Many thanks KB. That is probably the recording I remember. I am more & more coming to think that I must have misheard 'colored', which he does slur a bit; and have carried a false recollection all these many years; so this hare I have started is a non-runner. Sorry about that!

The "Lucky Strike" instead of "Happy-Cat" presumably some sponsorship deal with the cig co; or perhaps the sponsors of the radio hit-parade referred to had changed between 1933 & 1942 [who/what was "Happy-Cat"? Was it the name of some manufacturing firm?], so JM emended his lyric accordingly.

Mercer didn't seem to sing 'a "solid" music master', the original lyric [see Metro online version] tho I couldn't quite make out what he did sing; something like "soothing"? but that doesn't make all that sense? (On seconds thoughts, perhaps 'sure-thing'?). And he sings "What about my friend Beethoven" rather than "You'd better tell your friend..."

But a great song nonetheless; and we are used to variants around these parts, aren't we just!

~M~