Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

Sponge rag: by W. C. Simon; pf. Rev. ed. ©May 6, 1912 ; 2 c. Apr. 29. 1912; E 283962;W. C. Simon, Detroit, Mich. [And he’s onlyW. C. Simon, not Walter, in the index aswell.]No sure what to make of this. One edition ofthis was published by Tichenor in RagtimeRarities:Sponge [the word rag doesn’t even appearon the sheet, just two step as a genremarkerat the bottom of the cover],composed by W. C. Simon and pub. byW. C. Simon, 733 Canal St., New Orleans,La.And I found QRS 31139 piano roll, titleSponge, by W. C. Simon. But the BritishLibrary in St. Pancras indexes a copy dated1912 and titled Sponge Rag, by Walter C.Simon, published by W. C. Simon. That couldwell be the 1912 copyrighted version.The only two copies I found online (andviewable), unlike St. Pancras library), were ofthe Ragtime Rarities version.But, typically, comprehensive collector TomBrier has “the rest of the story”:Yes, there ARE three different publishedversions of "Sponge" by W. C. Simon (he isnever credited as "Walter", either ascomposer or publisher). It was originallypublished in 1910 by L. Grunewald Co. ofNew Orleans. It was published in 1911 inNew Orleans by the composer. It was thenpublished AGAIN by the composer in 1912in Detroit, Michigan, with the address beingthe Melville Clark Piano Co. (manufacturersof QRS Piano Rolls!!!). Each version of thepiece is arranged differently (I think all threeare in different keys, no less). Interestingly,the cover of the Detroit edition gives thesubtitle of the piece as "NOTARAG"!Sporting House Rag (seePerfect Rag)S’posin’ (Paul Denniker–Andy Razaf)Jimmy Mazzy & Eli Newberger CD 1109ASM, 1929, Triangle; w. Razaf/m. Denniker.Springfield Stomp (Cecil Scott–Don Frye)Keith Nichols Dreamland Syncoptrs 11502013 review: Rec. Cecil Scott and His BrightBoys Orch, 11/9/29, Victor V-38117. And hereit is:Springfield stomp; melody by C. Scott andD. Frye. © 1 c. Mar. 5, 1930; E unp. 18095;Southern music pub. co., inc., New York.And found the Argentina Victor label (!),crediting C. Scott-Frye. Victor Project ledgersconfirm both.Spring-time Rag (Paul Pratt)London Ragtime Orchestra 1081Oops, the copyright has a hyphen:Spring-time rag; U.S.; by Paul Pratt, ofpiano. © Jan. 4, 1916; 2 c. Jan. 17, 1916; E375526; Stark music co., St. Louis.Typically, collector Tom Brier has the answer:Cover is Spring Time Rag, but copyright pageis Spring-time.Squabblin’ [There’s a Squabblin’](Count Basie)Keith Nichols Dreamland Syncoptrs 1150LP credited Count Basie.Rec. Walter Page’s Blue Devils (but withCharlie Washington on pno), 11/10/29,Vocalion 1463.Not in copyright books 1928-32. RHJA saysBasie. My British Jazz Greats reissue of therecord says Basie. But New World Records’very authoritative reissue on Big and TerritoryBands of the ’20s says it’s called “There’s aSquabblin’” by Basie.Well, the Musicians Local 627 web site ofKansas City cites the recording as “There’s aSquabblin’.”from NW record: Copyright © 1930 byNorthern Music Company, 445 Park Avenue,New York, N.Y. 10022. Used By permission. Allrights reserved. But that’s not reflected incopyright books. And the use of a zip code of10022 bespeaks a date much later than 1930.Bill Haesler did extensive research (admittedlywith secondary sources, as he (to oursurprise) also failed to find a single image ofthe record label. His research all leads toSquabblin’, says There’s a Squabblin’ seemsto come mostly from European sources.We stay with ”Squabblin’,” but it seems worthadding the longer title as an alternative.Amazon.com sells it that way, and FrankDrigg’s book on KC jazz uses that title.BUT wait: look at the copyright reg. thatHaesler dug up!Squablin [!]; by James Johnson andWalter Page. [Chords, single staff] © 1 c.June 5, 1930; E unp. 22910; State Streetmusic pub. co., inc., Chicago.Yes, one b, no apostrophe, and that [!] wasactually in the copyright entry—LC evidentlythought it as odd as we do.This simply has to be the tune that the BlueDevils recorded. And when I went searchingfor the Squablin spelling plus Walter Page, Igot lots of hits on Squablin or Squablin’, andeven There’s a Squablin’, so I’ll bet that thelabel had it one of those ways. I even found avery scholarly article in The Jazz Review from1958 that referred to the tune as “Squablin.”In the absence of a label to prove somethingelse, I’m going to change this to match thecopyright.Which didn’t last long. Sonny McGown cameup with the label, which is Squabblin’ byBasie. Presumably the people who called itSquablin were looking at the copyright ratherthan the record label, but not a one of themmentioned Johnson & Page as composers.Squaty Roo (Johnny Hodges)Paris Washboard 1347Rec. Hodges aho 7/3/41, Bluebird B-11447,Victor 62-0070, HMV B-9283.Confirmed by 6/19/42 copyright reg. and HMVlabels.Squeeze Me [(When You) Squeeze Me](Fats Waller–Clarence Williams)Banu Gibson NO Hot Jazz Orch 1073Paris Washboard 1182Neville Dickie 1341Paul Asaro & Neville Dickie 1404Some of rec. in Rust, titled Squeeze Me unlessotherwise marked:Buster Bailey, 5/20-27/25, Banner 1563,Domino 3534, Oriole 442, Regal 9863.Halfway House Orch, 9/25/25, Columbia 541-D. BRS 997 = Waller-Williams (LC SONIC)Clarence Williams Blu Five (vcl Eva Taylor),10/26/25, OKeh 8254. Williams-Waller (LCSONIC)BessieSmith, 3/5/26, Columbia 14133-D,Biltmore 1095. Columbia = Williams-Waller(LC SONIC)Hightower’s Night Hawks, 7/20/27, Black Patti8045, Champion 15491.Armstrong Hot Five, 6/29/28, OKeh 8641,Columbia 35661, Parlophone R-2242 et al.OKeh label Williams-Waller, same forParlophone (LC SONIC)Clarence Williams Orch, 8/28, QRS R-7005,Broadway 1348, Paramount 12885 et al.QRS label no credits.Lousiana Rhythm Kings, 1/20/30, Brunswick4953, 03282. Brunswick 03282 Waller-Williams.Waller ahr, 8/10/39, Bluebird B-10405, Victor20-2217, HMV AL-5020 et al. Victor (WhenYou) Squeeze Me, Razaf-Williams-Waller;Bluebird When You Squeeze Me, samecomposers (LC SONIC, which may just havebeen ignoring the parentheses)Here’s the copyright:Squeeze me; w and m Clarence Williamsand Thos. Waller, both of U.S.; © pf. acc.,