WWI popular music--my short list

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jboger
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WWI popular music--my short list

Post by jboger »

It sometimes takes a while to figure out what one is interested in. Many people are interested in so-calle pre-war blues. That music is very interesting and I've managed to find a few, such as Tampa Red, a couple of Bessie Smith's, and another female singer whose name escapes me right now. However, I was just listening to John McCormack on a one-sided HMV Victor Record , #64476, "For sale and use in Canada only." Also states on the label "Berliner Gram-O-Phone Co. Limited. Montreal." The song is probably the most famous WWI song, viz. Tipperary. (That's the only one-sided HMV that I have found.)

Anyway, an area of interest that has evolved over the past year or so concerns songs closely related to WWI. Here is a short list of what I have found:

Tipperary (quite a few copies)
I got my Captain working for me now (Al Jolson; I think this is an Irving Berlin number)
I'm going to pin my medal on the girl I left behind (I think another Berlin number)
When Alexander's Ragtime Band gets to Berlin (might not got the title quite right)

Can anyone extend this list? I'd be interested in knowing what people might have to add and therefore either look for the record or listen to on Youtube. There are other areas I am interested in as well such as early recordings of spirituals and other early religious music, but that for a later post. And thanks if you do add anything to this list.

John

52089
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by 52089 »

There are quite literally hundreds of WWI-themed songs that could be added to this list. Just a few off the top of my head:

Over There
Keep the Home Fires Burning
Pack Up Your Troubles in your Old Kit Bag
When I send You a Picture of Berlin
There's a Long Long Trail

Also the 2 excellent collections of "army camp songs" that Edison put out on both Diamond Disc and Blue Amberol. You'll find those easily on YouTube.

jboger
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by jboger »

I was absolutely unaware of that. Of course I should have checked Wikipedia first--the font of all knowledge! Wikipedia has about 300 song titles listed. At this point I don't know how many exist on contemporary recordings, but it gives me something to start with.

Thanks for the list of titles you did add. I didn't know that "Pack up your Troubles in an Old Kit Bag" was WWI-related. Interesting.

colmike1
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by colmike1 »

One of my favorite WWI song titles is "Would You Rather Be a Colonel with an Eagle on your Shoulder or a Private with a Chicken on your Knee". It was on Columbia, but I do not recall the artist.

donniej
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by donniej »

When Tony Goes Over the Top by Billy Murray
I want to Go Back There Again (probably my favorite)
I Didn't Raise My Boy to be a Soldier

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Victor A
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by Victor A »

Quite a bit of my collection is of WWI songs:

-America, Here's My Boy
-Keep Your Head Down, Fritzie Boy
-When We Wind Up The Watch On The Rhine
-We Don't Want The Bacon, What We Want is A Piece of The Rhine
-Let's All be Americans Now
-Good Morning, Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip
-What Are You Going To Do To Help The Boys?
-Never Forget To Write Home
-I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier

there are probably more, but I'll have to check. My main interests are anything that falls into the "Early" (1890s-1910) Category, as well as early electric Victor records. I have a batwing, I think its number is 19745, Which is relatively early, considering that the first electric record that they released was 19626, a couple of Mask and Wig Club numbers
SOUSA, The March King, says:

"Your 'VICTOR' and 'MONARCH' Records are all right."

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

donniej wrote:I want to Go Back There Again (probably my favorite)
Is it possible to listen to this song anywhere, since you consider it so special? A search on YouTube returned many performances with the same title, all of which apparently unrelated to WWI.

jboger
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by jboger »

Every one of these songs has a story worth exploring. I wonder why Tipperary is so closely associated with WWI? The subject is not so clearly the war. Perhaps it has to do with remembrance of home far away? Surely there must have also been songs in German and French. Italian?

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

jboger wrote:Surely there must have also been songs in German and French. Italian?
There are hundreds. The day of the 100th anniversary I performed a commemoration based on gramophones and period songs, about which I reported here; if you have patience enough to go through the posts there is also the list of the songs played that evening:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =3&t=22946

Concerning "Tipperary", to the best of my knowledge it was used as a military march (I mean a sing-along theme while the troops were marching), so it became a "war song" even though the lyrics were written earlier and have basically no real link to WWI.

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Re: WWI popular music--my short list

Post by CarlosV »

Marco Gilardetti wrote: There are hundreds.
Actually, it is harder to find pop music records from the period 1914-1918 that are NOT related to the war ...

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