100 years ago: Henry Burr hit #1 with “My Buddy”

My Buddy Henry Burr

Writer(s): Walter Donaldson (music), Gus Kahn (words) (see lyrics here) First Charted: November 4, 1922 Peak: 11 US, 6 GA, 12 SM (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.19 video, 0.07 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “My Buddy” was the first hit for Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. Donaldson previously had hits with “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm After They’ve Seen Paree?” and “My Mammy” while Kahn had written lyrics for “Pretty Baby” and “Ain’t We Got Fun?” The pair went on to work together on “Makin’ Whoopee,” “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” “Carolina in the Morning,” and “Love Me or Leave Me” and wrote more hits with other partners. Both were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The song “My Buddy” became a favorite in vaudeville, DJ popularized by Al Jolson. TY2 It was “quite a tearjerker.” TY2 It is “an old-fashioned ballad that brought back people’s memories of a time before the war,” SM allowing them “to express their grief now that part of their life was no longer there.” SM The lyrics say, “Life is a book that we study / Some of its leaves bring a sigh / There it was written by a buddy/ That we must part you and I / Nights are long since you went away / I think about you all through the day.” “My Buddy” was the last of Henry Burr’s twenty-three chart-toppers as a solo artist or with Albert Campbell. He had 164 chart entries total and is considered “the #1 ballad singer of recorded music’s 1890-1930 pioneer era.” PM He was the first to chart with “My Buddy” and his was the most successful. There were also chart versions by Ernest Hare (#5, 1923), Ben Bernie (#11, 1923), and Sammy Kaye (#23, 1942). PM The song has also been recorded by Gene Autry, Chet Baker, Count Basie, Teresa Brewer, Benny Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, Dr. John, Connie Francis, Glenn Frey, Stan Getz, Jackie Gleason, Eydie Gormé, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Jeff Healey, Earl Hines, Lena Horne, Harry James, Mario Lanza, Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, the Mills Brothers, Anne Murray, Dinah Shore, Nancy Sinatra, Kate Smith, Kay Starr, Barbra Streisand, Mel Tormé, Barry White, and Bob Wills. The song was featured in the movie Wings (1927), the Gus Kahn biopic I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951), The Black Marble (1980), and Buddy in 1997. TY2 Resources: DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 139. SM Sharon Mawer Charts (1900-1968) TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 124. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Pages 65-70 and 553. Related Links: First posted 4/25/2023.

“I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” gets lucky 21 years after it first charted (2/21/1948)

I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover Art Mooney

Writer(s): Mort Dixon/Harry Woods (see lyrics here) First Charted: January 24, 1948 Peak: 15 US, 12 HP, 11 GA, 14 AU, 2 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): , 2.0 US (includes 1.0 in sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: It isn’t often a song waits 21 years to hit #1, but it took that long for “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” to get lucky. The song was written by Harry Woods and Mort Dixon in 1927. Woods was a Tin Pan Alley lyricist who wrote the million-selling songs “When the Red Red Robin Comes Bobbing Along” (1926) and “Side by Side” (1927). AMG-1 Meanwhile, Mort Dixon did some songwriting for Broadway and Hollywood and also wrote hits such as “That Old Gang of Mine” (1923), and “Bye Bye Blackbird” (1926). AMG-2 Their collaborative efforts on “Clover” found success on April 30, 1927 when two versions of the song charted simultaneously. Nick Lucas took the song to #2 while Ben Bernie went to #3. Two weeks later, Jean Goldkette hit the charts with Billy Murray. Theirs hit #10. PM In 1948, “Four-Leaf Clover” had a resurgence when six different acts charted with the song, including the Uptown String Band, Russ Morgan, Alvino Rey, The Three Suns, and Arthur Godfrey. PM However, the first and biggest of the batch was Art Mooney’s #1 version which featured Mike Pingatore. Originally the banjo player with bandleader Paul Whiteman JA on hits such as 1923’s “Linger Awhile,” TY Pingatore forged a heavy-strumming style which became a blueprint for Dixieland banjoists. JA-99 The song also took on a life beyond the charts. It has become Warner Brothers cartoon favorite, used for Bugs Bunny (Operation Rabbit), Daffy Duck and the Tasmanian Devil (Ducking the Devil), and Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner (Fast and Furry-ous). WK It was parodied as “I’m Looking Over My Dead Dog Rover”, first by Kevin Gershon in 1973 and again by Hank Stu Dave and Hank in 1977. The latter received play on Dr. Demento’s radio show. WK “Clover” has also become a campfire sing-a-long and Scouter favorite. JA Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Art Mooney AMG-1 All Music Guide (Harry Woods bio) AMG-2 All Music Guide (Mort Dixon bio) JA David A. Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 99. TY Don Tyler (1985). Hit Parade 1920-1955. New York, NY: Quill. Page 39. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Page 523. WK Wikipedia.org First posted 2/21/2012; last updated 8/6/2022.

On This Day (1927): Ben Bernie hit #1 with “Ain’t She Sweet”

Ain’t She Sweet Ben Bernie & His Roosevelt Orchestra with vocals by Scrappy Lambert and Billy Hillpot

Writer(s): Milton Ager (music), Jack Yellen (words) (see lyrics here) Recorded: January 28, 1927 First Charted: April 30, 1927 Peak: 14 US, 2 GA, 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.46 video, 0.16 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Ain’t She Sweet” and “Happy Days Are Here Again,” both written by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen, became symbols of the Roaring Twenties, WK a time when “stubbornly determined American resilience and optimism in the face of hard times.” SS Ironically, though, Ben Selvin’s Orchestra introduced the latter song on October 24, 1929 – the day the stock market crashed when “a frenzy of cascading rumor and panic led to nearly 13 million shares of stock trading hands in one day, with thousands of accounts being wiped out, sweeping aside the prosperity of previous years in one devastating 24-hour period.” SS Lou Gold and His Orchestra recorded the song first on January 17, 1927, SH but the most successful recording was made 11 days later SH by Ben Bernie and His Roosevelt Orchestra. PM The former vaudeville performer previously had #1 hits with “Sweet Georgia Brown” in 1925 and “Sleepy Time Gal” in 1926. PM He wouldn’t reach the pinnacle again, but had 28 more chart hits for a total of 44 in all. PM According to SecondHandSongs.com, at least 16 versions of “Ain’t She Sweet” were recorded in 1927, including versions by Harry Richman, Nat Shilkret, and Paul Whiteman. WK Gene Austin and Johnny Marvin also had chart versions of it that year, reaching #4 and #14 respectively. PM The song resurfaced in 1949 when Mr. Goon Bones & Mr. Ford took it to #14. PM It was also recorded by Pearl Bailey, Bunny Berigan, Eddie Cantor, Nat “King” Cole, Tommy Dorsey, Erroll Garner, Harry James, Sammy Kaye, Guy Lombardo, Frank Sinatra, Big Joe Turner, Gene Vincent, and Lawrence Welk. WK The Beatles recorded it in June 1961 during their first professional recording session. WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Ben Bernie DMDB encyclopedia entry for Milton Ager SH SecondHandSongs.com SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 364. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Page 468. WK Wikipedia First posted 4/17/2021; last updated 9/6/2023.

50 years ago: “Sweet Georgia Brown” hit #1

Sweet Georgia Brown Ben Bernie

Writer(s): Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, Maceo Pinkard (see lyrics here) First Charted: June 27, 1925 Peak: 15 US, 2 GA, 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.46 video, 0.29 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The song that has become adopted in 1952 as the theme song for the Harlem Globetrotters WK was introduced in 1925 by Ben Bernie. He was born Benjamin Anzelevitz in New Jersey in 1891. He was a jazz violinist and vaudeville performer before he started a dance band and became a radio personality. He charted 44 songs from 1923 to 1936 with three chart-toppers – “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925), “Sleepy Time Gal” (1926), and “Ain’t She Sweet?” (1927). Bernie reportedly came up with the lyrical concept (although Kenneth Casey is the credited lyricist) after meeting Dr. George Thaddeus Brown, a member of the Georgia State House of Representatives. Brown told Bernie how the Georgia General Assembly had issued a declaration that his daughter, born in 1911, was to be named Georgia after the state. WK “The chorus lyrics assure us there is no gal has even been made like ‘Sweet Georgia Brown.’ She may have two left feet, but she is really neat. The only men she can’t attract are those she hasn’t met. The chorus ends with ‘Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, Sweet Georgia Brown.’” TY2 “Sweet Georgia Brown” became one of the most recorded songs during the pre-rock era. TY2 There have been chart versions by Brother Bones (#10, 1949), Bing Crosby (#2, 1932), Isham Jones (#5, 1925), and Ethel Waters (#6, 1925). PM The instrumental version by Brother Bones is the one adopted by the Harlem Globetrotters. WK Others to record the song included Louis Armstrong, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Cab Calloway, Roberta Flack, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Tony Sheridan with the Beatles, Nancy Sinatra, and Art Tatum. WK It has also been featured in musicals and movies including Broadway (1942), Some Like It Hot (1959), Bubbling Brown Sugar (1976), Oscar (1991), and Sweet and Low Down (1999). TY2 Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Ben Bernie DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 186. SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 590. TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 141. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Pages 52-4 and 587. WK Wikipedia First posted 4/25/2023.

50 years ago: Marion Harris hit #1 with “Tea for Two”

Tea for Two Marion Harris

Writer(s):Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar (see lyrics here) First Charted: January 24, 1925 Peak: 13 US, 3 GA, 2 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US (sheet music sales) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.05 video, -- streaming

Awards (Marion Harris) Awards (Art Tatum):

About the Song: This “charming boy/girl duet” LW was introduced by Louise Groody and John Barker in the Broadway musical comedy No, No, Nanette. JA The score was generally regarded as the best of composer Vincent Youman’s short career. He died from tuberculosis at 48. LW Meanwhile, lyricist Irving Caesar “demonstrates all the hallmarks of Tin Pan Alley craftsmanship, artfully simple and pleasingly full of rhymes and alliterations.” LW He was “the archetypical Tin Pan Alley cigar chomping, wisecracking showman” LW with more than a 1000 songs to his name upon his death at age 101 in 1996. The lyrics, which were dashed off in 5 minutes, were intended to be temporary, but were never changed. TY Marion Harris had the first charted version, taking it to #1 in 1925. That same year, the Benson Orchestra of Chicago landed at #5 with their instrumental version while Ben Bernie also had a top ten hit with the song. PM Other charted versions came from the Ipana Troubadours (#15, 1930) and Teddy Wilson (#18, 1937). PM Warren Covington had a million-selling cha-cha version with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (“Tea for Two Cha Cha,” #7, 1958). TY The song “is one of the most recorded standards of Tin Pan Alley,” JA having been covered by musicians as diverse as Russian classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who adapted the tune as “Tahiti Trot” in 1928, LW and jazz pianist Art Tatum (#18, 1939) whose instrumental version is “a masterclass in piano virtuosity.” LW Jazz musicians have particularly responded to the song because “the complex harmonic construction of the melody gives great scope for improvisation.” LW Tatum had played the song for years, even predating his initial 1933 recording of it at his debut solo recording session. Fellow musician Fats Waller once stopped in the middle of playing at New York Club when Art Tatum entered and announced, “I play piano, but God is in the house tonight!” SS Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Marion Harris DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Fats Waller DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Irving Caesar JA David A. Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 189. LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 50. PM Record Research’s Pop Memories 1890-1954 (1986). By Joel Whitburn. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Page 590. SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 598. TY Don Tyler (1985). Hit Parade 1920-1955. New York, NY: Quill. Page 132. Last updated 11/23/2022.