Puttin' On The Ritz - The Clevelanders, 1930

[Eternalwinter11]

Great Art Nouveau!

[wattever333]

great choice of pics!

[HDAiken]

This song was re-written in the 1940's to turn Lenox Avenue (Harlem) into Park Avenue (downtown, rich and white). You have to listen to the words to know which version you're hearing.....

[HDAiken]

If you're blue and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where Harlem sits, puttin' on the Ritz.

Spangled gowns upon a bevy of high browns from down the levee, all misfits, puttin' on the Ritz.

That's where each and every lulubelle goes ev'ry Thursday evening with her swell beaus, rubbing elbows. Come with me and we'll attend their jubilee and see them spend their last two bits, puttin' on the Ritz"

[HDAiken]

It's a great song, but the images used here are wrong. Irving Berlin's lyrics refer to the flashy but cheap nights out in Harlem enjoyed by black Americans in the 1920's. The people for whom 15 dollars was a lot of money weren't the rich but chauffeurs and maids. 'Lullubell' was a nickname for any black maid, and 'high browns' were light-skinned, mixed race women. These were the people whose pictures should be associated with this version of the song.

[thardingau]

The band is Jack Albin and his Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra, probably moonlighting on a different record label.

[Georgewos]

I've always said this when viewing Your posts. You have the best pictures. Don't know where You find them but they are the the greatest..

[smurfswacker]

Nice lively version of this tune, with an excellent choice of illustrations. Its energy reminded me of the exchange between the Rhythm Boys in their version of the song: "Look at all those people puttin' on the ritz!" "You look. I'm too tired."

Performed by the Clevelanders, approved by Fantomas. Unbeatable combination!

[munecojim]

The artwork is stunning.

[youarpa]

Bravo!!

Beautiful video

[betteroffsingle]

Grzegorz, Great rendition of a classic. LOVED it and thanks. And what wonderful posters. Well done G. Very well done.

[patou1946]

Beautiful, thanks in French. kiss. Patou.

[genia106]

UPSCALE is the WORD!

Grzegorz is the MAN!

I'm ready to PARTY!

This is the GREATEST song and this rendition is FANTABULOUS!

[fatsfan70]

Barbcard used the word 'POSH' - it goes back to the days of the British Raj in India when the great steamship line P&O marked cabin bookings for wealthy passengers "Port Out- Starboard Home" (shaded from the sun).

In 1931 Jack Teagarden and Orchestra sang the song "I Got The Ritz From The One I Love, I Got The Big Go-by". A great record with Fats Waller on piano!

Grzegorz - I lke your story of visiting the Ritz gents; I was in there last year and it is not solid gold - only gold plate!

[leonkabe]

A tu ja!

hallo,hallo,  słucham, słucham! dzięki!

kbj

[cygnus011]

Brilliant!

[genia106]

Grzegorz,

YOUR channel is UPSCALE.

The BEST, TOP SHELF, TOP OF THE LINE! I have to say only the ELITE come to 240252 Grzegorz's Channel.

GOD! I love this song, it reminds me of our Sojourn in NICE! :-) Merci.

[240252]

Thanks Genia! Thanks! Too many compliments as for one little clip! But I accept them happily. And now - thanks to Barbcard's little vocabulary of the "ritzy" words (see below) - I can also call this clip "posh" or "tony"... Well, I just LOVE all these words!

[Masquerade03]

Wonderful version. Grzegorz your illustrations are always the best. You must have a very big collections because you have new ones in every post! Congratulations!

[240252]

Thank you Masquerade! Well, my collection is not THAT big as you suggest. Many pictures re-appear in various clips and in different combinations with another photographs. Sometimes - depending on the kind of a scene displayed on the photo - I am tempted to alternate them a little - the work-up programs make it possible almost to no limits.

[fatsfan70]

The word "ritzy" derives from the famous hotel chain founded by Cesar Ritz, born to Swiss peasant farmers. 'Tea at the Ritz' in London's Piccadilly is still a great occasion for those who have the money!

Oh, and add Cab Calloway and the Casa Loma orchestras to The Clevelanders list.

[240252]

Thanks fatsfan! I remeber my one and only visit to a mens room at the Ritz Hotel in London, where many years ago, in the 1970s I had a brief appointment with someone in the lobby. I remember, inside all the metalwork was gold-plated. Oh, it wasn't real gold, I presume, but - who knows? I had my torn jeans on me and well-worn adidas shoes, so the attendants looked at me somewhat suspiciously giving me no chance to scratch that "gold" and check what kind of a "ritzy"gimmick it was.

[zanezirkle]

I like this version.

[lockruff]

I always use "ritzy" rather than "upscale" which reminds me of "upsize" and "upsell". Ritzy has a more natural sound to it. The others sound like "Newspeak" I was singing this at work tonight and all of the twenty- and thirty- somethings were looking at me with a quizzical look. Then I really confused them by mentioning the Marx Brothers.;)

[240252]

Thank you Lockruff for that interesting and rather bitter comment. I also quite often face such problems with the comunication with younger generations in Poland. E.g. when I called a vacuum cleaner "electrolux" - they didn't know what I meant. Electrolux was a firm (Swedish, I think) producing such home devices in 1920/30 and my parents commonly used it (just as in 1970s in London my aunt commonly used the word "a hoover", "hoovering", "to hoover" - also deriving from the name of a company).

[VictrolaJazz]

I think I have this on Romeo!

[240252]

So you have an American version of this side. In 1920s it was common for recordings to be issued on multiple labels. Imperial was a British label. Probably they had a kind of a leasing exchange program between the labels.

[VictrolaJazz]

It was the first version I ever had of this record, long before I had the Brunswick--got it back in the 60's.

[MANFROMMARS46]

This is absolutely fabulous Gregory old chap. It's a totally brilliant video. I love the art deco artwork and the music is out of this world. Into my favourites it goes instantly and five stars +++.

[Shabannie]

I have always liked this song. I may use a version of it later in one of my videos. I love the art deco as well. This is very creative. I appreciate you sharing this with me.

[dzheger]

A sparkling energetic version and mighty ritzy crowd in these pictures.

[240252]

Hi D! Well, and here you are, using that lovely word "ritzy". Read barbcard's comment about it.

[abendstunde49]

Love this song! This is a really great version and an excellent presentation!

[240252]

Thank you! That tune is outstanding for me too! It's completely off balance, staggering, with these amazing delayed syncopes... it's most provocative in every sense. I don't find any tune from that time that can be compared with this work of some Paganini of a hot dance era! Therefore in the clip's end I placed a slightly "devilish" photo, which expresses all my amazement and almost fear with that kind of a "roaring" genius

[formiggini]

The first (american) issue of this record was on

Oriole 1881-A mx 19368, recorded 17. Feb. 1930

Yes, The Clevelanders was a pseudonym for Harry Reser, also on the Oriole Label....

Other Bands recording for Oriole around 1930 (with various pseudos, sometimes also as The Clevelanders): RALPH CARLSON, VINCENT LOPEZ, LOU GOLD, ADRIAN SCHUBERT, SAM LANIN, WILLIE CREAGER, BERT LOWN, FRED RICH, FRED HALL, CALIFORNIA RAMBLERS, KARL RADLACH....

... even if we never knew, GREAT RECORD !!

[240252]

Thank you for your precious info. I was sure, our Roaring 20s think-tank will not fail!

[HarborGuy]

Wonderful I have serveral versions of this ...I think it is originally from Broadway Melody of l929.........

[davidglow3]

Phil Spitalny orchestra was the other main band using this name

[barbcard]

Very sophisticated. I'd even say "ritzy," but that word seems to have given way to "upscale," which always strikes me as a reference to obesity.

[240252]

Is "upscale" being used more frequently now than "ritzy"? Shamefully, I have to admit, it's the first time for me to hear such use of the word "upscale". I alvays thought it rather refers to something pretentious, overdone, exaggerated in a sense of a bad taste

[barbcard]

Just saw "Upscale" in a Wash. Post article re a new building. "Posh" is a better word; I think it's of British origin. "Tony" is also used. Lockruff is right about the younger generation's ignorance re "ritzy." :(

[240252]

Thanks B. for that wonderful selection of the ritzy terms! See my answers to Genia and Fatsfan