Don’t Go Out With Him Tonight – Billy Williams. 5.6 MB mp3 file.
Molly McIntyre – Billy Williams. 6 MB mp3 file.
A couple of novelty songs from Billy Williams, recorded in 1916. This guy has a habit of wandering off into a sort of spoken-word fugue in the middle of an otherwise ordinary song. It’s probably intentional, but he still sounds half-drunk when he does it.
This week’s comic is a little late, but it was worth it to have the letterhead designed for future use…
You’ll Find Old Dixieland In France – Van and Schenck, 4.1 MB mp3 file.
When Tony Goes Over The Top – Van and Schenck, 4 MB mp3 File.
Ok, these files are the first to get the Warning! Potentially Racist Lyrics label. The first one, “You’ll Find Old Dixieland In France” is nothing special – a tune about how many people from the South are serving in the Army in WW I. The second one though… Wow… It’s about an Italian-American barber serving in the trenches. He’s obviously the hero of the song, but the nicknames they use for the guy are incredibly cringe-inducing.
The folks in this week’s comic have something happening that is usually quite loud.
Funny – Jack Shilkret’s Orchestra, 6.5 MB mp3 file.
Croon a Little Lullaby – International Novelty Orchestra, 6.1 MB mp3 file.
Continuing with the hits of 1925. This is where the potential controversy starts up. The first track, “Funny” is nothing terribly unusual – the high frequency sounds are kind of muddied by the digital noise reduction, which is kind of a pity. Still, it’s better than ear-splitting swathes of scratching noise. The second one, “Croon a Little Lullaby” is full of the whole post-Civil-War reminiscing about a South that didn’t actually exist. It’s not quite bad enough to warrant a Warning! Potentially Racist Lyrics notice. It’s just kind of tacky.
You can find this week’s comic in either the fresh fruit or seafood section of your local grocer.
The Farmer Took Another Load Away! Hey! Hey! – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 5.1 MB mp3 file.
Manhattan Medley – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 5.3 MB mp3 file.
Two from the same band, which is kind of unusual for Victor recordings. The first is a goofy novelty tune that’ll get wedged in your head, the second is a laid-back dance number. Both are from 1925.
This week’s comic has both buckles and swashes!
Fooling – Meyer Davis’ Le Paradis Band, 6 MB mp3 file.
Are You Sorry – Don Bestor and his Orchestra, 5.5 MB mp3 file.
A couple danceworthy tunes from 1925. When these were in vogue, F. Scott Fitzgerald had just published The Great Gatsby, and the Chrysler corporation had just been founded.
This week’s comic plays a dangerous game.