Elsie Carlisle - June 2014

“’Leven Pounds of Heaven” (1932)

June 28, 2014

“’Leven Pounds of Heaven.” Words by Joe McCarthy, melody by Matt Malneck (1930). Recorded by Elsie Carlisle with orchestral accompaniment on June 23, 1932. Decca F-3038 mx. GB-4589-?.

Elsie Carlisle – ’Leven Pounds of Heaven
Video by Andy LeMaitre (YouTube)

The lyrics of “’Leven Pounds of Heaven” represent a mother’s effusive confession of having found life’s meaning in the form of an eleven-pound baby (sex unknown). Such a song naturally risks drowning in its own sappiness. The Matty Malneck melody is deeply attractive, though, and Elsie Carlisle brings to it her own addictive variety of treacle that seems to have suited the British palate in 1932.

Elsie had recorded “’Leven Pounds of Heaven” six days earlier with Ambrose and His Orchestra (HMV B. 6200), and she would sing part of it again with them the next year in a medley (“Memories of the Mayfair,” recorded October 5, 1933 on Brunswick 01605 and Decca F. 6239).

“’Leven Pounds of Heaven” was recorded in 1931 in the United States by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (with vocals by Mildred Bailey). In the summer of 1932 there were British versions, in addition to those featuring Elsie Carlisle, by Teddy Dobbs’s Blue Lagoons, The Blue Lyres (an Ambrose group, with vocalist Anona Winn), and Tommy Kinsman and His Band (with vocals by Les Allen).

Elsie Carlisle in June’s “Discographer Magazine”

June 24, 2014

78rpmcommunity.com (The 78rpm Collector’s Community), a social network similar to Facebook but focused entirely on 78 rpm recordings and technology, has a journal that it publishes in both digital and print form. This month’s Discographer has two items on Elsie Carlisle in it that are worth looking at (amidst other excellent articles dealing with jazz, dance band, and classical recordings).

I wrote the first article, on pages 8-12. “Elsie Carlisle’s ‘My Man o’ War (Dominion C 307 & Filmophone 143)” discusses Elsie Carlisle’s most naughty song, and addresses the rumor that its first recording incurred a fine for pornography that brought down Dominion records (a story that I do not necessarily believe, but which is fun to repeat). I also compare Elsie Carlisle’s two versions of the song to the earlier one by Lizzie Miles and attempt to explain why Elsie’s dramatic delivery of the lyrics makes the song so awfully funny.

There is also an article on page 26-29 featuring Mick Johnson‘s admirable restorations of a number of Elsie Carlisle recordings on for the Dominion label. Dominion records were budget productions on poor-quality shellac, but Mick has done a fine job of reducing the amount of non-musical noise and allowing one to enjoy a clear and undistorted Elsie.

So be sure to read the Discographer Magazine:

Ambrose

“Fare Thee Well, Annabelle” (1935)

June 20, 2014

“Fare Thee Well, Annabelle.” Words by Mort Dixon, music by Allie Wrubel (1934). Recorded on June 20, 1935 by Ambrose and His Orchestra, with vocals by Donald Stewart, Elsie Carlisle, and the Rhythm Brothers. Decca F-5590 mx. GB-7245-1.

Personnel: Bert Ambrose dir. Max Goldberg-t-mel / Harry Owen and 1 unknown-t / Ted Heath-Lew Davis-tb / Danny Polo-cl-as-bar / Sid Phillips-cl-as-bar / Joe Jeannette-as / Billy Amstell-cl-ts / Ernie Lewis-Reg Pursglove-vn / Bert Barnes-p /Joe Brannelly-g /Dick Ball-sb /Max Bacon-d

Ambrose and his Orchestra – “Fare Thee Well, Annabelle” (1935)
Transfer by Charles Hippisley-Cox

Mort Dixon and Allie Wrubel wrote “Fare Thee Well, Annabelle” in 1934; it was introduced in 1935 by Rudy Vallée and Ann Dvorak in the film Sweet Music. The Ambrose Orchestra’s version does justice to this admirable example of the “train song” genre; it lacks the lollapalooza tap dancing sequence of the film, but its simulated train sounds evoke the original context of the song nicely, and Donald Stewart and Elsie Carlisle make suitable stand-ins for the movie actors.

Notable Americans to record “Fare Thee Well, Annabelle” that year were Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (with Pee Wee Hunt as vocalist), Charlie Barnet (with singer Marion Nichols), Ted Fio Rito and His Orchestra (with vocals by Muzzy Marcellino and The Debutantes), Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers, Wingy Manone, and the Boswell Sisters (recording in London).

In 1935 Britain would hear other recordings of “Fare Thee Well, Annabelle” by the Debroy Somers Band (with Brian Lawrance as vocalist), Billy Merrin and His Commanders (Ken Crossley, vocalist), Harry Roy and His Orchestra (Bill Currie, vocalist), Sidney Kyte and His Piccadilly Hotel band (with Norman Phillips singing), and Joe Loss and His Radio Band.