日別アーカイブ: 2010/03/04 木曜日

Alexander’s Ragtime Band

この曲はアーヴィング・バーリンの出世作なんですが、ラグタイムではありません。
そもそも「ラグタイムのバンド」という発想自体がラグタイムを解かってなかった証拠でしょう。
もしかしたらニュー・オーリンズあたりの陽気なジャズを「ラグタイム」だと勘ちがいしてたのかもしれませんね。
コミカルな歌として作られたものですから、ふざけながら歌ってもキホン間違いじゃないんです。

Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1911/09)

recorded in Camden NJ May 23, 1911
released September 1911
Among the top-selling 78s of 1911, this was famously Irving Berlin’s first major song hit, said to have been written about an actual popular New Orleans ragtime band led by Alexander (’Alex’) Watzke.

Orchester vom “Palais de danse” – Alexander’s Rag Time Band(1912)

Bessie Smith – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1927)

Vincent Lopez and his Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1928)

Gene Kardos and his Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1932)
vocal: Dick Robertson

recorded in NYC January 25, 1932
This energetic performance was reissued on the Bluebird label in 1934, credited to “Harry Green’s Blue Boys.”

Henry Busse and his Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1936)

recorded in Chicago March 24, 1936
Irving Berlin’s 1911 song hit gets an effective shuffle treatment from the Busse band.

  • Miff Mole’s Molers – Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • Hoosier Hot Shots – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1936)
  • Benny Goodman and his Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1936)
  • Alexander’S Ragtime Band(1938)Trailer Alice Faye
  • Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby, and Connee Boswell – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1938)
  • The Andrews Sisters – Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • The Boswell Sisters – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1934)
  • Bunk Johnson – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1945)
  • Egon Kaiser Orchester – Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • Kurt Henkels – Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • Elsa Miranda – Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1937)

    recorded in NYC September 15, 1937
    A spirited sub-two-minute instrumental arrangement of the Berlin standard.

    Ray Noble and his Orchestra – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1938)

    recorded in Los Angeles March 20, 1938
    Bill Harty’s drumming drives this exciting Noble arrangement of the Irving Berlin standard that enjoyed a 1938 comeback as title song for the popular 20th Century Fox film. The musical cavalcade of Berlin tunes starred Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Ethel Merman.’Oscar’ paid tribute to “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” with one win (Alfred Newman’s score) and five other nominations, including best picture, best original script (Irving Berlin), and best original song (”Now It Can Be Told”).

    Bing Crosby and Connie Boswell – Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1938)
    with introduction by Eddie Cantor
    orchestra conducted by Victor Young

    recorded in Los Angeles January 26, 1938
    The Irving Berlin standard enjoyed a 1938 comeback as title song for the popular 20th Century Fox film….a musical cavalcade of Berlin tunes starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Ethel Merman.

    Judy Garland(& The Rhythmaires)- Alexander’s Ragtime Band(1952)

    Harry Fox – Alexander’s Band is Back in Dixieland(1919)
    こちらは便乗ソング。

    Ethel Merman goes Disco (of all things) in this mid-1970’s video of Alexander’s Ragtime Band

    Broadway superstar-legend, Ethel Merman, fell for the disco craze in the 1970’s to the extent that she recorded a whole album full of her hits for A&M records, redone for the glare of that glistening ball that was the center piece of the discotechs! The album’s failure resulted in an even more bizarre follow-up project getting canceled: The Ethel Merman Country/Western album! Here from a popular kiddie show of the 1970’s, Ethel reinvents herself and one of her big hits, Alexander’s Ragtime Ban.

    <参考>
    The Pointer Sisters – That’s A Plenty / Surfeit, U.S.A.
    ザ・ポインター・シスターズ – ザッツ・ア・プレンティ / サーフィットU.S.A.
    from the album “That’s A Plenty”(19)ザッツ・ア・プレンティ
    少し引用されている。