Stomp Off 1001 - Dickbaker.org

"noticeably more genteel," J. RosamondJohnson, his brother James WeldonJohnson, and Bob Cole were hailed as thecollective "Moses" who led "the coon songinto the promised land." In songs like"Under the Bamboo Tree," the writers,according to Rosamond Johnson himself,tried to "clean up the caricature," using only"mild dialect" to express love "in phrasesuniversal enough" to meet the "genteeldemands of middle-class America."It was lyricist Bob Cole who suggested toJohnson that "Nobody Knows the TroubleI’ve Seen" could be turned into into aragtime song. Johnson at first thought thesuggestion sacriligious, but at Cole’sinsistence, he syncopated the spiritual.I think Audrey’s two copies give us theevidence we need for all three. Both hercopies have all three on the cover. The onewith the lyrics adds Bob Cole’s name to the (c)page, which means, I believe, “We allcollaborated on the tune, but Bob wrote thewords.”2013 review: But wait! See the copyright:Under the bamboo tree; song, music by BobCole. Copyright by Jos. W. Stern & co., NewYork, N.Y. Class C, XXc, no. 32416, Sept. 5,1902; 2 copies rec'd Sept. 5, 1902.But then we find that when Arthur Collinsrecordied it for Victor in 1902, the Victorledgers show J. Rosamond Johnson,composer; Bob Cole and James WeldonJohnson, lyricists.Well, you could go either way on this. Coleand the Johnson Brothers were a verysuccessful touring act in vaudeville, so “ByCole and Johnson Bros.” on the sheet covercould simply mean that they were theperformers of it, the people who made itfamous, while the copyright page (and thecopyright itself) shows us that Cole was thesole composer in this case.And here’s my evidence for the latterinterpretation. Went back online to look forJohnsons as composers. First piece I foundwas “(Marie Cahill’s) Congo Love Song,” pub.by Stern in 1903. The cover says veryprominently, just like the Bamboo Tree cover,“By Cole & Johnson Bros.” But the copyrightpage says “Music by Rosamond Johnson;Words by J. W. Johnson.” So they did put thename of the group on the cover, even whenthe tunes were written by individuals or pairswithin the group. Then there was “Pretty LittleSquaw from Utah” in 1904. All three on cover,but words Cole, music J. Rosamond Johnsonon copyright page.Under the Moon (You-oo-oo-oo)(Ev. E. Lyn–Francis Wheeler–Ted Snyder)Barbara Rosene & Her New Yorkers 1405ASM, 1927, Waterson, Berlin & Snyder,matches 1405 except adds middle initial toLyn. That same odd name pops up on a songcalled “Flaming Ruth,” so I guess it’s for real.Copyright reg. renders the name the sameway, Ev. E. Lyn. Says w. Lyn-Wheeler, m.Snyder, arr. Harry Tiedeman. No You-oo-oooo.Under the Southern Moon(Charles L. Johnson)Elliott Adams 1198Confirmed by 1/3/10 copyright reg.Underneath Hawaiian Skies(Fred Rose–Ernie Erdman)Grand Dominion JB 1379Not in Rust or S&P; CD no help either.Lord discography says rec.Isham Jones, 3/21, Brunswick 5052(“introducing I Never Knew”).George Lewis, 11/23/49 (presumably thedirect or original source of Grand Dominionversion), New Orleans Rarities 2, JazzologyJCE24, American Music AMCD 74.Crawford-Ferguson Night Owls, c. 1967,Audiophile AP109. And various Brits.Confirmed by 12/30/20 copyright reg., IF we’resure that the 1921 Jones tune is the same asthe 1949 George Lewis tune. It was fox trotfrom The Passing Show of 1921; rec. byClarence Jones on piano roll, with copyrightsclaimed on that interpretation and onarrangement.Believe it or not, I tracked down the 1921Isham Jones and Paul Whiteman recordings,as well as the 1949 George Lewis, and canconfirm that they’re indeed the same tunes.Universal Rag (Frank Wooster)Elliott Adams 1299Odd, couldn’t find copyright in 1905 books,and not in any collections, but Perfesser Billmentions this piece, and Jasen’s big bookshows it as having been on a QRS piano roll.And there’s a listing of it with many other ragson the back page of Will Held’s Chromatic Ragpub. by Stark.[untitled fox trot] (Eubie Blake)Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra 1411Bob Pinsker reports:I am literally the world's leading authority onthis one, because it is I who found it, and Iwho arranged it, and I who recorded it onour first Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra CD.This is arranged from a few pages that Ifound in the collection of Blake's papers atthe Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore.The piece was never copyrighted, nor titled,nor finished for that matter. I am the one whoclaims that it is a fox trot, and that Blakedidn't give it a title, so I always say that it'san untitled fox trot, but does that mean thatits title is "Untitled Fox Trot"? Could this be aunique item in the entire StompOff catalog,in that it's an uncopyrighted, untitled,unpublished piece?Up in the Clouds (Bert Kalmar–Harry Ruby)Frederick Hodges 1333Confirmed by 7/11/27 copyright reg., w/mboth.Up Jumped You with Love(Fats Waller–Ed Kirkeby)Paris Washboard 1359Rec. Waller & His Rhythm, 7/13/42, HMV BD-1045.Oops, not in 1941-43 copyright books.Waller-Kirkeby is the credit on a 1957 RCAreissue LP, on the copy in the Hansen folioReminiscences of Fats Waller from 1967.AND I found the Bluebird label, confirmsWaller-Kirkeby.Up the Country Blues (Wingy Manone–Steve Brua–Mike Ryan?)Chicago Rhythm 1164Asks Pinsker: “Is this really Wingy Manone?Or is it the George W. Thomas tune?”Hmmm. Says Mike Duffy, in 1164 liner notes:Derived from what must have been auniversally known country blues whenWingy Mannone recorded it (for the secondtime) for Gennett with Miff Frink in 1930Rec.Sippie Wallace, 10/26/23, OKeh 8106. Labelcredits Thomas & Sippie Wallace.Tiny Franklin (vcl), acc. by George W.Thomas, 12/10/23, Gennett 5346. Couldn’tfind label, but Online Archive of Californiasays by Thomas-Wallace; LC SONICconfirms.And 10/18/23 copyright reg. confirms w/mboth.THE MANONE RECORDINGS:Joe Mannone’s Harmony Kings (vcl Wingy),4/11/27, Columbia 1044-D.What the heck? RJHA says credit Bob Sacks-Johnny Miller (Bob Sacks was tsax man onthe session, Johnny Miller was piano). BUTHaesler came up with the Columbia label,which says “Sackman and Miller”!Barbecue Joe & His Hot Dogs, 9/19/30,Gennett 7320; Champion 16127, 40054;Decca 7366; Savoy 500 (as NO RhythmKings!); Brunswick 03520 (as WMaho).RHJA says credit Miller for Gennett; andHaesler found Champion 40054, which is “Up