The Songs Of 1920

By Mark Chilla

Posted May 3, 2024

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MUSIC CLIP - OSCAR PETERSON, “MOONGLOW”

Welcome to Afterglow, a show of vocal jazz and popular song from the Great American Songbook, I’m your host, Mark Chilla.

All this month on the program, we’re going to be turning back the clock 100 years, to explore the songs of the 1920s. This week, a special focus on the songs of the year that kicked off the roaring decade: 1920. 1920 was a much different time in America: prohibition went into effect, dial telephones were starting to catch on, and the country was obsessed with blues and ragtime. Many of the songs from this year did not withstand the test of time, for reasons we’ll get into. But this hour, we’ll hear a few of the songs that did, including “Avalon,” “Whispering,” and “Look For The Silver Lining.”

It’s The Songs Of 1920, coming up next on Afterglow

MUSIC - THE NAT KING COLE TRIO, "BABY, WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME"

MUSIC - DEAN MARTIN, "BABY, WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME"

To kick things off for our 1920 show, two versions of a song written and published in the previous year, 1919. That was Dean Martin in 1964, from his album Dream With Dean, and before that The Nat King Cole Trio in 1939, from a radio transcription, each performing the Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams song “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home.”

MUSIC CLIP - EDDIE CONDON & HIS DIXIELAND ALL STARS, "SWANEE"

Mark Chilla here on Afterglow. On this show, we’re looking at the songs of the year 1920. 1920 was a pivotal year in American history. It marked the end of World War I and the end of the Spanish Flu pandemic. But 1920 also marked the beginning of prohibition, the beginning of women’s suffrage, the first licensed commercial radio station, and the establishment of some key institutions in modern American life, from the ACLU to the NFL.

From a musical perspective, 1920 was a year where genres like blues and ragtime continued to be popular. Many of the popular songs from this era also came from the stage, which had its own complicated history. The minstrel stage shows of the 19th century had mostly fallen out of favor by 1920, replaced by the more popular vaudeville. However, many of the tropes of minstrelsy remained. One of the most popular American entertainers in the year 1920, in fact, was Al Jolson, a Jewish-American actor and singer who made a name for himself performing in blackface.

Jolson had been a vaudeville and Broadway star throughout the 1910s, dubbed “The World’s Greatest Entertainer.” At the end of the decade, he was successfully performing in one of the top Broadway shows, and new songs were being added to the show all the time, so Jolson could give them a showcase. One such song was the song “Swanee” written by lyricist Irving Caesar and a young composer just starting out by the name of George Gershwin.

“Swanee” is, in and of itself, a very dated song, evoking an idyllic southern landscape, imagery that is derived straight from minstrelsy. However, it’s an important song, historically, because it was the first megahit song for Gershwin, one of America’s most noted songwriters. Jolson’s recording of “Swanee” was one of the best selling songs in 1920. And the song continued to reverberate across the decades, being incorporated into the live and film work of the great entertainer Judy Garland. Let’s hear Garland performing that song now.

This is Judy Garland live in 1961, one of the closing songs from her Grammy Award winning album Judy At Carnegie Hall, performing George Gershwin’s “Swanee,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - JUDY GARLAND, "SWANEE"

MUSIC - JUDY GARLAND, "I NEVER KNEW (I COULD LOVE ANYBODY LIKE I'M LOVING YOU)"

Judy Garland performing two songs popular in the year 1920. Just now, we heard her in 1942 with “I Never Knew )I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You),” a song written in 1920 by Tom Pitts, Raymond B. Egan & Roy Marsh.” Before that, from her famous 1961 live album from Carnegie Hall. We heard “Swanee,” the first hit song by George Gershwin (lyrics by Irving Caesar), and one of the top songs of 1920, as originally recorded by the entertainer Al Jolson.

We’re looking back at the songs of 1920 this hour, specifically at songs that have stood the test of time. 1920 is an odd year because, comparatively, not as many songs from this calendar year have been re-recorded by other artists, at least compared to other years. It’s hard to pinpoint a reason, but it’s notable, nonetheless.

One artist who seemed to gravitate towards the songs of 1920 was Nat King Cole, particularly when he was working with his King Cole Trio in the 1930s and 40s. I’ll play now a few songs of the year, as interpreted by the trio. We’ll start with a song by Irving Berlin, that you might recognize from the film There’s No Business Like Show Business.

This is the King Cole Trio in 1944 with Irving Berlin’s “After You Get What You Want, You Don’t Want It,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - THE NAT KING COLE TRIO, "AFTER YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT, YOU DON'T WANT IT"

MUSIC - THE NAT KING COLE TRIO, "I USED TO LOVE YOU (BUT IT'S ALL OVER NOW)"

Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio with a few songs from the year 1920. Just now, we heard the tune “I Used To Love You, But It’s All Over Now,” by Albert Von Tilzer and Lew Brown. That recording comes from 1949 for Capitol Records. Before that, the trio in 1944 with Irving Berlin’s “After You Get What You Want, You Don’t Want It.”

1920 was the year Prohibition went into effect, banning the production and sale of alcohol in the United States. As you might imagine, such a consequential decision was no doubt reflected in the music of the day. One such song that addressed the new law was another Irving Berlin song called “I’ll See You In C-U-B-A.” This song is a fascinating time capsule of 1920: not only is it about Americans seeking out alcohol in a foreign country during Prohibition, but it also highlights a time in American History when foreign relations between the U.S. and Cuba were friendly. In the 1920s, Cuba was not some communist threat, but rather just an exciting, rum-soaked island 90 miles off the coast of Florida that attracted tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Let’s hear that song now, as performed several decades later. This is Bing Crosby and singer Trudy Erwin, from the soundtrack to the 1946 film Blue Skies, with Irving Berlin’s “I’ll See You in C-U-B-A,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - BING CROSBY AND TRUDY ERWIN, "(I'LL SEE YOU IN) C-U-B-A"

MUSIC - BING CROSBY, "WHISPERING"

Two songs from the year 1920, as performed by Bing Crosby. First in that set, the Prohibition song “I’ll See You In C-U-B-A (Cuba),” a song written by Irving Berlin. That version comes from the 1946 Irving Berlin film musical soundtrack Blue Skies, featuring singer Trudy Erwin. Just now, we heard one of the more popular songs from 1920, “Whispering,” written by John Schoenberger. That comes from Crosby’s 1957 album “Bing With A Beat.”

“Whispering” was a hit for Paul Whiteman in 1920, but it’s best known today by jazz fans as the contrafact for the 1945 Dizzy Gillespie bebop song “Groovin’ High.” Contrafact means that both songs—”Whispering” and “Groovin’ High”—share the same chord progression.

MUSIC CLIP - DIZZY GILLESPIE, "GROOVIN' HIGH"

We’ll have more songs from the year 1920 in just a bit. Stay with us.

I’m Mark Chilla, and you’re listening to Afterglow

MUSIC CLIP - DAVE MCKENNA, "MARGIE"

Welcome back to Afterglow, I’m Mark Chilla. We’ve been exploring songs from the year 1920 this hour, and what you’re hearing right now in the background is a popular blues tune from that year by Perry Bradford called “Crazy Blues.”

MUSIC CLIP - MAMIE SMITH, "CRAZY BLUES"

The singer here is Mamie Smith, and this song was all about the rage a woman felt over being mistreated. The recording itself was made on August 10, 1920 for Okeh Records, and became quite popular in its day. More than 75,000 copies were sold in the first month, and more than a million copies were sold in the first year, making it the first major blues record ever. “Crazy Blues” kicked off the blues craze across the country, and jump-started the so-called “race record” industry, showcasing the talents of black artists.

Although Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” was a pivotal and historical recording—it’s in the Grammy Hall Of Fame and the National Recording Registry—the song itself hasn’t necessarily been a long-lasting hit. It’s only been recorded a few dozen times over the years, including by the eccentric Canadian song historian Leon Redbone. Let’s hear that now.

This is Leon Redbone in 1977 with “Crazy Blues,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - LEON REDBONE, "CRAZY BLUES"

MUSIC - LOUIS ARMSTRONG & HIS ALL STARS, "AUNT HAGAR'S BLUES"

Two blues songs from the year 1920. Just now, we heard Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars in 1954 with W.C. Handy’s “Aunt Hagar’s Blues.” That’s from his album Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy. Before that, Leon Redbone in 1977 with Perry Bradford’s “Crazy Blues,” a song first recorded in 1920 by Mamie Smith.

As I said earlier, the year 1920 was a much different time in American culture. There was an “othering” of any culture that was not mainstream white America, and that even included the cultures of American minorities, like Black, Hispanic or Native Americans. This fascination with and stereotyping of other cultures shows up quite a bit in music. Several of the songs from 1920 make reference to some other culture.

Most of these songs I’m not going to play, because they contain so many stereotypes they are borderline, if not, downright offensive. I’m thinking of songs like “In A Persian Market,” “The Japanese Sandman,” “Kalua” (a Hawaiian song by Jerome Kern), or “Tell Me Little Gypsy” by Irving Berlin—all songs that were big hits in their day.

I will play a few songs that evoke different cultures now, not because they are any more appropriate or sensitive to cultural stereotypes, but only because they happened to be performed by some famous artists. We’ll start with a recording from 1941.

This is Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Jesse Glick and Frederick Logan’s “Pale Moon (aka, An Indian Love Song),” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - FRANK SINATRA WITH TOMMY DORSEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA, "PALE MOON (AN INDIAN LOVE SONG)"

MUSIC - BING CROSBY AND LOUIS ARMSTRONG, "DARDANELLA"

Two of the many songs from 1920 that evoked other cultures. Just now, the song “Dardanella,” one of the top hit records of 1920, performed here forty years later by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong. Before that, Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1941 performing “Pale Moon (An Indian Love Song.”

A few of the songs from 1920 could rightly be considered standards. And I want to play two such songs now. Each of these songs have been recorded many times over the decade, the first one is more of a pop standard, recorded by Louis Prima, The Four Freshmen, and the Mills Brothers, the second one is more of a jazz standard, recorded by Chet Baker, Oscar Peterson and Dave Brubeck.

To start this next set, here is Jo Stafford in 1946 with the Albert Von Tilzer and Neville Fleeson tune from 1920, “I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - JO STAFFORD WITH PAUL WESTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA, "I'LL BE WITH YOU IN APPLE BLOSSOM TIME"

MUSIC - TONY BENNETT AND BILL CHARLAP, "LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING"

Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap in 2015 with Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva’s song “Look For The Silver Lining,” a song that first appeared in the 1920 musical Sally. Before that, Jo Stafford in 1946 with “I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time,” also from 1920.

To close off this 1920 edition of Afterglow, I want to play one more tune written in that year. This is another Buddy DeSylva tune, co-written with Al Jolson and Vincent Rose. “Avalon,” a song about the Avalon Bay in Los Angeles, was popularized by Jolson that year, and has since gone on to become a standard. For whatever reason, the song has turned into a showcase of speed. Multiple artists have used “Avalon” to pick up the tempo and make the point quickly. Versions of this song by Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, Dakota Staton, Natalie Cole and others barely clock in at two minutes.

Here’s another fast version now. This is Sarah Vaughan in 1965 with “Avalon,” on Afterglow.

MUSIC - SARAH VAUGHAN, "AVALON"

Sarah Vaughan in 1965, from her album Viva Vaughan with “Avalon,” a song written in 1920 by Vincent Rose, Buddy DeSylva and Al Jolson.

Thanks for tuning in to this “Songs of 1920” edition of Afterglow.

MUSIC CLIP - PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA, "WHISPERING"

Afterglow is part of the educational mission of Indiana University and produced by WFIU Public Radio in beautiful Bloomington, Indiana. The executive producer is John Bailey.

Playlists for this and other Afterglow programs are available on our website. That’s at indianapublicmedia.org/afterglow.

I’m Mark Chilla, and join me next week for our mix of Vocal Jazz and popular song from the Great American Songbook, here on Afterglow

Sheet music from a few of the songs of 1920 (Public Domain Images)

All this month on the program, we’re going to be turning back the clock 100 years, to explore the songs of the 1920s. This week, a special focus on the songs of the year that kicked off the roaring decade: 1920. Many of the songs from this year did not withstand the test of time, for reasons we’ll get into. But this hour, we’ll hear a few of the songs that did, including “Avalon,” “Whispering,” and “Look For The Silver Lining.”

The Songs of 1920

1920 was a pivotal year in American history. It marked the end of World War I and the end of the Spanish Flu pandemic. But 1920 also marked the beginning of prohibition, the beginning of women’s suffrage, the first licensed commercial radio station, and the establishment of some key institutions in modern American life, from the ACLU to the NFL.

From a musical perspective, 1920 was a year where genres like blues and ragtime continued to be popular. Many of the popular songs from this era also came from the stage, which had its own complicated history. The minstrel stage shows of the 19th century had mostly fallen out of favor by 1920, replaced by the more popular vaudeville. However, many of the tropes of minstrelsy remained. One of the most popular American entertainers in the year 1920, in fact, was Al Jolson, a Jewish-American actor and singer who made a name for himself performing in blackface.

Jolson had been a vaudeville and Broadway star throughout the 1910s, dubbed “The World’s Greatest Entertainer.” At the end of the decade, he was successfully performing in one of the top Broadway shows, and new songs were being added to the show all the time, so Jolson could give them a showcase. One such song was the song “Swanee” written by lyricist Irving Caesar and a young composer just starting out by the name of George Gershwin.

1920 was the year Prohibition went into effect, banning the production and sale of alcohol in the United States. As you might imagine, such a consequential decision was no doubt reflected in the music of the day. One such song that addressed the new law was another Irving Berlin song called “I’ll See You In C-U-B-A.” This song is a fascinating time capsule of 1920: not only is it about Americans seeking out alcohol in a foreign country during Prohibition, but it also highlights a time in American History when foreign relations between the U.S. and Cuba were friendly. In the 1920s, Cuba was not some communist threat, but rather just an exciting, rum-soaked island 90 miles off the coast of Florida that attracted tens of thousands of visitors every year.

One of the more popular songs from 1920 was the John Schoenberger song “Whispering.” The song was a hit for Paul Whiteman in 1920, remaining on the top of Billboard charts for 11 weeks. However, it’s probably best known today by jazz fans as the contrafact for the 1945 Dizzy Gillespie bebop song “Groovin’ High,” meaning that both songs share the same chord progression.

1920 is also the year of an important recording in American music history. On August 10, 1920, the singer Mamie Smith recorded the song “Crazy Blues” for Okeh Records, The song, written by Perry Bradford, is about the rage a woman felt over being mistreated, and it became quite popular in its day. More than 75,000 copies were sold in the first month, and more than a million copies were sold in the first year, making it the first major blues record ever. “Crazy Blues” kicked off the blues craze across the country, and jump-started the so-called “race record” industry, showcasing the talents of black artists.

The year 1920 was a much different time in American culture. There was an “othering” of any culture that was not mainstream white America, and that even included the cultures of American minorities, like Black, Hispanic or Native Americans. This fascination with and stereotyping of other cultures shows up quite a bit in music. Several of the songs from 1920 make reference to some other culture.

Most of these songs I’m not going to feature, because they contain so many stereotypes they are borderline, if not, downright offensive. I’m thinking of songs like “In A Persian Market,” “The Japanese Sandman,” “Kalua” (a Hawaiian song by Jerome Kern), or “Tell Me Little Gypsy” (by Irving Berlin)—all songs that were big hits in their day.

Thankfully, few of these songs were recorded again beyond the decade, but some notable artists did record some of these "exotic" songs later in the 20th century. For instance, Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra recorded the Jesse Glick and Frederick Logan song “Pale Moon (An Indian Love Song)” in 1941, a song about that paints Native American culture and music with a very broad brush.

A few of the songs from 1920 could rightly be considered standards. For instance, the Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva song “Look For The Silver Lining” has continued to be part of the Great American Songbook well into the 21st century. This song first appeared in the popular 1920 musical Sally, all about a lowly dishwasher who longs for fame as a dancer.

Another enduring standard from the year 1920 is the Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson and Vincent Rose song “Avalon,” a song about the Avalon Bay in Los Angeles. The tune was popularized by Jolson that year. For whatever reason, the song has turned into a showcase of speed. Multiple artists have used “Avalon” to pick up the tempo and make the point quickly. Versions of this song by Sarah Vaughan, Dakota Staton, Nat King Cole, Anita O’Day, and others barely clock in at two minutes.