[78-L] Two singers who cause me pain

[Taylor Bowie]

I can listen to and enjoy a lot of different music and singers,  ranging 
from JW Myers to Layne Staley.

There are two 1920s singers who each made and sold a lot of records,  and 
who I have tried to listen to for years and just can't understand how and 
why they were so popular.   There are lots of horrible vocals on stray dance 
band records by various unknowns,  but these two were very well known to the 
radio listening public and to record buyers.

One is Vaughn De Leath.   The other is Maurice J. Gunskey.  I just tried to 
listen all the way through his Viva Tonal version of How Am I To Know...a 
wonderful song...and I couldn't stand it.  How could anyone in 1929 have 
gone for his so out-of-date r-r-r-r-r-olling of his r-r-r-r-rs?  And an 
ugly,  small voice to go with the mannerisms.

De Leath is an even bigger mystery to me...a flat and unmusical sound to her 
voice,  and she was frequently guilty of some of the worst attempts at being 
"jazzy" that I've ever heard.  I sometimes think she is actually a sheep who 
has somehow learned to sing in English but at any moment might revert to 
"Ba-a-a-a-a"-ing in her native tongue.

So many others took me a while to appreciate:  Irving Kaufman,   Sid Garry, 
Lee Morse,  Scrappy,  etc.  But nothing seems to work with Maurice or Vaughn 
(note what her initials spell...maybe that's part of the problem)

I don't like all singers equally but I can certainly see what's what with 
most of them,  even if I don't seek out their records.  But these 
two....what's up with them?  Any fans of either who could suggest some of 
their better disks?


Thanks from

Taylor