e-concertpianola

e-Concert #3

This "e-concert" is a mixed bag mainly of 20s and 30s hits. Five of the eight are all from UK masters including the very rare Billy Mayerl hand-played recording done in his early 20s on the Echo label before he became famous. Also to be heard is a missing-now-found W C O'Hare arrangement of the 1904 show "The Rollicking Girl" (as discussed recently on Larry Doe's blog). Play them through from one to eight - don't just click and click and never get to listen to anything properly - there's only 8 pieces not 3000 after all. Hopefully you'll find something here you never heard before. An archival quality copy of everything you hear has been matrix scanned for preservation. Many thanks to Julian Dyer for scanning and making this possible.

1. The Way You Look Tonight
From the 1936 talkie "Swing Time" starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In "The Way You Look Tonight" musical number Ginger is seen washing her hair. The crew tried various soaps, shampoos and even egg white but it always ran down her face too quickly. Finally they achieved success with whipped cream. Meloto 41658 The way you look tonight - Kern 88-note

2. Puttin' On The Ritz
From the 1930 talkie of the same name. Crooner Harry Raymond and best friend James Tierney are working for a musical promoter when they meet Dolores Fenton who is trying to make ends meet by selling one of her songs. Raymond collaborates with Miss Fenton on her music but gets fired overzealoulsy selling it to his boss. Raymond and Tierney, along with their girlfriends, work in vaudeville until they are separated by a Broadway offer for Raymond and girlfriend Dolores. Success comes to the crooning Raymond in New York. He starts hobnobbing with high society, drinking heavily, and forgetting his old friends. It's a formula for a big fall.Metrostyle L40154 Puttin on the Ritz - Berlin 88-note

3. Maggie, (Yes Ma), Come Right Upstairs!
An early 20s ditty here played by famous British syncopator Billy Mayerl who recorded this and other rolls in his early 20s before he became famous. Although the Echo label reputedly had technical troubles making hand-played recordings (as recounted in detail by Mayerl himself in the 30s) the naturalistic result captured in this recording is perhaps, in 2007, more desirable than the over-processed over-perfect Aeolian rolls. The tune is a daft nonsense song but the playing is a rather hot jazz performance that could have easily have given some of the American jazzers a run for their money in the 20s. Mayerl played Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at it's UK premiere but sadly his style latterly became far more stale and English, Liberace-esque almost and it is this which some "blue-rinse brigade" folks still adore him for in the UK. This is clearly a genuine crying shame when you hear his early efforts. His later compositions sound muscially as if they were written by some love-child of a passionate night between Chaminade and Zez Confrey. Echo 1435 - Maggie - Fanny Tucker played by William Mayerl 88-note

4. Button Up Your Overcoat
From the DeSylva Henderson & Brown show "Follow Thru" opened New York in January 1929. The musical was so popular is was turned into a film the following year becoming the second full length feature Paramount had issued in Technicolor (2 color process) Metrostyle L40067 Button up your Overcoat- DeSylva Henderson & Brown 88-note

5. Silly Symphonies selection
From 2 color Technicolour to the 3 strip full colour version. This is a medley of tunes from those daft Disney cartoon with blue-birds fluttering and singing animals. The arrangement is by George Scott-Wood (English Accordeon-band leader and accordeonist extraordinaire) The roll is a post-war Universal made from pre WWII masters. Universal (the end of UK Aeolian) restarted after the war and the machinery latterly became Artona. Universal 1382 Silly Symphony selection 88-note

6. At a Georgia Camp Meeting
A fine Acme recording of this old 1899 cakewalk by Kerry Mills. The tune had a second life as vocal foxtrot in the 20s which is this version. The lyrics are probably politically incorrect these days but what the heck, there's worse things in the world to get all bothered about surely - I'll post the lyrics on this page in a few days. Acme 875 At a Georgia Camp Meeting (fox trot) 88-note

7. The Rollicking Girl selection
A selection of the melodies from this 1904 hit show by Shreveport arranger Willian C O'Hare. This is an early 65-note roll so I've inserted a little tempo and dynamics to breathe a little electronic life into it. Aeolian 68655 Rollicking Girl selection - Francis arr O-Hare 65-note

8. When Your Lover Has Gone
The hit tune from the 1931 talkie "Blonde Crazy". At a midwestern hotel, conniving bellhop Bert Harris has a finger in every pie. He promotes a job for glamorous Ann Roberts, but she does not immediately succumb to his charms. However, Bert soon enlists Ann as partner in his new profession of con man. Most of the victims they fleece are lawbreakers themselves. But Bert is tempted to try actual stealing, and Ann fears it will bring bad luck. Meloto 31863 When your lover has gone - Swan pl Arden & Carroll - 88-note