Ted Weems was a violinist who started a dance band at college in Pennsylvania around 1920, and after performing for US President Warren Harding embarked on a successful professional career in 1923, securing a recording contract with Victor and immediately having big sellers. 

He went on the enjoy chart success on a regular basis through into the ‘40s and achieved a landmark late-career success when his earlier recording of “Heartaches” was a surprise US No. 1 in 1947. 

He was responsible for introducing Perry Como to the scene as his vocalist during the 1930s. 

This 50-track 2- CD collection comprises all his 36 US hits, plus selected A & B sides from his releases during these years on the Victor, Columbia, Decca and Mercury labels. 

It features his No. 1s with “Heartaches”, “Somebody Stole My Gal” and “The Man From The South”, and his other Top 5 hits with “A Smile Will Go A Long, Long Way”, “Blue-Eyed Sall”, “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “Peg O’ My Heart”, “Piccolo Pete”, “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” and “Mickey”. 

Along with Perry Como, his featured singers include Dusty Roads, Parker Gibbs, Art Jarrett, Elmo Tanner, Red Ingle,  Mary Lee, Shirley Richards and Snooky Lanson. 

He was typical of the high-profile dance bands who enjoyed success on radio, as ‘live’ performers and on record during this era, and this is an entertaining trawl across his most successful work.

Tracks

CD 1
1. SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 19212) 1924 
2. COVERED WAGON DAYS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 19212) 1924 
3. A SMILE WILL GO A LONG LONG WAY Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 19258) 1924 
4. BLUE EYED SALLY Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 19547) 1925 
5. LOVE BOUND Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 20033) 1926 
6. BARBARA Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 20846) 1927 
7. MISS ANNABELLE LEE (WHO'S WONDERFUL, WHO'S MARVELLOUS) Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 20846) 1927 
8. HIGHWAYS ARE HAPPY WAYS (WHEN THEY LEAD THE WAY TO HOME) Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 20910) 1927 
9. IT WAS ONLY A SUN SHOWER Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 20910) 1927 
10. COBBLE-STONES Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 21105) 1928 
11. WHO WOULDN'T BE BLUE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 21511) 1928 
12. YOU'RE THE CREAM IN MY COFFEE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 21767) 1928 
13. ME AND THE MAN IN THE MOON Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 21809) 1929 
14. PICCOLO PETE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22037) 1929 
15. THE MAN FROM THE SOUTH (WITH A BIG CIGAR IN HIS MOUTH) Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22238) 1930 
16. TALK OF THE TOWN Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22304) 1930 
17. SLAPPIN' THE BASS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22411) 1930 
18. MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22499) 1930 
19. I STILL GET A THRILL (THINKING OF YOU) Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22515) 1930 
20. WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22637) 1931 
21. YOU GAVE ME EVERYTHING BUT LOVE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22646) 1931 
22. I LOVE TO HEAR A MIILTARY BAND Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22822) 1931 
23. ONE OF US WAS WRONG Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22877) 1931 
24. SHE'S SO NICE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 22881) 1931 
25. OUT OF THE NIGHT (THEME SONG) Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Columbia 2956) 1934

CD 2
1. TALKIN' TO MYSELF Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Columbia 2957) 1934 
2. I'M GROWING FONDER OF YOU Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Columbia 2975) 1934 
3. WINTER WONDERLAND Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Columbia 2976) 1934 
4. THE MARTINS AND THE COYS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 810) 1936 
5. KNOCK! KNOCK! WHO'S THERE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 885) 1936 
6. UNTIL TODAY Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 895) 1936 
7. WHEN A LADY MEETS A GENTLEMAN DOWN SOUTH Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 1006) 1936 
8. A GYPSY TOLD ME Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 1695) 1938 
9. THREE SHIF'LESS SKONKS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 1884) 1938 
10. CLASS WILL TELL Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 2365) 1939 
11. GOODY GOODBYE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 2794) 1939 
12. THAT OLD GANG OF MINE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 2829) 1940 
13. THERE'LL BE SOME CHANGES MADE Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 3044) 1941 
14. THE MERRY-GO-ROUNDUP Ted Weems & His Orchestra ( 3135) 1941 
15. IT ALL COMES BACK TO ME NOW Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 3627) 1941 
16. DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 4138) 1942 
17. HEARTACHES Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Victor 2175) 1947 
18. HEARTACHES Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 25017) 1947 
19. VIOLETS Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5052) 1947 
20. PEG O' MY HEART Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5052) 1947 
21. I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Decca 25078) 1947 
22. MICKEY Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5062) 1947 
23. THE SECRETARY SONG Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5081) 1947 
24. HINDUSTAN Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5139) 1948 
25. LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME Ted Weems & His Orchestra (Mercury 5305) 1949