I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

The third song I'd like to present you is not SOO well known: "I'm forever blowing bubbles", a waltz written by John Kellette in 1918 for the musical "The Passing Show of 1918".







One of the first recordings is the 1919 Version by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band:




The song was often used in movies, like in James Cagneys "The Public Enemy" from 1931, "I Love to Singa" or Ken Russells "Women in Love". Even Harpo Marx used it.







But it made its way into the time of Big Bands and Swing, when it was played in a complete different tempo and style. Amongst others it was recorded by Roy Eldridge, Mildred Bailey and Doris Day. This is the version of British Trumpeter Nat Gonella with his Georgians, who this time doesn't sing himself:





BUT: Swing isn't always good, as this example by Gordon Jenkins and Artie Shaw shows:





One of the last uses in a talkie was in the 1999 Woody Allen movie "Sweet and Lowdown". Sean Penn plays the second best guitarist of the world (next to Django) and Howard Alden did the wonderful playback recordings:





Nowadays it is best known as the Club Anthem of London based football club Westham United. They use it since the 20s and it can often be heard on TV during their matches.





The version of the British punk rock band Cockney Rejects is used in the 2005 Hooligan Drama Green Street, starring Elijah Woods:




Perhaps not the end?

Enjoy!

Blue Skies

The next song I'd like to show you is "Blue Skies", a 1926 composing by Irving Berlin, made as an addition for the not very successfull Rodgers&Heart Musical "Betsy".



It was an immediate hit, and the recording of Ben Selvin & his Knickerbockers of 1927 was a #1 in the US:





From the same year is this obsure version by Josephine Baker, showing her lack of talent once again:





After some quiet years in the early 30s, Benny Goodman bought Fletcher Hendersons songbook and waxed this marvelous arrangement in 1935, which couldn't be reached by his mid 40s version featuring Art Lund by far:





In between, the song also often was played in a less uptempo style, like in this version from 37 by Maxine Sullivan, featuring Frank Newton on trumpet:





Also the Western Swing Scene discovered it in the late 30s, being a #1 hit for Moon Mullican. But here is the incredible version by Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys, which I think is one of the best of all times!





The best known version - besides the Glenn Miller arrangement - was recorded in 1940 by Tommy Dorsey, featuring the young Frank Sinatra on vocals:





In 1946, even a movie was named after it, with already aged crooner Bing Crosby singing the title theme:



Over the years, many, many artists recorded "Blue Skies", all Big Bands had it in their repertoire, and most of the retro recordings of the Great American Songbook since the 80s by Pop or Rock artists showed this title on the cover. So you would scroll this post for hours to listen to all I have and even longer for all ever recorded.



The last time, when "Blue Skies" hitted the Charts was in 1978, when Willie Nelson had with this Live-recording a #1 in the Country charts:





The last mentionable version I know is Lyle Lovetts smooth one of 1994:



Enjoy!

Zing! Went the Strings of my heart

Here is the first song to start with: "Zing! Went the Strings of my heart", a Quickstep by James Manley.



The oldest recording I know is by Lew Stone & his Monseigneur Band, waxed in 1932:





After a lot of similar versions, eg. by Jack Hylton and Henry Hall, it was recorded in 1943 by Judy Garland:





After several sides by Pearl Bailey, Helen O'Conell and others, it was again discovered by the Doo-Wop-Bands of the 50s, like the Demensions, The Skyliners or The Satintones. As an example here the version of the Coasters:



In the 60s we only hear this song in some Swing-revivals, like by Frank Sinatra ...



But in the 70s, it came back: DISCO-TIME! The Trammps covered it - probably not from the 30s version, but from the 50s, like their "Sixty Minute Man":





The last appearance of this timeless tune I heared back in the 80s, what again tells me: music ended when the 90s came up. This is by The Smoking Popes, a band of which I never heard before and never after ...



Enjoy!