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In honor of Repeal Day, here is a re-post of a previous offering. On this day in 1933, the state of Utah (of all places!) ratified the 21st Amendment, thus forming the three-fourths majority necessary to amend the US Constitution. More about Repeal Day here.
Page Mr. Volstead is the name of this blog, taken from Bob Miller's 1930 recording on Champion 16024-B. Other than Chick Bullock, I often scan auctions for interesting titles. This one leaped out, and I was lucky enough to win it at a low price. I've yet to find another copy since, though I keep looking for one. You can read more about Miller and pick up a cd here). Though I favor jazz from the 1920s and 1930s, it was more often country music that gave voice to the common man. Miller had a string of hits doing just that. Mr. Volstead, of course, was the [ahem] brave Senator who introduced the bill - while over 4 million servicemen were conveniently at war in Europe - that became the18the Amendment (don't get me started on his modern-day counterparts). As we all know, Prohibition was a colossal failure on many levels, and though.alcohol may have been illegal, to say that everybody was doing it was not far off the mark (see Miller's lyrics after the track listings). The rest of this selection all revolve around the theme of drinking, or going out to drink, more or less based on the song title and even the band name, if nothing else. Most of the artists should be familiar to everyone, with the bulk of songs coming from my own 78s. I am still struggling to find the "optimal" point of audio restoration, in between doing too little and doing too much, neither of which is pleasurable listening. Please give feedback about the sound quality, it will greatly help future efforts. Big thanks to Radiola for help with audio tips and the use of a couple of transcriptions, and to Big Harlan Taylor and his posse for help with the graphics. Enjoy. +
Tracks
1. Billy Murray - The Alcoholic Blues (Columbia A2702) 1919
2. Clarence Williams - Speakeasy
3. All Star Collegians - Do You Think A Little Drink'll Do Us Any Harm (v.Tom Brown) Perfect 15509-B (1931)
4. Duke Ellington - Cocktails For Two (take 1)
5. Cab Calloway and His Orchestra - Hot Toddy (1932)
6. Miff Mole's Molers - A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight (1927)
7. Bob Haring and His Orchestra - Madeira (Cameo 691) 1925
8. Bar Harbor Society Orchestra - Vamp Me (Vocalion B 14448) 1922
9. Halfway House Orchestra - Barataria (Okeh 40318 B)
10. High Hatters - Medley of Drinking Songs Part 1(Victor 24299) 1933
11. All Star Trio and Their Orchestra - I'm Laughing All The Time (Victor 18835-B) 1921
12. Bob Haring and His Orchestra - Doing The Town (Cameo 683) 1924
13. Ted Lewis and His Band - Tiger Rag (Columbia 36301) 1926
14. Earl Shirkey and Roy Harper - When The Roses Bloom for the Bootlegger Col 15326-D (1928)
15. Frank Crumit - I Married the Bootlegger's Daughter (1925) 19739-A
16. King Oliver - Speakeasy Blues
17. Stuff Smith - Old Joe's Hittin' The Jug
18. Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang - In the Bottle Blues
19. Louis Armstrong and Savoy Ballroom Five - Tight Like This
20. Luis Russell and His Orchestra - It's Tight Like That
21. Bob Miller - Five Cent Glass Of Beer (Champion 16024-A) 1930
22. Troubadours - After Every Party (Victor 19011-A) 1923
23. Wingy Manone and His Orchestra - Weary Blues (Decca 7415-B) 1930
24. Gene Austin - St. James Infirmary (Victor 22299-A) 1930
25. Chick Bullock - Alcoholic Ward Blues B09374A 1930 Oriole 1903
26. Pine Top Smith - I'm Sober Now (Brunswick 80009) 1929
27. Bob Miller - Page Mr Volstead (Champion 16024-B) 1930
Page Mr. Volstead
by Bob Miller
This country was a desert long ago
And early settlers died of thirst they say
Some think it's drying up again, you know
I wonder how they get that way
Page Mr. Volstead, Page Mr. Volstead
Here comes Father with another load of gin
Brother Willie broke the rules
And he staggered home from school
Sister Susie totes a flask, ain't that sin?
Now they all take it
Know how to make it
As a cocktail mixer, Grandma is a wow!
Baby smiles and says "goo-goo"
For a bottle of home brew
And Grandpa is hijacking, Page Mr. Volstead now!
Mr. Volstead, Oh, Mr. Volstead
Uncle Henry is a Congressman, you know
He drinks his stuff on the sly
When he's sober he goes dry
Cousin Joe's a snooper, he makes lots of dough!
And brother Andy
Is making brandy
One drink makes you see more than three stars, I vow!
Lots of folks were deaf and dumb
'Til they started drinkin' rum
And now they all "speakeasy"
Page Mr. Volstead now!
Oh, Mr. Volstead - now, Mr. Volstead
You say Prohibition is dear to your heart
You think that law is okay
You say it will work, some way
But I wish you'd tell me when it's gonna start
The butcher, baker and undertaker
Everybody's selling it today, and how!
All sing 'Coming through the Rye'
That bootlegger's lullaby
Oh, keep the home-still burning
Page Mr. Volstead now!
15 comments:
For the fraction of a second I read it as if this was a repost from 1933:
"In honor of Repeal Day, here is a re-post of a previous offering on this day in 1933."
So... congratulation, maybe not for the oldest blogs, but one of the finest :)
Cheers!
Sound quality is fine. I have a couple of friends in their late 80s who grew up on 78s and they always complain that CD re-issues remove the bass. The tracks on this compilation with strong bass still have it intact so I'm sure they would approve. And I really appreciate you going to the trouble of adding ambient crackle to selected tracks for atmosphere.
Seriously, good job and thanks for your other postings - this is the only blog I've found where I actually own paid for copies of most of the music but one I don't have is the Charlie Palloy - would you kindly re-up if possible. Thank you.
Hey, ambient crackle is what I strive for! ;-) The advice I rec'd was to do what I can, but not to do too much. As long as they sound better than certain youtube efforts though, I'll be satisfied.
hello from France, Mr Volstead !!!
congratulations for your nice blog.
i wonder : what is the password to download one of these recordings ?
from a french collector of old 78 rpm,
Alain Fauconnier
Bienvenue! Le mot secret est 'volstead'.
For those who may be interested, more than three hours of the recent PBS documentary on Prohibition (by filmmaker Ken Burns) is available for viewing from the PBS website (pbs.org). The videos can be downloaded via third-party programs such as StreamTransport.
Ready to enjoy again.
Dear Mr. Proudfoot,
I am very eager to hear and ideally own an MP3 of Chick Bullock's recording of "Ace in the Hole". I understand this was the earliest known recording of the 1909 song. It was a song my grandfather sang, and I am trying to get a hold of all recorded versions of it. By the way, this is a great blog you have here! Thanks, Rich Krueger richard.krueger@yahoo.com
Glad you like the site, Rich. Unfortunately I have never been able to get a copy of that song where the asking price wasn't too high for the quality offered.
Thanks for assembling this excellent collection.
If you make a supplement to it, you might want to check out some more of the earliest songs.
The ones I think of right off are:
Bert Williams: The Moon Shines on the Moonshine
Everybody Wants a Key to My Cellar
Ten Little Bottles
Ester Walker: Blues (My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me)
Sahara (We'll Soon Be Dry Like You)
What’cha Gonna Do When there Ain’t No Jazz? (1920)
Billy Murray (or Bing Crosby & Trudy Erwin): (I'll See You in) C-U-B-A
(Both terrific recordings. Murray sings second verse. Berlin wrote a tricky, clever counterpoint to the chorus for the Crosby movie version.)
Nora Bayes: Prohibition Blues
Frank Crumit: I Don't Work for a Living
The Pig Got Up and Slowly Walked Away
Show Me the Way to Go Home
from the Jazz Age:
Clifford Hayes' Dixieland Jug Blowers: Garden of Joy Blues
Hello, Montreal! - I've heard versions by Harry Reser's Six Jumping Jacks, The Jazz Pilots, and Waring's Pennsylvanians
And celebrating repeal:
Bill Cox: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again
If there's something intriguing you don't have or can't find, let me know.
Great songs there, Hoyle. I do plan on a supplement when I find the time. I've posted the Waring version of Hello Montreal, as well as 2 of the Crumit tunes. Somewhere I've got that version of C-U-B-A, but it may not be a copy worthy of posting. I'd love to hear the Nora Bayes, Bert Williams, Bill Cox & Esther Walker tunes. I may even have them in mp3, but if so then they're part of an hour-long show (Radiola).
Great stuff.
Here is one song I sure hope you can find and post because I can't find it anywhere.
The Dry Votin', Wet Drinkin', Better-Than-Thou Hypocritical Blues by Bob Miller
Any chance of a repost on this one?
Thanks, and best, R
There is always a chance of getting this reposted. Enjoy.
Thanks for the repost! You've got some terrific music here.
Best, R.
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