Dream Songs, Page 2

 

This is a continuation of the April, 2002 Feature, if you missed page one, check the link at the end of this page or use this link..


Will My Dreams Come True

1914


Music by: Fred Heltman
Lyrics by: A.H. Eastman
Cover artist: unknown

 

In some respects, this song has a somewhat ironic and prophetic title. I'm sure that the songwriters had many hopes and dreams related to the success of this song and of their respective careers as well. Much of that hope was probably pinned on the success of this song. Unfortunately, it appears this song faded into obscurity with little notice. However, in spite of that, they wrote several other songs together including Thinking Of You in 1920; Goodnight, 1916; Come To Me in 1915 and Just Dreaming of You, also in 1915. At least part of their dreams came true!

 

This second page of our feature this month has more than its share of obscure and forgotten songs and we start right off with one that is a rare and virtually forgotten work. Once you listen to it, I think you will agree that it is a gorgeous and expressive melody that deserves a better fate. A tender and soothing ballad with touching lyrics, it is a mystery to me how this one escaped becoming a lasting hit. There is no accounting sometimes of what makes one song last and another equally as good fade away. Perhaps it is marketing, perhaps the fickle public or perhaps timing. This song may have suffered from a regional limitation as it was published by the composer's own publishing house, a firm in Cleveland, Ohio. In many cases, songwriters who could not gain the attention of the major publishing houses would contract with local printers and establish their own publishing house in order to publish their works. Sometimes that would work with great success, and other times it would not. In Heltman's case it worked well and his firm became one of the few successful music publishing houses outside of New York or Chicago.

 

Fred Heltman enjoyed much greater success as a publisher than as a songwriter as his Cleveland publishing house became a respected one that published a number of well regarded songs. However Heltman himself did write quite a large number of songs, several of which were hits among them; Chewin' the Rag, 1912; The Beautiful Land of Somewhere, (MIDI) 1918; Daisy, (MIDI) a rag from 1914; Every Girl Was Meant For Someone, 1913 and Fred Heltman's Rag in 1918. Heltman's rags continue to find performance outlets and are respected among ragtime performers and collectors. Oddly enough, little mention is made of him in publications about early American popular song.

 

 

 

 

 


Listen to this dream ballad (scorch format only)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 


 


My Little Dream Girl

1915


Music by: Anatol Friedland
Lyrics by: L. Wolfe Gilbert
Cover artist: Starmer


If ever a dream girl existed, certainly the timelessly beautiful young lady on the cover of this song qualifies. A gorgeous period pose and photograph graces the cover, and one we have seen before. It was a common practice to use a particularly good photo or image with a number of songs, especially when the image was not easily associated with any one title. The unidentified young lady on this cover enjoyed a wide publication on several song sheets.

Regardless, the music contained within is a wonderful song by a songwriting team that produced many huge hits over the years. Clearly a product of its age in terms of harmony and construct, it is a very enjoyable tune with typically good lyrics by Gilbert. It is definitely one worth listening to.

 

Anatol(e) Friedland (b. 1881, St. Petersburg, Russia D. 1938, Atlantic City, NJ). A noted songwriter, Friedland studied music at the Moscow conservatory and emigrated to the US sometime after 1900. In the US he studied Architecture at Columbia University and later operated the Club Anatole, a speakeasy on West 44th Street in Manhattan during the prohibition years. Friedland spent many years as a vaudeville performer. In 1911, Friedland wrote the score for a Broadway musical with lyricist Malvin Franklin called The Wife Hunters. Based on the success of this show, the Shuberts hired Anatole to write music for their Winter Garden productions, including The Passing Show. In 1912, Anatole wrote the score for the Shubert hit Broadway To Paris.

 

In 1913, he met L. Wolfe Gilbert; a fellow Russian and the team turned out many successful songs. Sometimes they appeared together on stage singing their own songs. At other times, Friedland appeared as just a 'singles' act, playing the piano and singing. The long time collaboration with Gilbert resulted in many hits; among them are My Sweet Adair 1915; Are You From Heaven 1917; My Own Iona (Moi-One-Ionae) 1916 (MIDI); Shades In The Night 1916; Singapore 1918; and Lily of the Valley, A "Nut" Song, 1917. In 1936, Friedland lost one leg through amputation and he retired , and took up residence at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton, in Atlantic City, N. J.

 

Louis Wolfe Gilbert (1886 - 1970) was born in Odessa, Russia and brought to America when he was only one year old. He was a vaudeville actor and toured with the great John L. Sullivan. During the heyday of radio, he wrote for Eddie Cantor's radio show. Aside from Muir, he also collaborated with Abel Baer (Lucky Lindy, 1927) and other famous lyricists of the period. Some of his other hits include, Ramona 1927; O, Katharina 1924 , Don't Wake Me Up 1925; and Hitchy Koo from 1912. His longest running and most successful collaboration was with fellow Russian emigrant Anatole Friedland.

 




Hear and see this song(SCORCH format)

listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 


 


You're The Brightest Star Of All My Dreams

1917


Music by: Bert J. Wood
Lyrics by: Wood
Cover artist: Fred Kulz

 

It seems that we have more than our usual share of obscure works this month. Here is a song that has disappeared of the face of the earth save for a few random copies in collections. As such, we can't offer you much other than the beautiful cover and the beautiful music contained within. We think the melody is wonderful with a nice emotional ebb and flow to it. This is yet another ParlorSongs discovery that deserves preservation.

Though the young lady in the star is unidentified, the woman in the big hat is identified as "Eugenie Soule, Prima Donna" whose legacy has fared no better than the composer's.

 

Bert J. Wood as with far too many performers and songwriters of the times is lost to us, at least to me. I'm unable to find any information about him and this one song ( You're The Brightest Star Of All My Dreams )seems to be the only one to his credit that has survived. The song is not mentioned in any of our references, nor is he. His photo is inset on the cover.

 


Listen to and see this old song (scorch format only)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 


 

City Of Dreams

1918


Music by: Louis A. Hirsch
Lyrics by: P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton
Cover artist: unsigned

In every issue we publish are many "lost" treasures of music and within them are one or two gems that in my opinion rise above all the rest musically and in overall construction. City of Dreams is my selection of the month for best song. A completely delightful melody with outstanding lyrics and perfection in musical construction make this one of my favorites. The use of dynamics, staccato and legato passages adds a great deal of musical interest to the song and the lyrics take you away to another place and time.

One extremely unique aspect of this song is the lyricist, P.G. Wodehouse (Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, 1881-1975). Wodehouse was an English humorist who wrote novels, short stories, plays, lyrics, and essays, all with the same light touch of gentle satire. He is best known as the creator of the irredeemably dim and unflaggingly affable Bertie Wooster and his invincible valet Jeeves. What may not be so well known is that Wodehouse was also a powerhouse of musical production "books" and lyrics. He contributed to or wrote the books for no less than 31 Broadway productions including Show Boat, Anything Goes and Oh, My Dear! Oh My Dear! debuted at the Princess Theater in New York on November 27, 1918 and subsequently played at the 39th Street Theater beginning on April 21, 1919. It enjoyed a total run of 189 performances produced by William Elliott and F. Ray Comstock with direction by Robert Milton and Edward Royce. The music for the production was by Louis A. Hirsch; and book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse; the song lyrics were also written by Bolton and Wodehouse.


 

Louis A. Hirsch (b. 1887, New York City., d. 1924, New York City) In his senior year at City College of New York, Louis, a native New Yorker, went to Europe for a few months. His ambition was to be a concert pianist, and so he wanted to study at Berlin's Stern Conservatory, with pianist Rafael Joseffy. He returned to the U.S. in 1906, but turned his efforts to more practical ends. Hirsch started working in the Tin Pan Alley publishing houses of Gus Edwards, and Shapiro-Bernstein. He also began to write some of his own music.

His first assignment was writing music for the Lew Dockstader's Minstrels. From 1907 to 1909, some of his tunes were included in various Broadway shows, including The Gay White Way, Miss Innocence and The Girl and the Wizard. In 1911, Hirsh wrote the score for the Revue of Revues, which introduced French star Gaby Deslys to Americans. The 1911 production Vera Violetta was his first major success. Starring relative unknown, Al Jolson, this production helped propel Jolson to stardom. Gaby Deslys was

In 1912 Hirsch was hired by the Schuberts and as a result he was involved in a number of successful productions with them including, The Whirl of Society, 1912, also starring Al Jolson; The Passing Show of 1912; Always Together, and The Wedding Guide.

In 1913, Hirsch quit the Schuberts, and traveled to England, only to return to the US at the start of WW1. He went to work for Florenz Ziegfeld. Working mainly with lyricist Gene Buck, he wrote songs four several productions of the famed Ziegfeld Follies. Among his many hits are; Sweet Kentucky Lady, (MIDI) 1914; Hello Frisco!, 1915, Going Up from the musical of the same name in 1917; and the 1920 hit Love Nest perhaps Hirsch's most successful song, which later became the Burns and Allen radio show theme. Louis Hirsch died in New York City, in 1924, of pneumonia.

 


Hear this great old melody (scorch format)

listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 


Dreaming Alone In The Twilight

1919


Music by: Hartley Moore
Lyrics by: Carl Clemson
Cover artist: unknown

 

Sometimes we acquire a song that is surprising in its anonymity, obscurity and lost heritage. Dreaming Alone In The Twilight is such a work, perhaps out most obscure work this month for virtually nothing can be found about it other than title, publication and songwriters. The little other information we could glean was that it was recorded by the Vaughan Quartet on the Vaughan label sometime after 1924. And, of all things, it was sung at the Commencement Exercises for Greenville (NY) Central School, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, June 29, 1932! (We stumbled across a souvenir program).

 

Often, what is most surprising is that many of these obscure songs deserve more in the way of lasting memory and acclaim. Well, not all of them do, but this one is at least pleasant and shows a level of songwriting skill that makes me wonder why absolutely nothing can be found about either the lyricist or composer. The opening melody is somewhat uninspiring but the chorus is a bit of an emotionally soaring tune that really is interesting and inspiring.

Not a mote of information can be found on Hartley Moore or Carl Clemson aside from their connection with this work.

 

We nominate this song as well as You're The Brightest Star Of All My Dreams (above) as our Song Orphan poster children of April, 2002. By the way, in case you had not noticed, some of our sheet music is now printable. Simply access it in the scorch version and click on the print icon where it appears and, voila!, you have a quality print to play from. This is one of our printable scores, enjoy it.

 


Hear this dreamy song (scorch)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 




My Isle Of Golden Dreams

1919


Music by: Walter Blaufuss
Lyrics by: Gus Kahn
Cover artist: Starmer

Recorded by the Brown's in 1957 on the LP The Browns, Jim and Maxine and Bonnie (RCA Victor LPM 1438) and also by none other than Marty Robbins as a single and then on the Time-Life Country & Western Classics (1983 - 1984) and also appearing in recently published "Fake Books" including the currently in print, Fake Book Of The World's Favorite Songs, this song must be included in the list of lasting hits. Yet, on hearing it, I honestly can't imagine why. My first thought in hearing its rather plodding and repetitious themes was the image of being dragged to death beneath a slow moving Steinway piano.

 

Regardless, the popularity of Hawaiian themed songs during the early 20th century was nothing short of phenomenal and this one has stuck with us. For more information on Hawaiian songs, see our two prior issues about Hawaiian style popular music from December 1999 and December 1998. The cover by Starmer is a wonderfully vibrant one and may be counted as one of his best.


 

Walter Blaufuss band leader, composer and radio personality and composed the "Breakfast Club Theme" from the Don Mc Neill radio show of the same name that ran on from June 1933 to December of 1968! Before Garrison Keillor and Lake Wobegon, before Oprah, Jay, Rosie, and Dave, there was Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club. Walter Blaufuss was an important part of the show as both the orchestra conductor but also as a regular on the show. In the photo here, Blaufuss is on the right, about to eat a donut handed to him by Annette King while McNeill is in the background.

Blaufuss' most enduring hit is no doubt My Isle Of Golden Dreams but he is credited with a number of other great hits from the period including; Your Eyes Have Told Me So, 1919 with Egbert Van Alstyne, popularized by John McCormack in the Film, I'll See You In My Dreams and who also recorded Blaufuss' When You're in Love in 1927.

As the NBC Musical Conductor for several years, Blaufuss' orchestra also recorded a number of popular and classical works for major record labels including a 1935 recording of Strauss' Blue Danube on Calumet.

 

Enjoy this rare song (scorch)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 



Dreamy Melody

1922


Music by: Ted Koehler, Frank Magine & C. Naset
Lyrics by: Koehler, Magine & Naset
Cover artist: unknown

 

Our final work for this month is a work that was a million seller and was a budding songwriters very first published song. Unlike some "one hit wonders" though, Ted Kohler (see below) went on to have a very successful career as a songwriter, penning some of the 20th century's greatest hits. Dreamy Melody not only was a million seller as sheet music but the recording of it by Art Landry and his orchestra was a million seller also.

 

The featured performer on the cover, Yvette Rugel was a popular performer from the period circa 1917 to 1930 and she starred in a number of Broadway revues including Earl Carroll's Vanities in 1926; George White's Scandals in 1919 and The Passing Show of 1917. She introduced many popular songs of the era and her image can be found on a number of sheet music issues of the times. Her earliest appearance seems to be on The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine (MIDI) from 1913.

The melody is very smooth and calming, perhaps the epitome of what a dream song should be, no wonder it was such a huge hit.

 

Ted Kohler (b. 1894, Washington, DC, d. 1973) Kohler was raised in NYC and Newark, NJ. He was an accomplished pianist and early in his career worked as a song plugger. He wrote a number of popular and lasting hits including Get Happy in 1930; I Love A Parade in 1931 and the incredible Stormy Weather in 1933, all in collaboration with Harold Arlen. Kohler also worked with other famous songwriters including Burton Lane and Ted Fiorito. He also wrote for films in Hollywood. Kohler's list of recognizable hits is impressive and also includes, The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, 1935; I've Got the World on a String, 1933 (considered the song that propelled Sinatra to his greatest popularity); Don't Worry 'Bout Me, 1939 and Animal Crackers In My Soup in 1935.

 

History and popularity have been less kind to Frank Magine and C. Naset. Magine had one other megahit Save The Last Dance For Me in 1931. This is not the 1960 song by the Drifters. In our very first Parlor Songs edition in October of 1997, we featured one other Magine song, Venetian Moon from 1919 (MIDI). Virtually nothing can be found about Naset other than his involvement in this song. We were unable to even determine his first name.

 


Listen to this dreamy melody (scorch format only)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

 


 

That completes another of our features. As always, be sure to come back next month for a new feature or just come back anytime to browse our extensive archive of issues and special articles.

See our resources page for a complete bibliography of all resources used to research this and other articles in our series.

If you missed page one, or want to return to it, click here to go to page one



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