Smith Ballew's real name was Sykes Ballew. Born in 1902 in Palestine, Texas, he went to college at Austin College and the University of Texas. In his twenties, he was singing on the radio and had started his recording career - the earliest I have of him is the Meyer Davis Orchestra from 1928. This disc features his vocals with Duke Ellington, Sam Lanin, Fred Rich, Eddie Wittstein Orchestra, Bob Haring, Lou Gold, Don Bigelow, Bert Hirsch, Merle Johnston, Ralph Bennett and His Seven Aces, Sleepy Hall, and with his own band from the ARC family of labels. I have 'I'll Be Blue Just Thinking Of You' on both Okeh and Harmony - and they are identical takes. I have used the cleaner Harmony pressing, and the coupling on Harmony is 'A Peach Of A Pair' with a classic intro from Venuti and Lang. Merle Johnston was born in Canada and played with Selvin's band, as well as recording many great records under his own name. I am on a hunt for more from this fabulous band - many far jazzier than this rendition of Peter Van Steeden's song 'Home' Some of the records of his own band were labeled 'Jack Blue and His Texans' and 'Buddy Blue' These tracks were transferred with a special digital hi-definition process for smoother, clearer sound. ~ Mickey Clark
LOVING YOU BEN SELVIN COL 2312-D 10/04/30 150859 SHAPIRO-YELLEN
JUST A LITTLE WHILE BEN SELVIN COL 2312-D 10/04/30 150860 BERLIN
WHEN KENTUCKY BIDS THE WORLD GOOD MORNING SAM LANIN(FORD BRITTEN & HIS BLUE COMETS) VEL 2260 10/10/30 100453 WAYNE-LESLIE
I GOT RHYTHM FRED RICH HAR 1234-H 10/29/30 150908 GERSHWIN
SOMEONE SANG A SWEETER SONG TO MARY FRED RICH VEL 2251-V 10/29/30 150912 SHAND-MACDONALD
A PEACH OF A PAIR FRED RICH? HAR 1233-H 10/29/30 150911 WHITING-MARION
I'LL BE BLUE JUST THINKING OF YOU FRED RICH(BUD BLUE) TAKE A OK 41466 10/29/30 404533 WENDLING-WHITING
SOMEONE SANG A SWEETER SONG TO MARY FRED RICH(BUD BLUE) OK 41466 10/29/30 404538 SHAND-MACDONALD
NINE LITTLE MILES FROM TENESSEE DUKE ELLINGTON VIC 22586 11/21/30 64812 SHERMAN-LEWIS-CONRAD
YOU'RE THE ONE I CARE FOR SMITH BALLEW(BUDDY BLUE) IMP 2448 12/03/30 1094 LINK-LOWN-GRAY
WILL YOU WAIT A YEAR OR TWO? EDDIE WITTSTEIN AND HIS ORCHESTRA COL 2375-D 01/13/31 170553 EDDIE ROTAN '32'S-EDDIE WITTSTEIN
TWO HEARTS IN 3/4 TIME BOB HARING BR 6031 01/16/31 35172 REISCH-ROBINSON-YOUNG-STOLTZ
THAT LITTLE BOY OF MINE LOU GOLD CRN 91122 03/31/31 10540 MEROFF-KING-HIRSCH
POOR KID DON BIGELOW AND HIS ORCHESTRA MEL 12163 04/01/31 36438 GILBERT-GREER
I WANNA SING ABOUT YOU BERT HIRSCH HOW 1152 05/01/31 143 FRIEND-DREYER
HOME MERLE JOHNSTON'S ORCHESTRA ROY 91244 11/12/31 10990 VAN STEEDEN-JOHNSTON
CHIMES OF SPRING BOB HARING BR 6031 12/04/31 35647 GILBERT-LINCKE 158
'R YOU LISTENIN'? JACQUES RENARD SMITH BALLEW-TONY WONS BR 6238 12/07/31 37447 TONY WONS
KISS BY KISS RALPH BENNETT AND HIS SEVEN ACES(PALM ISLAND CLUB) STG 91271 01/19/32 11143 MESKILL-KLAGES-ROSE
WOODEN SOLDIER AND THE CHINA DOLL SLEEPY HALL AND HIS COLLEGIANS(PALM STG 91271 01/19/32 11145 NEWMAN-JONES
FAIR AND WARMER SMITH BALLEW AND HIS ORCHESTRA MEL 91750 03/10/34 14918 DUBIN-WARREN
I'LL STRING ALONG WITH YOU SMITH BALLEW AND HIS ORCHESTRA MEL 91750 03/10/34 14919 DUBIN-WARREN
NIGHT IS YOUNG MEL 13285 01/08/35 16554 HAMMERSTEIN-ROMBERG
WHEN I GROW TOO OLD TO DREAM MEL 13285 01/08/35 16555 HAMMERSTEIN II-ROMBERG
LITTLE WHITE GARDENIA SMITH BALLEW AND HIS ORCHESTRA CQ 8472 01/16/35 16648 COSLOW
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Compact Disc: Ship
