blue

(Instrumental Break)

There was a time, I was the only one
But now I’m the sad and lonely one, ooh lawdy

Was I gay till today
Now he’s gone and we’re through
Now he’s gone and we’re through, am I blue

(Transcribed by Mel Priddle – October 2007)

**********

As recorded by EDDIE COCHRAN:

Well am I blue, am I blue
Ain’t these tears in my eyes tellin’ you

Well am I blue, you’d be too
If your pal says your gal’s done with you

There was a time, I was the only one
But now I’m the sad and lonely one, oh dear

Well was I gay, I should say
Now she’s gone and we’re through, am I blue

**********

Doin’ The Raccoon – Música

Raccoon coats, a full-length fur coat made of raccoon hide, were a fad in the United States during the 1920s. Such coats were particularly popular with male college students in the middle and later years of the decade.

They became popular due to the stories of Davy Crockett and popular artist James Van Der Zee. George Olsen and His Music released a recording highlighting the fad in 1928, titled “Doin’ the Raccoon”,  with the lyrics:

From every college campus comes the cheer: oy-yoy!
The season for the raccoon coat is here, my boy!
Rough guys, tough guys, men of dignity,
Join the raccoon coat fraternity, soon,
To do the raccoon!

A few months after Olsen’s recording hit the air, the November 16, 1929 issue of The Saturday Evening Post featured an Alan Foster illustration of several college men wearing raccoon coats. The raccoon coat (many times accompanied with a straw boater, wingtip spectator oxfords, and either a saxophone or a ukulele) has been referenced numerous times in movies and television, both as a symbol of the Jazz Age and as a cliché motif of collegiate enthusiasm.

George Olsen & His Music – Doin’ The Raccoon, 1928

College men, knowledge men,
Do a dance called raccoon;
It’s the craze, nowadays,
And it will get you soon.
Buy a coat and try it,
I’ll bet you’ll be a riot,
It’s a wow, learn to do it right now!

High brow, low brow, intermediate,
Make believe they’re all collegiate, soon,
To do the raccoon!

Raccoon coats don’t care who’s wearing ’em,
Hallroom boys will all be sharing ’em soon,
To do the raccoon!

Every day its popularity grows,
It’s the most important item in clothes.

Ten bucks down, and though it scratches you,
Wear it ’til the sheriff catches you, soon,
To do the raccoon!

Oh, they wear ’em down at Princeton,
And they share ’em up at Yale,
They eat in them at Harvard,
But they sleep in them in jail!

They store ’em at Ohio,
They’re hawked at Notre Dame,
They carry ’em at California,
But they wear out just the same!

At Penn, they’re made of rabbit,
At Vassar, sex appeal,
At Nebraska, made of airedale,
In Chicago lined with steel!

From every college campus comes the cheer: oy-yoy!
The season for the raccoon coat is here, my boy!

Rough guys, tough guys, men of dignity,
Join the raccoon coat fraternity, soon,
To do the raccoon.

Rich men, poor men, all have pride in them,
No one knows who walks inside of them, soon,
To do the raccoon.

Every day you’ll have your downs and your ups, high-ho,
Every day those raccoon coats will have pups, I know!

Get a girl and start to hurry her
Right downtown to some big furrier, soon,
You’ll do the raccoon!

Rac, rac, rac, rac, rac-rac-rac raccoon!

Ain’t She Sweet – Música

“Ain’t She Sweet” is a song composed by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics) and published in 1927 by Edwin H. Morris & Co., Inc./Warner Bros., Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century, one of the hit songs that typified the Roaring Twenties. Like “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1929), it became a Tin Pan Alley standard. Both Ager and Yellen were elected to membership in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Roaring Twenties: Ben Bernie Orch.- Ain’t She Sweet, 1927

Ain’t she sweet?
See her coming down the street
Now I ask you very confidentially
Ain’t she sweet?

Ain’t she nice
Look her over once or twice
Now I ask you very confidentially
Ain’t she nice?

Just cast an eye
In her direction
Oh me oh my
Ain’t that perfection?

I repeat
Don’t you think  that’s kind of neat
Now I ask you very confidentially
Ain’t she sweet?

The Baltimore (1920’s Dance) – Música

“Baltimore” by Fred Rich and His Hotel Astor Orchestra