After carefully listening to and studying both arrangements of
Carl D. Vandersloot's one step, "Our Sammies", which can be found
on Wurlitzer Style 165 rolls 6509 (evergreen) and 6539, it is time
for me to write my review of both arrangements of the tune.

This is my personal review and opinion of the two arrangements of
this one step.  If anybody would like to leave a comment or reply
to this post about your opinion of the two versions of "Our Sammies"
please feel free to do so by all means.

Both arrangements can be heard here on SoundCloud, recorded off of
the former Wurlitzer 165 from Lincoln Park, Los Angeles, and now owned
by Glenn Thomas in Belle Mead, New Jersey.

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=Our%20Sammies%20Glenn%27%20Thomas%20Wurlitzer%20165 

6539-03:  Personally, I like this version of "Our Sammies" better
than Charlie Nilson's arrangement found on 6509, for a number of
reasons.  First off, this version found on roll 6539 is much peppier
than the version appearing on 6509.  It's tempo races like Secretariat,
American Pharorah and Justify and greatly demonstrates the snare drum,
bass drum, and crash cymbals.

Second, the tempo of the 6539 arrangement is more like that of
a typical marching band or circus parade which many American band
organs were built to impersonate with their brassy toe-tapping voices.

Third and final, the descending chromatic scale heard in this
arrangement is arranged much more in a marching band style.  Lastly,
the common appearance of dotted eighth and sixteenth notes in this
arrangement adds that extra spice of marching band flavor to the
arrangement.  Bam!

6509-09: This Nilson arrangement isn't as well arranged as the
version on roll 6539, but in some ways or other it is still a decent
arrangement.  First, the tempo is much slower and steady than the 6539
arrangement (as Aesop would say, "6509 is the tortoise whereas 6539
is the hare").

Second, this arrangement is in the key of G and reverts to the key of
C on each bridge, whereas in the arrangement found on 6539 commences
in the key of C and then reverts to the key of F.  The sixteenth and
dotted eighth notes in this arrangement aren't as powerful as in the
6539 arrangement -- instead of adding spice, it doesn't do anything
and just keeps the tune more burdened and slow like molasses.

Andrew Lardieri
Voorhees, New Jersey