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SPOTLIGHT ON THE MILLS BROTHERS - PART THREE (1936-1941)
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"Darling Nellie Gray"/ |
"'Long About Midnight"
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"In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree"
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"Since We Fell Out Of Love"
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"The Flat Foot Floogee"
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"My Walking Stick"/"The Song Is Ended"
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"Julius Caesar"
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"Lambeth Walk"
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"Side Kick Joe"
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"W.P.A."
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"A Bird In The Hand"
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(Includes Audio For Twenty-Two Songs)
RECOMMENDED READING: FOUR BOYS AND A GUITAR
(The Story & Music Of The Mills Bothers)
By Douglas E. Friedman
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The Mills Brothers (Top L-R) Harry, John Sr., (Bottom L-R) Donald, and Herbert. John Sr., the Mills Brothers' father, replaced John Jr. in 1936.
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Above: The Mills Brothers (Back L-R) Norman Brown (with guitar), Herbert, John Sr., (Front L-R) Harry, and Donald. Norman Brown had joined The Mills Brothers, as their guitarist, in 1939.
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Above: Label images for Decca 1360 B recorded on September 10, 1936 and Decca 1495 B recorded on February 20, 1935. They were both released in 1937. "'Long About Midnight" was recorded in London. Composer Irving Mills was not related to The Mills Brothers. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "'Long About Midnight" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1360 B - 1937.
2. "Since We Fell Out Of Love" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 B - 1937.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA AUDIO #1 (Windows Media Player) MILDRED BAILEY:
Above Left: Vocalion 3378 label image. The side was recorded on November 9, 1936 and the record released in 1937. As shown on the label, Mildred's orchestra consisted of top-notch musicians.
Above Right: Mildred Bailey in a typical pose.
Click HERE for information about Mildred Bailey and her records with The Delta Rhythm Boys.
(Will open in a separate window)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"'Long About Midnight" - Mildred Bailey And Her Orchestra - Vocalion 3378 - 1937.
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Above: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, January 25, 1936 DEATH TAKES ONE OF MILLS BROTHERS
The Four Mills Brothers of radio and stage fame. John (right), the bass, died yesterday of lung ailment. He was 25 years old.
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Above: Label images for Decca 1964 B recorded on July 19, 1938 and Decca 2008 A recorded on August 26, 1938. They were both released in 1938. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Julius Caesar" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1964 B - 1938.
2. "Lambeth Walk" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 2008 A - 1938.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
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Above Left: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, May 4, 1937. Still being billed as "Four Boys And A Guitar."
Above Right: CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, November 20, 1941.
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Above: Label images for Decca 2599 B recorded on June 29, 1938 and 3486 A recorded on October 24, 1940. They were released in 1939 and 1940, respectively. The "Four Boys And A Guitar" slogan on their record labels has been discontinued. "A Bird In The Hand" is sung beautifully by The Mills Brothers without mimicking any musical instruments. The ubiquitous Joe Davis shows up as co-composer of this song.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Side Kick Joe" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 2599 B - 1939.
2. "A Bird In The Hand" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 3486 A - 1940.
3. "A Bird In The Hand" - The Deep River Boys - Bluebird B-10847-A - 1940.ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.
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Above: MINNEAPOLIS STAR, May 17, 1937:
The Four Mills Brothers, one of radio's most famous quartets, will appear with Louis Armstrong and his band on the "All Star Varieties" program.
(NOTE: [L-R] Herbert, Donald, Harry, and John Mills Sr.)
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Above: ALTOONA TRIBUNE, September 12, 1938: MILLS BROTHERS APPEARING AT CAPITOL THEATRE THURSDAY
The Mills Brothers, who are appearing at the Capitol on Thursday, have made one of the greatest meteoric rises in the annals of radio. Their appearance on a sustaining program and an immediate sign-up on a commercial is already a matter of radio history. (NOTE: "sustaining" means no commercials.)It was impossible to conceive that four boys could produce the effects of a regular orchestra without the aid of any instrument other than the guitar and the use of the hands and lips. Skeptics by the hundreds were invited into the studios at each broadcast to witness the truth of the phenomenal fact. The public was rapidly convinced that they actually accomplish their style of orchestrated singing with the use of only the hands, voice, and a guitar.
John Mills Sr., father of the boys and imitator of the tuba, says "I manage to do this by forming the largest possible room in my mouth and puckering the lips so that when the oomsh is ready to come out, it not only has the tone of the tuba, but also the volume. Getting very close to the microphone helps".
Harry Mills, cherubic member of the family and imitator of the trumpet, explains his technique as follows: "I cup my hands around the mouth and nose. When the air comes out with the sound, it is a much higher pitch than it ordinarily would be. I studied the scientific construction of a trumpet and it proved a valuable help to me".
Herbert, who imitates the saxophone, manages to produce a true effect by the use of his lips, which he manipulates according to the tone he desires. Donald, youngest member of the quartet, sings the lead and has learned all the tricks of his senior brothers and "pa", so that when it becomes necessary to modulate he can carry on without any of the imitations.
In the repertoire of the Mills boys, they mimic the tuba, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, bassoon, and oboe. The guitar they use for their accompaniment is played by Bernard Addison, regarded as one of the top notch colored guitarists. So, while they imitate many horns, the boys do not play on musical instruments themselves. Harry, who imitates the trumpet, does play the clarinet, but only at home and never in public.
It is surprising to note that all four are surprisingly young. Herbert is 24, Harry 23, and Donald 21. John Mills Sr. is only 43.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE MILLS BROTHERS #1:
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Above: Label images for Decca 1245 B, both sides recorded on April 7, 1937 and Decca 1360 A recorded on June 29, 1937. They were both released in 1937.
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Above Left: Louis Armstrong. From the 1947 movie "New Orleans" featuring, among others, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday's musical entertainment. Note that the calendar behind Louis is for the year 1917. Seven songs are played by Louis Armstrong And His Band in this film.
Above Middle: Sheet music cover for "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny". The picture shows John Jr., but John Sr. had replaced him on this recording session.
Above Right: Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet.
At Direct Left: Movie Poster for the 1947 film "New Orleans". Note that Zutty Singleton (drums) is a member of the Slim Gaillard Orchestra on the Bel-Tone record further down this webpage.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "Darling Nellie Gray" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 A - 1937.
2. "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 B - 1937.
3. "The Old Folks At Home" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1360 A - 1937.ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA AUDIO #2 (Windows Media Player) THE FOUR TOPPERS:
Above Left: Ammor 100A label image. The record was released circa March 1940. This was The Four Toppers' first of two records, one side each, on Ammor with Larry Breese's Orchestra. While the group did appear in some films, their only known records are the two on Ammor and two transcription discs made in 1941. In mid-1943, with some personnel revamps, they changed their name to The Five Red Caps and enjoyed a very successful career.
Above Middle: AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER, Dec. 21, 1940: TOPPERS RANK TOPS
The Four Toppers (above) are in their second year at the Jade, in the heart of Hollywood. These four lads rank with the best in the country, singing both sweet and hot numbers. Reading from left to right: (kneeling) Jimmy Springs, first tenor; Dave Patillo, second tenor; (standing) Richy Davis, baritone singer, whose musical instrument is the bass fiddle; and Steve Gibson, bass singer and guitar player. They have done radio, stage and screen work and are troupers of the first class.Above Right: THE BILLBOARD 1943 YEARBOOK (Just before Steve Gibson, Jimmy Springs, and David Patillo formed The Five Red Caps).
Click HERE for an article about The Four Toppers/The Red Caps by Marv Goldberg.
(Will open in a separate window)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"Carry Me Back To Old Virginia" - Larry Breese Orchestra And The Four Toppers - Ammor 100A - 1940.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE MILLS BROTHERS #2:
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Above: Label images for Decca 1495 A, recorded on June 29, 1937 and released that same year, and Decca 1876 A, recorded on June 10, 1938 and released in 1938. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 A - 1937.
2. "The Flat Foot Floogee" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1876 A - 1938.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA AUDIO #3 (Windows Media Player) SLIM GAILLARD:
Above Left: Bel-Tone BT-758 label image. The record was recorded in 1945 and released in January 1946. Note the session personnel shown on the label includes Charlie Parker.
Above Right: Slim Gaillard at the piano. He also played guitar, vibraphone, and tenor saxophone. This photo is from the 1954 film "Go, Man, Go!". That's Dane Clark in the dark jacket behind Slim and Sidney Poitier in the light jacket sitting just behind Dane.
Originally released as "Flat Fleet Floogee", Slim (Gaillard) And Slam (Stewart) had a hit with it in 1938 on the Vocalion label. "Floogee" is a substitute word for prostitute or floozie. The term "Floy Floy" used in the song is slang for venereal disease.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"Flat Foot Floogie" - Slim Gaillard Orchestra - Bel-Tone BT-758 - 1946.
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Above: Another photo of Slim Gaillard from the movie "Go, Man, Go!". This time with a guitar.
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Above: Tiny Brown and Slim Gaillard. Tiny was Slim's bass player. Slim is holding a 78-rpm record, probably one of theirs, apparently on the Atomic label, which would place the photo around 1946. Note the sign behind Slim's head, "CEMENT...", which could be "Cement Mixer", one of Slim's hit records, although that one was on the Cadet label, but also in 1946.
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Above: HONOLULU ADVISER, January 18, 1940: HOME FROM THE WARS
FAMED RHYTHM SINGERS HERE—Passing through yesterday were the three Mills Brothers, whose father, Jack Sr., has joined them as bass since one of the boys died. They just came from England via Australia and practiced blackouts on the ship—which they thought was funny. Standing, left to right: Herb, Don, and Harry; kneeling in front: Jack Sr. (Pop), and their new guitar player, Norman Brown.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE MILLS BROTHERS #3:
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Above: Label images for Decca 1892 A and Decca 1892 B, both sides recorded on June 13, 1938 and released that year. Both songs are Irving Berlin compositions. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "My Walking Stick" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1892 A - 1938.
2. "The Song Is Ended" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1892 B - 1938.BOTH SONGS played in sequence.
EXTRA AUDIO #4 (Windows Media Player) THE JONES BOYS:
Above Left: S&G 5007 label image. The record was released in November 1954. The Jones Boys had at least three records on the S&G label, located in Hollywood, CA. S&G was owned by Frank Bellone and John Galitza. If the "G" is Galitza, then who was the "S"?
Above Middle: DECATUR HERALD, August 11, 1955: NORMAN DIAL APPEARING ON GODFREY SHOW
Norman D. Dial, 27-year-old former Decatur resident, is appearing on the Arthur Godfrey morning radio and television show this week. Dial sings solo parts with a quartet billed as "The Jones Boys", who won the Godfrey Monday night "Talent Scouts" contest. A 1948 music graduate of Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, Dial is continuing his music studies on the West Coast....Above Right: OAKLAND TRIBUNE, May 13, 1954. (NOTE: Quite a feather in their caps to appear with the great Kay Starr!)
LONG BEACH INDEPENDENT, August 8, 1955:
A Long Beach singer (Fred Smith), who had quite a career before entering the Army, has started out again and will get a big break with three other young singers on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" at 8:30 p.m.Fred Smith is one of the Jones Boys to be heard tonight. The other "Joneses" are Rex Dennis, Wayne Hoff, and Norman Dial.
You may recall that Fred was heard on radio's Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Show for several weeks and ultimately won the talent contest. He earlier was one of the finalists in the Atwater-Kent Auditions. Fred went to school in Long Beach at Wilson High, attended LB City College and, after getting out of the Army, to USC.
DESERT NEWS, September 3, 1956: UTAHN SHINES ON ED SULLIVAN
A Salt Laker was in the spotlight on the Ed Sullivan show Sunday, but few viewers were conscious of his identity. The Utahn, Wayne Hoff, is one of the Jones Boys, famous quartet that sparkled in two rousing vocal numbers. The quartet...was one of the best acts on the program....Wayne graduated from East High School and attended the Universary of Utah, where he was a member of the Pi Kap Quartet, which won songfest honors at three homecoming celebrations in a row. He also sang at local dance halls.
After leaving Utah four years ago, he joined a singing group, the Jones Boys, that won top place on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. The original group broke up, but the Utahn remained with the original Jones Boys, who appeared at the Flamingo in Las Vegas and then went on to sing at the top supper clubs in the East and South.
(NOTE: "Hoff" is shown as composer on at least one of the S&G sides.)
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, October 22, 1957: UTAHN AMONG "JONES BOYS"
Wayne Hoff (see picture at right) will come back home this weekend, as a member of the famed Jones Boys Quartet, for an engagement at the Rainbow Randevu next Friday and Saturday nights.Hoff attended the University of Utah....He sang with local bands and was on the Salt Lake City Harmony Showcase. He also produced, wrote, and directed both radio and television shows before going to Los Angeles in 1952 to sing with bands before joining the Jones Boys.
The Jones Boys are recognized as one of the nation's top vocal groups. They gained their first recognition when they appeared with Kay Starr in night club appearances and radio.
Wayne Hoff is the baritone; Rex Dennis is second tenor and plays the guitar; Norman Dial is bass; and Fred Smith is tenor.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"The Song Is Ended" - The Jones Boys - S&G 5007 - 1954.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE MILLS BROTHERS #4:
Above Left: Label image for Decca 3151 A. The side was recorded on April 10, 1940 and released in May 1940. The Works Projects Administration (W.P.A.) was a government program for providing jobs to the unemployed (mostly unskilled men). These workers would carry out public works projects, mainly in building or repairing roads. Above Right: Louis Armstrong Poster from October 1935. Connie's Inn was located in New York City.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 19, 1935: LOUIS ARMSTRONG TO OPEN CONNIE'S INN NEXT WEEK
NEW YORK—Louis Armstrong, king of the trumpet players, whose work over a coast-to-coast hookup for the Shell Chateau program two weeks ago created a sensation, will positively open at Connie's Inn here on Broadway, the week of October 24....Joe Glaser, who is booking talent in New York, has brought Louis out of seclusion. Armstrong is working this week at the Apollo. Incidentally, he has just finished four Decca records to be released soon. They are his first in four years and are said to be his best.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"W.P.A." - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 3151 A - 1940.
EXTRA AUDIO #5 (Windows Media Player) SKEETS TOLBERT:
Above Left: Decca 7722 A label image. This side recorded on March 12, 1940 and the record released in 1940. It was recorded four weeks prior to the Louis Armstrong/Mills Brothers' version, both on Decca.
Above Middle: Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing. Skeets is playing the clarinet in this photo. Personnel on this recording are Skeets Tolbert (clarinet, alto sax), Carl Smith (trumpet), Otis Hicks (tenor sax), Red Richards (piano), John Drummond (bass), and Hubert Pettaway (drums).
Above Right: ASBURY PARK PRESS, July 23, 1941.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, March 16, 1940: SKEETS TOLBERT GOES TO NEWARK
NEW YORK CITY—Skeets Tolbert and his six-piece orchestra, who have been playing for the past three weeks at Dick Wheatons' new Bar and Grill on Seventh Avenue here, left this week to fill a hotel engagement in Newark.Already known for his soft, swingy music, the young maestro is making new claims to fame by his sensational recordings both written and arranged by him.... He is working at present on a sweet number for the Ink Spots called "I'm In A Vagabond Mood".
(NOTE: Disco-File does not show any song by The Ink Spots with this or any similar title.)Among the few college graduates leading an orchestra, Tolbert finished Johnson C. Smith in 1931 and, for the past two years, has continued music at Columbia University, from which he will get his masters degree in music this year.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"W.P.A." - Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing - Decca 7722 A - 1940.
EXTRA AUDIO #6 (Windows Media Player) JAN SAVITT/BON BON:
Above Left: Decca 3185 A label image. This side recorded on April 9, 1940 and the record released shortly after in 1940. Decca must have loved this song with three versions all released about the same time. Composer Jesse Stone also wrote "Shake, Rattle And Roll" and other songs for the Atlantic label, under the pseudonym "Charles E. Calhoun".
Above Middle: Bon Bon and Jan Savitt. Bon Bon had been with The Three Keys in the early 1930s.
Above Right: MORNING CALL, February 2, 1940.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, June 22, 1940: BON BON "STEALS" CHICAGO
CHICAGO—Bon Bon, the sweet singing vocalist with Jan Savitt's Top Hatters, proved a vocal sensation as he made his first Chicago appearance when the jump-swinging unit opened at the swanky Panther Room of the Hotel Sherman last week.Airing nightly over the NBC outlet at midnight, the songster is currently the town's idol, his waxings with the Savitt ork taking an added spurt at the cash register. Latest of the Savitt platters, with a Bon Bon vocal in the suave manner, is "W.P.A." which is currently selling well.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"W.P.A." - Jan Savitt Orchestra (Vocal- Bon Bon And Ensemble) - Decca 3185 A - 1940.
ARTICLES AND BLURBS....
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, January 25, 1936: JOHN MILLS DIES, BASS OF NOTED QUARTET
BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO—John Mills, whose notes through cupped hands led the Mills Brothers from street singing in a small Ohio town to fame on radio and screen, died today at the age of 25. The eldest of the colored quartet, he had been ill with a lung ailment he contracted last April during a London stage and radio engagement. Four years ago he and his brothers sang as unknown troubadours on the streets and in the barber shops of Piqua, Ohio. They lived in an abandoned gas house on the town's outskirts.John died in the new Bellafontaine home his savings had supplied for his mother, who instructed all the boys in music as children. The mother, Eathel Mills Jackson, said the other boys were in Philadelphia with their father, John Sr., who took John's place as leader and basso of the quartet when he became ill. Mrs. Jackson said she taught her children, John, Harry, Herbert, and Donald, "regular" music she herself learned under private instruction in Knoxville, Tennessee, but that they picked up the wild, minor-key harmonies which shot them to sudden acclaim.
The brothers subsisted precariously until their curbstone caroling attracted the attention of Mrs A.G. Snyder of Piqua. She obtained for them numerous engagements at homes and private parties and finally interested Harold Greenamyer, orchestra leader, now in Miami, Florida. Greenamyer spent several months working with them without charge. Less than four years ago he obtained for them a contract with a Cincinnati radio station. They went to New York, took whatever engagements they could find, and soon their barbaric rhythms and colored spirituals were heard on the air, through the talkies, and from the stage. Further renown came in Europe last year.
DAILY NEWS, January 25, 1936:
BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO—John Mills, whose deep bass notes led the Mills Brothers from street singing in a small Ohio town to fame on radio and Screen, died today. He was 25, the eldest of the colored quartet. He contracted a lung ailment during an engagement in London last April.Mrs. Eathel Mills Jackson, the mother who taught the boys to sing, said the others were in Philadelphia with John Sr., who took John's place as leader and bass. In four years the quartet's minor-key harmonies carried them from poverty to wealth and renown. Harold Greenamyer, orchestra leader, sensed their possibilities, trained them, and placed them on WLW station at Cincinnati. A success, they went to New York, to the major radio stations, the movies, and the stage.
DETROIT FREE PRESS, February 16, 1937: FATHER JOINS SINGERS WHEN SON DIES
They're still called "the Mills Brothers" but they really aren't. The quartet now consists of the father and the three sons. Years ago, when the Mills boys were moppets, it was a good thing that they clustered around their pappy and sang. Pappy had a fine bass and a sense of rhythm that the boys caught up. One of the boys, John, had a deep voice just like his father.Most everyone knows that the boys didn't have money for musical instruments, so they just imitated a whole orchestra. What they were doing six years ago with their own interpretations, "breaks", and novelty song effects, people now are calling "swing music". And it hasn't cut down their popularity, now that "swing" is the vogue.
A year-and-a-half ago it looked as if there might be an end to the famed quartet. John, the bass, died and his "oompahs" had been basic in their music. But the boys remembered their Pappy, his fine bass and the nights they used to sit around harmonizing. So Pappy joined the boys and the only difference folks who hear them this week, at the Fox, may notice is that the bass now is finer than it ever was.
.... Next month the Mills Brothers will return to the air from Hollywood as permanent guest stars on Bing Crosby's program.
DAILY COURIER (Connellsvile, PA), September 12, 1938:
The Mills Brothers are in town! This very famous quartet is being featured at one of the local theaters, today only.Today, five years since their debut on America radio networks, the Mills Brothers are still at the top. When they were first heard, wiseacres termed them the novelty which would soon diminish in appeal, but now, five years later, they are not only a radio novelty but the biggest novelty on the air, the stage and screen, and constantly increasing in public esteem.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that they have been untouched by their success. Their modesty is extraordinary and they have remained completely unspoiled, just "four boys and a guitar". Although they have established records from London to Los Angeles, none of their success has gone to their heads. Proof that the boys are still as popular as ever is shown in the box office receipts whenever the Mills Brothers play a theater and in the New York World Telegram poll conducted annually among the radio editors throughout the country.
Combined these two tests show the exact standing of the performers, expressing both the critics and public's attitude. Their success in the radio editor's poll has been phenomenal, they have captured first place among the harmony teams for the past three successive years.
In 1934 they appeared before the late King George and Queen Mary of England in the annual Royal Command Performance. They are the first colored artists ever to appear in a command performance.
By seeing the Mills Brothers in person you will be convinced that they do produce the effects of a regular orchestra without the aid of any instrument other than the guitar and the use of the hands and lips. In the repertoire of the Mills Brothers, they mimic the tuba, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, bassoon, and oboe. We extend to the Mills Brothers best wishes for a successful engagement here and also the best of luck on their present theater tour.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, May 27, 1939: MILLS BROTHERS TO TOUR AUSTRALIA
LONDON, ENGLAND—Leslie MacDonald of the Rockwell General Amusement office in London, has arranged a 20-week tour of Australia for the Mills Brothers. The quintet open either in Sydney or Melbourne on October 1st. They will also broadcast in Aussie three times weekly according to the office.
EXTRA AUDIO #7 (Windows Media Player) YVETTE [aka ELSA HARRIS]:
Yvette, honey haired songstress who will sing
on W-G-N Thursday night.CHICAGO TRIBUNE, December 30, 1940: MILLS BROTHERS AND YVETTE ON PROGRAM
Thursday will be music night on the W-G-N Mutual celebrity program, In Chicago Tonight, produced from 7:30 to 8 o'clock in the W-G-N main audience studio. A variety of two distinctive types of entertainers will be on the program.
The Mills Brothers—a famous harmony quartet—will occupy one spot on the bill. In the other will be Yvette, honey-haired singer voted the radio singing discovery of 1940...
The Mills Brothers are in New York and will open Friday at the Oriental Theater. Yvette [Elsa Harris] is starred in the Camellia House of the Drake Hotel...
The Mills Brothers—Harry, Herbert, Donald, and John—started in their father's barber shop in Bellfontaine, Ohio, some 15 years ago. They became famous in vaudeville and radio for their singing imitations of trumpets, trombones, and other musical instruments.
Yvette, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was educated in the Sacred Heart of Mary convent in New Orleans. She is 18 years old. She had a radio audition in New York last year and made her network debut just less than a year ago, on January 14, 1940. Her sultry southern voice made her an immediate success...
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Above Left: RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, June 11, 1939 (#1).
Elsa Harris is the pretty vocalist who sings with Skeets Morris' Orchestra at Tantilla for the nightly dancing.Above Middle Left: RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH, June 11, 1939 (#2).
Above Middle Right: CHARLOTTE NEWS, October 20, 1940: CONVENT STORY SETS THE CYNICS SNORTING
ALABAMA-BORN YVETTE ACCUSED OF PULLING HOAX
NEW YORK—Some jealous singer might have started the rumor. Who else would want to throw suspician on the little Southern-born Yvette, now that she's got a film contract and fame at her feet? Well, whether it was a rival singer or just some idle gossiper, it's out. And now they're accusing the little Alabama singer of a hoax.
But Yvette, her mother, and two sisters are loudly insisting that it's true that she went to a convent and got her French accent from nuns. You see, it goes back to the fact that Yvette says she was born in Birmingham under the name of Elsa Harris. That she was sent to the Sacred Heart Convent Academy just outside New Orleans when she was eight years old and that she remained there, learning the fine arts and French from the nuns, until three years ago.
Jaded New York newspapermen are saying it ain't so. That Yvette never saw the inside of a convent. That she just grew up in New York having been born wherever she pleased. That she is really Elsie Silvers who used to sing around in night clubs. That the cute French accent is something she, a seasoned trouper, picked up somewhere between night clubs.
Them's harsh words. As for this reporter, I can say that caramel-haired, brown-eyed Yvette looked and talked mighty Southern to me. I asked her innumerable questions about Alabama and she told me among other things that she used to fly with her friends at the University of Alabama. She could even name a few Southern dishes that I'd barely heard about.
And if I had not been won over completely, in came her plump and ample mother to tell me more about Yvette's Southern childhood. Mrs. Harris says that she was always at a loss as to how to punish her pretty little girl. If she were sent to her room by herself or to bed, it did no good. Within a few hours, she'd be playing games or improvising songs.
Indeed far less credible than the convent story to me, was her mother's statement that Yvette doesn't care about "the boys". "Sarah", her mother said, "always gives up a date when there's a choice between learning a new song and going out someplace....
As a nightclub singer, Yvette is enjoying quite a rage. You'd spot her arrival anywhere—five feet four inches tall, weighing one hundred and ten pounds, and always in red....
This little minx sings a French melody in what seems to this poor French student a very, very authentic manner. And when she throws in English songs for contrast they have the same intimacy and throatiness. She does so well that M-G-M has just signed her to make one picture, a musical with an option to make more if she goes over well. The salary she's to get took her breath away, Yvette reports....
When you hear her, you must decide if she's the real thing. I believe she is. But some of the best of us could be fooled on an Alabama-French accent.
(NOTE: A search of IMDB.com did not find any movies, or short features, with Elsa Harris, Yvette, or Elsie Silvers in the cast.)
Above Right: MIAMI TRIBUNE, October 20, 1940: DOUBLE DUTY SALUTE
This smacks of brotherly double dealing. Bobbie (left) and Billy Mauch, 12-year-old twins, who are making a name for themselves in films, refuse to allow Elsie Silvers to turn the other cheek as she greets them in New York. (NOTE: Is this the same person as Elsa Harris? See above article.)BIRMINGHAM NEWS, July 21, 1940: IMPEDIMENT IN SPEECH FIGURED IN SUCCESS OF YVETTE, LOCAL GIRL
ELSA HARRIS, FORMERLY OF WEST END, AIR LINE DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR
Information on Yvette, the Birmingham girl who poses as a French importation and won herself a singing spot on the network, comes from NBC. Incidentally, Yvette will be heard over WBRC off NBC at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
It seems Birmingham's Elsa Harris had an impediment in her speech that allowed her to pose as French. But there is that type blood in her ancestry and now she's a hit on the chain. Many a comet has flashed its way across the radio horizon but few have equaled the dazzling speed with which Yvette, NBC's honey-haired "Creoriole", rose from obscurity to her role as singing discovery of 1940 [NOTES: Add The Mills Brothers in 1931 to that list. The tag "Creoriole" was derived from her French accent and Louisiana upbringing.).
Born in Birmaingham on September 17, 1922, and tutored at Sacred Heart of Mary Convent School outside New Orleans, Yvette, nee Elsa Harris, comes of a talented family. Mrs. Frita Harris, her mother, was gifted in art and song, talents now manifest in her four children.
Yvette was born in Birmingham's West End section. Early in her high school days Yvette's mother was called North on business. Mrs. Harris thought her blond offspring too young for the trip, so she sent her to stay with an aunt in New Orleans. The youthful migrant was enrolled at the Sacred Heart of Mary Convent School to continue her education....
It was there that Ivette learned the intriguing Creole patois that has endeared her to millions of listeners throughout the United States and Canada....
Yvette made her debut on the NBC networks January 14, 1940....Soon a flood of offers, ranging from night club engagements to screen tests, made their appearance at the NBC offices. Radio sponsers began making inquiries and R.C.A. Victor-Bluebird officilas signed her to a recording contract. She soon made a short for Paramount....
(NOTE: How much in the above articles are you actually believing?)
Above Left: Photo of Yvette (aka Elsa Harris).
Above Middle: Bluebird B-10908-B label image. This side recorded on September 12, 1940 and the record released in 1940.
It is the fourth of five records that Yvette had released on the Bluebird label (1940-1941).Above Right: Closer view of Yvette.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): [Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
"I'm In The Mood For Love" - Yvette - Bluebird B-10908-B - 1940.
NOTE: Most discographical information provided at this website is from Ferdie Gonzalez' Disco-File.
Listen to all this week's selections using Windows Media Player:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]
1. "'Long About Midnight" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1360 B - 1937.
2. "Since We Fell Out Of Love" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 B - 1937.
3. "'Long About Midnight" - Mildred Bailey And Her Orchestra - Vocalion 3378 - 1937.
4. "Julius Caesar" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 1964 B - 1938.
5. "Lambeth Walk" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 2008 A - 1938.
6. "Side Kick Joe" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 2599 B - 1939.
7. "A Bird In The Hand" - The Mills Brothers - Decca 3486 A - 1940.
8. "A Bird In The Hand" - The Deep River Boys - Bluebird B-10847-A - 1940.
9. "Darling Nellie Gray" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 A - 1937.
10. "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 B - 1937.
11. "The Old Folks At Home" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1360 A - 1937.
12. "Carry Me Back To Old Virginia" - Larry Breese Orchestra And The Four Toppers - Ammor 100A - 1940.
13. "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1495 A - 1937.
14. "The Flat Foot Floogee" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1876 A - 1938.
15. "Flat Foot Floogie" - Slim Gaillard Orchestra - Bel-Tone BT-758 - 1946.
16. "My Walking Stick" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1892 A - 1938.
17. "The Song Is Ended" - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 1892 B - 1938.
18. "The Song Is Ended" - The Jones Boys - S&G 5007 - 1954.
19. "W.P.A." - Louis Armstrong And The Mills Brothers - Decca 3151 A - 1940.
20. "W.P.A." - Skeets Tolbert And His Gentlemen Of Swing - Decca 7722 A - 1940.
21. "W.P.A." - Jan Savitt Orchestra (Vocal- Bon Bon And Ensemble) - Decca 3185 A - 1940.
22. "I'm In The Mood For Love" - Yvette - Bluebird B-10908-B - 1940.
ALL TWENTY-TWO ABOVE SONGS played in sequence.
ALL FOURTEEN SONGS ABOVE BY THE MILLS BROTHERS played in sequence.
[To download audio files, right-click on song title link and then select "Save link (target) as..."]
LISTEN TO VINTAGE GROUP HARMONY SHOWS (Windows Media Player):
#524 THE MILLS BROTHERS #700 THE MILLS BROTHERS
CLICK HERE for SPOTLIGHT ON THE MILLS BROTHERS - PART ONE (1931-1933).
CLICK HERE for SPOTLIGHT ON THE MILLS BROTHERS - PART TWO (1934-1935).
(Above links will open in separate windows)
