Sixties Saturday - Happy "Pye" Day!

Happy Pi/Pie/Pye Day!

Friday Fun: Lots of Stairs

We’ve spent the last couple of days with some devilish music and are even currently enduring Friday the 13th, so what better way to climb back up from down below than with a Stairway to the Stars?

I’ve rounded up every version I could find from 1939, the year the song was published after being adapted from Frank Signorelli and Matty Malneck’s 1936 instrumental Park Avenue Fantasy, now with Mitchell Parish’s lovely lyrics. You can read more about the original here.

We have an even dozen, so let’s get started!

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Bluebird)

For me, this is the definitive version. The Miller band was hitting on all cylinders at this point. Ray Eberle’s vocal here sounds much more polished than on My Reverie, recorded less than eight months earlier. This song also perhaps suits him better.

Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra (Decca)

Always interesting to compare Bob Eberly to his younger brother Ray when they sang the same song. I agree with the general consensus that Bob was the better all‑around singer. I think Bob lifted the J. Dorsey band to greater heights while Ray kind of went along for the ride as the Miller band ascended the heights, you know?

Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (Brunswick)

We catch the Kyser band at the peak of its shticky‑sweet formula, complete with the singing song title. Harry Babbitt saves it with the vocal. Kay was hugely popular at the time and in 1939 starred in the first of several successful movies, RKO’s That’s Right, You’re Wrong!

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (Victor)

Sammy Kaye was even more locked into the sweet‑band formula than Kyser, also employing the singing song title gimmick. While Sammy stayed in this lane, Kyser’s band would eventually prove to be much more versatile. Sweet bands depended on their vocalists and Jimmy Brown was an asset to the Kaye band.

Personally, I don't mind the singing song titles, but I don't care for the spoken introduction of the vocalist during the song. It takes me out of the mood. And this is coming from someone who digs gimmicks!

Ella Fitzgerald and the Chick Webb Orchestra (Decca)

Ella brings us out of the sweet‑band world with a great take. She was fronting the late Chick Webb’s band at this point, just before her solo career really took off.

Al Donahue and his Orchestra (Vocalion)

Al Donahue’s band wasn’t overly sweet, but not really swinging either - a pleasant, middle‑lane outfit. Paula Kelly, though, is always awesome.

Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans (Columbia)

A trip across the pond to England! Vocalist George Melachrino would later find great fame as a conductor, but he certainly had the pipes for this. I like this one quite a bit!

Greta Keller (Decca)

Austrian-born cabaret star Greta Keller brings a wistful, world-weary vibe that adds a touch of sophistication to the climb.

Martha Raye (Brunswick)

You’d think we’d be going from the sublime to the ridiculous here, but Martha plays it straight. She was a talented singer, though her comic gifts (and large mouth) were too great for Hollywood to ignore. Her then‑husband Dave Rose provides the accompaniment.

Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers (Vocalion)

Prolific session singer Chick Bullock fronts a studio band here. He was a total pro and in-demand for a reason.

Kenny Baker (Victor)

Tenor star Kenny Baker sounds great! He had come to prominence on the Jack Benny radio show but branched out into just about every entertainment field. In 1939, he co‑starred in MGM’s At the Circus with the Marx Brothers. Groucho took the vocal honors in that film with Lydia, the Tattooed Lady, however!

The King’s Men (Vocalion)

We wind up with The King’s Men. Fans of the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show will instantly recognize the quartet’s trademark blend. It’s a treat to hear a Ken Darby vocal arrangement on a ballad rather than their usual novelty fare they performed on the show.

We’ve now climbed twelve flights of the stairway, so we’re well and truly in the stars. Which version elevates you the most?

Threaded Thursday: Holiday in Hades

Turning up the heat a bit, we follow yesterday’s look at “Hell’s Bells” with another pair of numbers that keep us in that extremity (as our friend Mr. Dickens would say) - both from the pen of the Larry Clinton!

The Visual Pun: Shades of Hades (1936/1938)

Before forming his own band, Larry was already a highly successful arranger for top outfits like Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. For them, he wrote the wonderfully titled Shades of Hades in 1936.

Let's spin that Decca recording:

The Casa Loma band always struck me as very arrangement‑driven, so it’s no surprise they gravitated toward Clinton’s charts. He gave them exactly the kind of crisp, clever writing they thrived on.

After forming his own band, Larry got the chance to record his own version for Victor in 1938.

I have to say, I love the title as a visual pun - it looks like it should rhyme, but it absolutely doesn’t when you say it aloud!

The Hit He Couldn't Have: Satan Takes a Holiday

For our next Hades-themed tune, we back up to 1937, when Larry was submitting arrangements to Tommy Dorsey. Among them was his original composition Satan Takes a Holiday, which became a massive hit for the TD orchestra.

Here's that Victor record:

Dave Tough does his usual great job on the drums or traps, as it were!

The success of Dorsey’s recordings of “Satan” and “The Dipsy Doodle” (another Clinton original) helped push Larry toward starting his own band. However, because both he and Tommy recorded for Victor, the label didn’t want competing versions. Larry was actually blocked from recording his own hit for twenty years!

The Hi-Fi Redemption (1957)

Larry finally cut his own version of Satan Takes a Holiday for RCA Victor for the album Larry Clinton in Hi-Fi, with a stellar group of studio musicians.

Once again, the drummer steals the show! This time it's Jimmy Crawford (formerly of the Jimmie Lunceford band). His fills absolutely sparkle. If pressed, I might even say "Craw" is my favorite drummer of the entire swing era!

The Spooky Side

An interesting tidbit: The British labels of the time showed the tune as 'Spooky' Takes a Holiday! With that in mind, let's listen to a British version. Here's trumpeter/vocalist Nat Gonella and his Georgians in 1937 on the Parlophone label:

Very intriguing to hear the seldom heard lyrics!

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Who's your MVD (Most Valuable Drummer) on this spooky ride - Davey or Craw?

Word Association Wednesday: Ringing in My Ears

Sunday’s post had Duke Ellington ringing the rafters with Ring Dem Bells, so for this week’s Word Association Wednesday, we follow the echo straight into the underworld. If Duke rings ’em, somebody’s bound to shout Hell’s Bells! - and that’s our cue to go spelunking through the 78 rpm stacks. We've got five versions, so leave us begin...

1. Art Kassel  - The King’s Writer (1932)

We start at the source: Art Kassel, who not only recorded Hell’s Bells but wrote it and used it as the theme song for his "Kassels in the Air" Band. His 1932 Columbia side is a bit raucous for a polite hotel band, but it’s novelty‑adjacent without ever quite tipping into corn, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

2. Bob Causer (with Dick Robertson) - The Budget‑Label Surprise (1932)

Next, we flip over to the budget bins for Bob Causer and his Cornellians, featuring ubiquitous session vocalist Dick Robertson. Same year, totally different flavor. Robertson actually sings the “It’s certainly hot…” verse - the one Kassel only plays instrumentally - giving us a glimpse of how the tune played when the full lyric was in circulation. Scrappier, cheaper, and absolutely delightful!

3. Hal Kemp - Elegance with a Sly Grin (1932)

From there, we glide into the satin‑smooth world of Hal Kemp. His instrumental take on Brunswick is airy and lightly syncopated - the kind of thing that makes you imagine a hotel ballroom with perfect lighting and a floor that never squeaks. Kemp takes the tune’s novelty edge and files it down to a chic, urbane shimmer, all while keeping the band’s trademark “typewriter” trumpet sound. But in my in mind, I can definitely imagine Skinnay Ennis singing the lyrics!

4. Jimmie Lunceford - Discipline, Fire, and a Ghostly Shimmer (1937)

Then the door swings open and in marches Jimmie Lunceford, whose 1937 Decca recording turns Hell’s Bells into a precision‑swing showpiece. Sy Oliver is the architect here, and his arrangement gives the track its bite: crisp attacks, sly rhythmic kicks, and that buoyant lift only Lunceford’s band could deliver. Adding a delicious layer of atmosphere is pianist Edwin Wilcox, who slips over to the celeste for a few choice moments — a little chiming shimmer that makes the whole thing feel like a haunted music box.

The slower pace of this version actually makes it spookier. It’s been a staple of my Big Band Halloween playlist for years!

5. Clyde McCoy - The 20‑Year Detour (1952)

And then we leap forward two decades to Clyde McCoy, who finally records Hell’s Bells in 1952 — a tune so perfect for his wah‑wah trumpet that you’d swear it had been waiting for him! Why it took him twenty years to wax it is anyone’s guess, but once he does, it’s a wild, swaggering instrumental that feels like the natural endpoint of every version that came before.

Five versions, five angles, one tune that refuses to stay in its lane. From Kassel’s original to Causer’s budget‑label charm, Kemp’s elegance, Lunceford’s fire, and McCoy’s late‑breaking swagger — which one rings your bells?

Bonus Round: Betty Boop turns up the heat (1934)

And for dessert, we hop from the bandstand to the cartoon studio. In Betty Boop’s 1934 short Red Hot Mamma, Betty — voiced by Bonnie Poe — actually sings Hell’s Bells right in the middle of her infernal adventure. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the Fleischer studio: surreal, spicy, and the kind of cross‑pollination that made early ’30s pop culture such a glorious tangle.

With Betty around, "It's certainly hot..."

Monday Side-Session: She Swings the Band!

Among the versions of Ring Dem Bells we heard yesterday was one by Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy, as arranged by the great Mary Lou Williams - The Lady Who Swings the Band. So for today's side-session, let's turn the spotlight on Mary Lou and see what she and Andy were up to in 1930, the year Duke Ellington first recorded Ring Dem Bells!

The Idea (1930)

By 1930, Mary Lou Williams had established herself as a composer, arranger and pianist with Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy. It's almost impossible to comprehend the level of talent as well as determination it took for a 20-year-old Black woman to succeed in the music business almost 100 years ago!

Here's a 1930 Brunswick recording by the Kirk band of Mary Lou's composition Mary's Idea:

That's pretty advanced for 1930. If Duke was leading the way towards more modern sounds, Mary Lou wasn't far behind. She had ideas all right!

The New Idea (1939)

In 1939, Mary Lou was still working with Andy Kirk (now with a non-specified number of Clouds of Joy), though not exclusively, as other bandleaders such as Benny Goodman were now contracting her for arrangements. She and Andy revisited Mary's Idea for this Decca record, giving it a snappy, modernized arrangement that perfectly captures the peak of the Swing Era.

That amply demonstrates that Mary Lou and the Kirk band were keeping up with the times!

The Tribute: The Lady Who Swings the Band (1936)

For fun, let's jump back to 1936 for another Decca record - this one a direct tribute to Mary Lou herself. It’s The Lady Who Swings the Band!

That's just a blast! The uncredited vocal is by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers. I don't know how he came to sing that number with The Clouds of Joy, but I think it's awesome!

It's also interesting to catch the legendary lyricist Sammy Cahn near the beginning of his long career. He and his early writing partner Saul Chaplin were creating a lot of specialty material at this time and someone had the great idea for them to salute Kansas City's Mary Lou! 

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Drop a comment for which "Idea" do you prefer - the 1930 original or the 1939 update. Either way, she swung it!

Sundays with Duke #10: Flippin' and Ringin'

We’re flipping over Duke Ellington’s record of Three Little Words to find a Duke original that also made its debut in the 1930 film Check and Double Check: Ring Dem Bells.

The Original: Duke Ellington (1930)

This Victor recording is famous for its high energy and the literal bells ringing out, but the real highlight is the scat vocal by trumpeter Cootie Williams. It shows a playful side of the band that worked perfectly for the silver screen.

The Reunion: Lionel Hampton (1939)

While the song didn't get many covers immediately, it picked up serious steam by the end of the decade. In 1939, Lionel Hampton recorded this burner for Victor. Hamp was with Benny Goodman at the time and was leading stellar "pick-up" groups for recording dates.

If you check the label, you'll see a powerhouse combo of Goodman and Ellington sidemen—and Cootie Williams is right there revisiting the tune! Keep an ear out for Hamp giving a shout-out to pianist Jess Stacy.

The Arrangement: Charlie Barnet (1940)

Charlie Barnet "helps" Billy May with an arrangement!

As I’ve mentioned before, Charlie Barnet was a massive Ellington and he had the good fortune to employ a young Billy May as arranger. For this 1940 Bluebird session, they turned Ring Dem Bells into a modern swing masterpiece.

Let's spin it:

The Clouds of Joy: Andy Kirk (1941)

Andy Kirk admires the arrangement by Mary Lou Williams!

Another legendary architect of the era was pianist and arranger Mary Lou Williams - The Lady Who Swings the Band! Here she is providing a sharp, driving arrangement for Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy on Decca. It’s a testament to the song’s durability that it sounded just as fresh in 1941 as it did in 1930.

If you listen closely to the brass figures behind the solos, you can hear the same sophisticated DNA that Mary Lou would later bring to her arrangements for Duke himself. She was one of the few who could speak Duke’s musical language fluently and still add her own Kansas City grit to it.

The Solo Stamp: Fats Waller (1941)

Finally, we see the song move from the big bands to the solo piano. The incomparable Fats Waller put his own unmistakable stamp on the tune for the Victor album Hot Piano. Without the bells or the brass, Fats proves that the "swing" was built into the melody all along.

With so many legends taking a swing at this one, which version rings your bell? Are you a fan of Cootie’s original scatting or Fats’ solo piano stride?

Sixties Saturday: Go, Donna!

If you’ve been keeping up with the Batman TV‑show viewing challenge - watching each episode on the 60th anniversary of its original airdate - then this past week brought us the two‑parter “The Joker Goes to School / He Meets His Match, the Grisly Ghoul.”

It’s a blast, and one of its greatest charms is the appearance of Donna Loren, a true sixties icon, playing a wayward cheerleader. Even Batman himself calls her a “cute little trickster,” which feels like the most 1966 compliment imaginable!

Donna’s main gig during the decade was as the Dr Pepper Girl, serving as spokesperson for that tasty beverage, but she also carved out a lively side hustle as a singer and actress. I mainly associate her with the Beach Party movies, where she reliably popped up to deliver a song and brighten the frame.

Many fans (myself included) agree that her best number is It Only Hurts When I Cry from 1965’s Beach Blanket Bingo.

There’s no truly definitive clip online - the best‑looking ones tend to cut off before the delightful moment with the burnt hot dog - but even so, the performance shines. Donna recorded a studio version too, though most of us think the movie take has the real magic.

Not real, but should have been!

One studio cut I do love, though, is Cycle Set, from her tie‑in Beach Blanket Bingo album on Capitol. In the movie it’s performed by The Hondells, but Donna’s version has its own irresistible kick.

Let’s spin it:

It’s on my surf/hot‑rod playlist, and I always crank the volume when it comes around!

Go, Donna!