What bloomed in May for Al Jolson were over a score of tracks, mostly on the Decca label. A few Columbias and Brunswicks fill out the collection of this month's Jolson classic recordings.
The Columbia Recordings
17 May 1916: I Sent My Wife To The Thousand Isles - With an opening that belies the real meaning of the song, it is easy to picture Jolson using this song as a tool to put the audience in the palm of his hand. Not in the original score, this song was apparently interpolated into Robinson Crusoe, Jr. This is another song where other verses seem inevitable. It held the top spot on the Billboard charts for three of the seven weeks it was listed.
17 May 1916: You're A Dangerous Girl - Another song added to Robinson Crusoe, Jr., this is a cute love song with catchy lyrics, including the somewhat daring "You're a gol-darned dangerous girl!" Number two for two weeks on the Billboard charts, it remained listed for six weeks.
29 May 1917: Tillie Titwillow - Right from the score of Robinson Crusoe, Jr., this cute parody of a classic form is comic Jolson at his best. Enjoy his banter with the instruments, which was echoed in The Jolson Story in the "Spaniard Who Blighted My Life" number. Only this is the original version!
15 May 1923: Stella - In 1923, Jolson's long time friend Harry Akst lost all of his money at a track in Maryland, possibly Pimlico, where the Preakness was run on May 12, 1923. He met up with Jolson, who was doing a show in Washington, D.C., and told Al of his plight. When Al asked what he could do, Harry mentioned a song written with Benny Davis, "Stella." Before he could even play it for the singer, Al had called his publishers, and secured a publishing contract for the song, with $5000 for his friend. The song was finally heard when Jolson introduced it in "Bombo." After three performances, Jolson tore the music in half onstage, and never performed it again. He did, however, record it. So we can get a taste of "Stella, You're As Sweet As Vanilla"! Although Jolson did not think much of this song, the public did, making it the number four Billboard song, listed for five weeks.
The Brunswick Recordings
03 May 1926: At Peace With The World - Al Jolson recorded this Irving Berlin number with Carl Fenton and his Orchestra. It reached the number three position on the Billboard charts, and was on the charts for five weeks!
03 May 1926: Tonight's My Night With Baby - Credit Irving Caesar, lyricist for "Swanee," with the lyrics of this tune. Along with the Carl Fenton Orchestra, Harry Reser played the banjo in this lively recording.
The Decca Recordings
19 May 1947: All My Love - With a theme suggestive of an Hebraic melody, this song was used to close the Lux Radio Theatre version of The Jazz Singer broadcast on June 2, 1947, about two weeks after this recording was made. Jolson also used the song on his first Kraft Music Hall broadcast in October of that same year.
19 May 1947: Keep Smiling At Trouble - Introduced in the Broadway show Big Boy, this song was first heard by the masses in the movie The Singing Fool. This Decca recording is a swinging version of a classic Jolson piece.
24 May 1948: Hatikvoh (The Hope) - Just after the establishment of the State of Israel, Al Jolson was moved to record this beautiful version of the National Anthem of the Jewish State. The lyrics he sang in Hebrew were the original lyrics of the song, which were modified to the reality of the State soon after. The Simon Rady Mixed Chorus provided the backup for this recording.
24 May 1948: Israel - Written by Al Jolson and Benee Russell to an old Yiddish wedding song tune, this joyous celebration of the establishment of the State of Israel was used to close the first season of the Kraft Music Hall in June, 1948. With no orchestra due to the American Federation of Musicians recording ban during this period, it is still a powerful recording. According to some sources, royalties from this song were donated to the Jewish State.
17 May 1949: Pretty Baby - This was the first song recorded using the then new Ampex 200 tape recorder, with Scotch 112 tape at 30 ips. Enjoy this bouncy rendition of a song often associated with Eddie Cantor.
17 May 1949: Medley: I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover - Baby Face - A high energy medley of two songs, we would hear them again in Jolson Sings Again.
23 May 1949: Chinatown, My Chinatown - Backed by Marry Malneck and his orchestra, and with Four Hits and a Miss (also known as the Lee Gordon Singers) on the side, enjoy this wonderful rendition of a great number.
23 May 1949: After You've Gone - You can hear Milton DeLugg on the accordion on this recordings, and see him on the same number in Jolson Sings Again swinging with Jolie.
24 May 1949: It All Depends On You - Remember this song from The Singing Fool? Jolie recorded this song for Decca on 17 May 1949, but that recording was rejected, and re-recorded on this date. Yes, he could sing ballads!
24 May 1949: Give My Regards To Broadway - Jimmy Cagney had a lot of fun with this song, written by George M. Cohan, but Jolie has even more. Backed up by the Lee Gordon Singers, also known as Four Hits and a Miss, enjoy this Cohan song, recorded 38 years after the last one.
24 May 1949: Is It True What They Say About Dixie? - This wonderful song is often heard in concert with the Mills Brothers, but here is a version Jolie recorded for Decca with just himself, and included the rarely heard verse.
24 May 1949: I'm Just Wild About Harry - Written by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle for the show Shuffle Along, this song hardly sounds like the song a man would sing. Wild about Harry? But besides singing it for President Truman, Jolson really loved to sing this song.
31 May 1949: (Just One Way To Say) I Love You - With Victor Young's orchestra, Jolson sings this Irving Berlin number from the show Miss Liberty as no one else ever could.
31 May 1949: Paris Wakes Up And Smiles - Another Irving Berlin song from Miss Liberty, rarely heard, it helps show the range of both the author and the artist.
31 May 1949: Some Enchanted Evening - Al Jolson saw himself singing this song in a production of South Pacific. He never did, but listening to this recording of the song puts many other versions to shame. If only he had performed the part.
Unless otherwise noted, transcriptions on this page are from the personal collection of the webmaster.
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