This is my blog where I write about music, and myself. Vaudeville, burlesque, blues, jazz, novelties, and whatever else I feel like posting. Mostly from my own LPs and 78s. Comments and feedback always appreciated. Please do not link directly to mp3s. It's rude.

A few weeks ago I read this book:



"No Applause- Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous" by Trav S.D.

I can't recommend it enough, especially to readers of this blog. It revived my interest in Vaudeville, educated me quite a bit, and riled me up over the timeless tale of corporate takeover of entertainment.

Before Vaudeville was of much interest to me there was Mae West. I believe the second book I read about Mae was "Becoming Mae West" by Emily Wortis Leider. In reading this book I became intrigued by a Vaudeville superstar influence on Mae that kept popping up: Eva Tanguay. In the words of Trav S.D.: "She was crazy." She's basically like... the queen of Vaudeville. I've read tidbits about her, seen a lot of photos where she looks weird and/or unattractive, and as with Lillian Russell, I've always hoped to hear her for myself. Thanks again to "They Stopped The Show," I can. Now, if only there were some footage..

I Don't Care
Eva Tanguay
from "They Stopped The Show" Audio Rarities compilation 1969

the gang's all here


P.S. Speaking of books about Mae, I absolutely loved "Mae West: It Ain't No Sin" by Simon Louvish. It's my new favorite Mae Biography. Louvish is a good writer, he had access to newly released documents, he focuses on the early years and Mae West the writer. Good stuff.

Labels: books, mae west, vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 4/22/2008  (4) comments

Believe it or not, I've been waiting for years to get this song. This is one of the only songs Lillian Russell ever recorded. Although she was a huge star, she nearly missed the era of recorded sound.
A few years ago I got a book taken out from dusty vault of the Enoch Pratt central library (PN2287.R83O25) about Lillian Russell and her pal Diamond Jim Brady. It went on at length about the extreme twelve course meals they shared. I don't remember much about her life other than gluttony.
I once went in a building on Cathedral street by the City Cafe - at the time the building was being used as the Talking Head club. Upstairs before a doorway, the floor tiles declared "The Lillian Russell Room." I wish I could buy that building.
Diamond Jim Brady has his own tribute in Baltimore, in the form of the James Brady Urological Institute. Johns Hopkins came to his aid when his lifestyle caught up to him, and he lived up to his nickname in giving back.
I'll be posting more from this compilation because it's got some gems.

Come Down My Evenin' Star
Lillian Russell
from "They Stopped The Show" Audio Rarities compilation 1969

Lillian Russell, competitive eater, sex symbol

Labels: glamorous, vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 4/16/2008  (0) comments

Click through the vaudeville items I've posted and you're sure to notice the melting pot of ethnic caricatures. Some vaudevillians played up their actual heritage and some created a persona (or several) based on one of the many immigrant stereotypes flooding into the United States.
People from all walks of life attended vaudeville shows to laugh at themselves and each other.
The appropriate-ness of such humor is probably judged by most people in the context of social status, perceived or real.
In addition to immigration-inspired monologues like this, there was also the minstrel influence on vaudeville. Another one of my records, instead of "Norwegian dialect" declares that it's a "Darky Specialty."
I don't suppose I need to go into the way that piece of vaudeville history is looked upon today.
But without that history and baggage, "for many, vaudeville was the first exposure to the cultures of people living right down the street."
I don't know where Ethel Olson was born or what she looked like. I can determine that her specialty was gleeful laughter and Norwegian Dialect. (Scroll down that last link to a transcript and brief commentary about the monologue that's on the other side of the mp3 I'm posting.)


Ethel Olson
At The Movies
1923?

Labels: comedy, vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 3/01/2008  (1) comments

Miss Jones & Mr. Spencer
Flannigan's Night Off
1909





I would know all about acts like Miss Jones & Mr. Spencer if I had this book. Maybe I'll get it with my big ole tax refund, to stimulate the economy. Yeah right.
Miss Jones is actually Ada Jones, a popular performer who has made many recordings, some of which can be found on releases by such labels as Archeophone.
I can't tell if this song/sketch is comedy or what. The sound is very bad most of the time. She's got a lovely voice though.
I found this site that sells mp3s of lots of old recordings like this one. I can't listen their version of it to hear if the sound is any better but I'd assume so, although they declare they do no noise reduction (but have better equipment to begin with).
I did a LOT of hiss reduction.

Labels: vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 2/18/2008  (0) comments

Collins & Harlan
Every Little Bit, Added to What You've Got, Makes Just a Little Bit More
Zon-O-Phone Record 846, 1907






This one-sided "Zon-O-Phone Record" came from ebay. I didn't really know much about this vaudeville duo, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of useful websites (a lot more than I found for Marie Cahill, for example).
Together and solo, both Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan were wildly popular recording artists - in a time when "recording artist" was a relatively new concept.
Additional songs by Collins & Harlan can be found on various websites (1, 2, 3), as well as some of the wonderful Archeophone Phonographic Yearbook CDs. I don't yet own the volumes that have these songs, but it's a great series. 1908 appears to have "Every Little Bit," on it, credited to just "Arthur Collins." It's probably the same recording... it probably sounds a lot better.
I also noticed on last.fm, that I was not the first person to listen to a Collins & Harlan mp3. 30 listeners! And their number one song is... "Nigger Loves His Possum (first Version)".
Uhhh, what?! God damnit. So I guess they were more of a minstrel than a Vaudeville act.
Well, the song I've posted contains nothing offensive, unless you just can't stand the surface noise. You hear what I hear... directly from my Califone to you.

Labels: vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 9/09/2006  (0) comments

I hate drinking water. It tastes weird and gross to me.
But I have been drinking it lately. It's been hot out. I like it icy cold. As cold as possible.
Mostly though, I've been drinking the demon liquor. The thing is, I usually try to avoid talking about drinking like it's an event. My multi-faceted personality has so much else to offer. Like all of the music featured here. Yeah... booze is more interesting to most people.
I am just tryin ta live.
ANYWAY.
I'm a little tipsy. And so I thought it would be appropriate to make one of these WC Fields mp3s. Talk about drinking-bragging. WC Fields is the predecessor to generations of celebrity drunks - people who make their identity out of a habit that a bajillion other people have just as emphatically.. If that word is appropriate. I meant like.. "severely."

Soooo Mae West comes into play once again - because she shares this record with Fields. They appeared together in "My Little Chickadee," to dubious comedic benefit. Mae seemed very unwilling to accept Fields as a romantic counterpart, first of all. Secondly, the plot is clueless and Mae lacks fodder for her brand of lusty one-liners. Her lack of interest shows. I know about this, because I might just be Mae re-incarnated: Why bother putting effort into this movie if I'm not scoring some mega hot co-star to try and bone?
Yes, exactly. That's what it seems to me like Mae was thinking.
SO. WC Fields. This record. Yeah...

W.C. Fields
The Day I Drank A Glass of Water
W.C. Field & Mae West
(5:52 by the way)





Mae hated Fields' drinking. She was never actually a drinker herself. Didn't touch the stuff. Maybe I'm not her after all.

Labels: comedy, mae west, vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 8/21/2006  (1) comments

I'm so glad to find out that some people are actually reading this blog. Thanks to anyone who's linked to me!
Today... another "Comedy Monologue."
Guess what this one's about. That's right.. women! Can't live with em, can't live without em. David Kline (as "Cohen") even uses that line, along with every other joke in the book. It was 1921 - let's hope these zingers were a little more novel.
He also uses the "Marraige is an institution - but who wants to live in an institution?" line that is so often credited to Mae West. It's true that she recycled a lot of lines.
I can't find any info on the web about David Kline. Get a more unique name, David! Too late now.

David Kline
Cohen Talks About The Ladies
1921 Regal Comedy Monologue No.992

Completely Unrelated Illustration

Labels: comedy, vaudeville

Posted by: Kara Mae 4/08/2006  (3) comments