Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

James D. Touchstone. The song's openingline reads: Just because you think you're sopretty, just because you think you're sohot..... "Just Because" was the Sheltons’ firstrelease on Decca but, due to theirpopularity, they went on to cut over 150sides for the label. They also recorded sidesfor Victor Records and King Records. TheShelton Brothers would become one of themost successful country acts of the era.Sheet music? Indiana University has this byShelton-Shelton-Sid Robin, pub. by LeedsMusic Corp. . . . in 1941Ah, now it gets curiouser. MTSU has severalcopies of it (ID’ing them here by MTSU ItemID, which is how you order music from MTSU):010475-CPMSM - Shelton-Shelton-Robin,Leeds, 1937005738-UCLAS - Shelton-Shelton-Robin,Leeds, 1941, 1937007600-SMVOL - Nelson-Touchstone, Peer-Southern, 1957, 1948, 1930 (“This piece isincluded in a bound volume of professionalcopies of 481 songs published by Peer-International. This second edition of the BigBlue Book was compiled and distributed in1966 or later.”) [Later got copy of these pagesin that book; the copyright page is clearenough: w/m Hubert A. Nelson-Jas. D.Touchstone; copyright 1930 by PeerInternational Corp, copyright renewed 1957 byPeer International Corp., copyright 1948 byPeer International Corp.--further evidence formy decision to switch to Nelson-Touchstone.]THIS SEEMS TO BE ASS-BACKWARDS:Nelson & Touchstone were the first to recordthis song (1929) and the first to copyright it(1930). The Shelton Brothers came along andrecorded it in 1933—the recording thatevidently made the song famous—andcopyrighted it in 1937 through Jenkins Musicin Kansas City. Then Leeds publishes it in1937, and it comes out with Sid Robin addedas a contributor.My guess is that when the Shelton record hitbig in the charts, Leeds bought it from Jenkinsso they could publish it in sheet music form,and had Robin polish the lyrics a bit while theywere at it.BUT it sure seems to me that Nelson &Touchstone got robbed, although it’s possiblethat Jenkins bought it from legitimately fromSouthern Music before Leeds bought it fromthem. The only real evidence for a pre-1937publication of the song is Peer-Southern’s BigBlue Book, but we can’t be sure that “JustBecause” was in it in 1930 or got added in1948 . . . or 1957, or 1966+.What’s bizarre is that everybody who hascommented on it has presumed that it was bySheltons-Robin because that’s how sheetmusic reads, even though Nelson &Touchstone were on the first, 1929, recordingas composers and they copyrighted it in theirnames.And aha! The Nelstone’s Hawaiians recordingis on YouTube atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=lv5v9xafkHIAnd it’s absolutely our song!It finally dawned on me to search for“Just Because” Nelson Touchstone(I’d previously been searching on title plusSheltons and/or Robin) at which point Ilearned that plenty of sources, especially inthe country music field, credit those two for thesong, and it’s even been published that way.And I found a biography of Sid Robin thatcredits him with writing it in 1937, even thoughit had been written, recorded and copyrighteight years before. To hell with this, I’mchanging it!Just Before Daybreak(James P. Johnson)Neville Dickie 1269Got this email from Charles Davis, player ofand expert on things Waller:In your catalog you list "Just BeforeDaybreak" and "Jersey Sweet" together.They are two separate pieces. One wascopyrighted in 1943 and the other in 1946.Reference point would be the Folkways lpDave Jasen issued several years ago or themore recent cd released from Folkwaysmasters which is much more completeregarding James P,'s solo recordings(on theSmithsonian label).Sent the recording to Davis, who reportedback::Track #13 is Just Before Daybreak. Itwas copyrighted in 1946 by Mills Music. Thetitle Jersey Sweet on the notes ismisleading since it is entirely another piece,copyrighted in 1943 by Mills.Charles, did you mess this up? The Brown &Hurlburt book on James P. says it’s the sametune. And Erdos compared the Neville Dickierecording to James P. Johnson’s recording ofJersey Sweet, says they’re exactly the same.Does anyone else have anything to add onthis?11/9/00 Dave Jasen telcon: Chas. Davis isright, they are definitely not the same tune.Early November series of emails from Charlessays he discovered long ago that the tuneswere confused/mislabeled on initial issues,which has muddied the waters ever since. Hesent sheet music to both, which I sent toRobbie Rhodes with the Dickie recording;we’ll let him confirm Charles’s argument.11/20/00: Robbie Rhodes confirms beyonddoubt that (a) the tunes are different; (b)Dickie plays Just Before Daybreak; (c) theoriginal LP and even CD reissue had themmislabeled.Just Blues (Fletcher Henderson)Keith Nichols Cotton Club Orchestra 1275Fletcher Henderson, 3/24, Ajax 17029, Apex658; again 4/10/31 as Connie’s Inn Orch,Melotone M-12239, Brunswick 01212, 80037A-9912.Grey Gull studio band headed by MikeMosiello, 5-6/29, Madison 1649 (as CottonPickers Orch); Van Dyke 71739 (asMemphis Jazzers); Radiex 909, as MeanestKind of Blues by Mike Mosiello’s RadioStars).Ocie Stockard, 9/11/37, Bluebird B-7716.Well, not in 1923-32 books--at least not byHenderson. One online listing of theHenderson Ajax 17029 specifically says “nonelisted” for composer, but another says Morris.RHJA says Henderson for later Brunswick12239 (odd, that’s the number Rust shows forthe Melotone release). Southern Ill. Univ. atEdwardsville does show Henderson ascomposer for several of the Brunswick releasenumbers.Grey Gull/Cotton Pickers Orch on Madisonlabel says Mosiello--could well be diff. tune.No composer credit on the Stockard/Bluebird.Couldn’t find any of the Henderson labels, butLC SONIC says Melotone M-12239, Brunswick1212, 70037 & A-9912 are Henderson.I have two Henderson reissues, both of the1931 version. One credits Henderson, theother credits . . . Henderson-Henderson!Nichols: we just transcribed LP reissue of1931 version; composer info came fromErdos.2013: Looks like the LC SONIC reports on the1931 Henderson/Connie’s Inn labels are asdefinitive as we’ll get. Hard to imagine thatFletcher Henderson would have failed tocopyright his tune, though.Just Gone (Joe Oliver–Lil Hardin[known as Lil Johnson at the timethe record was released])Black Bottom Stompers (Switz.) 1130Mahogany Hall Stompers 1221Neville Dickie 1309