| Author |
Topic: "Frankie and Johnny" in Red Headed Woman |
Ronald Ballister
From:
New York, New York, USA
|
Posted 28 Aug 2010 9:29 pm |
|
OK, who on the forum remembers 1932?!? Took out the film "Red Headed Woman" from the library (1932, Jean Harlow, Lewis Stone). There's a part where a phonograph in the film is playing "Frankie and Johnny" with some slide guitar fairly prominent (a catchy version!). A film site says its a Cliff Edwards recording ("Ukulele Ike") but after searching the 'net I could find no record of Cliff Edwards every recording the tune so I'm not sure its him. Any ideas who it might be and where I can find it?
Someone posted a clip on YouTube showing this section from the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9YfPsVwYXE
(I figured it was a tossup as to whether this question should be in Steel Without Pedals or Music) |
|
|
 |
Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
|
Posted 28 Aug 2010 9:54 pm
|
|
| Check this out Click Here |
|
|
|
Ronald Ballister
From:
New York, New York, USA
|
Posted 28 Aug 2010 10:12 pm
|
|
That's the film site I found that mentioned Cliff Edwards. But I could find no record at all of him recording the song. Also, somebody actually published a Cliff Edwards discograpy which I found on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Cliff-Edwards-Discography-Discographies/dp/0313257191#reader_0313257191
Amazon lets you see a lot of the pages. In the back there's a listing of song titles he recorded. On page 231 (the F's) there's no listing for Frankie and Johnny. |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
|
|
|
Ronald Ballister
From:
New York, New York, USA
|
Posted 29 Aug 2010 4:48 am
|
|
| Thanks, Mike, but its not that one (nice version though). The slide guitar is real distinct in the movie clip. |
|
|
|
Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
|
Posted 29 Aug 2010 8:47 am
|
|
That sounds like Ike singing to me.
I looked the song up in Brian Rust's "Jazz Records 1897-1942". F and J is not included in his listing, but the book by design does not include all of Ike's records and so is not conclusive on the point.
It's entirely possible he recorded it for the film and it was not issued on disc at the time.
There are about 20 instances of the song in Rust's book dating back as far as 1923 (Isham Jones), of which about half are 1932 or earlier.
Most are with a full band. The youtube version appears to have very sparse accompaniment.
The only version with sparse accompaniment I can find is by Frank Marvin, from January 1930. But that version had guitar and trumpet and your version doesn't sound at all like Frank Marvin.
So, by ear it sounds like Ike and I'd guess it is him, possibly not issued on disc. I'd keep digging for Ike discographies. |
|
|
|
Ronald Ballister
From:
New York, New York, USA
|
Posted 29 Aug 2010 8:59 am
|
|
| Thanks Mitch, great info. Guess I'll have to keep looking (It does sound like Ike). My guess is that when a film made in 1932 had a record playing on screen there really was a record playing on screen. Don't know how marketing worked then, but I would have thought the film would have cross-promoted the tune helping with sales of a known release (but maybe not!) |
|
|
|
