Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest

Subject: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,AR282
Date: 03 Jun 02 - 12:18 PM

With June upon us, I thought it might be nice to remember the 105th birthday of a great American songwriter and composer--one of the best the world has ever produced. Maceo Pinkard was born June 27,1897 in Bluefield, West Virginia. He was educated at Bluefield Institute from which he graduated at age 14. He formed his own orchestra and toured nearly nonstop until he founded his own theatrical agency in Omaha. He wrote his first song at 18 in 1915, "When He Sang That Baritone". By 1940, he would publish over 200 songs, an untold number of which have been lost. Pinkard co-wrote with notables as Roy Turk, Ken Casey, Andy Razaf, Sydney Mitchell and Lois Reid. His most steadfast collaborator was William Tracey with whom Pinkard teamed in 1919 and wrote his last known songs with in 1940. He often wrote under the alias of Alex Belledna which was likely a play on his wife's name, singer/songwriter Edna Alexander. In 1922, he wrote the music to a successful all-black musical called "Liza" with lyrics supplied by Nat Vincent. He was very prolific. In 1919 alone, Pinkard saw an amazing 21 songs published. In only four years, Pinkard would publish over 50 songs. In 1923, Jimmy Johnson and Cecil Mack published their song "Charleston" which kicked off a dance craze of the same name. Not one to miss out on a good thing, Pinkard published "Sweet Man" perhaps the greatest Charleston-type tune ever written (with lyrics supplied by Roy Turk). Jelly Roll Morton liked it so much that he cut a piano roll version of the song for the Capital Roll Company in December of 1925. Even though "Sweet Man" is perhaps the best tune to emerge from the 20s, it was only nominally successful. Pinkard could at least take solace in the fact that his next song, published that same year would become one of the biggest jazz hits of all time and is still played today in every conceivable version, "Sweet Georgia Brown". There is scarcely a jazz band around that has not covered it. By this time, Pinkard had already published over 100 songs! Odd that by 1925, the KKK was 4 million strong nationwide and yet the two songs most characteristic of the 20s were "Charleston" and "Sweet Georgia Brown" both of which were written by black men (although Ken Casey, Pinkard's collaborator, was white). That same year, 1925, Pinkard also published "Desdemona" a favorite among the more esoteric jazz fans. Paul Whiteman's band, which included Bing Crosby, Hoagy Carmichael, Frankie Trumbauer (idolized by Lester Young), Harry Barris (who wrote "Mississippi Mud") and Bix Beiderbecke, hired Pinkard to write material for them. Unable to hire black musicians due to segregation, Whiteman was determined to play the music of black composers and Pinkard was his first choice. In 1927, Pinkard published "Sugar" and, in 1928, Whiteman's band had turned the song into a huge hit. "Sugar" has been done by everyone from Billie Holiday to Fats Waller (who performed it on the pipe organ). To this day, modern jazz artists still cover it. Beiderbecke and Pinkard became fast friends and when Bix went off on his own, Pinkard penned "I'll Be A Friend With Pleasure" for his band in 1930 (featuring Gene Krupa on drums). This was typical white fare with slick orchestration and megaphoned Rudy Vallee-type vocals. Pinkard, however, also wrote music that was unashamedly black. He wrote two marvelous numbers for Cab Calloway--"Is That Religion?" (1930) and "Strictly Cullud Affair" (1932) (Calloway also covered "Sweet Georgia Brown" but then so did everybody else). "Is That Religion?" starts off with a call-and-response famous in African-American churches. The song, however, is anything but a gospel. It is a man asking his flirtatious wife if making eyes at the preacher and other men in the congregation during church services is her idea of religion. A growling muted trumpet picks up the beat and the song mutates into pure, gritty jazz. "Strictly Cullud Affair" is about what the title describes: "When your spirits are low/there's a place you can go/You never see white folks at a strictly cullud affair". The song exhorts blacks to come have a party but warns the "bruthas" to "check in your artillery". In 1930, Pinkard also penned his immortal classic "Them There Eyes" (co-written with William Tracey and Doris Tauber) which has been covered by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughn, and dozens of others. In the 30s, Pinkard's output slowed somewhat as he was busy in New York founding his own publishing concern, Pinkard Publications. During this period, many Pinkard songs were lost with only some being recently recovered. Pinkard's last songs were "Harlem's Poppin'" and "I'm Contented Like I Am" both released in 1940 and co-written with William Tracey. After that, Pinkard appears to have retired permanently from songwriting. He remained in New York and continued running his publishing empire. In 1955, "Sugar" received a new surge of popularity after being featured in an excellent movie called "Pete Kelly's Blues" which starred Jack Webb as a young jazz trumpter. Webb also directed the movie (Jack Webb was a fanatic jazzophile, and them's the facts, ma'am). Maceo Pinkard died July 21, 1962 at the age of 65 in New York City. He was largely obscure, his characteristic raggy themes lushly cascading around a little diamond of a melody carefully and lovingly wrapped inside, a victim of public apathy unable to recognize genius when they heard it. There are no complete Pinkard collections that I know of. One must simply rummage around and pick them up piecemeal. "Sweet Man" can be heard on Artis Wodehouses' "The Piano Rolls" on Nonesuch but a better version can be heard on the Biograph CD "Jelly Roll Morton--Blues and Stomps From Rare Piano Rolls" assembled by ragtime scholar, Mike Montgomery. The CD "Come And Trip It" also features a full 20s dance band version of "Sweet Man" by Dick Hyman and orchestra.

What follows is a complete song list of Pinkard's material assembled by Mike Montgomery and Bill Kenney at my request. This list was assembled from their own collection of sheet music and old record label ads and catalogs. You purists should definitely copy this list because, as far as I know, it is not available anywhere else. I've searched through dozens of books and countless websites and found precious little material about Pinkard (all of it, in fact, is condensed in this article). I can't even find a photo of the man—ANY help at all from any of you would be very much appreciated. I did locate a mention of one song that does not appear on this list—"Let's Have A Showdown." Whether it appears here under another title, I cannot say. I do not even know the year of its publication. Title, year of publication, co-writers and publishers are given (when known).

When He Sang That Baritone (1915)

When He Picks That Ragtime Music At Dawn (1916)

Teach Me That Hula Hula Dance (1916)

Chattanooga Blues (1916) w=Pinkard m=I. Seidel (instrumental by Seidel dates from 1914)

Just Give Me Ragtime, Please (1916)

I Want To See My Girl in London (1916)

I'm Going Back Home (1916)

Dip Me in Your Ocean of Love (1916)

At That Darktown Cabaret (1916)

Take Back Your Loving I'm Through With You (Mentioned in ad)

Stockyard Blues (1917)

I'm a Real Kind Mama (Looking For a Loving Man) (1917) w&m=Pinkard (Omaha, Nebraska, 1917 Root edition shows w=Roger Graham & m=Pinkard)

Poor Cryin' Baby (1917)

Love Me in the Summertime (1917)

If Your Papa Turns You Down (1917)

Colored Song for Colored Folks (1917)

The Blue Melody (1917) (Omaha Nebraska – Instrumental)

You Look Like an Angel (But There's a Devil in You) - with Nat Vincent (1918 - Chas K. Harris)

Don't Cry, Little Girl, Don't Cry (1918 - Shapiro)

Who'll Love You While I'm Gone (1918 - Shapiro)

Whiskey Blues (1918)

Those Draftin' Blues (1918 - Griffin, Chicago; 1918 - Stern, NY)

That Jazzy Melody (1918)

Oh; You Darktown Regimental Band (1918) transferred to Handy 1919

Mocking Bird Melody (1918)

Down Where They Play the Blues (1918)

Dearie (1918)

Barefoot Boy (1918)

Anti-Loaf in' Blues (1918)

Why'd You Break My Heart? (1919)

Time 'n' Again (1919)

Sweet Baby (1919 - Shapiro)

Since I Found a Jazzer (1919)

Lull-a-by Land (1919)

Love Me in the Same Old Way (1919)

Let's Turn to the Sunshine (1919)

Just Leave It to Me (1919 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Hot Foot Blues (1919)

He's Had No Lovin' for a Long, Long Time (1919 - Broadway Music Corp) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Has Anybody Seen My Corinne? (1919)

Frenchy-Koo (1919 - Stern) w=Billy Baskette, m=MP

Easy Pickin's (1919)

Cairo Land (1919 - Shapiro) w=Spencer Williams, m=MP

Angel Divine (1919)

Granny (1919 - Gilbert & Friedland) w =L. Wolfe Gilbert, m=Alex Belledna

Dixie Is Dixie Once More (1919-Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

You'll Be Sorry (But You'll Be Sorry Too Late) (1919 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Just Leave It To Me (1919)

Mammy O' Mine (1919 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Wonderful Pal (1919 -Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

It's Right Here For You (If You Don't Get It, 'Tain't No Fault of Mine) (1920 - Perry Bradford) w=Marion Dickerson, m=Alex Belledna

You Can't Go Wrong With a Girl From Dixieland (1920)

Washington Johnny (1920)

Waitin' for Me (1920 - Fred Fisher) w=Bud Green & Jack McCoy, m=MP

Waikiki Blues (1920)

They'll All Stop Off to See Venus (1920)

That Rose Covered Shack O' Mine (1920)

Pshaw (1920)

No One Else Can Take Your Place (1920)

Lest We Forget (1920)

Jazz Babies' Ball (1920 - Shapiro) w=Charles Bayha, m=MP

I'm Gonna Keep Alookin' (1920)

Gingham Girl (1920 - Fred Fisher) w=Darl MacBoyle, m=MP

Dixie is Dixie Once More (1920)

At the End of the Sunset Trail (1920 - Remick) w=Cal DeVoll, m=MP

Honey Rose (1921 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey & Harry Tobias, m=MP

With You, Sweetheart, With You (1921)

Wild Weepin' Blues (1921)

Those Mean Blue Sunday Blues (1921 - Fisher) w=Wm Tracey m=MP

This is the Day For Aunt Jemima (1921)

'Tain't Nothin' Else But Jazz (1921 - Remick) w=Wm Tracey & Alex Belledna, m=MP

Plantation Blues (1921 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Night After Night I Think of You (1921)

A Little Kind Treatment (Is Exactly What I Need) (1921 - Mills) w =Howard Rogers m=MP

I'm A Dog-gone Struttin' Fool (1921)

Gingham Girl (1921)

Down Where They Play the Blues (1921)

Dinty (1921)

Charming Someone (1921)

Caroline (1921)

Aunt Jemima's Jubilee (1921 - Fred Fisher) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Another Mule Hitched in Your Stall (1921 - Shapiro) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

I'm Always Stuttering (1922) Broadway) w=Sidney D. Mitchell, m=MP

Liza (1922 - Harms) w=Nat Vincent, m =MP (from "Liza")

Planning (1922 - Harms) (from "Liza")

I've Got Those Runnin' Wild Blues (1922 - Harms) (from "Liza")

My Old Man (1922) (from "Liza")

Paul Whiteman Blues (1922)

Oh, What a Regular Feller (1922)

My Dixie (1922 - Broadway) w=Sidney D. Mitchell, m=MP

Dandy (1922)

'Bammy (1922 - Goodman &Rose) w=Wm Tracey m=MP ('Bammy, The Land That Gave Me Mammy)

That's Your Hips (1923)

My Man, He Knows How to Love (1923)

Mummy Glide, The Tutankamen Fox Trot (1923)

Love Me (1923) (from "Liza")

It's the Last Time, Daddy (1923)

Potomac River Blues (1923 - Down South Music Pub Corp)

Head in' Home (1923)

He May Be Your Good Man Friday (But He's Mine On Saturday Night) (1923 - Kay Stern) w=Jillie Raskin, m=MP

When Love Comes Along (1924)

What Makes You Hold It? (1924)

Tight Oscar (1924)

Some Day (1924)

Smiles and Kisses (1924)

Just a Little Movement (1924)

I've Fallen in Love with Somebody Else (1924)

I'm Satisfied Beside That Sweetie O' Mine (1924 - Ager, Yellen, Bornstein) w=Jack Yellen, m=MP

I'll Tell My Mama If You Don't Behave (1924) Hot Tamale Baby (1924)

Falling in Love (1924)

Carolina Man (1924)

Cage of Apes (1924)

You're in Wrong With the Right Baby (So You'd Better Kiss Yourself Goodbye) (1925 - Handy) w=Spencer Williams & Alex Belledna, m=MP

Sweet Man (1925 - Feist) w=Roy Turk, m=MP

Sweet Georgia Brown (1925 - Remick) with Ben Bernie & Kenneth Casey

Wait'll it's Moonlight (1925 - Broadway) w=Frank Bannister, m=MP

Somebody's Stolen My Sweet, Sweet Baby (1926 - Remick) w=Lew Brown & Sidney Clare, m=MP

Sincerely Yours (1925 - Remick) w =Alex Belledna & Kenneth Casey, m=MP

Say! Who is That Baby Doll? (1925)

Pile of Logs and Stone Called Home (1925 - Clarence Williams)

Oh, Molly, Oh Stop Jollyin' Me (1925)

Make Those Naughty Eyes Behave (1925 - Marks) with Edna Alexander

Livin' High - Sometimes (1924 - Clarence Williams) w=Alex Belledna, m=MP Just Like a Fool (1925)

I'm a Real Kind Mama (Lookin' For a Lovin' Man) (1925 - Triangle) w=Roger Graham, m=MP (no reference to earlier copyrights on the music)

Esmerelda, Who's Your Beau? (1925)

Does My Sweetie Do - And How (1925 - Shapiro) with Sidney Holden, Alex Belledna & MP

Desdemona, That Personal Friend O' Mine (1925 - Remick)

Da Da Da Dum Dum Da Dum (1925)

You're Lovely (1926)

"Gimmie" A Little Kiss, Will "Ya" Huh? (1926 - Berlin) Roy Turk & Jack Smith

Why Did I Go Wrong? (1926)

She Takes Along Her Roller Skates (1926)

Mary Ryan (1926)

Make Me Happy (1926)

Li'l Brown Baby (1926)

I Wonder What's Become of Joe? (1926)

I'll Get Along as Long as I Have You (1926)

How'd Ya Like to Meet Me in the Moonlight (Aw Come on Let's Do) (1926 - Bibo,Bloedon & Lang) w=Gene Austin & Sam Coslow, m=MP

Emaline o' Mine (1926)

Someone's Stolen My Sweet, Sweet Baby (1926)

You're Lovely (1927)

What's the Use O' Worryin' (1927) with Archie Gottler & Sydney Clare

There Must Be Somebody Else (1927 - Berlin) - Archie Gottler & Sidley Clare

Here Comes the Showboat (1927 - Shapiro) w=Billy Rose m=MP

Dawning (1927 - Berlin) with Abner Silver

Sugar (1927 - Handy) w=Sidney Mitchell & Alex Belledna, m=MP

Don't Be Like That (1928 - Shapiro) Archie Gottler & Charles Tobias (3 different covers!)

Lila (1928 - DeSylva, Brown & Henderson) with Archie Gottler & Charles Tobias

Just Another Love Affair (1928)

Come on, Baby (1928 - Ager, Yellen & Bornstein) with Archie Gottler & Sidney Clare

The Whole World Knows I Love You (1928 - Berlin) with Archie Gottler & Sidhey Clare

I'm Feelin' Devilish (Oh By Golly Oh) (1928 - Handy)

Jo-Anne (1928 - Shapiro) with Abner Silver & Joe Ward

Joan (1928)

I Won't Give Up 'til You Love Me (1928)

I Wonder (1928 - Berlin) with Abner Silver & Benny Davis

Give and Take (1928)

Down Yonder (1928)

Adorable Dora (1928 - Waterson, Berlin & Snyder) with Archie Gottler & Sidney Clare

You'll Never Be Forgotten (1928) Only organist's copy survives

When I'm Up To My Knees in Clover (1929)

At Twilight (1929 - Gene Austin) w=Wm Tracey m=MP

That Wonderful Boyfriend of Mine (1929 & 1930 - DB&H) w=Wm Tracey m=MP

Never -(1929)

I'll Be a Friend With Pleasure (1930 - Mills)

Congratulations (1930 - DB&H, 1929 - Green & Stept) with Coleman Goetz, Bud Green & Sam H. Stept

Them There Eyes (1930 - Berlin) with Wm Tracey & Doris Tauber

Is That Religion? (1930 - Mills) with Mitchell Parish

The Land Where the Cotton Grows (1930)

Okay, Baby -(1930 - Mills) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Our Cottage Isn't for Sale Anymore (1930)

Tail-Spin (1930)

When You See Lucy (1930)

You Can't Tell the Difference After Dark (1930)

For Me, It's Just Too Bad (1931)

Have You Forgotten the Land Where the Cotton Grows? (1931)

I'm So Sorry (1931 - Pinkard, Inc.) with Murray Rich

Try Getting a Good Night's Sleep (1931)

Strictly Cullud Affair (1932 - Mills)

You Slay Me (1931 - Pinkard Inc. Music Publishers) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

Hikin' Home to Hannah (1932)

I Love to See the Evenin' Sun Go Down (so I Can Be With You) (1932 - Harms) with Jack Palmer

I'm Just a Singer of Songs (1932)

I've Formed a Fancy for You (1932)

A Little Like You and a Little Like Me (1934)

It's Just a State of Mind (1935 - Handy) with Bob Shurr & Bob Bricken

I Got Nothing to Do But Love (1936)

Anytime (1937)

Keep Your Chin Up (1937)

Mose Jackson Jones (1937 - Rossiter)

So What? (1937)

Under A Spreading Chestnut Tree (1937)

Sam (That Man What Am) (1939 - Pinkard Publications)

There's No Tellin' (1939 - Pinkard Publications)

Harlem's Poppin' (1940 - Pinkard Publications) w=Wm Tracey, m=MP

I'm Contented Like I Am (1940 - Pinkard Publications) w--Wm Tracey m=MP

New Additions (based on ads for more Pinkard tunes in late publications)

South Seas - foxtrot - w&m= MP and Lois Reid; c. May 23, 1939 E pub 77237 Pinkard Pub, NY (a blue Pacific love song)

You are So Consoling - waltz - w&m= MP and Lois Reid; c. May 23, 1939 E pub 77239 Pinkard Publications, NY

Way Back Home - fox trot ballad - w&m= MP; c. Sept. 25, 1939 E pub 79707 Pink. Pub., NY

That's Music To Me - the rhythm of a big bass drum - foxtrot - w&m= MP and Lois Reid c. Sept. 25, 1939 E pub 79705

Mecca - a fox trot song of the orient - w&m= MP and Maceo Jefferson; c. Sept. 25, 1939 E pub 7970, Pinkard Publications, NY

West Wind - a fox trot ballad - w&m=MP; c. 1 copy Dec 15, 1939, Pinkard Publications, NY c. April 12, 1940 E pub 84348, Pink. Pub, NY

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 06:59 PM

I'm resurrecting this old, old thread. I'm curious if anyone has any photos of Pinkard or can dig one up. I can't find jackshit.

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Azizi
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 08:49 PM

Much thanks, 282RA [AR282] for all that research. And thanks for posting/refreshing this thread.

That post was well worth the work it took to read, though I wish the formatting was different.

I learned alot. Sorry I can't help you with a photo or any additional information on Maceo Pinkard. I'll be alert for anything, and if I find something, I'll post it to this thread.

Positive vibrations,

Azizi

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 09:30 PM

Thanks Azizi

I learn new things about Pinkard and his cohorts all the time. Apparently his "Mammy O' Mine" is the same "Mammy" that made Al Jolson famous. Roy Turk wrote "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" that made Elvis famous even though Turk wrote it in '34, the year of his death. I'm also thinking that William Tracey was another pseudonym but I can't swear to it.

On the net, there's lots of old Pinkard sheet music covers. I have a 1928 copy of "Dawning." Apparently Bluefield Institute is now Bluefield State College and they hold a "Maceo Pinkard Day" but inquiries to the college's various officers and administrators for anymore info or photos of Pinkard have gone unanswered for a very long time.

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 03:36 AM

I don't think Mammy O' Mine is the same song as Mammy - you can see a copy of the sheet music at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music - search for Pinkard as author, there are 4 results, 2 with the music online, one of which is Mammy Mine. (Mammy O'Mine will get you directly to the cover page (I think it's a permanent link) and you can follow the links to the subsequent pages).

Mick

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:03 AM

There may be a photograph of Pinkard (the identification is not certain) available in the Sy Oliver Papers at:
Sy Oliver Papers at NYPL Go to Container List, Series 4.Photographs. Folder 1764:
Medium close up of four people seated at a table offering a toast: Maceo Pinkard [?], Sy Oliver, unidentified woman, and Jesse Stone, [n.d.].
1 photographic print : b&w ; 20.5 x 25.5 cm. [MAI-54930]

details:

Mick

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:05 AM

(Sorry - the word details: at the end of my post was a mistake - all available details are in the post).

Mick

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: M.Ted
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 10:28 AM

When you look at the song titles in order like that, you get a sense of how the "commercial" songwriter" tried to appeal to the market--and how many misses it took to get a hit--

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:49 PM

I already found that Sy Oliver thing before but there's no link to the photograph. Apparently I'd have to go to the NYPL and request to see this folder but that really isn't going to to be possible as I don't live anywhere close to New York and have no realistic way of getting there anytime soon.

That's why I am trying to find out if somebody has a photo or a link to one. Moreover, it is only a tentative ID.

Thanks anyway.

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 04:55 PM

Below is one of several links that list Pinkard as the composer of Jolson's Mammy. Whether it is Mammy O' Mine is just a guess as it is the only Mammy I have listed in his repertoire.


Among the shows was Liza (by Maceo Pinkard, immortalized as the composer of "Sweet Georgia Brown" and, for Al Jolson, the infamous "Mammy"),

http://www.laphil.com/resources/piece_detail.cfm?id=1073

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 05:14 PM

If you look at the music at Levy, you'll see this is not the Jolson song.

You can look at the Al Jolson Society web site and do a search for Mammy, you will find: "The song popularly known as "My Mammy," which to many people defines Al Jolson, was written in 1921 by Sam Lewis & Joe Young, with music by Walter Donaldson, and entitled "The Sun Shines East - The Sun Shines West." It was introduced by William Frawley, known to later generations as Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy." Legend has it that it was spotted as a potential hit for Jolson, who introduced it in the show Sinbad that year."

I've seen the quote above (repeated elsewhere too) but I don't think it's true.

Mick

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 06:20 PM

MY MAMMY
(Walter Donaldson / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young)

Everything is lovely
When you start to roam;
The birds are singin', the day that you stray,
But later, when you are further away,
Things won't seem so lovely
When you're all alone;
Here's what you'll keep saying
When you're far from home:

Mammy,
Mammy,
The sun shines east, the sun shines west,
I know where the sun shines best--
Mammy,
My little mammy,
My heartstrings are tangled around Alabammy.
I'm comin',
Sorry that I made you wait.
I'm comin',
Hope and trust that I'm not late, oh oh oh
Mammy,
My little Mammy,
I'd walk a million miles
For one of your smiles,
My Mammy! Oh oh oh...

(SPOKEN) Mammy...
My little Mammy.
The sun shines east-- the sun shines west--
I know where-- the sun shines best!
It's on my Mammy I'm talkin' about, nobody else's!
(SUNG) My little Mammy,
My heartstrings are tangled around Alabammy.
(SPOKEN) Mammy-- Mammy, I'm comin'--
I'm so sorry that I made you wait!
Mammy-- Mammy, I'm comin'!
Oh God, I hope I'm not late!
Look at me, Mammy! Don't you know me?
I'm your little baby!
(SUNG) I'd walk a million miles
For one of your smiles,
My Mammy!


TO MY MAMMY

Irving Berlin

[Verse:]
Mammy mine, there's a light divine
In your eyes that shines for me
And that light tells me I'm all right
Though the world may not agree
Whatever they say or do
I know how I stand with you

[1st refrain:]
Who cares what the world may say?
No matter what comes my way
I'm everything
To my mammy

And who cares if I lose the race?
No matter who takes my place
I'm still the king
To my mammy

How much does she love me? I'll tell you no lie
How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?

Who cares if my friends have gone?
You'll find me still holding on
'Cause I can cling
To my mammy

[2nd refrain:]
Who cares if the people shout
I'm nothing to rave about?
I'm everything
To my mammy

And who cares if the future shows
I may be in beggar's clothes?
I'm still the king
To my mammy

The crowd disapproving won't hurt me because
My mammy still loves me and that's my applause

Who cares if they say I'm through?
Someday when my song won't do
I still can sing
To my mammy


MAMMY O' MINE

Pinkard-Tracey

I've read your letter, mammy o' mine
Now I feel better, mammy o' mine
Still I'm kinda homesick too
No one can cure me but you

CHORUS
Mammy o' mine below that old Dixon line
Oh, how I'm longing to kiss you
I miss you
All of the time
I kiss your picture each night
And the letters you write
For they remind me of the day long ago
Oh Lordy how I'd like to be with you when I'm alone
My thoughts go wandering home
Then I start thinking of you
And feeling so blue
I could cry
And now I know why
Daddy used to say the good lord blessed us
When he gave us you 'cause you're the bestes
Angel divine
You wonderful Mammy o' mine

When night is falling, mammy o' mine
I hear you calling, mammy o' mine
Like I did in childhood days
Days I'll remember always

CHORUS


OH MAMMY

Curly Howard

Oh Mammy
It's your little boy Sammy
Comin' home from Alabammy
Put on some eggs and hammy
Don't gimme no flim-flammy, mammy
Oh, mammy
Oh, mammy
[Moe kicks him in the butt]
OH MAMMY!

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:16 PM

I just found another link that says Roy Turk wrote "Are You Lonesome Tonight" in 1927 with Lou Handman.

Will the confusion never end?

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: M.Ted
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:38 PM

This is from the ASCAP title search--

MY MAMMY Title Code: 430126517) 
                Writers:
   DONALDSON WALTER
   LEWIS SAMUEL M
   YOUNG JOSEPH

                Performers:
BARBERSHOP QUARTET
BARBERSHOP QUARTETS & CHORUS
CANTRELL L
CHEVALIER M
DONALDSON
FRANCES C
HAPPININGS
JOLSON A
MINNELLI L
PATINKIN M
TOUCH OF CLASS


                Variations:
  MAMMY
  MAMIE
  MY MAMMA
  MAMY
  MY MUMMY
  MY MAMMY IWF
  MI MAMI INCI.
  MUMMY

                Publishers/Administrators:
  BOURNE CO
    % MS BEEBE BOURNE
    5 WEST 37TH STREET
    6TH FLOOR
    NEW YORK , NY, 10018
    Tel. [phone]

  DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO
    C/O SUSSMAN & ASSOCIATES
    1222 16TH AVENUE SOUTH
    3RD FLOOR
    NASHVILLE , TN, 37212
    Tel. [phone]

  WAROCK CORPORATION
    P.O. DRAWER 940
    EAST HAMPTON, NY, 11937
    Tel. [phone]


If you still aren't convinced, just call the publishers--they'll set you straight--

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 08:16 PM

Just to be clear, when I said about the quote above not being true, I was referring to 282RA's quote at 04:55 (Among the shows was Liza (by Maceo Pinkard, ...and, for Al Jolson, the famous "Mammy")), not the quote from the Al Jolson society site (which I do believe to be true!).

Mick

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: M.Ted
Date: 01 Sep 06 - 12:03 AM

Mr. Pearce, I understood you, clear as a bell--I was just posting to reinforce the record, for internet posterity, so that when someone comes across the with the wrong info in a search engine, this one will be there too--ASCAP song search is a good place to look up songs that are still in copyright, because it's used by the industry to locate publishers for royalties and such--nothing out of copyright there, though, so the list above is more complete--

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 11:53 PM

Probably Maceo Pinkard's only co--writer still alive and kicking wrote a song titled You're Gonna Be Sorry published by Pinkard Publications Inc.way back in '45.

Subject: RE: Maceo Pinkard-One of the greatest
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jan 18 - 01:18 PM

Hi,

Bluefield State College is honoring Maceo Feb. 22. We have found his nephew and niece and they will be attending the celebration. The school will award an honorary degree to Maceo at this function.

Is there anything you can send me in addition to this wonderful article to add to our information? Anything would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks, Dr. Mary Woodbury

PS: Are you related to Maceo?