Oh Lydia, Oh Lydia, That Encyclopidia ...

The third and final disc of this set. This time we have tracks from At The Circus, Go West, and The Big Store. Okay, admit it - how many people never heard of the latter two films? The Big Store story (imdb.com) is "A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager." Starring as "Tommy" is Tony Martin, who conveniently contributes a couple of vocal offerings just in case someone went to the theater to see something other than the Marx Brothers. Though I can't imagine what would drive such a person to do so. At The Circus, of course, features Captain Spaulding extolling the virtues of one Miss Lydia. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. At The Circus: Generique - Orchestre
2. At The Circus: Step Up And Take A Bow - Florencer Rice
3. At The Circus: Two Blind Loves/Train Musique/Beer Barrel Polka - Florence Rice/Kenny Backer/Orchestre/Chico Marx
4. At The Circus: Lydia The Tattoed Lady - Groucho Marx
5. At The Circus: Swingali/Blue Moon - Groucho Marx/Harpo Marx/Kenny Backer
6. At The Circus: Two Blind Loves - Kenny Backer
7. At The Circus: Circus/Step Up And Take A Bow/Circus & Generique Fin - Orchestre
8. Go West: Generique - Orchestre
9. Go West: You Can't Argue With Love - June McCloy/Groucho Marx
10. Go West: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
11. Go West: Riding The Range - John Carroll/The Marx Brothers
12. Go West: My Bony/Theme Harpe (Non Identifie) - The Marx Brothers/Harpo Marx
13. Go West: Generique Fin - Orchestre
14. The Big Store: Generique - Orchestre
15. The Big Store: If It's You - Tony Martin
16. The Big Store: Sing While You Sell - Groucho Marx
17. The Big Store: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
18. The Big Store: Harpo's Bazar - Harpo Marx
19. The Big Store: Tenement Symphony - Tony Martin/Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
20. The Big Store: Generique Fin - Orchestre

Hail, Hail, Fredonia!

As promised, here is Disc Two of the Marx Brothers soundtracks. Here we have Duck Soup, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races, and a mere two tracks from Room Service. "Guest" vocalists include Kitty Carlisle and Alan Jones, the latter getting his big break in 1935's A Night At The Opera.

Enjoy. +

Disc Two

1. Duck Soup: Generique - Orchestre
2. Duck Soup: His Excellency Is Due - Margaret Dumont/Zeppo Marx
3. Duck Soup: Hymn To Fredonia - Margaret Dumont/Groucho Marx
4. Duck Soup: Fredonia Is Going To War - The Marx Brothers
5. Duck Soup: Generique Fin - Margaret Dumont/Orchestre
6. A Night At The Opera: Generique - Orchestre
7. A Night At The Opera: Alone - Kitty Carlisle/Alan Jones
8. A Night At The Opera: Chansons Italiennes - Choeurs/Orchestre
9. A Night At The Opera: Cosi Cosa/Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Alan Jones/Chico Marx
10. A Night At The Opera: Alone - Harpo Marx
11. A Night At The Opera: Le Trouvere - Kitty Carlisle/Alan Jones
12. A Night At The Opera: Generique Fin - Orchestre
13. A Day At The Races: Generique - Orchestre
14. A Day At The Races: Blue Venetian Water - Alan Jones
15. A Day At The Races: Prelude En Do Mineur Op.23/Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
16. A Day At The Races: Blue Venetian Water - Harpo Marx
17. A Day At The Races: Tomorrow Is Another Day/A Message From The Man In The Moon/All God's Chillun... - Alan Jones/Crinoline Choeurs
18. A Day At The Races: Generique Fin - The Marx Brothers/Alan Jones
19. Room Service: R.K.O. Signature/Generique - Orchestre
20. Room Service: Trad (Non Identifie) Generique Fin - The Marx Brothers/Orchestre

Whatever It Is, I'm Against It

Although this isn't jazz, it is of the period. This set of soundtracks from the Marx Brothers films comes from Chanson Cinéma, the same people who put out the Paris-Hollywood cd that I posted a couple of years ago. They also have a three-cd set of soundtrack Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, which will also be posted here some day. Today's offering includes songs and chatter from Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, and Horse Feathers. Although it sounds as if someone merely digitized these from analog sources, I don't know if anyone else has ever bothered to put everything together on cd. Plus, I think that Chanson Cinéma does a good job with packaging, and we consumers know that packaging is everything. Right? Discs two and three will be posted in the days to come. And remember - I don't know what they have to say, It makes no difference anyway, Whatever it is, I'm against it..No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it. Enjoy. +

Disc One

1. Cocoanuts: Generique/Flo-Florida By The Sea - Orchestre/Choeurs
2. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Mary Eaton/Oscar Shaw
3. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Harpo Marx
4. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True - Harpo Marx
5. Cocoanuts: Monkey Doodle Doo - Mary Eaton/Orchestre
6. Cocoanuts: I Want My Shirt - Basile Ruysdael
7. Cocoanuts: Theme Piano (Titre Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
8. Cocoanuts: When My Dreams Come True/Generique Fin - Mary Eaton/Orchestre
9. Animal Crackers: Generique/Butler's Song - Orchestre/Robert Greig
10. Animal Crackers: Hooray For Captain Spaulding - Margaret Dumont/Zeppo Marx/Groucho Marx
11. Animal Crackers: Titre (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
12. Animal Crackers: Why Am I So Romantic - Lillian Roth/Louis Sorin/Harpo Marx
13. Animal Crackers: Generique Fin - Orchestre
14. Monkey Business: Generique - Orchestre
15. Monkey Business: Sweet Adeline - Groucho Marx/Zeppo Marx /Chico Marx/Harpo Marx
16. Monkey Business: Titre Non Identifie - Orchestre
17. Monkey Business: Theme Piano (Non Identifie) - Chico Marx
18. Monkey Business: O Sole Mio - Maxime Castle/Harpo Marx
19. Monkey Business: Theme Harpe - Harpo Marx
20. Monkey Business: Generique Fin - Orchestre
21. Horse Feathers: Generique - Orchestre
22. Horse Feathers: I'm Against It - Groucho Marx
23. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Zeppo Marx
24. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Chico Marx
25. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Harpo Marx
26. Horse Feathers: Everyone Says I Love You - Groucho Marx
27. Horse Feathers: Generique Fin - Orchestre

A Little Door, A Little Lock, A Little Key

(updated links)
One week ago today jazz discographer and historian Brian Rust passed away at the age of 89. I think it's safe to say that most of us wouldn't know what little we do without his monumental works over the past several decades (all done before the advent of personal computers, mind you). I sure wouldn't. Thank you, Mr. Rust. Rest in peace.

The title of today's post is one of my favorite Wingy recordings, though most of his sides are a lot of fun to listen to. From Allmusic.com, "1935 and '36 were red-hot years for Fats Waller, and many musicians deliberately chose to record songs which had quickly become closely associated with him. Wingy Manone was capable of covering such tunes without sounding like an imitator. Unlike Waller's slow, almost erotic version, Wingy's "Sweet and Slow" trots along as briskly as "Lulu's Back in Town." Other songs popularized by Waller and revisited here are "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" and the cheerful "I've Got My Fingers Crossed." Wingy's bands during this time period featured reedmen Bud Freeman, Eddie Miller, Matty Matlock and Joe Marsala, and two of the sessions were bolstered by the presence of trombonists Jack Teagarden and George Brunies. Teagarden plays exceptionally fine trombone on the records made in October of 1935. His vocal contributions, however, consist only of spoken interjections. Johnny Mercer is heard making his own remarks during both takes of "I've Got a Note." Teagarden engages in a bit of conversation with Wingy on take one. Take two is markedly faster and hotter. Wingy was capable of singing and playing practically any song that came along. He performs "The Music Goes 'Round and Around" as if it had been written just for him, and takes on Louis Armstrong's "Old Man Mose" without flinching. "The Broken Record" comes as a pleasant surprise, giving the singer and band a chance to imitate a skipping record as the phrases "you're gorgeous," "I kiss you" and "I love you" each get stuck and are repeated six times apiece. (Note that this immortalizes the hasty rate at which 78 rpm records skip. It's much different from a 33-and-1/3 rpm skip.) Finally, as the trombone gets stuck in the same repetitious manner, Wingy says "Man, take that broken record offa there, and throw it out the window!" Enjoy.
+

Tracks

1. Sweet and Slow
2. Lulu's Back in Town
3. Let's Swing It
4. A Little Door, A Little Lock, A Little Key
5. Love and Kisses
6. Rhythm Is Our Business
7. From the Top of Your Head
8. Takes Two to Make a Bargain
9. A Smile Will Go a Long, Long Way
10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter)
11. Every Now and Then
12. I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'
13. You Are My Lucky Star
14. I've Got a Note
15. I've Got a Note
16. I'm Shooting High
17. The Music Goes 'Round and Around
18. You Let Me Down
19. I've Got My Fingers Crossed
20. (If I Had) Rhythm in My Nursery Rhymes
21. Old Man Mose
22. The Broken Record
23. Please Believe Me

How To Eat In A Cafeteria

Happy New Year, everyone! This record combines three of my favorites - Artie Shaw's music, the comedy of Robert Benchley, and old time radio. Two shows are presented here, the Old Gold "Melody & Madness" episodes from January 22nd and April 2, 1939. There are also some extra live band remotes from 1938-1939. Benchley was a member of the infamous Algonquin Round Table, wrote several books, and of course worked in film and radio. The Melody & Madness show resulted of his popularity, however he was not involved in the writing of it, and predictably the show was cancelled in 1939. Although I like Shaw's music, there is nothing out of the ordinary here except to hear that Shaw's band sounds just as good live. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Introduction / Comedy By Benchley
2. Rose Room
3. Benchley
4. My Reverie
5. Downbeat Award
6. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
7. Comedy (Bounding Broomstick)
8. Oh! Lady Be Good
9. Introduction / Comedy By Benchley
10. One Foot in the Groove
11. Comedy (How to Eat in a Cafeteria)
12. Nightmare
13. I'm in Love With the Honorable Mr. So and So
14. Comedy (Bounding Broomstick)
15. I'm Coming Virginia
16. Introduction / Out Of Nowhere
17. Two Blind Loves
18. Serenade to a Savage
19. I Surrender Dear
20. Hold Your Hats