Post 605: SEARCHING FOR TAINTED TUNE TITLES

'We're now going to play that good old number from the 1930s - Fats Waller's I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby.'

'One, Two; One, Two Three....'.

'Hold on! Hold on!' shouts the bass player, hunting through his chord book. 'Does it come under I for I'm Crazy? No. I can't find it.'

'Try under C,' calls the piano player. 'You've probably got it as Crazy 'Bout My Baby'.

How often I have heard such conversations delaying the start of tunes and also making the band look incompetent.

A Friend's Chord Book

When you are compiling an extensive alphabetical chordbook or list of repertoire, you have to take so much care. In the case of the I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby example, it might pay to have the chords under both letters.

Another troublesome problem is how to handle tunes beginning with an apostrophe.

For example, do you put 'S Wonderful under I because it means It’s Wonderful, or does it go under S?

If you set out the title correctly with the apostrophe included and then tell your computer to ‘SORT’ your titles into alphabetical order, you are likely to see 'S Wonderful end up neither under 'I' nor under 'S'.

But on a gig, you may need to find a tune quickly. So you need a good system.

There’s a similar problem with all the ’Taint tunes. Think, for example, of ’Tain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do, ’Tain’t No Sin to Take Off Your Skin, ’Tain’t What You Do, It’s The Way That You Do It, ’Tain’t Nothing Else But Jazz. Do you want them pedantically under 'I' [for It Ain't] or under 'T'?

The best solution, when preparing such lists, is to omit the apostrophe, ensuring that you begin the title positively with a letter rather than a punctuation mark. Then, the 'SORT' into alphabetical order on your computer will convert any list into something more useful. So use TAINT rather than ’TAINT.

Then there's the matter of tunes that have an apostrophe very near the beginning, as in I'm Alone Because I Love You. Would you expect this to appear before, or after, If I Had You ? It makes things easier if you establish a rule and stick to it.

In my case, I keep little notebooks containing leadsheets. These are supported by a separate Index. I have found the best solution for this Index is to show letters only. In other words, I get rid of all spaces and punctuation marks. I then let the computer 'sort' the titles in alphabetic order and - by thinking only of the letters, I can instantly find any tune. Here's an extract from my Index:

ILoveParis285

ILoveYou(ColePorter)288

ILoveYou(Thompson/Archer)294

ILoveYouBecauseYouUnderst289

ILoveYouSoMuchItHurts167

ImAloneBecauseILoveYou168

ImAlwaysChasingRainbows356

IMayBeWrongBut293

ImBeginningtoSeethLt386

ImBlueandLonesome28

ImComingVirginia1140

ImConfessin1142

ImCrazyBoutMyBaby1141

ImDreamingofaWhiteChristm229

ImForeverBlowingBubbles333

ImGettingSentimentlOY387

ImGoingAwaytoWearY290

ImGonnaLockMyHeartand244

ImGonnaMeetMSwtieN382

ImGonnaSitRightDown&W167

ImHenerytheEighthIAm35

ImHummingtoMyself315

ImintheMarketforYou1143

ImintheMoodforLove292

ImLookingOver4L289

ImNobody’sBaby47

ImPuttingAllMyEggs390

ImShyMaryEllenImShy356

ImSittingonTofthWld391

ImSorryIMadeYouCry256

InaMellowTone47

InAppleBlossomTime155

InaShantyinOldShantyTown257

Indiana122

IndianLoveCall244

INeverKnewthatRosesGrew356

INeverKnewWhataGalCdDo379

InHarlemsAraby370

IntheGarden388

IntheGloaming383

IntheGoodOldSummerTime190

IntheMood374

IntheShadeoftheOldAppleTr284

InTheSweetB&B289

IntheUpperGarden389

IntoEachLifeSomeRain294

InWalkedBud361

IOnlyHaveEyesforYou274

ISawMummyKissingSantaCl294

IsItTrueWhatTheySayabtD1115

IsleofCapri113

ISurrender,Dear386

IsYouIsOrIsYuAintMB317

ItDontMeanaThing333

ItFeelsSoGood164

ItHadToBeYou287

ItHappenedinMonterey295

ItIsNoSecret462

ItLooksLikeaBigTimeTont421

ItLooksLikeRaininCherry422

ItsAllRightWithMe351

ItsaLongWaytoTipperary1115

ItsaSintoTellaLie179

What it means is that, for example, if I want 'I'm in the Market for You', I find it as
ImintheMarketforYou1143
and this tells me the tune is to be found in Notebook One, Page 143.

Post 547: TRADITIONAL JAZZ PUZZLE FOR TODAY

Here's another of my occasional puzzles.

These are eight titles of tunes played by our bands.

They are all slightly wrong.

When You Wore a Turnip
Egyptian Fella
You’re the Fly in My Coffee

Blue Turning Green Over You
Give Me Your Cardinal Number
Red Roses for a Fat Lady
Buddy Bolden’s Boots
I Wish I Could Simmer Like My Sister Kate

What are the correct titles? Answers to:

ivantrad (@) outlook (dot) com

Winners' names will be given in my next post - Post 547 on 16 September.

Post 532: PUZZLE - FIND THE TITLES

As many readers seem to enjoy my occasional puzzles, here's another for you.

Look at this collection of thirteen words.

Cream Blues Rag River Up Ella A Roof Lazy Ice Snake Tin Egyptian

From it you can create these five titles of familiar tunes played by our bands.

Ice Cream

Tin Roof Blues

Up a Lazy River

Egyptian Ella

Snake Rag

=======

Now can you create five titles from these twenty-two words?

On Alone The Plenty Porch Love It A Night Back That’s I Clarinet I’m On Blame Blues The Marmalade Because Last You

===

Send your answers to me and I will publish the names of the first three persons with the correct solution in my next post (No. 533 on 2 August).

Post 427: 'OH BABY' CONFUSION

You may not know what to expect when the leader announces that the band is going to play Oh Baby. This is because two tunes with that title appeared in the 1920s and they are both good numbers, well worth their place in the repertoire.

The first Oh Baby was composed in 1924 by Walter Donaldson, with Buddy G. Da Sylva providing the lyrics.

The second Oh Baby was written for the 1928 Broadway Musical 'Rain or Shine'. The principal composer of both the words and the music seems to have been Owen Murphy, though Jack Yellen and Milton Ager were also often credited (they were responsible for the music of the entire show and also seem to have run the company that published it).

Donaldson's Oh Baby has to be played briskly. It has a sprightly Verse of 16 bars which should not be omitted: it rattles along and lends itself to some good rhythmic effects. The Chorus that follows comprises 32 bars in an AABA structure. This Chorus has two distinctive features. First, all four of the eights begin with a chord sequence of I : VII7. I can think of no other tune in which all four eights do this. The second distinguishing feature is the use of bars in which the first melody 'note' is a silent crotchet; and this is followed by three sounded crotchets. This first-note-rest happens in no fewer than 14 of the 32 bars, giving syncopated and staccato effects. All this makes it an interesting instrumental number, very good to play. The vocal (with the words matching those rest-crotchet-crotchet-crotchet patterns) begins: Oh Baby! Oh Baby! Don't say 'No'. Say 'Maybe'.That's just as good as 'yes' to me...

The other Oh Baby (Owen Murphy's) catches the attention as it has a good bright melody and also lyrics that are worth singing: It's a funny little thing but I never knew I could ever feel the way I do.. . Although this tune is merry enough, I think it is best played slightly more slowly than Donaldson's Oh Baby, to give time for its lilting melody to be appreciated and also for the vocalist to fit in comfortably the many words of the lyrics. This Owen Murphy 32-bar tune, like Donaldson's, is structured AABA; and the Middle Eight (the B part) is harmonically fairly distinctive. The A sections use the I : II7 : V7 : I chord sequence, which is reassuringly familiar. This tune is usually played without the Verse. But my expert friend John Whitehorn informed me that it had one - and quite pleasant it is. John has kindly supplied me with photo-copies of the sheet music for the Verse, in case you wish to know how it goes:

You can hear a recording of Murphy's  Oh Baby in a fine Ted Lewis version by clicking here, and Donaldson's Oh Baby, played by Bix Beiderbecke and The Wolverines, by clicking here.

I have made aide-mémoires (see below) of both songs for my mini-Filofax collection. Donaldson's tune is probably best in Eb and Owen Murphy's in F but I have written them out in the keys suited to my Bb trumpet. These are useful enough for me but I can't guarantee their accuracy.

Murphy:

Donaldson:

By the way, making matters even more confusing, there have been yet more tunes composed since the 1920s with the title Oh Baby!

Footnote

On 12 February 2024, I received the following email:

Re" song "Oh Baby!" although it's said that the original is from 1924 (it 
must be an adaptation). A burlesque theatre circuit act (with the Morette 
Sisters) for the 1919-20 season had a sold out performance engagement's for 
their show "Oh Baby!" "Oh Baby!" must have carried over to the 'All Jazz 
Revue' showcase. It featured a Jazz Quartet with the Morette Sisters 
(violinists, alto viola and duet singers). My grandma, Pearl Hamilton was 
the pianist for this group. She later performed in the 1928 show "Rain or 
Shine."
Regards,
Glenn Santos

Post 421: 'LIKE' A CHALLENGE? - COMPLETE WITH ANSWERS

I invited you to come up with tunes from the traditional jazz repertoire that include the word 'like' (or 'likes') in the title.

Here's a list of all that were sent in - some by several people. (I must admit there are a few titles I had never heard of.) Thanks to the many readers who contributed. Robert Duis and Marinus-Jan van Langevelde were specially prolific.

Ain't Nobody Got The Blues Like Me
All I Need is Just a Girl Like You
Almost Like Being in Love
A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody
As You Like It
Exactly Like You
He Likes It Slow
How Come You Do Me Like You Do?
How Could You Do a Thing Like That?
I Hate a Man Like You
I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music
I Like Bananas Because They Have No Bones
I Like New Orleans
I Like to Go Back in the Evening
I Wanna Be Like You
I Want A Girl, Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
It Looks Like a Big Time Tonight
It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane
It's Tight Like That
Just Like The Ivy
Like Someone in Love
Moments Like This
Seems Like Old Times
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sweet Like This
There Ain't No Land Like Dixieland
Tight Like This
Would You Like To Take a Walk?

Post 416: ONE TUNE - TWO TITLES?

It is surprising how many tunes in the traditional jazz repertoire have with the passage of time acquired more than one title. There must have been various reasons for this, one of which was that a later performer wanted to disguise the fact that he was plagiarising a tune from an earlier band. But I am sure there were other reasons too, that had more to do with mere memory loss.

Here are over fifty examples. Maybe you can send me some more?

Algiers Strut is You're all I Want for Christmas (composed by Glen Moore and Seger Ellis)

Astoria Strut is also known as Climax Rag

Atlanta Blues (final strain) is also known as Make Me a Pallet on the Floor

Babik is a variation on I Got Rhythm

Barnyard Blues is also known as Livery Stable Blues

Black Bottom Stomp is also known as Queen of Spades

Blame it on the Blues is also known as Quincy Street Stomp

Blue Bells Goodbye was actually composed in 1905 as Bright Eyes Goodbye

Bogalusa Strut is a re-interpretation of the first two strains of Scott Joplin's Rose Leaf Rag

Bugle Boy March is also known as American Soldier

California Blues is also known as Blue Yodel No. 4

Can I Sleep in Your Arms Tonight, Lady? is the same tune as Red River Valley and is the same tune as We Shall Walk Through the Streets of the City

Chant of the Tuxedos is virtually the same as Ol' Man Mose

Chicago Breakdown is the same as Stratford Hunch

Chimes Blues is also known as Mournful Serenade

Corrinne Corrinna is also known as Alberta Blues

Creole Love Call is basically the middle theme from Camp Meeting Blues

Creole Song is also known as L'Autre Can Can and is also known as Madame Pedoux

Dauphine Street Blues (first strain) is also known as Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning

Deep Bayou Blues is also known as The Three Sixes

Dippermouth Blues was re-created by the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra as Sugarfoot Stomp

Do Lord (tune) is also known as It Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Worried Song

Don't Go 'Way, Nobody (tune) is also known as  How Come You Do Me Like You Do Do Do? and  is also known as Everybody's Talking About Sammy and  is also known as I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas and  is also known as If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It and is much the same as Walk Right In

Don't You Feel My Leg is also known as Don't Make Me High

Down Home Rag is also known as Black Rag

Duke's Place is also known as C-Jam Blues

Fidgety Feet is also known as War Clouds

Frogimore Rag (trio) is also Sweetheart of Mine

Frosty Morning Blues is also known as Lost Your Man Blues

The Eyes of Texas (tune) is also known as I've Been Working on the Railroad

Garbage Man Blues is also known as Call of the Freaks and is also known as New Call of the Freaks 

Get a Working Man is identical to Pinchbacks, Take 'Em Away (and the chorus is harmonically the same as It's a Long Way to Tipperary)

Golden Leaf Strut is also known as Milenberg Joys

Good Time Flat Blues is also known as Farewell to Storyville

Hesitating Blues is also known as How Long, How Long Blues

Hiawatha Rag  is also known as Lizard on a Rail and as A Summer Idyll

San Jacinto Stomp is based on You Can't Escape from Me and is also known as In the Groove and  is also known as Baby, I Don't Mean Maybe and is harmonically identical to The Kat's Got Kittens

I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music is also known as I Hope You Like My Music

In The Highways (I'll Be Somewhere Working for My Lord) is pretty much the same as Down By The Riverside

In The Sweet By and By is also known as The Preacher and the Slave

Joe Avery's Piece is also known as Victory Walk and also as The New Second Line

Jones Law Blues is also known as Muscles Blues

La Harpe Street Blues (theme) is also known as We Sure Do Need Him Now

Lily of the Valley is also known as Everybody Ought To Know and was probably plagiarized from the final theme of Red Onion Drag

London Blues is also known as Shoe Shiner's Drag

Lotus Blossom is also known as Sweet Lotus Blossom (it started out as Sweet Marijuana, of course; but that title came to be considered politically incorrect)

Loveless Love is also known as Careless Love

Love Me Tender is also known as Aura Lee

Martha is also known as Mazie

Memphis Blues is also known as Mr. Crump

Milneberg Joys is usually mis-spelt Milenberg Joys [The New Orleans suburb took its name from Scotsman Alexander Milne]

Midnight Mama - see under Tom Cat Blues

Mississippi Wobble is also known as Quality Shout

Montmartre is also known as Django's Jump

Mood Indigo is also known as Dreamy Blues

Moonlight and Roses is actually Lemare's 'Andantino'

The chorus of Celestin's My Josephine (1926) is remarkably similar to Some of These Days

New Orleans Bump is also known as Monrovia

Old Stack o'Lee Blues (not Stack o'Lee Blues) is virtually identical to Faraway Blues

Oriental Jazz was called Soudan by its composer

The 1919 March is also known as The Rifle Rangers

China Boy is also known as Pacific Rim Stomp

Poor Old Joe is also known as Old Black Joe

Lazy Luke (composed in 1905 by George J. Philpot) was misleadingly renamed Red Flannel Rag by Turk Murphy when he recorded it many years later

Moanful Blues is actually Some Day Sweetheart

My Good Man Sam is virtually identical to Doctor Jazz

After You've Gone (1917) seems to have plagiarized Peg o' My Heart (1913)

Riverboat Shuffle was originally Free Wheeling

Riverside Blues is also known as Dixieland Shuffle

Root Hog or Die is virtually the same as Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen

The final theme of Royal Garden Blues is also the main theme of Georgia Bo Bo

Savoyager's Stomp is also known as Muskrat Ramble

Sidewalk Blues is also known as Fishtail Blues

Silver Bell (second theme) is also known as Sometimes My Burden's Too Hard to Bear

Si Tu Vois Ma Mère is also known as Lonesome

Soap Suds is also known as Fickle Fay Creep

South is also known as Pork Chop

Storyville Blues is also known as Those Drafting Blues  and is also known as Bienville Blues

Gully Low Blues is also known as S.O.L. Blues

Original Dixieland One-Step (final strain) is also known as That Teasing Rag

Take My Hand, Precious Lord is the same tune as Maitland

Tar Paper Stomp is also known as Hot and Anxious (one theme) and is also known as In The Mood

The Midnight Special is also known as Shine a Light on Me

Till Times Get Better and Smokehouse Blues are almost identical to Up a Lazy River

Ting-a-ling started its life as Waltz of the Bells

Tom Cat Blues is also known as Midnight Mama (or Midnight Papa)

Two Nineteen Blues is also known as Mamie's Blues

Uptown Bumps was originally The Long Lost Blues (by Paul Wyer, 1914). Its final theme is also known as The Bucket's Got a Hole in It. It also became Keep a Knockin' But You Can't Come In. The Bucket's Got a Hole in It is also known as Ta-Wa-Bac-A-Wa and was used again in If You Don't Want Me, Please Don't Dog Me Around

Viper Mad is also known as Pleasure Mad

Washington and Lee Swing is also known as Tulane Swing and Louisiana Swing

Way Down upon the Swanee River is also known as The Old Folks at Home

Weary Blues is also known as Travelling Blues and much of it is often played as Shake It And Break It (but note there is also a different Shake It And Break It recorded by King Oliver)

When Shadows Fall is also known as Home

Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula is also known as Hawaiian Love Song

BUT:
Please note that Red Onion Rag (by Abe Olman, 1912) is a quite different tune from Louis Dumaine's Red Onion Drag.

Correspondent Robert Duis writes:

Dear Ivan, 

1) BLACK ORPHEUS
MANHA DO CARNAVAL

2) MOULIN A CAFE
THE COFFEE GRINDER

3) OLD FOLKS AT HOME
SWANEE RIVER

4) SEE SEE RIDER 
EASY RIDER

5) QUIET NIGHTS OF QUIET STARS 
CORCOVADO

Best regards, 

Robert Duis.