[78-L] The whistler and his dog

[Rodger Holtin]

Thanks for all the nice stuff about one of my all-time favorite tunes, The Whistler and His Dog.

When I was in first grade (1956-7) the teacher in the adjacent room had an upright piano in her room and frequently (weekly, I'd guess today) she'd play that great old tune and I suppose the lucky kids next door got to play along or listen or march around the room while we drilled spelling woids or sumpthin.  I didn't know the title but I never forgot the tune.

Fast forward to the 1960s and my discovery of the Pryor Victor record (acoustic) and it got moved to a place of honor so I could find it and play it often.  One copy is a Victrola demonstration favorite.

I have Victors of The Whistler and His Dog by Pryor (acoustic and electric - thanks, Dave) and also by such diverse acts as Milt Herth on Decca and Billy Vaughn on Mercury.

I wish I had the soundtrack of Emperor Waltz starring Bing Crosby.  Remember that one?  Bing was a young gramophone salesman who was in Austria trying to get an endorsement from the emperor, and at one point posed his dog ("Buttons"?) in a mock-up pose of His Masters Voice.  Cute, but the best part for me was that Bing constantly whistled portions of The Whistler and His Dog throughout the film.  Pity that Jack Kapp never recorded it for Decca - he got Bing to do all kinds of style-stretching stuff - and whistling records were "in" at the time as Fred Lowery fans will know.  Why not Bing?  He was, after all, one of the best whistlers ever on wax.

When we took all our kids shopping or something where we'd get separated, I'd crank up my own wet-lipped version so they could find me.  I still do it when it's just mamma and me in Krogers or somewhere.  Handy tool.

I guess it stuck - my son the band director and tuba soloist is looking for a printed score for his band right now.  Looking at the links on the page about Mr. Pryor, it seems his scores written for the Victor Talking Machine sessions have been preserved.  Wow.

Rodger



For Best Results use Victor Needles.



.

--- On Tue, 6/9/09, Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. <citroenid19 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

From: Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. <citroenid19 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [78-L] The whistler and his dog
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 10:27 PM

Steven C. Barr wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr." <citroenid19 at sbcglobal.net>
>   
>> I'd forgotten about the charm of this ditty until I found my copy, done 
>> by Prince's band, but it was very popular for years and was done by 
>> anyone with a piccolo and someone who could pucker.
>> Here are a few renditions.
>> Know of others?
>>
>>     
> The most common one (he may have written it?!) is the Victor, done
> by Arthur? Pryor and his band. While not as famous as Sousa, Pryor
> functioned as the "house marching band" for Victor records in the 
> 78rpm era!
>   

Here's a nice bio
http://www.paragonragtime.com/pryor.html

He preceded Specht and Roesner as music director of the Capitol Theater 
on Broadway. An amazing fellow.


-- 
Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. #:?)
Technology, thoughtfully, responsibly.
Visit me at http://www.candokaraoke.com

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