Robert Sour
Robert Sour (1905 – 1985) was a lyricist and composer, and the president of Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). He was also one of the jurors in the murder trial of Eddie Lee Mays, who became the last man executed in New York. In 1940 Sour worked for Broadcast Music as its lyrics editor, and by 1966 had risen through company ranks to become BMI's president. Two years later he had become the company's vice chairman and was instrumental in establishing BMI's musical theater workshop He retired in 1970. Working with lyricists Edward Heyman and Frank Eyton and composer Johnny Green, Sour wrote the lyrics to the ballad "Body and Soul" from the 1930 revue, Three's A Crowd. In partnership with Una Mae Carlisle (1915–1956), he also composed lyrics for the song "Walkin' by the River", which became a radio hit as sung by Syliva Froos (1927–2004) in 1941. Ella Fitzgerald recorded "Walkin' by the River" for Decca Records, with Leroy Kirkland directing the orchestra. Benny Carter also recorded "Walkin", with Carlisle on vocals. Sour composed music and lyrics for both film and theater; along with Henry Katzman, he wrote the soundtrack sections "Twitterpated" and "Thumper's Song" for the Walt Disney Productions animated feature Bambi (1942). |
Birth and Death Data: Born October 31, 1905 (New York City), Died March 6, 1985 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1949
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-62370 | 10-in. | 7/26/1930 | Body and soul | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo (takes 15-17); with male vocal solo (takes 1-14) | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-63625 | 10-in. | 9/5/1930 | Body and soul | Helen Morgan | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-82303 | 10-in. | 4/10/1934 | You're my relaxation | Henry King Orchestra ; Joseph Sudy | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-053798 | 10-in. | 1/2/1941 | Come down to earth, my angel | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | PBS-055144 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Walkin' by the river | Janet Blair ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | PBS-055203 | 10-in. | 12/9/1940 | Come down to earth, my angel | Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | PBS-055491 | 10-in. | 3/26/1941 | Sing a song of spring | Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-057059 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | Walkin' by the river | Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Tommy Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-057641 | 10-in. | 11/13/1940 | Walkin' by the river | Una Mae Carlisle | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-059286 | 10-in. | 3/5/1941 | We could make such beautiful music | Wayne King Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-063837 | 10-in. | 5/1/1941 | I see a million people (but all I can see is you) | Una Mae Carlisle | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-064065 | 10-in. | 4/11/1941 | Where's the captain's hat? | Art Kassel Trio ; Marion Holmes ; Kassels-in-the-Air Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo, male vocal trio, and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-064675 | 10-in. | 8/6/1941 | I see a million people (But all I can see is you) | Allan DeWitt ; Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-066137 | 10-in. | 6/24/1941 | I see a million people (but all I can see is you) | Ruth Gaylor ; Teddy Powell Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-067761 | 10-in. | 9/9/1941 | Body and soul | Dixieland Octet of NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street ; Henry Levine ; Dinah Shore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-067964 | 10-in. | 10/3/1941 | Coffee and cakes | Una Mae Carlisle | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-068190 | 10-in. | 11/12/1941 | Coffee and cakes | Frances Claire ; Sam Donahue Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-071911 | 10-in. | 2/13/1942 | Sweet talk | Una Mae Carlisle | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance sextet | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-073714 | 10-in. | 3/18/1942 | Sweet talk | Ray Kellogg ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-1876 | 10-in. | 5/14/1946 | Body and soul | Mel Henke | Piano solo, with string bass | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-2166 | 10-in. | 9/30/1946 | Body and soul | Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-2713 | 10-in. | 8/30/1946 | We could make such beautiful music | Betty Norton ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Female-male vocal duet, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | D6VB-3380 | 10-in. | 12/6/1946 | Body and soul | Eric Siday Orchestra ; Eric Siday | Female vocal solo, with jazz quintet | lyricist | |
Victor | D7VB-1273 | 10-in. | 7/11/1947 | Body and soul | Perry Como ; Lloyd Shaffer | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | D9VB-0045 | 10-in. | 1/6/1949 | Body and soul | Charlie Ventura Bop for the People | Instrumental ensemble, with baritone saxophone solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | W150788 | 10-in. | 9/10/1930 | Body and soul | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | [W]150817 | 10-in. | 9/17/1930 | Body and soul | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | W150844 | 10-in. | 9/29/1930 | Body and soul | Ruth Etting | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Columbia | [W]150863 | 10-in. | 10/7/1930 | Body and soul | Annette Hanshaw | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Columbia | W26573 | 10-in. | 2/29/1940 | Body and soul | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
OKeh | W404411 | 10-in. | 10/9/1930 | Body and soul | Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
OKeh | W404516 | 10-in. | 10/30/1930 | Body and soul | Seger Ellis | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34387 | 10-in. | Sept. 1930 | Body and soul | Libby Holman | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34488 | 10-in. | Sept. 1930 | Body and soul | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34556 | 10-in. | Sept. 1930 | Body and soul | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34705 | 10-in. | Oct. 1930 | Body and soul | Libby Holman | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34706 | 10-in. | Oct. 1930 | Body and soul | Libby Holman | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | TE34707 | 10-in. | Oct. 1930 | Body and soul | Libby Holman | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E34709 | 10-in. | 10/8/1930 | Body and soul | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Gramophone | Cc18882 | 12-in. | 2/25/1930 | Body and soul | Jack Hylton Orchestra ; Pat O'Malley | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sour, Robert," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100744.
Sour, Robert. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100744.
"Sour, Robert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Sour, Robert - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2002127132
Wikidata: Robert Sour - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6184411
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/87836313
MusicBrainz: Robert Sour - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7f56e48d-50d8-441d-a346-22ada2e4e284
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