Al Bernard vocal, The Olympic Dance Orchestra - Who-oo-You-oo (1927)

Alfred A. Bernard (November 23, 1888 - March 6, 1949) was an American vaudeville singer, known as "The Boy From Dixie", who was most popular during the 1910s through early 1930s.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he became a blackface singer in minstrel shows before starting his recording career around 1916. He was one of the first white singers to record blues songs. W. C. Handy credited Bernard with helping his own career by recording a number of his songs, notably "St. Louis Blues". Bernard recorded the song for nine different record labels, the most successful being what Handy called "the sensational Victor recording in which he sang with the Dixieland Jazz Band.

From 1919, he recorded solo for Okeh Records. His songs included one called "Shake, Rattle and Roll", about a dice game, which was wholly unrelated, except in title, to the later rock and roll song. Bernard was sometimes billed as "The Singing Comedian", and was the first American singer to record the song "Frankie and Johnny".

He also recorded duets with Ernest Hare, in which Bernard took the female singing part, including his biggest hit, "I Want To Hold You In My Arms". He recorded with songwriter J. Russel Robinson as "The Dixie Stars" and, with Robinson, wrote the Bessie Smith feature "Sam Jones Blues". He also co-wrote songs with Jimmy Durante.

Later, he recorded with Vernon Dalhart. In 1925, inspired by Dalhart, he began recording hillbilly songs. His 1930 version of "Hesitation Blues", recorded with the Goofus Five, is considered to predict the western swing style, with an intriguing combination of country and western and Chicago blues feels.

Bernard continued to record into the 1940s, and died in 1949 in New York City.


Famous members of the Olympic Dance Orchestra were Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins and Don Redman.


Al Bernard vocal, The Olympic Dance Orchestra - Who-oo-You-oo (1927)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Al
• Bernard
• 1927
• 20s
• 30s

[MrDeCorey]

Great song I love the 1920's music.

And this song came out the same year my great grand parents got Married.

[Globe2219]

Greetings! I'm an Arthur Fields specialist ( have a few Bernards on GG and related); my record buddies and I have noted over 80 dance band sides on the GREY GULL labels with Fields doing the vocal refrains, most of them uncredited. The song posted here has the unique "sound" of this outfit. GREY GULL produced some of the awfullest records I've ever enjoyed.

[MrXnews]

@Globe2219 Most likely a Grey Gull--electric Paramounts sounded better than this.

[Globe2219]

Greetings! This sounds like a GREY GULL (or related label); I would like to know the issue # and mx # (if shown)

[Jadziukes]

you could try posting these videos as HQ

if your using windows movie maker when your saving the file you can choose the quality and the HQ is somewhere on the bottom..

its hard to explain but check it out

[bill3murr]

never heard him on an electric before...thanks for this fun and happy song.