Threaded Thursday: The Fabulous Dorseys

After yesterday’s deep dive into Tommy Dorsey’s theme song, I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You, let’s keep the Dorsey theme song thread spinning.

Sandman Steps In (1934)

First up is the Dorsey Brothers’ theme, Sandman, recorded for Decca in 1934 with Kay Weber on vocal:

Another sharp Glenn Miller arrangement for the band — but interestingly, the theme doesn’t spotlight either brother. No Tommy trombone, no Jimmy alto or clarinet. A theme song without a Dorsey solo is a curious choice, especially in hindsight.

A Goodman Glow-Up (1935)

For contrast, here’s Benny Goodman’s 1935 Victor recording of Sandman:

Fletcher Henderson’s arrangement is so different from Miller’s that it almost feels like a different tune entirely. Same title, same bones — but the swing DNA shifts dramatically.

Jimmy Finds His Theme: “Contrasts” (1940)

Jimmy kept Sandman as his theme for a while after Tommy left the band, but by 1940 he had adopted the much more familiar Contrasts, recorded for Decca:

A gorgeous showcase for Jimmy’s alto — elegant, fluid, unmistakably JD.

Before the Contrast: “Oodles of Noodles” (1932)

I’d known Contrasts forever, but I’d always heard it was adapted from an earlier Dorsey Brothers–era piece called Oodles of Noodles. It took me years to finally hear the original.

Let’s spin Jimmy’s 1932 Brunswick recording:

When I first played it, I spent the opening 40 seconds thinking, “How on earth is this related to Contrasts?” It’s all noodling, noodling, noodling — and then suddenly, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a saxophone case, there it is. Contrasts appears, fully formed and waving politely!

Percy Faith Serves It Up (1949)

For a fun contrast to JD’s version, here’s Percy Faith’s 1949 RCA Victor orchestral take:

Not the first tune you’d expect to get the lush‑strings treatment, but somehow it works — a surprisingly graceful expansion of the idea. Kind of like a fancy, gourmet version of your favorite diner dish!

A Hidden Recipe (1947)

But there’s always more digging to be dug! Percy Faith actually had an earlier arrangement of “Oodles of Noodles” that he never recorded commercially — but he did feature it on a 1947 episode of Buddy Clark’s Contented Hour (retitled as "Melody Hour" for AFRS to avoid the Carnation sponsor reference) radio show:

This one plays like a midpoint between Percy’s later orchestral version and Jimmy’s Contrasts, with Al Gallodoro turning in a terrific alto feature.

It’s also interesting that Buddy refers to Oodles of Noodles — not Contrasts — as JD’s theme. He even nods to The Fabulous Dorseys, the biopic released that same year.

Oodles of Fun

I had oodles of fun with these records — hope you did too!