Billy Murray and Aileen Stanley - It Had To Be You (1924)

William Thomas "Billy" Murray (May 25,1877 - Aug.17,1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early decades of the 20th century.

While he received star billings on Vaudeville, he was best known for his prolific work in the recording studio, making records for almost every record label of the era. He was probably the best selling recording artist of the first quarter of the 20th century.

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of immigrants from Ireland. He became fascinated with the theater and joined a traveling vaudeville troupe in 1893. He also performed in minstrel shows early in his career. He made his first recordings for a local phonograph cylinder company in San Francisco, California in 1897. He started recording regularly in the New York City and New Jersey area in 1903, when the nation's major record companies as well as the Tin Pan Alley music industry were concentrated there.

In 1906 he waxed the first of his popular duets with Ada Jones. He also performed with Aileen Stanley, the Haydn Quartet, and the American Quartet (also known as the Premier Quartet), in addition to his solo work.

He had a strong tenor voice with excellent enunciation and a more conversational delivery than common with bel canto singers of the era. On comic songs he often deliberately sang slightly flat, which he felt helped the comic effect.

While he often performed romantic numbers and ballads which sold well at the time, his comedy and novelty song recordings continue to be popular with later generations of record collectors.

Murray's popularity faded with changes in public taste and recording technology; the rise of the electric microphone in the mid 1920s coincided with the rise of the crooners. His "hammering" style, as he called it, essentially yelling the song into the recording horn, did not work in the electronic era, and it took him some time to learn how to soften his voice.

While his singing style was considered "dated" and was less in demand, he continued to find recording work. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, the music from his salad days was considered nostalgic (the modern term would be "oldies") and Murray was in demand again. He did voices for animated cartoons, especially the popular "follow the bouncing ball" sing-along cartoons. He also did radio work.

A subtlety in the evolution of American English pronunciation can be detected in Murray's career. The word "record" was once pronounced with the last syllable rhyming with "cord", as evidenced on the spoken introductions to some of his early work. Example: "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis — sung by Billy Murray, Edison Records". Murray also signed his autographed photos with the play on words, "re-cordially yours". In modern times, the final syllable of "record" is typically pronounced to rhyme with "curd" rather than "cord".

Murray made his last recordings in 1943 and retired to Freeport, Long Island, New York in 1944. He died in nearby Jones Beach.

--------------------------------------------------

Aileen Stanley (1897 - March 24,1982) was a United States popular singer.

Stanley was born as Maude Elsie Aileen Muggeridge in Chicago, Illinois. In her childhood, with the urging of her widowed mother, she and her older brother Stanley sang and danced in vaudeville as Stanley and Aileen. After her brother left the act she started performing solo, forming her stage name by reversing the name of the old family billing.

Stanley performed on vaudeville and in cabarets. In 1920 she made a hit in New York City in the review show "Silks And Satins". She made the first of her numerous recordings the same year. Throughout the 1920s she would record prolifically. The majority of her records were for the Victor Talking Machine Company, but she also recorded with other record labels with recording studios in the New York City area, including Edison, Pathe, Okeh, Brunswick, Vocalion, Gennett and others. Many of her records sold well at the time.

Stanley even recorded for Black Swan Records, a label supposedly devoted only to African-American artists, under the pseudonym "Mamie Jones". Her handling of blues material was similar to that of some of the "colored" northern vaudeville singers of the time.

Her stage appearances billed her as "The Phonograph Girl" and "The Girl With The Personality".

In the late 1920s Victor Records produced a popular series of records pairing Stanley with singer Billy Murray.

Stanley was said to have invested heavily in the stock market, and was one of the many who lost most of their money in the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

About 1931 she moved to London, where she made more records for HMV from 1934 through 1937.

In her later years she worked as a singing teacher and vocal coach.


Billy Murray and Aileen Stanley - It Had To Be You (1924)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Billy
• Murray
• Aileen
• Stanley
• 1924
• 10's
• 20's
• 30's

[ShiningOne10]

@Sarah3984 @ 1:11 "I worry and grieve" @ 2:04 "knew i'd be true" I guess

[Sarah3984]

I want to sing this version as a duet, but I cannot find the lyrics anywhere. I got most of them but some some I can't understand!

Alileen- "Oh, I don't know, I worry and ______." @ 1:11

Billy - "Could make me true." and then Aileen says something I can't understand. @ 2:04

I think I got everything else, at least it is close enough. I love this song!

[dixiejazz1]

I've never heard this version of this wonderful old song before. It's terrific! ( It's, also, the earliest rendition, to date, that I've heard.) I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope you do, as well. DMM

[shortyblackwelll]

This is the earliest version of this song I've heard, its great!

[1sambrone]

i have billy murray for me and my gal on thomas edison record label luckydog9876@ymail.com

[Beevac]

I have alot of Billy Murray records . Two of them feature Miss Stanley.

[vertxxgg]

lovely song....Boswells.P.Tomlin.Ging­er Rogers and even Gracie Fields versions are lovely too...ann Leah Ray and Phil Harris in radio transcription in 33 from Coconut Grove.H Ambassadors L.A

[Gydinglight12]

Listening to Billy and Aileens' version of this song suddenly reminded me of the way Dean Martin and Judy Holiday pattered with one another in 1960 in the big finale of Just in Time in Bells are Ringing.

[goldsman]

I wonder where these alternate lyrics came from?

They're different from every other version of the song I've heard.

[Jayee123]

Thanks for providing the background as well as the audio. I enjoy learning about vaudevillian performers and the era, itself.