[78-L] Dick Robertson [was Brunswick 4411 vocalist question.]

[Geoffrey Wheeler]

Al Simmons says: “In my humble opinion Chick Bullock was the very best 
of the studio singers.
  The rest of 'em, including Smith Ballew, Dick Robertson, and Scrappy 
Lambert
  are better left in the vaults along with assorted  hack females like  
Vaughn DeLeath and Lee (ugh) Morse.
  O.K. I'm ducking.”

Chick Bullock had a pleasing baritone voice. He enunciated and phrased 
carefully to make each song listenable and likable. He could 
comfortably handle a wide range of material, from ballads to rhythm 
tunes. Sound engineers and producers probably appreciated him because 
he knew his way around studio mics to achieve the best possible sound. 
Because he was experienced, like Gene Kardos, he was probably a 
one-take man. On alternate takes I have heard of studio recordings, 
Bullock isn’t the problem; it’s the musicians.

Regrettably, little is available on CD under his own name. I checked 
Worlds Records and found only one CD. I only have two LPs under his 
name: “1932-41” on Lyric 3302, and “Chick Bullock and His Levee 
Loungers, 1933/41” on (Swedish) Everybody’s 1001. He, of course, 
appears on a number of LPs as a vocalist under other leaders. One that 
features obscure recordings on Vocalion and Columbia is “Vic Berton and 
His Orchestra, 1935” on Harrison LP-O. One less-than-PC gem is “(Down) 
In Blinky, Winky, Chinky Chinatown.” Or his vocal with Joseph Robechaux 
of “That’s How Rhythm Was Born.” Jerry Valburn issued a two-LP set of 
Robechaux but I don’t remember if that tune is on it.