POEMS OF COLOR ELECTIONS INSPIRE TUNESMITHS Music Views THE COVER "\T7TTH the election campaigns T N 1912 a tune called "You Oct., 1956 Voi. XIV, No. 8 Frank Sinatra turns conductor v v swinging into high gear, Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dawg on his newest Capitol album, Jim Walsh, a writer with a long "Tone Poems Of Color." Pack­ Aroun’ ” cropped up in the V IC ROWLAND Editor age contains original composi­ memory and an inexhaustible Democratic camp for reason Associate Editors: Merrilyn Hammond, tions by well known composers, amount of reference material, be­ which is rather obscure today. Dorothy Lambert. inspired by a group of twelve gan to dig around for facts about 1916 saw the presentation of poems dealing with the signifi­ campaign songs and recordings a tune called "We Take Hats cance of various colors. Titles of prior years. The results of his GORDON R. FRASER Publisher Off to You, Mr. Wilson,” and of the works are, "White," ferreting appeared in a recent another, "I Think We’ve Got "Green," "Purple," "Yellow," issue of Weekly Variety, an en­ Published Monthly By "Gray," "Gold," "Orange," Another Washington and Wilson tertainment industry newspaper, Is His Name.” With votes for CAPITOL PUBLICATIONS, INC. "Black," "Silver" "Blue," in an article which produced the "Brown" and "Red." For further women being a big issue that Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood 28, Calif. details see pages 5, 6 and 7 following facts: year, a tune came out titled, Printed in U.S.A. of this issue. In 1896 (when there were just "She’s Good Enough to be Your $1.00 per year. beginning to be wax recording Baby’s Mother.” cylinders and machines to play 1920 was unheralded by Tin them on) there appeared re­ Pan Alley politicos, but 1924 cordings which satirized both left a recorded souvenir, "The candidates, William McKinley Teapot Dome Blues,” calling at­ and William Jennings Bryan. tention to a campaign issue which 1900 evidently produced no cam­ the Democrats exploited with paign ditties, but in 1904 Billy little effect. Murray waxed "We Want You, Considerable activity was evi­ Teddy, for Four Years More” dent in 1928. Lew Brown and for the Republicans and "Good­ Al Von Tilzer wrote a tune bye, Teddy, You Must March, titled "He’s Our AI” in honor March, March” for the Demo­ of Al Smith, but it wasn’t suc­ crats. There seems to be no ref­ cessful in spite of wax versions erence to the Democratic nomi­ by leading recording artists. nee, Alton B. Parker. There were also versions of a Only musical reminder of the ditty called "Mr. Hoover and A young fan aids Stan Freberg in demonstrating the overall effect of his Mr. Smith,” a "Gallagher and "Freberg Paste-On Sideburns." The hirsute adornments were offered to 1908 race is a tune called "B-I- Double L-Bill,” in honor of Wil­ Shean” type of tune. Amos 'n the deejays in a circular sent out to promote Stan's satirical version Andy recorded a campaign skit of "Heartbreak Hotel." Several different styles were offered: The liam Howard Taft. However, Elvis Presley (long, neat and narrow), the Abe Lincoln (shaggy type), both Taft and William Jennings for Victor, which ended with the Muttonchop (curly and shabby), and the Ivy League (short with buckle Bryan made recordings outlining Mr. Smith walking into the in the back). A choice of colors was offered. Demand was tremendous. their policies. Cont. next page) 2 3 Cont.) White House "Herbert Hoover had sent for him." 1932 saw no new tunes other than the use by the Democrats of two pop tunes, "Brother, Can FRANK You Spare a Dime” and "Happy Days Are Here Again.” 1934 seemed to have produced no songs whatsoever. SINATRA In 1940 there was a Wilkie song, "Thank God We’ve Found the Man” and a "Vote for Roose­ CONDUCTS velt” tune, neither of which at­ tracted much attention. CINCE that time there seems TONE '-'to have been no further efforts made in this direction until Irv­ ing Berlin’s "I Like Ike” song POEMS from the musical "Call Me Ma­ dam.” This tune was rewritten by Berlin for GOP use in the cur­ rent campaign. The Eisenhower OF camp has also made use of the popular tune of four years ago, "I Love the Sunshine of Your COLOR Smile.” Currently, an album has ap­ peared entitled "Pick the Win­ ner,” which distributes its favors equally to both sides with such tunes as "Fve Got Those New Deal, Fair Deal, Square Deal Starlet Barbara Lawrence began her Blues,” "After the Brawl Is Over,” professional career by winning an "The Dixon Yates Song” and amateur show for singing. Could "Love That Team.” be the judges weren't unprejudiced? 4 '"THERE seems to be virtually no limit to the multi-talents of Frank Sinatra. Having already proven himself as a singer with­ out peer, a great actor, a fine comedian and skilled movie pro­ ducer, he has taken time out to tackle still another difficult en­ deavor conducting a full orchestra. This was accomplished with his usual success. At the start of this project, Sinatra was so impressed by a group of poems written by Nor­ man Sickel that he felt they would inspire fine musical com­ positions based on the central theme, color. Each of the repre­ sented colors was assigned to a composer to be interpreted mu­ sically. Composers selected were Victor Young, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Jeff Alexander, Alec Wilder, Nelson Riddle, Elmer Bernstein and Andre Previn. The twelve resulting compo­ sitions were then conducted by Sinatra and assembled into a new album by Capitol, “Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color.” HEY PLUGGERS! Song pluggers are known Wanderer was convicted of for some pretty bizarre stunts killing his wife. Just before in their efforts to put their going to the gallows, Wan­ latest ditty across, but what derer confessed. As they tied is probably the weirdest of all the noose around his neck, -he song plugs happened by acci­ was asked by the Warden if dent some 35 years ago. As he had any last words. The unearthed by Paul Coates, Los startled witnesses heard Wan­ Angeles newspaper columnist derer start to sing the opening and TV personality, the story bars of "Old Pal, Why Don’t goes like this. You Answer Me?” As he came Back in 1919, a songwriter to the lines which said, "My named M. K. Jerome wrote arms embrace an empty a tune titled, "Old Pal, Why space,” the warden sprang the Don’t You Answer Me?" The trap. publishing firm of Waterson, Next day the headlines Berlin and Snyder went to across the country shouted, work plugging the song but "Wanderer Goes to Death the public didn’t respond. The Singing 'Old Pal, Why Don’t theme involved the singer You Answer Me. ” Soon after mourning a buddy killed in World War I. So the tune orders for the "death song” was dropped from the plug began to flood the publishers lists. office. Then came' a sensational The song sold a million murder case in which Carl copies of sheet music. SOLONS GET 'PLEDGE' The U. S. has become so ac­ 24,500 copies of the recording, customed to giving things away "Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.” that it was somewhat taken Each congressman gets 50 copies Don Robertson, who wrote and per­ aback, recently, when somebody to be used as "deemed appro­ gave something to the Govern­ formed "The Happy Whistler," has priate for the purpose of pro­ ment (without protest) The a new one on Capitol, "You” and American Society of Composers viding the widest possible dis­ "Every Day That I Live." He wrote semination of such musical com­ both sides, as well as the current and Publishers has gifted mem­ hit by the Chordettes, "Born To bers of congress with a total of position.” Be With You." Successful fellow. Of historical interest is this shot of Pee Wee Hunt singing with Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra in a 1943 musical short, "Smoke Rings." Of current interest is the fact that Pee Wee has a new release on Capitol, "I'll See You In Cuba." On flip "Canoodlin' Rag," Pee Wee sings. KIDS SAY 'WHO HE?' In view of the furore created Some of their better informed by Elvis "The Pelvis” Presley, contemporaries, however, recently it’s hard to believe that there traveled 120 miles in a vain at­ could be a single teenager in the tempt to worship at the Presley country who doesn’t know who shrine. 50 rock ’n roll fans from he is. However, a youth research Oneonta, N. Y., piled into auto­ institute survey revealed that 18 mobiles and headed for Bing- per cent of the nation’s young­ hampton, 60 miles away, because ster’s don’t have the slightest idea of a rumor that he was appearing of the singer’s identity. Many there. When they arrived at the had never heard of him, while hall, the night watchman reacted others thought he was a comic in the same manner as the afore­ strip character, Southern Senator, mentioned 18 percent: evangelist, mystery story detec­ "Presley, who’s he? Nobody by tive, and radio news comentator. that name works here.” 10 11 • IKE (NOT PRES.) WAXES LOOK OUT, LEE One of the all-time top selling Liberace may be out-Lib- record artists, Cliff (Ukelele Ike) erace’d by a member of British Edwards, has returned to the wax royalty if current plans ma­ fold. Edwards, who claims to terialize.