1905

January 1905

Haydn Quartet

My Little Canoe

Written by Leslie Stuart

Best seller Arthur Pryor’s Band – A Coon Band Contest

The Haydn Quartet had their second monthly no.2 although they had currently enjoyed seven no.1s to date. There were some strange places that two lovers went to in their efforts to be alone, but this offer by The Haydn Quartet to Mamie to go for a ride in a little canoe may be a bit uncomfortable. They say there is room for two of them, me my Mamie and you which sounded like there would be three in this little canoe, unless the invitation is being offered by the whole of the quartet. They do ask her to come along, if you’ve nothing else to do, Mamie it’ll carry me an’ you and that’s enough for a nice flirtation, as you’re sitting in your lonesome, I’ve got so much to say and I’m forgetting how, I’ve such a tale as no one knows, I’d better say to you the very last thing now, I’ll paddle along and rock you in my cradle (my little canoe), Mamie you’ll have nothin’ to do, and when I’ve told my worries to you, then Mamie we might canoodle we two (in my little canoe).

February 1905

Vess Ossman

St Louis Rag

Written by Tom Turpin

Best seller Billy Murray – Come Take A Trip In My Airship

Thomas Million John Turpin was an African American composer of ragtime tunes and his St Louis Rag was written in the 1890s when he ran a saloon in St Louis, Missouri which was frequented by local pianists and he wrote St Louis Rag for that instrument. Vess Ossman’s version worked equally as well played on the banjo and was his second no.2 hit and first time in the charts for five years when he also hit no.2 with the original A Coon Band Contest that Arthur Pryor’s Band had taken to the top the previous month of January 1905. St Louis Rag was a fast-paced ragtime tune that Ossman played by both picking at the strings individually and also strumming chords and was only the fourth instrumental tune to peak in the runner up position, two by Ossman and the other two by Sousa’s Band. Turpin recorded his own version played on the piano onto disc but although the sheet music sold well, the disc was out performed by Vess Ossman’s banjo.

March 1905

Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan

Coax Me

Written by Harry Von Tilzer & Andrew B Sterling

Best seller Billy Murray – The Yankee Doodle Boy

With a singing duo of Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan singing a song composed by Harry Von Tilzer & Andrew B Sterling, Coax Me couldn’t fail to succeed, but they didn’t reckon on competing in the charts with another duo that would become even more successful than them in the coming decade, singer Billy Murray and composer George M Cohan who stopped Coax Me from topping the charts with The Yankee Doodle Boy, one of the biggest sellers of the entire decade of the 1900s. This song was about two lovers who want to wed. It’s a night in June with a lovely moon and these two dusky lovers are wooing, but first he wants to steal one or two or perhaps a few kisses. As the song goes along, he increased it to three or four and he promises to pay them back to you the day we wed. Lize, the girl is not going to make this easy, she said, coax me go on and coax me, if you love me madly want me badly, coax me go on and coax me, I’ll be your tootsie wootsie if you’ll coax me. In verse two he has coaxed her and he has received one kiss, then on the breeze from neath the trees, came a noise that sounded just like someone kissing, and a tender voice said Give me just one more Lize, that one I had made me so glad, but still she insists that you have to coax me.

April 1905

Byron G Harlan

It Makes Me Think Of Home Sweet Home

Written by Chas K Harris

Best seller Richard Jose – The Day That You Grew Colder

Chas K Harris had previously written the no.2 hit Always In The Way, a sentimental song about the relationship between a child and a step parent and recorded by Byron G Harlan but this was very different. It Makes Me Think Of Home Sweet Home was a patriotic look at what stirs the blood of various nationalities, in the case of Americans it was the sound of the Star Spangled Banner and the first line Oh say can’t you hear and also the instrumental part of the song Home Sweet Home, a hit for Harry MacDonough in 1902, otherwise known as there’s no place like home. Other things that stir Americans are being way down South in dear old Dixie Land, marching through Georgia too, Auld lang syne and dear old Uncle Sam, three cheers for the red white and blue. This was Byron G Harlan’s tenth monthly no.2 and he had also achieved seven no.1s to date. The second verse was all about the songs that stirred the blood of other nationalities, England dearly loves God Save The King, Germany the Father Land, Ireland always The Wearing Of The Green, Annie Laurie for the Scotch to a man, a coon stops work when he hears ragtime, a Frenchman The Marseilles, but the song that stirs up my American blood, every time that I hear it play, and to the tune of The Star Spangled Banner he sang, oh say can’t you hear, Some thing that’s familiar, oh say there’s a thrill, in every single tone, oh say it’s so sweet, I always love to hear it, for it makes me think of home sweet home. Yes the lyrics really did mention a coon’s love of ragtime.

May 1905

Ada Jones

My Carolina Lady

George Hamilton & Andrew B Sterling

Best seller Henry Burr – In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree

Ada Jones was born in Oldham, England and when she moved to the USA with her parents aged six, they started out in Philadelphia before moving to New York to begin her recording career. She must have had an affinity with North Carolina as it is known that she died there in 1922. My Carolina Lady is about a girl from the state in the South, the lyrics written by Andrew B Sterling who teamed up with George Hamilton instead of his more usual partner, Harry Von Tilzer to write a song about a girl who lived in a rose-clad cottage and is waiting with a sweet and loving kiss by that little cottage door to welcome back the one who she promised to be true. I doubt that Sterling had Ada Jones in mind to sing the song and indeed it was recorded first by Harry MacDonough in 1902, but the best seller was by Ada Jones who took the song to the charts three years later and nobody cared that she sang the lyrics, ma own ma queen ma little Carolina lady, soon our wedding bells will sweetly chime, you own ma heart it’s yours my Carolina lady, and I’m thinking of you all the time.

June 1905

Enrico Caruso

Iris Serenata

Written by Pietro Mascagni & Luigi Illica

Best seller Len Spencer & Ada Jones – Every Little Bit Helps

Enrico Caruso did not only perform and record arias from the most famous operas, he also recorded little known works as well, like this aria from Pietro Mascagni’s Iris which had its premiere in Rome in 1898 and is set in Japan with Caruso singing the part of Osaka. The serenata from Iris is subtitled Apri La Tua Finestra, in English Open Your Window. The translated libretto read as open your window, I am Jor who comes at your call, poor Dhia, open your window to my rays, open your heart to my warm charm, Jor has heard o Dhia your prayer, open your soul child to the sun, open your soul to my words, open your heart to me child and hope, you want to die? I will make you die but I’ll make you die by the sun’s kisses, then to the eternal land I will lead you. Caruso sung in the original Italian, apri la tua finestra, Jor son io che vengo al tuo chiamar, povera Dhia, apri la tua finestra al raggio mio, apri il tuo cor a mia calda malìa, Jor ha ascoltata o Dhia la tua preghiera, apri l’anima tua fanciulla al Sole, apri l’anima tua alle mie parole, apri il tuo cuore a me fanciulla e spera, tu vuoi morir? morire io ti farò ma ti farò morir dal Sol baciata, poscia al paese eterno ti trarrò.

July 1905

Harry MacDonough & Haydn Quartet

In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree

Written by Harry Williams & Egbert Van Alstyne

Best seller Arthur Collins – The Preacher And The Bear

Continuing their policy of naming the group Harry MacDonough & Haydn Quartet after the hit the previous year Blue Bell, even though MacDonough was not the first tenor of the group but supposedly secondary to John Bieling. However, MacDonough was a much bigger star with many more solo hits than Bieling and they wanted to ensure that it known he was on the disc, especially as Henry Burr had already taken the song In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree to no.1 two months ago. The song started pleasantly talking about the oriole with joy was sweetly singing, the little brook was babbling its tune, the village bells at noon were gaily ringing, the world seemed brighter than a harvest moon, for there within my arms I gently pressed you, and blushing red you slowly turned away, I can’t forget the way I once caressed you, I only pray we’ll meet another day. In the same way as the Henry Burr version, MacDonough sang through a chorus and then the group joined him in a reprise but they also didn’t sing the last two verses which said, I’ve brought this bunch of flowers I think they’re pretty, to place upon a freshly moulded grave, if you will show me Father where she’s lying, or if it’s far just point it out to me, said he she told us all when she was dying, to bury her beneath the apple tree.

August 1905

Arthur Collins & Byron G Harlan

Tammany

Written by Gus Edwards & Vincent Bryan

Best seller Billy Murray – Give My Regards To Broadway

Arthur Collins and Byron G Harlan achieved yet another monthly no.2 duet, their fourth together with Collins now on nine no.2s and Harlan on eleven, but on the list of most no.1 hits, it was Collins who shaded it nine to seven. Recently there had been a few successful songs with Native American Indian themes, Hiawatha in 1903 and Navajo in 1904 and both of these were mentioned in the first line of the song, Tammany. Tammany, born around 1625 was one of the chiefs of the Lenni-Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley at the time Philadelphia was established. He negotiated with the European settlers and was a well-known figure still, especially in the thirteen founder states. The song was more of a spoof on Indian themed songs and was more about the relationship between Tammany and the various settlers he and his tribe had to deal with including immigrants from Spain and Ireland, reformers, farmers, railroad workers and the prohibition advocates the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League. There were lots of tom-tom drums, whoops and war cries and it also namechecked Dave B Hill, a former governor of New York, politician Tom Platt, the notorious Canadian swindler Cassie Chadwick and publisher William Randolph Hearst. There were at least twenty verses, far too many to fit onto a recorded disc which had limitations on time and some of the ones that Collins & Harlan sang included, Hiawatha was an Indian so was Navajo, Paleface organ grinders killed them many moons ago, but there is a band of Indians that will never die, when they’re at the Indian Club this is their battle cry, Tammany Tammany, Big Chief sits in his tepee cheering braves to victory, Tammany Tammany, swamp ’em swamp ’em get the wampum Tammany, on the island of Manhattan by the bitter sea, lived this tribe of noble Red Men tribe of Tammany, from the Totem of the Greenlight Wampum they would bring, when their big Chief Man Behind would pass the pipe and sing. Some of the verses that missed the cut from the Collins & Harlan version were, Chris Columbo sailed from Spain, across a deep blue sea, brought along a Dago vote to beat out Tammany, Tammany found Colombo’s crew were living on a boat, Big Chief said they’re floaters and would not let them vote, then to the tribe he wrote, Tammany Tammany, get those Dagos jobs at once they can vote in twelve more months, Tammany Tammany, make those floaters Tammany voters Tammany, fifteen thousand Irishmen, from Erin came across, Tammany put these Irish Indians on the police force, I asked one cop if he wanted three platoons or four, he said keep your old platoons I’ve got a Cuspidor what would I want with more, Doctor Osler says all men of sixty we should kill, that would give old Tammany a lot of jobs to fill, they would chloroform old Doctor Parkhurst first I know, after that they’d fix Tom Platt because they love him so and then Depew would go, Tammany Tammany, when you chloroform to kill don’t forget old Dave B Hill, if we’d let the women vote they would all get rich soon, think how old man Platt gave all his money to a coon, Mrs Chadwick is a girl who’d lead in politics, she could show our politicians, lots of little tricks the Wall Street vote she’d fix, Tammany Tammany, Cassie Chadwick leads them all she should be in Tammany Hall, Tammany Tammany, who got rich quick Cassie Chadwick Tammany, Tammany Tammany, Murphy is your big chief’s name he’s a Rothschild just the same, Tammany Tammany, Willie Hearst will do his worst to Tammany.

September 1905

Billy Murray

My Irish Molly O

Written by Jean Schwartz & William Jerome

Best seller Ada Jones – Just Plain Folks

In addition to Indian themed songs there were also a few Irish songs in the first decade of the century, like Pretty Molly Shannon and Mister Dooley which was a song also composed by Jean Schwartz & William Jerome who now came up with My Irish Molly O and the ideal person to sing it was Billy Murray, although born in America, had Irish heritage and could sing with a very authentic accent if required. Irish Molly O was the title of song dating back to the 1830s and this song, written in 1890, although titled the same as the traditional Irish folk song, was completely different and was a love song to an Irish girl called Molly who is about to be married. Billy Murray sings that he has furnished up the flat, three little cosy rooms with bath and a welcome on the mat, the cost was ten dollars down and two a week, we’ll soon be out of debt, it’s all complete except they haven’t brought the cradle yet. A flat costing two dollars per week was therefore obviously not in Ireland and Murray sings some Irish phrases like called his Molly acushla which is a word for darling, and begorrah which is an indication of excitement, surprise, astonishment, or shock.

October 1905

Arthur Collins

Nobody

Written by Alex Rogers & Bert Williams

Best seller Corrine Morgan & Haydn Quartet – Dearie

Bert Williams was a composer as well as a singer and he wrote the song Nobody with Alex Rogers for himself, but Arthur Collins beat him to it and took his version into the charts almost a year before Williams could. Collins version starts as an upbeat ragtime song but as soon as the vocals start, he deteriorates into misery, getting worse and worse as the song progresses. However miserable Collins sounds though, he could never hope to match Bert Williams for lugubriousness and towards the end of the song, he sounds more as if he is getting drunk rather than just unhappy. He adds a verse that Williams wrote but didn’t sing on his version, when summer comes all cool and clear, and my friends see me drawing near, who says come on in and have a beer, nobody but the rest of the verses are the same as the ones used by Williams when his version was released and performed even better in the charts than Arthur Collins had done.

November 1905

Arthur Collins

Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown (What You Going To Do When The Rent Comes Round)

Written by Harry Von Tilzer & Andrew B Sterling

Best seller Billy Murray – In My Merry Oldsmobile

Arthur Collins moved up to join his long-term friend and partner Byron G Harlan on eleven no.2 hits, remaining on nine monthly no.1s. Also moving ahead on the list of composers with the most no.2s to their names were Harry Von Tilzer and Andrew B Sterling with thirteen and nine respectively, well ahead of the rest. Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown (What You Going To Do When The Rent Comes Round) was another song about having no money and being afraid to answer the door, just in case it’s the landlord come for the rent. The man named Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown has gambled all the rent money and now they’re worried that the landlord will throw them out in the snow. Collins also sings the part of the indignant wife, where’s all the money that you said you’d bring, melted all away just like the snow last Spring, Rufus I loves you but this serves you right, guess that’s sufficient goodnight. She has no sympathy as she also tells him, have you been a gamblin’ Honey did you win, what’s that you tell me coon you lost your breath? I hopes you freezes to death, Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown, what you goin’ to do when the rent comes round, what you goin’ to say how you goin’ to pay, you’ll never have a bit of sense till judgement day, you know I know rent means dough, Landlord’s goin’ to put us out in the snow, Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown, what you goin’ to do when the rent comes ‘round.

December 1905

Haydn Quartet

Silent Night Hallowed Night

Written by Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr & John Freeman Young

Best seller Byron G Harlan – Where The Morning Glories Twine Around The Door

Silent Night Hallowed Night was originally a German song, Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht composed by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber in Austria in 1818. It was a Christmas Carol first performed on Christmas eve that year and in 1859, the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, translated some of the verses into English. In 1905 The Haydn Quartet recorded the song in English and took it into the charts, the first ever overtly Christmas record to become a hit. They only sang two of the verses, silent night hallowed night, all asleep nowhere light, save where watches the Holy Pair, blessed Infant so pure and fair, slumber in heavenly repose, slumber in heavenly repose, silent night hallowed night, shepherds tell thy delight, tidings borne by the angel band, far and wide ring through the land, Jesus our Saviour is born, Jesus our saviour is born. This was their first hit in which bass single William F Hooley took a prominent role alongside his more famous tenor colleagues Bieling and MacDonough and baritone SH Dudley. Although not part of the lyrics sung by The Haydn Quartet, there was controversy about the translation, the original being nur das traute hochheilige Paar, holder Knabe im lockigen Haar was translated by Young as round yon Virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild and later re-translated as round yon godly tender pair, Holy infant with curly hair, which is closer to the original. Even the title, originally Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht, is closer to Silent Night Holy Night than Hallowed Night.

1906