Monday Side Session: Saying the Words

Yesterday, we saw how Kalmar and Ruby provided Duke Ellington with one of his biggest hits, Three Little Words, in 1930. Two years later, that same songwriting duo provided the musical heartbeat for what is arguably the greatest Marx Brothers movie of them all: Horse Feathers (1932).

Continuing our "Word" theme, today’s side session focuses on the delightful Ev’ryone Says ‘I Love You.’ I've always thought of this as a sort of sequel to Three Little Words, as everyone is now saying said words!

I've written about this song before, but I think it's time to revisit it in this context!

The Marx Brothers Connection

One of the best things about Horse Feathers is that every brother gets a crack at this song. You get the "straight" version from Zeppo, the harp-driven beauty of Harpo, the piano-pounding of Chico, and of course, Groucho delivering it with his trademark guitar-strumming sarcasm while sitting in a canoe.

Here's a link to a montage of all the brothers giving the song a whirl (with Spanish subtitles):

But while the movie is a comedy classic, the song was also a genuine hit for the dance bands of the day.

The Sweet & Bouncy: Anson Weeks (1932)

Let's go "Dancin’ with Anson!" Anson Weeks and his Orchestra give the song a treatment that is incredibly bouncy and fun. Featuring the Moreing Sisters on the vocal, this Brunswick record captures the optimistic, lighthearted spirit that kept people's spirits up during the early '30s.

The Classy Contender: Isham Jones (1932)

For a slightly more sophisticated take, we turn to the legendary Isham Jones. His band was always top-tier and "classy." This Victor record features violinist/vocalist Eddie Stone, and it shows how a great melody can move seamlessly from the zaniness of a Marx Brothers film to the high-end ballroom.

The Warehouse Favorite: Russ Carlson (1932)

Finally, from the depths of the Warehouse collection, we have Russ Carlson and his Orchestra on the budget Crown Records label. There’s something special about these less-discussed recordings. I especially enjoy the vocal here by Elmer Feldkamp - it’s a delightful performance that rounds out our look at how "ev'ryone" was indeed singing this song in 1932.

The Warehouse Find: Raie Da Costa (1933)

Everyone was saying it, but was anyone playing it? Yes, indeed! Popular South African born pianist recorded an extremely snappy instrumental version in 1933 for the British HMV label.

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Five very different versions of the same Kalmar & Ruby tune. Are you a fan of the "bouncy" Anson Weeks style, or do you prefer the Marx Brothers' original mayhem?

Sundays with Duke #9: Three Little Words, One Big Ghost

We move into 1930 with Duke Ellington and come across Three Little Words - a song that was a massive hit for him, though it was a rare case of a "Duke hit" not actually written by Duke or anyone in his band. This one comes from the legendary songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.

The Silver Screen Connection

The song was featured in the (not-yet RKO) Radio picture Check and Double Check, which starred Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll in their famous radio roles of Amos 'n' Andy.

While the problematic nature of Amos 'n' Andy is well-documented, the film remains a vital piece of history for jazz fans because it provides a rare opportunity to actually see the Duke Ellington Orchestra in their 1930 prime.

The Record: Duke & The Rhythm Boys

Duke recorded Three Little Words for Victor Records, and he brought in some heavy hitters for the vocal: The Rhythm Boys. This trio - comprising Al Rinker, Harry Barris, and a very young Bing Crosby - had recently been the breakout stars for Paul Whiteman.

After leaving the “King of Jazz,” they were essentially freelancers when they teamed up with Duke. In the film, you hear their voices, but you don't see them; because of the segregation rules of the time, the film used "ghosting"—the white trio sang off-camera while black members of Duke’s band mimed the words.

Let's give it a spin:

You can definitely hear how this record has more of a mainstream sound than the “jungle” records of Duke’s band at the time. Still with that little something extra, though!

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The Contrast: The Smile of Beauty (1930)

To see just how differently this song could be handled in the same year, we turn to The Ipana Troubadours, a studio band led by Sam Lanin and featured on a popular radio show sponsored by said toothpaste.

Here’s their Columbia record featuring vocalist Paul Small: 

Definitely more "square" than Duke’s version, it reflects the “dance band” sound of the time - the sound that the Casa Loma Orchestra was just starting to threaten. It’s also a perfect illustration of 1930s pop culture: a record of a radio show orchestra playing a song from a movie based on a radio show!

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The Crooning Troubadour (1931)

Anybody else want that sweet guitar?

We go from a band of troubadours to just open - The “Crooning Troubadour,” Nick Lucas! Guitar and ukulele-playing vocalists like Nick were extremely popular in the mid-to-late 1920s and were still hanging around in the early 1930s before the "Crosby style" took over completely.

Here’s his take for Brunswick from early 1931:

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The Standard: Claude Hopkins (1934)

Three Little Words quickly became a jazz standard. One of my favorite follow-ups from the 1930s comes from pianist and bandleader Claude Hopkins, who recorded this snappy instrumental version for Brunswick Records in 1934:

It’s a great record from an underrated band that shows just how much "swing" could be squeezed out of those three little words!

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The "Export Only" Rarity: Gene Krupa (1935)

By 1935, the song was so popular that musicians were looking for any excuse to record it. Star drummer Gene Krupa led a small group of musicians pulled from the Benny Goodman Orchestra for this session. Interestingly, this "Chicago Jazz" version wasn't released in the States initially - it was produced specifically for the European market! 

Here's Gene and they boys on the British Parlophone label:

Very intriguing to compare this to the smoother swing of BG's full orchestra!

Which version makes you say those three little words? 

Three Little words is best-remembered (if at all) these days as the title of a 1950 MGM movie purporting to tell the story of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. But that's another story for another day.

"I Love You So Much" (1930) - Part 2!

I mentioned that Smith Ballew was a prolific session singer, which is probably an understatement!

He was so prolific, in fact, that he sometimes recorded different versions of the same song for different labels under different names!

As a case in point, here's another version of "I Love You So Much" (from 1930's "The Cuckoos") recorded under his own name on the Okeh label:

Totally different from the California Ramblers version and it's nice to hear the verse!

In addition to being an excellent singer, Smith Ballew was also tall, dark and handsome, so it's no wonder he started making movies!

"I Love You So Much" (1930)

We left off in 1930, so let's stay for a moment to enjoy another Kalmar & Ruby song from a Wheeler & Woolsey movie!

The movie is "The Cuckoos," which was the boys' first starring feature for RKO after they had made a hit as supporting players in the previous year's "Rio Rita."

Also coming over from "Rio Rita" was Dorothy Lee, who continued to serve as Bert Wheeler's love interest in most of W & W's subsequent features.

Dorothy looks mighty cute on the sheet music for the song "I Love You So Much," which she and Bert sang in the movie.

Here's a pretty snappy version on Columbia Records by the California Ramblers:

The vocal is by the Campus Trio, which included prolific session vocalist Smith Ballew!

I think it's fun that both the sheet music and the record label point out that the movie in question is a talkie! That was big in 1930!

"Why Am I So Romantic?" (1930)

Sticking with the Marx Brothers, let’s go back to 1930 for their second film, Animal Crackers,” which was an adaptation of the brothers’ hit Broadway show. 

Notice that the sheet music shows that animal crackers haven't changed much in 90-plus years!

The original show featured songs by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby, some of which were included in the movie, but the movie added the song “Why Am I So Romantic?” also by Kalmar & Ruby. 

Here’s a version by Sam Lanin and his Famous Players with vocalist Scrappy Lambert:

 

Scrappy has such an early-30s sound (voice and nickname)!

 

"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!

"Ev'ryone Says 'Love You'" (1932) - Part 3!

Let's go Dancin’ with Anson with another version of “Ev’ryone Says ‘I Love You’” from the Paramount picture “Horse Feathers” from 1932!

Here’s Anson Weeks and his Orchestra with the Moreing Sisters on Brunswick Records:

So bouncy and fun!

"Ev'ryone Says 'Love You'" (1932) - Part 2!

There are too many good versions of “Ev’ryone Says ‘I Love You’” recorded in 1932 when “Horse Feathers” was released that we need to hear another one!

So here’s Isham Jones with his great band with violinist/vocalist Eddie Stone on Victor Records:

Always classy!

"Ev'ryone Says 'Love You'" (1932)

Also from my collection is the sheet music for another Kalmar & Ruby song, the delightful "Ev'ryone Says 'I Love You'" from the 1932 movie “Horse Feathers” starring the Marx Brothers. 

It’s really fun that each brother gets to perform the song within the movie! 

There were a few commercial recordings of the song at the time and they’re all good, but I really like this one by Russ Carlson and his Orchestra on Crown Records:

I especially enjoy the vocal by Elmer Feldkamp! 

I’ll throw it out there that “Horse Feathers” is my favorite Marx Brothers movie! 

One thing not to sleep on is that the back cover of the sheet music is this awesome ad for another Paramount picture from 1932:

"Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" (1933) - Part 2!

Hey, let’s hear another snappy version of "Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" from 1933’s RKO saucy feature “Hips Hips Hooray” starring Wheeler & Woolsey! 

Here’s Adrian’s Ramblers, led by bass saxophonist Adrian Rollini, on Brunswick Records:

 

Prolific session vocalist Chick Bullock is on hand and the pickup group ostensibly features Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet, Charlie Barnet on tenor sax and Gene Krupa on drums! 

What a blast - and not just from the Adrian's ginormous sax!

"Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'" (1933)

So, I was watching the 1933 movie "Hips Hips Hooray" starring Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey and when Bert and Dorothy Lee started singing the song "Keep on Doin' What You're Doin'," I thought, "Hey! I have the sheet music for that!" 
One of my things is collecting sheet music of the songs from old movies and this is one of my favorites. 

My scan is at the top of the page. 

Then I was wondering if there were any vintage commercial recordings of the song. To my delight, I came across this one: 

Jack Teagarden backed by Benny Goodman singing song written by Kalmar & Ruby from a movie starring Wheeler & Woolsey? Wow, does that scratch my 1930s itch! 

What else can we find?