Great White Way Orch. -- Yes! We Have No Bananas, 1923

[hoss73ford1]

I could never be without this one in the collection--classic song, classic cut. The Roaring 20s were well in gear.

[diamondmcnamara]

Ausgerechnet Bananen! Used to be very popular in Germany... thanks

[shortyblackwelll]

Billy Murray always makes me smile, love hearing him sing!

[richventures]

it say's it all :)) thanks, Rich

[JCJasion]

Victor 19068-A - Recorded, April 26, 1923, according to the Online Discographical Project Database.

[MyCatWatchesMe]

OMG, I fully love this old stuff. It just blows me away to think those ppl in the photos existed, were alive, stood in those places, breathed & talked - & now they're gone, but the photos exist to prove they existed. It's all such an insane crazy thing, is time. Blows me away. I love these old pics. Oh, of all the things you could see on Youtube, you stumble across charm like this .... Fives! :)

[SatansUnicorns]

it reminds me of the music my nana listens to..........i still lov it.

[SeriousAttention]

YES I HAVE THE RECORD

[dialsperm]

I JIZZED

[bananapropaganda]

According to Dan Koeppel's book "Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World" the melody was adapted from an 1860's sheet-music hit "When I Saw Sweet Nelly Home", which, in turn was derived from Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus".... Hal-le-lu-jah ...Yes-we-have no...

[PhAdGs]

This was In Sabria Fair Wit audrey hepburn

[lauratellier2580]

do you know who sings that version?

[MAALLOW5]

this is ,y grandpas favorite song

[awsomest99]

love th song i sing it 4 chior

[Georgewos]

Another big comic song of the same year was Barney Goodgle. I was born on the lower East Side so am familiar with the areas You posted. Now it had a fancier name, The East Village.

[kspm01]

If I'm not mistaken, Edison went electrical in late 1927. You are absolutely right, some acousticals are just incredibly good.

[kspm01]

Fabulous version, and what gorgeous sound for an acoustical recording!

[Vrolijkemuzikant]

Best version of this song ever heard! The music is filled with a great bunch of musical jokes and a beatifull accordation. It's in my favourites list now!

Thank You!

[Ambergio64]

Fantastiche queste foto di inizio secolo! Affascinantissime per me...

[formby2]

I've just spotted one definite insertion of a second tune and one possible quick reference to another tune.

The definite is a rhythmic version of 'The old apple tree' (presumably inserted for a fruit joke) from 1:40 to 2:00, and the possible one is the five note phrase at the end just before the cymbal and final chord, which is very like 'Here's a how-de-do' from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. This expression means 'what a predicament we're in' so that would suit the comic sentiment.

[toebonian]

As a child of 7, living in Boston, circa 1944, with my grandparents, I learned this song word for word - accent included. It was this rendition that I heard played often at home.

My grandfather had performed as a young man in vaudeville and in a number of other skits or musical plays in his day. He taught me a number of clever songs and a litte about how to act.

These skills were brought to the fore at family get togethers and other fun times.

[fatsfan70]

Thanks G. your story is truly bittersweet. We British kids were often hungry but never starving as were so many children in Europe and Russia. Here sweets vanished until 1951 when the sugar ration ended (then was reimposed!) - main reason I still have all my teeth! Every shopkeeper's stock answer to any query was "Don't you know there's a war on?" Today I quite like bananas but rarely eat one.

[barbcard]

Thanks for confirming my memory. I recall that you used the English word "cravat" at some point. But now I'm very curious about those nasty and funny Polish lyrics. You'll have to tell me in person!

[fatsfan70]

To repeat my comment on your Sam Lanin version, I loved bananas but they were unobtainable in wartime Britain and I recall my childish hatred for Hitler (still keenly felt today) when told it was his fault! The song was often on the radio, but not this great version.

[dzheger]

One of those songs I first heard from my mother as a child. Love those photos of the Lower East Side markets. One window says "Strictly Kosher Chicken Market" in English words spelled in Yiddish.

[barbcard]

Terrific version! Even better than when you sang it several years ago in Bydgoszcz, noting all the "hidden" meanings. It was winter, 2001.

[genia106]

Grzegorz, Do you know why they have no Bananas? The YT MONKEYS ate them, that's

why!:-)I love the Italian accent and those Dead Ducks in that shop window on Hester St.

Great song!

[cattleman6420012000]

This is marvellous!!