Name That Tune

[Fletch]

Experts stumped again

Those of you who have seen Gold Diggers of 1937 may recall Dick Powell leading a hall full of conventioneers in The Life Insurance Song:

You'll get piiiiie in the skyyyyy
You'll get pie in the sky when you die die die
If you buy buy buy life insuuu-rance

Those of you who have not seen Gold Diggers of 1937 at least have an excuse.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Drat -- I taped that picture off TCM recently, but havent gotten round to watching it yet!

It'd make a good pairing with "There's No One With Endurance Like the Man Who Sells Insurance"

 

[topcat]

Alrighty...this one's one of the jumpinest in all the kingdom of swingdom,
The opening lyrics,
"When we strolled through the moonlight,
you said IIIII LOVE YOU, but......

From the year 1941.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"...the wise old owl said WHOOOO WHOOOO WHOO?"

"The Wise Old Owl," one of the first big hits of the BMI/ASCAP music war. It was all over the radio during the first few months of 1941

 

[topcat]

That is correct! Done by the wonderful Al Donahue orchestra.
The Wise Old Owl in the old oak tree.........those owls seem to
pop up here and there during moonlight strolls of the great american song book......If only the lovers involved would take their advice......
Well, you're up Ms Maine, glad you knew this one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

OK, here's an easy one -- a very clever lyric from 1934:


"Someone else will shoes-and-rice her, someone else will paradise her..."

 

[Nonchalant]

"You're Gonna Lose Your Gal" (Young-Monaco)

I think that one was published in 1933, actually. Took me a few hours to figure out the song, but once I remembered the melody it came back to me. A catchy tune, for sure.

The Depression might have been a hard time for many, but it sure was a glorious age in popular songwriting.

I've heard 3 different recordings of the song, but my personal favorite is by Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra, with Nelson handling the vocal.

 

[Nonchalant]

Here's a novelty song from 1930...

You're going up, up, up in my estimation
I want a thousand shares of your caresses, too

 

[Fletch]

I'm In The Market For You, recorded by George Olsen's Music and sung by Fred MacMurray, then one of their saxophone players.

(Fred got one vocal feature with Gus Arnheim's band in 1930 as well. You would never recognize his voice from either of them.)

Now then, this advice to the fairer sex:

If you're seen anywhere with your hat off
Have a marcelle wave in your hair

???

 

[LizzieMaine]

Gee whiz, that was Fred MacMurray on that record??? I figured it was Fran Frey on an off day or something -- fascinating!!

I know the answer to this one, but I'm gonna hold back and give someone else a chance!

 

[Fletch]

I once knew a guy whose singing voice was so close to Fran Frey's it would have caused amazement if anybody knew who the hell Fran Frey was.

Big of you holding off on the tune. Whose record did you hear? (well you - hey! I bet you've seen the movie.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

Oh yes, that's one of my favorite Eddie Cantor pictures (big clue.) I have the Abe Lyman recording, and also a Canadian Bluebird pressing by some Montreal orchestra whose name escapes me...

 

[Fletch]

AFAIK, the only Bluebird was by the Bill Scotti band, out of the Hotel Montclair in NY. RCA didn't do any recording in Canada after '32.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I''ll have to see if I can find the record -- all I can remember about it is that it's a buff Bluebird label with an RCA Victor Company of Canada credit -- and I bought it at La Marche du Disque in Montreal many years ago!

 

[dhermann1]

Keep Young and Beautiful!

Keep young and beautiful, It's your duty to be beautiful. Keep young and beautiful, if you want to be loved!
Certainly not politically correct! But a cute tune, nonetheless.
Hey, everyone! Wish me luck! I just got the chassis from my Zenith back from the shop today. It's all recapped, retubed and restored. Now all I have to do is put it back together. This will be the challenge of a lifetime!
So, now it's my turn. Hmmm . . .
"We walked together through April rains . . ."

 

[Fletch]

...the city streets were country lanes.
Have You Forgotten the You and Me that Used to Be?"

Sweet ballad about urban romance on the cheap. They loved the organ grinder's ragtime tune, paid a nickel just to look at the
moon.

This next one comes from a 1935 hit - no picture, no show, just tin pan.
Cause each day's cold and grey
Won't you chase the clouds away?
I can't endure
That temp'rature

 

[Fletch]

No soap, eh?
The title is Weather Man. Recorded by Adrian Rollini with Wingy Mannone on the hep vocal, and by George Hall's CBS ork featuring darlin' Dolly Dawn.

I'll let someone else name the next puzzler...

 

[CharlieH.]

I'll do it! From a british tune from 1933:

Now, I went on my holidays
Down to the gay seaside
I saw a lot of things there
Being hidden by the tide

 

[LizzieMaine]

Could that perchance be "Why Don't Women Like Me?" George Formby?

 

[CharlieH.]

That's the one!
I haven't heard much of him, but George Formby is becoming a favourite of mine. Your turn Lizzie.