April Fool! - Silly songs from the Big Band Era

Today being April Fools day, I've decided to serve up a few silly songs from the Big Band era.  No Spike Jones today, but lots of other good stuff.  Got your whoopee cushions ready?  Then off we go ...

The Internet doesn't contain a lot of information about British Music Hall star Cyril Smith.  He appeared on both sides of this 1937 recording by Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees.  "The Old Sow Song" is an amusing collection of rude noises rolled up into an effective comedy routine built around an old English song.  Vallee announces the record, and playfully gives the song's title as "I Heard Three Birds" in reference to the three blasts that punctuate the song.  This record became a runaway hit and old-timers say that it was one of the first records to really sell well as the Great Depression began to slightly ease.

Download The Old Sow Song.mp3

Barely a week after "The Old Sow Song" was recorded, Tommy Dorsey headed to the studio with a hand-picked group of musicians from his band and recorded the classic parody record "Are All My Favorite Bands Playing Or Am I Dreaming." The record was based on a current pop tune of the time, "Am I Dreaming," which Dorsey himself also recorded.  But on this version -- originally released anonymously -- his musicians ham it up to produce one of the most hilariously over-the-top parodies of "sweet" or "society" bands eve recorded.  If you're familiar with sweet bands like Guy Lombardo or Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm (whom they really go after) then you will appreciate the damage done here.  The vocalist is tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, whose phony pretentious British accent adds the final icing on the cake.

Download Are all My Favorite Bands Playing Or Am I Dreaming.mp3

The Teddy Powell Orchestra is largely forgotten today, but from 1939 until 1942 they were an extremely popular attraction in New York City and on the CBS Radio Network.  In 1941 they waxed this classic ode to the Bronx Cheer, "Serenade To A Maid," written by John Jacob Loeb.  In the process of saturating RCA Victor's microphones with spittle, they also manage to take a good shot at the Sammy Kaye and Blue Barron bands, whose leaders liked to introduce their singers in the middle of songs.

Download Serenade To A Maid.mp3

Our final bit of nonsense comes from the late 1940's, when Benny Goodman signed an exclusive contract with Capitol records.  "The Happy Blues" by "The Hollywood Hucksters" features a bit of good-natured ribbing between Goodman (still "The King Of Swing") and Capitol's top bandleader at the time, the progressive Stan Kenton.  And along the way you'll hear some great jazz solos by Benny Carter on alto, Benny Goodman on clarinet, and Charlie Shavers on trumpet.

Download Happy Blues.mp3

Comments

[BJ]

I am trying to find a song from the past that keeps coming into my head. It is something like "Hot shot roy sittin on a rilaroy and a boiler boiler suet" or something to that effect. Can you tell me what that is?

[Lyn]

I too was looking for The Hut Sut Song and found the full lyrics at Lyricsvault.net mp3

[Ed davis]

Hi all I am desperatly trying to find an mp3 of Albert Richardsons' The old sow, and I am really struggling. please help me

[Clarissa Smith]

Hello,

I'm deeply impressed and as this homepage looks rather professional: Is this kind of shop?

So I didn't dare to load something down.

I was looking for a certain recording of "As Time Goes By" of the 30s, but I think it was recorded after 1931. The trumpeter in it must have been Bunny Berigan and as I remember, the orchestra-leaders name was Gott. Once I had it on Cassette, from a radio program.

Now I'm quite surprised to find this Rudy Vallee recording here, which is very beautiful too.

Sincerely,
Clarissa Smith