Is It A Waltz, a Ballad or A Polka?
Hi Randy, it's likely that Matthew Caulfield and I were using
similar reference sources, and that's why we said "Just A Memory"
was a waltz.
Are all of your (3) arrangements _not_ waltzes? Do any of your
rolls show composers other than DeSylva, Brown & Henderson?
I may have been a bit hasty calling it a 'waltz'. My Lissauer
source says it's a ballad. My Shapiro-Pollock doesn't classify
it. The QRS Rollography (Billings) says it's a waltz, but Bill
Bonner's information (which Bob and Ginny drew on for their
invaluable Rollography) says it's a ballad. The QRS supplement
of February 1928 categorizes it as a 'waltz'.
To add to the puzzle (I missed it on my first hasty glance) the
Billings Rollography lists _two_ rolls with the same title: 4063
played by Victor Arden (issued 1027) and 4134 played by Harold
Wansborough. Composer credit on each roll is DeSylva and each is
described as a waltz. 4134 might be an erroneous listing, although
Bonner lists it the same way, and as a waltz. The February, 1928,
QRS supplemental catalog also lists 4134, and as a waltz!
The only way to resolve this earth-shaking issue is for an MMD
correspondent who has either or both QRS rolls to listen and report
back to us. Can someone help?
Ed Sprankle
Oakland, California
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