Listen here
This is another in our series of collections devoted to the great innovative bandleaders of the early age of commercial recording in the 1920s and ‘30s.
Their orchestras were primarily dance bands, performing the new music coming from Broadway and Tin Pan Alley when many future Great American Songbook standards were being composed and recorded for the first time, but also playing some ‘hot’ jazz-influenced music along the way.
Clarinetist and pianist Nat Shilkret’s orchestra recorded for Victor, as is clear from his orchestra’s name, and he had more hits than we could fit on a 2-CD set, so this 47-track collection comprises as many of those hits as we could accommodate, omitting a couple of which we could not locate usable copies, and those that made the lowest positions.
It includes hits not only as the Victor Orchestra, but also under the names The International Novelty Orchestra, The Troubadours and The Virginians.
It features the No. 1 “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”, and the Top 3 hits “All Alone Monday”, “Hallelujah!”, “Diane”, “The Sidewalks of New York”, “Jeannine (I Dream Of Lilac Time)”, “You Were Meant For Me”, “Pagan Love Song” and “Chant of The Jungle”.
It has performances by featured vocalists Elliott Shaw, Johnny Marvin, Franklyn Bauer, Scrappy Lambert, Frank Munn, Lewis James, Paul Small and others.
It’s an evocative collection that captures the unique style and spirit of the times.
Tracks
CD 1
1. TELL ME YOU'LL FORGIVE ME International Novelty Orchestra (Victor 19416) 1924
2. JUNE BROUGHT THE ROSES The Troubadours (Victor 19458) 1925
3. LET IT RAIN, LET IT POUR International Novelty Orchestra (Victor 19624) 1925
4. RIO RITA Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20474) 1926
5. ON THE RIVIERA Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20113) 1926
6. ALL ALONE MONDAY Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20259) 1927
7. ONE ALONE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20373) 1927
8. THE RIFF SONG Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20373) 1927
9. MAYBE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20392) 1927
10. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20437) 1927
11. FLAPPERETTE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20429) 1927
12. WHEN DAY IS DONE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20456) 1927
13. WHAT DOES IT MATTER NOW Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20471) 1927
14. THE DOLL DANCE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20503) 1927
15. HALLELUJAH Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20599) 1927
16. ME AND MY SHADOW Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20675) 1927
17. IT'S A MILLION TO ONE YOU'RE IN LOVE The Virginians (Victor 20837) 1927
18. PAREE (CA C'EST PARIS) International Novelty Orchestra (Victor 20884) 1927
19. BABY'S BLUE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20882) 1927
20. DIANE (I'M IN HEAVEN WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE) The Troubadours (Victor 21000) 1927
21. THINKING OF YOU Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 20996) 1928
22. UP IN THE CLOUDS Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra (Victor 20996) 1928
23. DID YOU MEAN IT The Virginians (Victor 21105) 1928
CD 2
1. WHY DO I LOVE YOU Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21215) 1928
2. THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21493) 1928
3. DREAM HOUSE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21392) 1928
4. JEANNINE I DREAM OF LILAC TIME Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21572) 1928
5. DUSKY STEVEDORE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21515) 1928
6. OUT OF THE DAWN Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21572) 1928
7. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE Shilkret's Rhyth Melodists (Victor 21688) 1928
8. SOFTLY, AS IN A MORNING SUNRISE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21775) 1929
9. ONE KISS The Troubadours (Victor 21775) 1929
10. MARIE The Troubadours (Victor 21746) 1929
11. CAROLINA MOON The Troubadours (Victor 21847) 1929
12. YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21886) 1929
13. BROADWAY MELODY Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21886) 1929
14. PAGAN LOVE SONG The Troubadours (Victor 21931) 1929
15. SOME SWEET DAY Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21896) 1929
16. THE LONESOME ROAD Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 21996) 1929
17. AM I BLUE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22004) 1929
18. LOVE ME Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22152) 1929
19. CHANT OF THE JUNGLE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22203) 1930
20. DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22425) 1930
21. GET HAPPY Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22444) 1930
22. I APOLOGISE Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22781) 1931
23. DELISHIOUS Nat Shilkret & The Victor Orchestra (Victor 22902) 1932
