"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!

"To-Morrow is Another Day" (1937) - Part 2!

For another version of "To-Morrow is Another Day" from 1937's MGM feature "A Day at the Races," we welcome back Ted Fio Rito and his Orchestra and vocalist Muzzy Marcellino on Decca Records:

Much snappier tempo here!

Of note is that Ted Fio Rito had recorded another song with the same title for Victor Records in 1930:

That song is from the Warner Brothers film "Big Boy," but I won't share the sheet music as it features star Al Jolson in his typical makeup of the period.

I like the band arrangement, but Billy White's vocal sounds awfully dated, even for 1930. I think Muzzy Marcellino's arrival a few years later was an upgrade!

"To-Morrow is Another Day" (1937)

We return to the Marx Brothers with their second movie for MGM, "A Day at the Races" from 1937!

I agree with the prevailing opinion that it's not as good as their previous picture, "A Night at the Opera" although it has some very funny scenes. It drags more than "Opera" when the Brothers aren't onscreen and is just a bit too long.

In any event, Allan Jones is back as the pseudo-Zeppo character and one of the songs he sings is "To-Morrow is Another Day."

Here's a budget label version by Vincent Travers and his Orchestra:

I see a reference on YouTube that vocalist Buddy Blaisdell is actually Jimmy Blair, but I can't find any other confirmation. A comparison definitely indicates they do sound alike!

As for the song, it's interesting that the sheet music uses the now-archaic spelling of "To-Morrow" in the title!

And did Scarlett O'Hara hear the song somewhere?

"720 in the Books" (1939)

I recently said that I thought Jan Savitt was underrated and I stand by that, although I'm thinking he's not really rated at all these days!

In any event, let's listen to Jan's most famous number, "720 in the Books," recorded for Decca Records in 1939 with the great "Bon Bon" (George Tunnell) on the vocal:

I absolutely love that record! It's got the Savitt band shuffle rhythm going all the way through.

I think George Tunnell was a great vocalist, one of the best band singers!

I can't imagine it was easy for him to be basically the only Black band member touring with an otherwise White band, but he and Jan Savitt made it work and left some terrific records behind!

"Lovelight in the Starlight" (1938) - Part 2!

Not to sleep on is the back cover of the sheet music for 1938's "Lovelight in the Starlight" featuring a puffy biography of "Her Jungle Love" star Dorothy Lamour's then-husband Herbie Kay!

Dorothy recorded "Lovelight in the Starlight" for Brunswick Records backed by Herbie's band, which is pretty fun, so let's give it a listen:

Dottie was all that, wasn't she?

"Lovelight in the Starlight" (1938)

Here's a nice sheet music for the song "Lovelight in the Starlight" from the Paramount picture "Her Jungle Love" from 1938, featuring Dorothy Lamour (then-wife of bandleader Herbie Kay for our our purposes)!

Let's listen to a nice recording of the song by another underrated band, Jan Savitt and his Top Hatters on Bluebird Records:

Nice vocal by also underrated Carlotta Dale!

"When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba" (1946)

I had just mentioned that I was familiar with Country Washburne from his work with Ted Weems, Spike Jones and Red Ingle.

The first time I remember seeing his name was on the label of one of Spike's "Other Orchestra" records.

So, here it is, the 1946 RCA Victor recording of "When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba" by Spike Jones and his Other Orchestra featuring Joe "Country" Washburne:

That's some serious tuba chops!

This remake of the 1931 Herman Hupfield song was the flipside of Spike's most notable Other Orchestra record, the title song of the movie "Laura," so we need to hear that too:

One of Spike's best! I'm sure many listeners were caught off-guard when the City Slickers took over!

Spike and Del Porter are center front, Red Ingle is back center and Country is top right!