"My Baby Just Cares For Me" by Ted Fio Rito's Orchestra

Here is a nice example of a Hit of the Week cardboard record, Ted Fio Rito's version of "My Baby Just Cares For Me," with a vocal by Frank Luther. This record was made in September 1930 and coincided with the release of the all-Technicolor motion picture production of "Whoopee," starring Eddie Cantor. Hit of the Week records were made of flexible cardboard coated on one side with a durable plastic that held the sound groove. The other side of the record was blank. These records were sold at newsstands for 15 cents each. They required a special fiber needle for playback - playing them back with a steel needle would destroy them. The Hit of the Week company made records for two years, from 1930 until 1932, when they went bankrupt.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• big
• band
• great
• depression
• hit
• of
• the
• week
• ted
• fio
• rito
• 1930s

[LastTaboo]

I would be afraid to play the record. I'm afraid to even touch my ceramic albums. How were the discs stored for so many decades without warping?

[mlaprarie]

Actually Hit of the Week records do warp very easily. You'll notice that YouTube member merrihew places a large nut in the center of some of the HOTW records that he plays; this is to flatten out the record on his turntable. All records from this era should be stored in a paper or cardboard sleeve and placed vertically (that is, standing up) on a shelf. The records should be packed closely together so that they don't bend or lean over. You might need to use a bookend to keep them straight.

[legOldtimer]

Hi, can you give us the number of the record so that we can look it up in the Hit Of The Week Database?

Thanks for posting, Greetzz.. Ben

[mazzone1]

how wonderful

[CrisVangel]

Sounds great on your machine, it just gives it that extra bass kick! Love it!

[Alfonsina923]

!Que romántico! hermoso y sin igual. Muchas gracias.

[jazzgirl1920s]

I always associate this song with Eddie Cantor. Thanks for posting this version on HOW which I hadn't heard before. I used to find Hit of the Week records occasionally many years ago in thrift shops but they were always in very poor almost unplayable condition.

[fromthesidelines]

Incidentally, this song was first introduced in Sam Goldwyn (and Flo Ziegfeld)'s 1930 film version of "Whoopee", starring Eddie Cantor recreating his Broadway success, who sang this in the film.

[cvwtzhaar]

Ted fio rito had one the best bands.

[fromthesidelines]

Same company, 'mic'- only problem was, Durium couldn't weather the financial depths of the Great Depression in the U.S., and discontinued "Hit Of the Week" in 1932, even though the English label lasted a bit longer.