Bonus 78s - Varsity Show!

Hey, let's listen to some 78s of the songs from 1937's Warner Bothers feature "Varsity Show!"

As I mentioned last time, "Varsity Show" has about 40 minutes missing from the original release, so not all of the songs are in the surviving print as they originally presented, but Decca Records recorded them all.

Leading man Dick Powell was the only featured cast member to have a recording contract at the time and he recorded four of the Johnny Mercer/Richard Whiting songs for Decca with backing from Lou Forbes.

Here's the most popular song from the movie, "Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?":

I'm guessing that Dick Powell sang that in the movie, but as it stands, we only hear it in a reprise from Priscilla Lane then Buck & Bubbles in the finale.

The flipside is "Moonlight on the Campus," which I don't think appears in the current print:

We do see Dick Powell sing "You've Got Something There" as a duet with Rosemary Lane, but he cut it solo for Decca:

The flipside of that record is "Love is on the Air Tonight," which is another song that is only in the finale:

I'm very partial to songs like that which are rich in period flavor. It's about radio (as opposed to TV) and namedrops Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee (and Jell-O!), which is really fun!

Fred Waring was on his self-imposed hiatus from recording in 1937 - he felt that records would compete with his radio and personal appearances - so other artists needed to fill the gap to record the other songs from "Varsity Show."

Another Mercer/Whiting song is "On With the Dance," which is first sung by Rosemary Lane in the movie, then it pops up in the finale. Decca had Will Osborne and his Orchestra record it:

Interesting that the label says the vocal is by Dorothy Rogers and chorus, but it's really more of a duet between Dorothy and Will Osborne (with chorus)!

Decca also released an unusual version of "On With the Dance" by stringed instrument virtuoso Roy Smeck and his Serenaders with vocalist Donald King:

It's different but I like it!

Frances Langford channels her inner Roy Smeck!

The song "Little Fraternity Pin" (written by Roy Ringwald and Paul Gibbons) is listed in the opening credits, but does not appear in the shortened version of "Varsity Show." Decca had Frances Langford recorded this lovely version with The Foursome and backing from Phil Ohman:

The Foursome was led by future Spike Jones cohort Del Porter and we had previously head them singing "Jingle Bells" with Dick Powell!

Pricilla Lane sings "I'm Dependable" with Fred Waring (the sing was co-written by Fred's brother Tom) in the movie and Decca had Ben Pollack and his band record it with vocalist Frances Hunt:

Drummer/leader Ben Pollack always had solid bands!

The swingiest number from "Varsity Show" was "Old King Cole" by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting and it was sung twice(!) by Johnny "Scat" Davis. Johnny wasn't making records at that time, so Decca assigned it to pianist Edgar Hayes and his band:

Pretty snappy! I believe the uncredited vocal is by trombonist Clyde Bernhardt.

And to show that Decca Records really went to town, here's four songs from "Varsity Show" on a two-sided record from pianist Franke Carle (moonlighting from Horace Heidt):

So, lots of 1930s fun in some different styles!

Thanks, Decca!