Musical Interlude: Seven Singalong Favorites

SEVEN SINGALONG FAVORITES

In my younger days, I used to hire myself out as a piano player, mainly to Elks and Moose lodges for their Friday night social gatherings.
I got a lot of work because I knew their favorites, the older songs that would get everyone in the place singing and clinking their glasses.
Whenever I had to audition for a different club, I would play this medley- and I'd get the gig every time.

"After You've Gone" is a 1918 song composed by Turner Layton (1894-1978), with lyrics written by Henry Creamer (1879-1930).
The first and most famous version was sung by Marion Harris (1896-1944) in 1918.
It has been recorded by many artists, including Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Bessie Smith.

"Bye Bye Blues" is a jazz standard written by Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, and Chauncey Gray, and published in 1925.
It has been recorded by many artists, but the best-known recording was by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1952.

"Side By Side" is a classic standard written way back in 1927.
To this day, people still know the words!
Songwriter Harry Woods wrote numerous 1920s standards, including "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)", "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", and "Try a Little Tenderness".
He composed his songs on piano, despite the fact that he was born without fingers on his left hand.

"Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue)" is another American popular song that is still sung today.
Because there have been so many versions, it is not clear who actually composed the song and lyrics.

"Ain't She Sweet" was composed by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen in 1927.
It became popular in the first half of the 20th century and typified the Roaring Twenties, like "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1929).
Milton Ager wrote "Ain't She Sweet" for his daughter Shana Ager, who in her adult life was known as the political commentator Shana Alexander.

"So What's New" was written by John Pisano and Peggy Lee in 1966.
Peggy Lee released her version with lyrics, while the same year Herb Alpert recorded the popular instrumental version.

"If My Friends Could See Me Now", with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity.

And that's all for now, folks...