Anyone know Cohen The Crooner

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 23 Aug 14 - 04:22 PM

Here is a currently working youtube video for CtheC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RDgl-R1U9Q

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 23 Aug 14 - 11:49 AM

refresh, re current "Best song ever...?" thread

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 08 Oct 11 - 08:47 AM

Thanks again, Maeve. You are a ✮! I hadn't realised it was the same Ray Sonin who was the well-known broadcaster; but of course, thinking about it...

For interest ~ Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations:
Song title 1934- Fred Hillebrand, Home James, and don't spare the horses.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 08 Oct 11 - 07:26 AM

Good day, Michael. In a sleepy stupor just now, I searched on google and found "Gertie the Girl With the Gong" apparently by the same authors, along with a couple of other bits. My mother used to sing "Home James" so I was pleased to see it included. This medley was also referenced at least once before on Mudcat, in this thread: thread.cfm?threadid=3217

(From http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/g/gertiethegirlwiththegongmedley.shtml

"GERTIE, THE GIRL WITH THE GONG (Ray Sonin / Ronnie Munro)
HOME JAMES AND DON'T SPARE THE HORSES (Writer Unknown)
NO! NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO! ((Al Sherman / Al Lewis / Abner Silver)

Elsie Carlisle (with Ambrose & His Orch.) - 1935

I'm Gertie, the girl with the gong
And I watch your car speed along
If you do more than thirty, then Gertie gets shirty
And tinkles a song on the gong

Oh, beware when you're driving along
For the Law says that you're in the wrong
If I'm dressed as a Cop and I call you to stop
Oh, I'm Gertie, the girl with the gong..."
*********************
Also, here's a biography of Ray Sonin
I missed earlier.

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 08 Oct 11 - 12:01 AM

Thank you, Guest. Any further info [other works &c?] re Sonin & Munro?

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Oct 11 - 06:05 PM

The song `COHEN THE CROONER' was composed by R.SONIN & R.MONRO 1935
& was in Brit.Film:"SOFT LIGHTS AND SWEET MUSIC" Max Bacon
b/3/1/1906 d:/12/3/1969

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 27 Jul 11 - 04:18 AM

Another you-tube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KgnJi3g-M&feature=related

shows the record label, plus this note: "Here is one of the rare comedy numbers of the Ambrose band. What makes this record particularly interesting is the fact that drummer Max Bacon can show his talent as comedian and singer."
The Decca label reads:
   COHEN, THE CROONER — Fox-Trot
*             (Soning/Munro)
    AMBROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
       (At the Embassy Club, London)
             (With Vocal Chorus)
                GB 7426 F. 5698

The date of the recording is shown on an illustrated graphic alongside the label as 25.09.1935. The entire lyric/dialogue are precisely as on film a year later for the "Soft Lights, Sweet Music" film, as shown on the other youtube clip referred to above, with the same actors involved, buying fruit & veg from 'Cohen' -- presumably the two men buying potatoes and beans were other Ambrose band members; & the American woman buying bananas was surely Evelyn Dall herself [who, it will be recalled, sang Mrs Worthington on the flip side]?. Also, the lead-in vocal "Down in Mile End there's a funny fella..." is also presumably another band member.

Notably, Max Bacon & the other vocalists are not named {though I am sure Max was credited on the record I used to own in the 1940s - perhaps a later reissue?}, becoming simply "Vocal Chorus" - though in fact they sing/speak individually and never together as "chorus" would surely imply. The other video, extract from the film, shows footage of Mile End Market, and was filmed as a location sequence; perhaps the record, identically vocalised as I noted above, was a pre-issue of its soundtrack before the film's issue the following year; in which case the "At the Embassy Club" on the label might have been for some sort of contractual imperative?

*The name "Soning" is not quite clear due to the edge groove round the hole [though "Munro" is] - it could perhaps be "Sonito" or something similar. Anyone any idea who these credited writer/composer were? My Oxford Companion to Popular Music has entries for neither, and does not even mention this song.

Any help greatly appreciated.

~Michael~





Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 04:38 AM

'and nothing remotely resembling jazz even in the debased pop 1930s sense', I said above; but there is a ref in the lead-in lyric to Tiger Rag, which exactly fits this description.

Meanwhile, again "Author!? Author?!'

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 12:57 AM

Talking of "scholarly": on one of Maeve's wonderful 4 links of 17 May appears a repro of the original Decca record label. The song is described as a "Fox-trot" [sic], though I can't imagine it being much used for actual dancing; but a crease in the label where it fits a groove renders the writer/composer credits completely illegible even with a magnifying glass. All the googling I could do didn't reveal their names.

This is Mudcat, where somebody out there know everything! Has anyone any idea who wrote it?

~M~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 12:38 AM

In fact, despite his claim to sing "jazz or opera, [his] customers to suit", reinforced by the intro lyric which rhymes "banana" with "Cavalleria Rusticana", 'Cohen', in the course of the sequence in the film clip, sings only one opera tune, "La Donn' e Mobile" from Rigoletto, and nothing remotely resembling jazz even in the debased pop 1930s sense. The others we hear are the more or less familiar tunes "La Marseillaise", "Mazeltov", "Rule Britannia", and "John Peel", none of which has the remotest jazz or operatic claims.

Just for the record, as this is a scholarly music forum!

~Michael~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 01:05 AM

Many thanks, Guest; which means that the previous line ends with 'sacked', no doubt. I can just about, racking my brains, remember Connee Boswell, having gone solo, as a 1940s singer; and learn from wiki [qv re the group] that she had to sing from a wheelchair due to a chilodhood accident. Also that the Andrews Sisters began as a sort of Boswell tribute group and Ella Fitzgerald patterned her singing on Connee's.

~M~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 08:45 PM

http://www.memorylane.org.uk/file/Back_Catalogue.html

http://www.evelyndall.com/sub%20pages/Welcome_page.htm

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 03:47 PM

The correct line is 'I'll join the BOSWELL sisters act.' Both Cohen the Crooner and Mrs Worthington are on a recent CD THE ORIGINAL BLONDE BOMBSHELL THE COMPLETE EVELYN DALL RECORDINGS VOLUME ONE. MLCD001
see http://www.memorylane.org.uk/file/Back_Catalogue.html and www.evelyndall.com

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 May 11 - 12:04 AM

Hi, maeve. Thanks for posting that enjoyable video (with its glance at the past)

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 11:32 AM

Thanks, maeve; that sounds a possible, certainly...

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 17 May 11 - 11:19 AM

Sounds like:
"If from selling fruit I'm sent I'll join the Bowen Sisters' tent"

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 11:10 AM

Mind you, still can't quite make out that pay-off line, as related on thread 4 back 2.56 am, because he speaks/sings that back while leaving and the lyric is slightly swallowed. Anyone else make out the missing words?

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 17 May 11 - 10:27 AM

Oh, good!

You are most welcome.

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 09:14 AM

Many thanks again, maeve. That is a better copy.

~M~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 17 May 11 - 07:24 AM

I'm glad some of the links are helpful, Michael. Here's another file of "Cohen the Crooner" in case the sound quality is clearer. http://wn.com/Max_Bacon That link also has other Max Bacon recordings.

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 02:56 AM

On the u-tube video, when Max reprises the last verse right at the end, he sings, "If from singing fruit I ···, I'll join the ··· Sisters ···": the ···s, of course, mark words that I can't quite make out.

Anyone help?

~M~

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 02:07 AM

Notes on coming round from euphoria induced by Maeve's wonderful post ~~

I note that Max sang "wireless singers" rather than "radio singers" ~ absolutely right for the mid-30s.

The film biz with all the customers & the tunes used to sell each item a great bonus! Hadn't realised it was from a film. Great sequence.

Yes indeed ~ Evelyn Dall; I remember now!

The director of the film 'Soft Lights & Sweet Music' 1936 was Herbert Smith. As well as Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra, Evelyn Dall & Max Bacon, the following great music hall names of the time all appeared as themselves: Western Brothers, Harry Tate, Billy Bennett, Elisabeth Welch, Wilson Keppel & Betty ... Wow, what a line-up.

Record issued 1935 ~ apparently a year before the © date of the film; copy survived into our household till about 1948.

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 May 11 - 01:48 AM

Dearest darling Maeve: How can I possibly thank you enough! Absolutely overwhelmed by your kind trouble and the brilliance of your research.

So many many many thanks.

xxx❤♥❤Michael❤♥❤xxx

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: maeve
Date: 17 May 11 - 12:16 AM

Michael, I found these:
"Cohen the Crooner"
More info. here:
And here...
Here's a review
Mrs. Worthington's daughter

I hope something there is helpful.

Subject: RE: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 11:45 PM

rfrsh

Subject: Anyone know Cohen The Crooner
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 May 11 - 12:12 PM

I had a 78 record in the late 1940s, by, I think, Ambrose & His Orchestra, a very popular BBC &c danceband of the time. On one side was a woman singing Noel Coward's "Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage Mrs Worthington", a well-known and perfectly accessible song: but does anyone happen to know who she was?

On the other side, Max Bacon, a well-known radio & music-hall comedian of the time {also, later, an actor ~ he played the fat neighbour in the original London stage version of The Diary Of Anne Frank; also BTW a cousin-in-law of my Mother's ~ used to meet him at family children's birthday parties before WWii!}, sang a comic song called "Cohen The Crooner", of which I still remember the lyric:

As I push my barrow along
You'll hear me sing the latest song
I'm Cohen the crooner
The Crosby from Mile End.

I sell peanuts penny a bag
To the tune of Tiger Rag
I'm Cohen the crooner
The Crosby from Mile End.

I sing jazz or [h]opera
My customers to suit,
But I don't give a hoot
So long I sell my fruit.

Radio singers may be swell
But they can't sell you fruits as well
Like Cohen the crooner
The Crosby from Mile End.

Anyone, by any marvellous chance, ever hear this song before? Have any info as to authorship &c? A long shot, I know, after all these years; but Mudcat often comes up with miracles, and any info would be greatly valued by

~Michael~