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Marion Harris was one of the most popular and successful female singers in the early era of the recording industry, and she had a concentrated string of hits during those years, often recording the original hit versions of songs which went on to become ubiquitous standards of the Great American Songbook.
Born Mary Harrison in Indiana in 1896, she started performing in vaudeville in Chicago around 1914, and made her debut in an Irving Berlin revue on Broadway the following year, which led to a recording contract with the Victor Talking Machine Company.
This 45-track 2-CD collection comprises all her 43 US hits on the Victor, Columbia and Brunswick labels, plus selected bonus tracks. It features the No.1s “After You’ve Gone”, “St. Louis Blues”, “Look For The Silver Lining” and “Tea For Two”, plus early hit versions of future classics like “I Ain’t Got Nobody”, “I’m Nobody’s Baby”, “Beale Street Blues”, “Who’s Sorry Now”, “I’ll See You In My Dreams”, “The Man I Love” and more.
She was a song stylist who was very much of her era, performing not so much in the Roaring Twenties style, but more in the mainstream pop mode which was equally characteristic of the times. It’s a fine showcase for her distinctive way with a song, and an evocative window onto the popular music of the day.
Tracks
CD 1
1. I AIN'T GOT NOBODY MUCH (Victor 18133) 1917
2. I'M GONNA MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES IN VIRGINIA (Victor 18143) 1916
3. PARADISE BLUES (Victor 18152) 1917
4. THEY GO WILD, SIMPLY WILD, OVER ME (Victor 18343) 1917
5. EVERYBODY'S CRAZY 'BOUT THE DOGGONE BLUES (BUT I'M HAPPY) (Victor 18443) 1918
6. THERE'S A LUMP OF SUGAR DOWN IN DIXIE (Victor 18482) 1918
7. WHEN ALEXANDER TAKES HIS RAGTIME BAND TO FRANCE (Victor 18486) 1918
8. AFTER YOU'VE GONE (Victor 18509) 1919
9. A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND (Victor 18535) 1919
10. JAZZ BABY (Victor 18555) 1919
11. TAKE ME TO THE LAND OF JAZZ (Victor 18593) 1919
12. LEFT ALL ALONE AGAIN BLUES (Columbia 2939) 1920
13. THE ST. LOUIS BLUES (Columbia 2944) 1920
14. OH! JUDGE (HE TREATS ME MEAN) (Columbia 2968) 1920
15. SWEET MAMA (PAPA'S GETTING' MAD) (Columbia 3300) 1920
16. I'M A JAZZ VAMPIRE (Columbia 3328) 1921
17. GRIEVING FOR YOU (Columbia 3353) 1921
18. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING (Columbia 3367) 1921
19. I AIN'T GOT NOBODY (Columbia 3371) 1921
20. I'M NOBODY'S BABY (Columbia 3433) 1921
21. BEALE STREET BLUES (Columbia 3474) 1921
22. SOME SUNNY DAY (Columbia 3593) 1922
23. NOBODY LIED (WHEN THEY SAID THAT I CRIED OVER YOU) (Columbia 3646) 1922
CD 2
1. I'M JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY (Brunswick 2309) 1922
2. SWEET INDIANA HOME (Brunswick 2310) 1922
3. BLUE (AND BROKEN-HEARTED) (Brunswick 2310) 1922
4. CAROLINA IN THE MORNING (Brunswick 2329) 1923
5. AGGRAVATIN' PAPA (Brunswick 2329) 1923
6. ROSE OF THE RIO GRANDE (Brunswick 2370) 1923
7. RUNNIN' WILD (Brunswick 2410) 1923
8. BESIDE A BABBLING BROOK (Brunswick 2421) 1923
9. WHO'S SORRY NOW? (Brunswick 2443) 1923
10. DIRTY HANDS! DIRTY FACE! (Brunswick 2458) 1923
11. IT HAD TO BE YOU (Brunswick 2610) 1924
12. HOW COME YOU DO ME LIKE YOU DO (Brunswick 2610) 1924
13. JEALOUS (Brunswick 2622) 1924
14. THERE'LL BE SOME CHANGES MADE (Brunswick 2651) 1924
15. SOMEBODY LOVES ME (Brunswick 2735) 1925
16. TEA FOR TWO (Brunswick 2747) 1925
17. I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS (Brunswick 2784) 1925
18. WHEN YOU AND I WERE SEVENTEEN (Brunswick 2836) 1925
19. THE MAN I LOVE (Victor 21116) 1928
20. DID YOU MEAN IT (Victor 21116) 1928
21. NOBODY'S USING IT NOW (Brunswick 4663) 1930
22. LITTLE WHITE LIES (Brunswick 4873) 1930
