Frances Williams "Sunny Disposish" (1933)

"Sunny Disposish"
Music: Philip Charig
Lyrics: Ira Gershwin
Sung by Frances Williams
Previously unissued and privately released
Recorded 1933?

"Sunny Disposish" was written for the 1926 musical review "Americana" by Philip Charig and clever lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Ira described his technique as "syllable clipping" where he drops the final syllable of several words. This recording was released in 1965 on the Columbia Archive Series "Original Sound of the 20s". The recording date and the pianist are not identified, but I am guessing that it was recorded about 1933 since that was the only year that Frances recorded with Columbia. The other clue is the style of singing and piano accompaniment which, to my ears, place the recording somewhat later than the 1920s.

Frances Williams (1903 - 1959) once known as "Broadway's Queen of Jazz" was a sleek, sophisticated beauty, sultry songstress of Broadway musicals of the 1920s and 1930s. She acted, danced and presented ballads in a distinctive torch style or could also belt out songs. She appeared in Broadway musicals Innocent Eyes (1924), Artists and Models (1925), The Cocoanuts (1925), George White's Scandals of 1926, 1928 and 1929, The New Yorkers (1930), Everybody's Welcome (1931) in which she introduced the song, "As Time Goes By", Life Begins at 8:40 (1934) and Walk with Music (1940). She also appeared in several films including Broadway's Queen Of Jazz (1927), Let's Stay Single (1930), Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933), Hollywood Party (1934), Shoes With Rhythm (1937), and The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Frances Williams
• Sunny Disposish
• Philip Charig
• Ira Gershwin
• Americana
• 1926
• 1933
• female
• vocal
• broadway
• musical
• show
• tune

[dancinman17]

GREAT clip!! Wonderful pictures of "SCANDALS" star * Frances Williams*!! She was one of America's first JAZZ singers, and she and *Winnie Lightner* never get the recognition they worked hard to achieve! Wake up folks---THIS is Broadway as well as Music history!!

[bsgs98]

@dancinman17 It's sad that there's not even a Wikipedia entry for Frances Williams. It's a pity she left so few recordings, thank goodness there are a few film clips of her.

[Gydinglight12]

With this one-piano version of Disposish (which sounds like it was made in the 50s) she would have made a really great lounge singer, which there's nothing wrong with being.

[gypsy63635]

fascinating! I've always liked Frances Williams--this one is new to me!