Radio Digest (June 1932-Mar 1933)

by one of Tin Pan Alley's oldest, greatest, and most respected songwriters, Joe Young. With the same Young Lady who collaborated with him in the writing of "Lullaby of the Leaves," Joe has written a new song called MY RIVER HOME. Seated in Irving Berlin's private office, near his famous piano with the shifting keyboard, which gives him the various keys by a mere twist of a handle, Max Winslow, Irving Berlin's mentor and guide in his early struggles, on my left, and several other executives of the Berlin firm on my right, Dave Dreyer at the piano, himself composer of "Back In Your Own Backyard," "Songs For Sale," and many other tunes, I listened to the newest Berlin catalogue. Irving himself dropped in to listen to some of the songs as he had just returned from Europe, and of course is keenly interested in the doings of his firm. There is an air of happiness about Irving which unquestionably has come from his two recent smash hits, "Say It Isn't So" and "How Deep Is The Ocean." But the surprise for me was the unique demonstration, vocally speaking, by Joe Young. I had always thought of Joe Young as strictly a writer, an executive of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and, as I have said many times before in these pages, the Samuel Johnson of the noon time Kaffe Kloches at Lindy's, but I had never thought of him quite in the light of a vocalist. He possesses what probably 15 years ago was called a typical Broadway type of voice, a vibrato style of singing, persuasive movements of the body (which heighten the rhythmic value of the song) all of those things so typical of the average demonstration of a popular song by the true dyed-in-the-wool denizens of Broadway's song sections. Joe stood at the piano, and sang the songs with all the gusto at his command. Broadway songwriters have an uncomfortable way of fixing their eyes on their prospective listener or victim, which usually, at the end of the rendition of the song, leaves said listener very embarrassed as the triumphant air of complete conquest and of work well done, which is expressed in their complete make-up makes it very difficult for one to render other than a satisfactory opinion of the song. I suppose that is rather akin to the gesture that Holson makes at the end of one of his great building effects, when he stamps his left foot forward, with both hands outstretched, somewhat in the manner of the acrobats at the finish of one of their unusually skillful performances. The act seems to say, "There, now, give me that ap plause !" Joe has so much volume the walls shook, and it was necessary at times for Max Winslow to restrain his robust vocalization. But one thing I must say, Joe certainly knows how to "sell" his songs, and even if "My River Home" has no value in itself, Joe would have made me believe that it had. Both Bernice Petkere, with whom he wrote "Lullaby of the Leaves," and Joe himself, have tried to incorporate in this song some of the idea of the same construction of "Lullaby of the Leaves." My humble opinion is that the song, while not another "Lullaby of the Leaves," will be a very popular one, with those who are constantly looking for something a little bit different, something out of the ordinary. The story is the same as in "Lullaby of the Leaves" — the Southern boy or girl in the big town up North, sighing for the shores of the Mississippi, where the steamers, the darkies, the cotton, the light through the pines, all seem to be calling the straying one home. It is a mighty good song and I sincerely hope that Joe's terrific vocal efforts on that afternoon, and I suppose on succeeding afternoons for all those who likewise must be convinced of the merits of his song, will not have been in vain. We would play the song quite slowly. /'M SURE OF EVERYTHING BUT YOU and AH BUT I'VE LEARNED. This evening on our Fleischmann program we have a spot of two excellent songs, I'M SURE OF EVERYTHING BUT YOU, and AH BUT I'VE LEARNED. The former is by Charles O'Flynn, George Meyer and Pete Wendling, and it should be a hit on the strength of the writers' names alone. Wendling has been writing songs for ages ; in fact, one always thinks of Wendling when he thinks of Walter Donaldson, as they have both been writing hit songs for some time. With O'Flynn Wendling wrote "Swingin' In A Hammock," which to me is one of their outstanding contributions. George Meyer is one of the pillars of Tin Pan Alley, and the boys have a very unusual song. Unquestionably they have been influenced by the terrific success of Harry Woods' "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye," only this time the dog and the cat are comparable to the clock on the shelf in the middle of the "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" song. This same dog and cat in this case "don't know where they're at, they're yearning for your company, and the cat bow-wows, and the little dog meows, without you Pet they're all upset the same as me." A com 31 parison of the middle parts of these two songs would show that the boy. realize the value of these homely similes to bring home to the listener just the feelings and atmosphere of everyone concerned at the moment. The song, musically, is a dandy, very rhythmic, and one that the Lombardos will seize upon and play with glee, and as I look it over now, the phrase, "There's welcome on the doorway, and 'Home Sweet Home' upon the wall," I am more than ever convinced that the boys have accepted Harry Woods' method of expression as one that must inevitably lead to success in this type of song. Keit Engle are the publishers, and what with "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" a Keit Engle song, this looks as though it might be a really good follow-up, though I doubt whether it will achieve the outstanding heights of its predecessor. Rarely does a junior type of song reach the same step of success that the pioneer inevitably does. A song built to order for Mr. Crosby ! I am trying to recall whom I first heard do it, and I believe it was Bing, though just how he could have done it is more than I can fathom, as I have not heard him on the air, nor has anyone for that matter, as he has been out on the Coast making that excellent picture, "The Big Broadcast." Somehow, however, as I humbly sing the song, I feel that I am treading on hallowed ground, and that a song of it's type really belongs to Bing. At least I am sure he will do more than justice to it when he gets to it. There is little to say about it except that it has a haunting type of melody, and an unusual type of phrase which is reprised enough times throughout the length of the song to bring it home to the listener. DeSylva, Brown and Henderson are publishing it, and we play both of these tunes at about one minute to the chorus. MAKE IT A Jtlerrp Cfjrtetma* For the whole year by subscribing to Radio Digest $1.50 Subscribe for a gift