Threaded Thursday: Waltzing and Swinging with Cinderella

Following yesterday’s tune, When a Prince of a Fella Meets a Cinderella, we keep the thread going with what might be the fella’s reply — the charming 1938 waltz Cinderella (Stay in My Arms).

British Beginnings

The song comes from British songwriters Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr, and it first appeared on record that same year courtesy of Joe Loss on Regal Zonophone, with the velvet‑voiced Chick Henderson:

Very lovely!

Ambrose Takes a Turn with Vera

Another major British bandleader, Ambrose, also took a shine to the tune in 1938. His Decca version features longtime star vocalist Vera Lynn:

It’s interesting that the lyrics weren’t gender‑flipped for Vera — perhaps the rewrite would have felt too clunky on the tongue.

Vera's Verse

Even more interesting: Vera recorded another version, in 1939, again for Decca, this time backed by The Six Debutantes:

This one includes the middle verse, which clarifies that Vera is quoting the fella’s plea to Cinderella rather than addressing Cinderella herself. A neat little narrative pivot tucked inside a pop waltz.

Glenn and Ray Crash the Ball

By 1939 the tune had crossed the Atlantic, and American bands began picking it up. Glenn Miller recorded it for Bluebird with Ray Eberle:

The Miller band was really hitting its stride here — and Glenn even steps forward with a pair of warm, confident trombone solos.

Jack Joins the Party

Of course, Glenn’s trombone was no match for the great Jack Teagarden, who both plays and sings his own version for Brunswick:

By this point the song has been fully de‑waltzed, but what a joyful, easygoing record it becomes in Jack’s hands.

Paula Brings the Pep

We return to a female vocalist with this Vocalion side by Al Donahue featuring Paula Kelly:

Paula really swings it — light on her feet, but with a little kick.

Carmen Cuts In

And for variety, here’s one more version that restores the tune to its waltz roots: Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, with brother Carmen Lombardo on the vocal, for Decca:

It says something about a song when both Jack Teagarden and Carmen Lombardo can sing it as though it were tailor‑made for them!

Final Footnote: A Dance Card Full of Charmers

Cinderella has met a lot of fellas — and a few gals — along the way. Which version waltzes (or swings) its way into your heart?

Threaded Thursday: A Noble Effort

We pick up the Ray Noble thread for a quick post today. A small, but lovely stitch!

I mentioned yesterday how Ray had a solid reputation as both a composer and a bandleader - and how wonderful Al Bowlly was as his featured vocalist. 

All of that is summed up beautifully on two sides of a 12‑inch 78 rpm record recorded for England’s HMV in 1936:

The record was also issued on Victor in the U.S., and it’s a perfect little showcase of Noble’s gifts. Across these two sides you get seven songs - all gems - written or co‑written by Ray, essentially a built‑in résumé for anyone wondering what all the fuss was about.

Eight minutes well spent!

Word Association Wednesday: A Sweet Thing

For this week’s Word Association Wednesday spin‑off from “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” my wheels were turning around the word thing. I wanted something from roughly the same moment in time, and Ray Noble’s Love Is the Sweetest Thing popped right into my head.

The Sweetness Begins

Ray is in the white suit and Al is the far left.

Ray recorded the song in England in September 1932 for HMV with vocalist Al Bowlly:

That record came out in 1933 and became a big hit on both sides of the pond, cementing Ray’s reputation as a composer and bandleader.

Fun side note: HMV was especially good at pushing Noble’s catalog internationally - released here on Victor - one of those early examples of a label realizing they had a transatlantic star on their hands and packaging him accordingly.

Bowlly Adds the Verse

The wonderful Al Bowlly also recorded his own version without Ray Noble for British Decca:

Nice to hear the verse!

A Cinematic Sprinkle

The song also made its way into the 1932 British film Say It With Music, where bandleader/vocalist Jack Payne performed it — and he recorded it for the Imperial label as well:

Dig that awesome custom record label.

This Side of the Pond

Skinnay Ennis is at the drums.

To close, let’s sneak in an American version. Here’s Hal Kemp’s 1933 Brunswick recording with Skinnay Ennis on the vocal:

I love those Kemp/Ennis sides from the 1930s.

It’s also fun hearing this song bookended by two very different 1930s vocal personalities: Al Bowlly, all velvet warmth and romantic glow, and Skinnay Ennis, the king of the feather‑light, half‑smiling whisper. If Bowlly is a rich dessert, Skinnay is a meringue.

Ninety‑plus years later, you still can’t argue: Love Is the Sweetest Thing.

Sixties Saturday - Happy "Pye" Day!

Happy Pi/Pie/Pye Day!

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!

---

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

Sundays with Duke #8: Stomping at the Cotton Club

Moving into 1929 with Duke Ellington, we find Cotton Club Stomp, a tune obviously named after the famed nightclub that was home to Duke and his band at the time.

The Victor Original

Let’s listen to the initial 1929 version on Victor Records:

By this time, the band had parted ways with original trumpet star Bubber Miley, who was apparently as unreliable as he was talented. But Duke came up with a great replacement in Cootie Williams, who was able to carry on the growling plunger-mute style of Bubber while also developing his own distinct, powerful voice.

The Name Game

The name game continued when the Ellington band recorded a version of Cotton Club Stomp for Brunswick in 1930, this time under the Jungle Band moniker.

Let's give that one a spin:

The flipside of that Brunswick record was another stomper with the then-topical title of Wall Street Wail: 

I sometimes see these two identified as the same song with different titles to get around contract exclusivity, but I don't think they’re the same song at all. And Brunswick wouldn’t put the same song on two sides of the same record, right? Listening to them side-by-side, you can hear that while they share that "Jungle" DNA, they are distinct arrangements.

The 1939 Remake

Duke and the boys revisited “Cotton Club Stomp” in 1939, also for Brunswick, with an updated arrangement—this time credited to Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra:

I don't think any other band covered "Cotton Club Stomp" at the time, and no one seems to have remade it since, except as modern recreations. Some songs are just uniquely Ellingtonian!

Stomping or wailing, no one did it better!

Threaded Thursday: A Different Kind of Minnie

We spent yesterday with Minnie the Moocher, following her from the Cotton Club to the cartoon world and finally to her big wedding day. 

That got me thinking: Minnie… cartoon… wedding… 1930s… Wasn’t there a song from the early 1930s about a certain other cartoon star marrying a different Minnie? Indeed there was! 

Let’s talk about the 1933 British hit, The Wedding of Mr. Mickey Mouse.

The British Connection

Despite Mickey and Minnie’s massive popularity in the States, this tune was strictly a British affair. It was recorded by quite a few artists in England, but I don’t think there was ever a proper American version.

Let’s listen to this representative version by Henry Hall and the BBC Orchestra on the British Columbia label:

Pretty fun, right? A couple of things of interest here: The song mentions the BBC, which certainly marks its territory, so it’s only fitting that the BBC Orchestra recorded it!

The Horace Horsecollar Snub

The lyrics name-drop Pegleg Pete, Pluto, and Clarabelle Cow, but they curiously omit Horace Horsecollar—even though he’s right there on the cover of the sheet music! (See the image at the top of the page). Personally, Horace gets my vote for the most underrated Disney character of all time.

The Mystery Instrumental

On just about every British record, the song is presented as a comedic skit rather than a straight musical number. However, I found this fascinating version on the French Pathé label:

It’s entirely instrumental! I don’t know exactly who the Novelty Dance Orchestra was or where they were based, but it’s a high-energy take that lets the melody shine without the slapstick.

So there you have it: Two Minnies and two weddings!

Christmas Countdown - Day 14 - "Roses in December" (1937)

Day 14 of our Christmas Countdown brings us another seasonal song from 1937, "Roses in December" from the RKO picture "The Life of the Party" starring Gene Raymond and Harriet Hilliard along with a very RKO cast!

As we know, in addition to her movies, Harriet was the vocalist with the band of her husband, Ozzie Nelson.

As such, she recorded the song with Ozzie for Bluebird:

Harriet's vocals seem very distinctive to me. She sings like she talks or something, so you know it's her!

Another version of "Roses in December" was recorded by Bunny Berigan on Victor with vocalist Ruth Bradley:

Bunny's trumpet always delivers the goods!

For some reason, Dick Powell also recorded the song on Decca:

I don't think Dick recorded very many songs from movies in which he didn't star!

For one more version of "Roses in December," let's go across the pond to London's Piccadilly Hotel with Maurice Winnick and his Sweet Music on British Decca:

The vocalist is Vera Lynn, very early in her long career, but already sounding great!

Christmas Countdown - Day 8 - "The Fairy on the Christmas Tree" (1936)

For Day 8 of our Christmas Countdown, we have a song that seems ot be strictly British - "The Fairy on the Christmas Tree" from 1936!

Popular British singer recorded the song for Regal Zonophone:

Gives me that musical hall vibe!

Henry Hall returns with the BBC Orchestra for another version of the song featuring The Three Sisters on Columbia:

More of a traditional dance band sound, but still so very British!

 

Christmas Countdown - Day 4 - "The Santa Claus Express" (1935)

Still in 1935, we continue to Deck the Hall(s) as we move from George Hall to Henry Hall with Day 4 of our Christmas Countdown!

So, here's Henry Hall directing the BBC Orchestra with "The Santa Claus Express" on Columbia Records:

Love the train effects!

This recording sounds very British, except don't they call him Father Christmas?

"On the Sunny Side of the Rockies" (1937) - Part 3!

Here's one more version of "On the Sunny Side of the Rockies" from the Smith Ballew movie "Roll Along, Cowboy" from 20th Century Fox!

It's an instrumental by longtime British bandleader Joe Loss:

Very nice, but remember - it's strict dance tempo!

"Lonely Lane" (1933)

Leaving the busy Old Ox Road, we run across a "Lonely Lane" in the form of this song from the Warner Brothers picture "College Coach" from 1933!

It's not specifically a college song, but Dick Powell croons the tune as a college football player in the movie.

Dick did get a chance to record the tune for Brunswick Records:

Solid job as always from Mr. Powell!

What's curious to me is that the song seems to have gotten more recordings by British artists at the time. Fair enough, but the movie was re-titled "Football Coach" for England!

Isn't that sort of backwards? Wouldn't British audiences expect a story about soccer?

Although he's featured on the British sheet music, I don't think Ambrose recorded the song.

British bandleader Roy Fox did, however, so here's his band with vocalist Peggy Dell on British Decca:

Very good and I kinda like Peggy Dell! I wonder if she's still hanging around the Kit Kat Restaurant?

"Betty Co-Ed" (1930)

We move into the 1930s with our college songs as we meet someone who definitely would have caught Collegiate Sam's eye - collegiate sweetheart Betty Co-Ed!

Yale man Rudy Vallée co-wrote the song "Betty Co-Ed" and recorded it for Victor with his Connecticut Yankees:

Fun how it kind of sounds like the school marching band is playing the song!

The song was so popular that it inspired a 1931 "Screen Song" cartoon from the Fleischer Studio with Mr. Vallée himself singing the song:

Those Fleischer cartoons are a blast! I love how Betty joins in on her own song!

Betty Co-Ed had a bit of a proto-Betty Boop vibe and she was perhaps one of the influences in the evolution of Betty Boop then happening at the studio.

Back to records, Phil Spitalny cut a fun version for the low-budget Hit of the Week label that pressed records on Durium:

Very fun, with Scrappy Lambert leading the vocal charge!

I kinda like British Betty!

Things get interesting with this British recording on the eight-inch budget Eclipse label by the Biltmore Players (Jay Wilbur's band):

It has generic lyrics as obviously the names of American colleges wouldn't translate, as it were!

But, sign me up for whatever school Betty attends!

"It's Love I'm After" (1936)

Although you can't tell from the sheet music above, we're continuing with the Fox feature "Pigskin Parade" from 1936!

That's the British version of the song "It's Love I'm After" with the title of the movie changed to "The Harmony Parade" for British audiences!

I get it, they don't play American Football in England (especially not in 1936), so "pigskin" means nothing to them!

Whatever the movie is called, it's most notable as the feature film debut of Judy Garland, on loan to Fox while home studio MGM tried to figure out what to do with her!

Judy's future "The Wizard of Oz" co-star Jack Haley is kinda sorta the male lead, which is retro-fun!

Judy sang "It's Love I'm After" in the movie, but didn't record it commercially.

The song did get lots of recording action, though, including by Kay Kyser and his band on Brunswick Records:

Two things mark this as an early Kyser record...

First is that Bill Stoker is one of the vocalists. Bill made a couple of records with the band, but was replaced by Harry Babbitt and pretty much forgotten as Harry enjoyed great popularity!

Slightly more subtle is that co-vocalist Ginny Simms was stilled billed as "Virginia" at the time. She also was hugely popular and people probably forgot she was ever not called Ginny!

In any event, we do need to hear (and see) young Judy Garland, so here she is singing "It's Love I'm After" from "Pigskin Parade":

The level of talent shown by 14 year old Judy is crazy!

"You've Got What Gets Me" (1932)

I mentioned that the movie version of "Animal Crackers" ditched some of the Kalmar & Ruby songs but did add a new song by the team. 

A similar thing happened with the George & Ira Gershwin songs from the musical “Girl Crazy.”

The 1932 movie adaptation of “Girl Crazy” from RKO starring Wheeler & Woolsey cut several of the songs from the show (including the standard “Embraceable You”) but added “You’ve Got What Gets Me” by the Gershwins. 

It’s a cute song, sung by Bert Wheeler and his usual romantic interest, Dorothy Lee, if not a standard. 

We go back to England with this version by Roy Fox and his Orchestra with the great vocalist Al Bowlly on Decca:

 

Al Bowlly adds class to any record!

 

"Wake Up and Live" (1937)

Staying with "Wake Up and Live" from 1937, the British version of the sheet music for the movie's title song is shown above. 

As I've mentioned, I find the British ones to be interesting, as they often feature different (sometimes better) graphics and sometimes emphasize different things about the movie in question. 

As can be seen, the British sheet music for “Wake Up and Live” spotlights Alice Faye and Jack Haley over Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie. 

My thought is that British audiences may have been familiar with Ben Bernie from his records as a bandleader, but they probably had no idea who Walter Winchell was nor knew about his good-natured radio feud with Mr. Bernie. 

Jack Haley is really the lead in the film anyway, despite being sixth-billed, as the plot revolves around him having an unexpectedly great singing voice. Said voice was courtesy of dubbing from the great Buddy Clark, who at that point was a relatively anonymous radio singer. 

OK, so let’s hear Cab Calloway sing “Wake Up and Live” with his great band on Variety (another Irving Mills label):

 

That song is up Cab’s alley!

"Everything I Have Is Yours" (1933) - Part 2!

Let’s hear another version on the great standard “Everything I Have is Yours” from MGM’s feature “Dancing Lady” from 1933!

Here’s singer Al Bowlly on the British Decca label:

Al Bowlly recorded with a lot of British bands, most notably that of Ray Noble, and he was a great band vocalist, but it’s nice to hear him get the chance to stretch out on this record issued under his own name!

"What a Perfect Combination" (1933) - Part 3!

Let's sneak in one more version of "What a Perfect Combination" from 1932's "The Kid from Spain" with Ray Noble's snappy instrumental arrangement on the British His Master's Voice label:

Ray Noble's bands always sounded great!

"What a Perfect Combination" (1933)

Next up from 1933 is another Kalmar & Ruby tune, this one not from a movie featuring a wacky comedy team, but from “The Kid from Spain” starring the pretty-wacky-on-his-own Eddie Cantor!

Here’s Henry Hall directing the BBC Dance Orchestra with vocalist Les Allen singing “What a Perfect Combination”:

Very fun!

"Please" (1932)

I had mentioned that the back cover of the sheet music for the song “Ev’ryone Says I Love You” from the movie “Horse Feathers” was an ad for another 1932 picture from Paramount (with familiar art!).

Said movie is “The Big Broadcast,” which was the breakthrough film for Bing Crosby, who introduced the big hit “Please” by the prolific movie songwriters Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger.

The last couple of songs we looked at didn’t have commercial recordings by the actors who performed the songs in the movies, but I like the versions that were recorded by dance bands, so let’s see what else I can dig up in that vein.

Here’s Ambrose and his Orchestra with vocalist Sam Browne and a snappy arrangement of “Please":

                            

                                                                                                                                                                Those 1930s British bands had it going on!