Al Jolson was in the recording studio big time during March, laying down tracks on all of his recording labels. Here are those recordings for your listening enjoyment.
The Victor Recordings
15 Mar 1912: Snap Your Fingers (And Away You Go) - In Al Jolson's second major Broadway role, he introduced his enduring character of "Gus" in the play The Whirl Of Society. This song was sung by Jolson in that show, and lets us hear a glimpse of what the early Al Jolson must have sounded like. One of Jolson's early hits, it reached the number six position on the Billboard charts, being listed for two weeks. The photo of Jolson on the sheet music was actually from his days with the Dockstader Minstrels!
15 Mar 1912: Brass Band Ephraham Jones - Although not listed on my records as being in a show, here is another novelty number made popular by Al Jolson which he likely interpolated into a Broadway performance. You can just see him strutting up and down the stage doing this song.
27 Mar 1913: My Yellow Jacket Girl - Recorded one month after it's introduction into The Honeymoon Express, this number was introduced by Al Jolson and Mabel Hill, telling the story of an oriental love affair.
27 Mar 1913: The Spaniard That Blighted My Life - Another song introduced in The Honeymoon Express, this song was to have been in The Singing Fool, but was cut. It represented Jolson's novelty songs in The Jolson Story and was done with great effect in duet with Bing Crosby 35 years later. Another favorite of Jolson's public, they kept it on the Billboard charts for nine weeks, with five of those weeks at the top!
The Columbia Recordings
13 Mar 1918: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody - Introduced in the show Sinbad, this song became one of the most recorded Jolson songs, even being included in his first sound movie. Rarely heard, but beautifully rendered, here is the original acoustic recording of this song, listen for the "baby kisses" in the chorus! A smash hit, it stayed on the Billboard charts for fourteen weeks, and was number one for eight of them!
10 Mar 1922: Oogie Oogie Wah Wah - Al Jolson loved to sing novelty numbers, and here is a pip! What can I say about a song with this title? It's a crazy song, with a title credited to the Eskimos. Go figure!
The Brunswick Recordings
13 Mar 1924: My Papa Doesn't Two Time No Time - I guess Walter Donaldson's view wasn't so bad. Here he tells us about a faithful spouse, I think! The background orchestra for this number was Gene Rodemich and his Orchestra, with four more musicians added at Jolson's request. Jolson managed to get this song on the Billboard charts for a week at the number eleven slot.
13 Mar 1924: Lazy - This Irving Berlin number has some of the best rhymes I've ever heard. Recorded with Gene Rodemich's Orchestra, the trombone behind Jolson's singing is played Larry Conley, the father of one of our regular visitors. This song reached the number four slot during the five weeks it was on the Billboard charts.
14 Mar 1924: Mr. Radio Man -
Another wonderful song of Jolson's first year with Brunswick, this song tells the story of a little boy who asks the radio angel for his mommy, who's gone away. Jolson used the Isham Jones Orchestra to back him on this number. Another Billboard hit, this song was listed for four weeks, topping at the number four position.
14 Mar 1924: Home In Pasadena -
Even though there is a Pasadena near Baltimore, I don't think this is what he was referring to. After California, Avalon, and the Golden Gate, why not Pasadena? This number is backed by Isham Jones and his Orchestra.
08 Mar 1928: Ol' Man River - Al Jolson loved this central number from Showboat, by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein. He always wanted to play in the show, singing this song. He didn't, but recorded his version for our enjoyment! Please note, this recording contains the original lyrics, which may be offensive. They were changed in subsequent productions of the play. Jolson's version was a hit with the public, too, who made it the number four song on the Billboard charts during it's five weeks of listing.
08 Mar 1928: Back In Your Own Backyard - First recorded in the movie Say It With Songs, this sentimental favorite about home became a favorite of troops overseas.
31 Mar 1928: Dirty Hands, Dirty Face - Originally from the play Bombo, this song was the first song moviegoers heard in the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer. To watch him perform this song in the movie, one gets a glimpse of the pathos Al Jolson must have brought to the stage, along with his comedy. Listed on the Billboard charts for four weeks, this song made it to the number eight slot.
31 Mar 1928: >My Mammy - To many people, the song that defines Al Jolson, used as the closer for The Jazz Singer, this song was said to have been introduced by William Frawley, and given to Jolson in 1921. Believe it or not, this song made it to the number two slot on the Billboard charts for two of the four weeks it was listed.
The Decca Recordings
20 Mar 1946: Ma Blushin' Rosie - Al Jolson often told the tale of this being the first song he sang in public, having heard the legendary Faye Templeton sing it in a saloon. Whether it's true or not, it made a great story; Jolie did not record the song until its appearance in The Jolson Story. Here is the commercial release of this classic number.
20 Mar 1946: My Mammy - If there is any song that identifies Al Jolson to the public at large, this is it. Here is the Decca version of the song he loved. You can compare it with the Brunswick version recorded eighteen years earlier to appreciate the difference treatments Al Jolson could give to a song. This one made the charts, too, but only the #18 slot on Billboard during the four weeks it was listed.
20 Mar 1946: You Made Me Love You - While Harry James wailed this song with his trumpet, it was Al Jolson who defined the tune. If ever an artist made love to his audience through a song, this one is an example of Jolson's best.
27 Mar 1946: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody - He sang it in the Plantation Act Vitaphone short, with Guy Lombardo, and countless other times, but according to studio notes, Jolson blew the first two takes of this song because he forgot the lyrics. After being given a lead sheet with lyrics, the third take became a gold master.
27 Mar 1946: California, Here I Come - A Jolson classic given center stage presence in The Jolson Story, just listen to the master belt out these lyrics. Note the change from "bloom in the sun" as sung orginally to "bloom in the spring" by this time. It sounded better, even if the former rhyme was more "correct."
27 Mar 1946: Sonny Boy - Maybe it's really true, "Sonny Boy" was in the original print of The Jolson Story, but was cut from the film becasue the audience just could not recover from it, or maybe there were other reasons. It was added as a concert piece to Jolson Sings Again. If only we could find the missing film of Parks performing to this number.
25 Mar 1947: Alexander's Ragtime Band - Performed in duet with Bing Crosby, this is a delight of a recording which shows the friendship between these two great stars. About six weeks later, this song was featured on Crosby's radio program, but this rendition seems to have a bit more spontaneity and sparkle. A hit with the public, it was on the Billboard charts for two weeks, making it to the bottom of the top twenty.
25 Mar 1947: The Spaniard That Blighted My Life - Another song first recorded many years previously, the Jolson and Crosby duet of this novelty number is an absolute delight to listen to, even more than a half-century of its performance.
28 Mar 1950: My Mother's Rosary - Al Jolson had initially recorded this song, along with some other similar numbers, in January, 1950. Not satisfied with the result, this song was the only one recorded on this date, and it was done in one take. It remains a beautiful tribute to a mother's love.
Alternate Takes
Al Jolson always said that he never sang a song the same way twice. Enjoy this alternate takes of one of this month's recordings.
10 Mar 1922: Oogie Oogie Wah Wah - With slightly different phrasing, here's another version of this tribute to an Eskimo song. This was labeled as Take No. 10, which presumes there are at least eight other takes lost to posterity. What a treasure those discs would be!
31 Mar 1928: Dirty Hands, Dirty Face - This is an alternate take of Jolson's first song on film. It is a tad slower than the released version, with alternate phrasing. Listen to both, and make your own selection. 31 Mar 1928: My Mammy - Surprise, surprise, even this song, which Jolson sang so often, was interpreted differently by Al Jolson in different takes. Here are two rejected takes from that first session. Listen to
Take No. 1
and Take No. 3
of this classic Jolson song, with different treatments, then listen again to the issued Take No. 2 above, and marvel at the versatility of Al Jolson.
Unless otherwise noted, transcriptions on this page are from the personal collection of the webmaster.
