100 years ago: “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” hits #1

Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody Al Jolson with the Charles Prince Orchestra

Writer(s): Sam Lewis, Joe Young, Jean Schwartz (see lyrics here) First Charted: August 10, 1918 Peak: 18 US, 3 GA (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Crooner Bing Crosby once said of “Broadway’s most charismatic performer,” “Nobody could sell a song like Jolson.” LW “Rock-a-Bye” was one of his signature songs, debuting alongside 26 other musical numbers in the stage play Sinbad. PS The show, which starred Jolson in his familiar black face, LW opened at the Winter Garden on February 14, 1918 and ran for 164 performances. PS Jean Schwartz, who was a native Hungarian, wrote the music. His sister had studied under composer Franz Liszt and taught Schwartz to play piano. LW The lyrics were penned by Tin Pan Alley writers Sam Lewis and Joe Young, who also wrote for the vaudeville circuit and penned hits such as “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” and “Sitting on Top of the World.” Lewis had previously worked as a café singer while Young demoed songs for publishing houses. LW The “Stephen Foster sound-a-like song” even mentions the famous writer’s “Old Black Joe” and “Swanee River.” RCG Jolson took the song to #1 in 1918; that same year Arthur Fields’ version went to #9. Jolson integrated the song in his vaudeville act and performed the song in three films – 1939’s Rose of Washington Square, 1946’s The Jolson Story, and 1946’s Jolson Sings Again. The song was also featured in 1929’s The Show of Shows and 1944’s The Merry Monahans. PS The song resurfaced in 1956 as a top ten, million-selling hit for comedian Jerry Lewis JA and Aretha Franklin hit #37 with he song in 1961. Cher, Sammy Davis Jr., Connie Francis, Judy Garland, and Brenda Lee also recorded versions. RCG Resources: JA David A. Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 165. LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 40. PS ParlorSongs.com RCG RimChiGuy.com The Old Songs (1900-1929) Related Links: First posted 8/17/2016; last updated 11/24/2022.

100 years ago: “Just a Baby’s Prayer at Twilight” hit #1

Just a Baby’s Prayer at Twilight (For Her Daddy Over There) Henry Burr

Writer(s): M.K. Jerome (music), Sam M. Lewis (words), Joe Young (words) (see lyrics here) First Charted: April 1, 1918 Peak: 111 US, 18 GA, 18 SM (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 1.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.02 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Just a Baby’s Prayer at Twilight (For Her Daddy Over There)” is a “sweet ballad” TY2 “about those left behind when the men went off to fight in the war.” SM Specifically, this is a child’s prayer for her father overseas. This tearjerker “touched many hearts during the war.” TY2 The lyrics were written by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. The pair also collaborated on “Rockabye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (Al Jolson, #1, 1918), “I’m Sitting on Top of the World” (Al Jolson, #1, 1926), “Dinah” (Ethel Waters, #2, 1926), “In a Little Spanish Town” (Paul Whiteman, #1, 1927). The composer, M.K. Jerome, worked with Lewis and Young again on the song “Old Pal, Why Don’t You Answer Me?” It was a hit for Henry Burr, reaching #5 in 1921. The most successful version of “Just a Baby’s Prayer at Twilight” was also recorded by Burr. It “became the second biggest recorded hit of the decade.” TY2 He was “voicing the hopes that were being spoken by people, young and old.” SM There were other versions of the song by Prince’s Orchestra (#6), Edna White’s Trumpet Quartet (#7), and Charles Hart (#10) all released in 1918. PM Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1955. WK Resources: SM Sharon Mawer Charts (1900-1968) TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Pages 98-99. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Page 534. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 3/19/2023.

50 years ago: Paul Whiteman hit #1 with “My Mammy”

My Mammy Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra

Writer(s): Walter Donaldson (music), Sam Lewis (words), Joe Young (words) (see lyrics here) First Charted: May 7, 1921 Peak: 15 US, 12 GA, 13 SM (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards (Paul Whiteman): Click on award for more details. Awards (Al Jolson):

About the Song: Walter Donaldson wrote the music for “My Mammy” with lyrics by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis, Tin Pan Alley writers who wrote for the vaudeville circuit. LW Donaldson also wrote the music for “My Blue Heaven” and “Makin’ Whoopee” while Young and Lewis also penned lyrics for “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” and “Rockabye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody.” The trio previously wrote “How Ya Gonna Keep Em Down On The Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree).” A mammy was a slave who served as a surrogate mother. The song was written as a tribute from a grown man to his aging mammy, “proclaiming his unconditional love for her, hoping that despite her age she can still recognize him as her ‘little baby.’” WK William Frawley first performed the song in 1918 on vaudeville. Al Jolson, “Broadways’ most charistmatic performer,” LW then interpreted the song for the Broadway show Sinbad in 1921. Jolson went on to perform the song in The Jazz Singer (1927), The Singing Fool (1928), and >i>Rose of Washington Square (1939). He recorded and released the song twice, reaching #2 in 1928 and #18 in 1947. The Columbia Stellar Quartette released the first recording of the song in February 1921. SH The Peerless Quartet were the first to chart with the song, reaching #4. That same year Aileen Stanley and the Yerkes Jazarimba Orchestra also charted with the song, both reaching #8. Isham Jones took it to #11 that year. The most successful version, though, was an instrumental done that year by Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, who took it to #1. It had become so well known by then that even without lyrics, people would sing along. SM The song experienced another resurgence in 1967 when the Happenings took it to #13. The song has also been recorded by Eddie Cantor, Cher, Dion, the Everly Brothers, Eddie Fisher, Liza Minnelli, and Kenny Rogers. WK Resources: LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 40. SM Sharon Mawer Charts (1900-1968) SH Second Hand Songs WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/24/2022; last updated 1/28/2023.