Fran Frey

Fran Frey (December 23, 1903 in Indiana - December 1, 1962 in California) was a singer and saxophonist best known for his work for George Olsen and His Music in the 1920s and early 1930s. Among his better known songs are "The Varsity Drag" of 1927; "Big City Blues" of 1929, and "A Garden in the Rain", also of 1929. Frey sang on 77 songs with the George Olsen band on recordings and on the radio. "Who?" sold more than a million copies. Frey was heard on the Oldsmobile Program on CBS radio in 1933. Although he played for several other bands after Olsen's, including Victor Young's, he never achieved the level of fame he had in earlier years. Frey died of a heart attack in his home on December 2, 1962 at the age of 58. At the time of his death, he was writing music for the Ice Capades and for Columbia Pictures.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 23, 1903, Died December 1, 1962 (California)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1948

Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal, songwriter, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 114 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	BVE-55621	10-in.	7/23/1929	The moonlight march	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BVE-55623	10-in.	7/25/1929	If you belived in me	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BVE-55624	10-in.	7/25/1929	Song of the moonbeams	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	PBVE-61022	10-in.	9/16/1930	My ideal	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	PBVE-61053	10-in.	11/10/1930	My love for you	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	PBVE-61054	10-in.	11/14/1930	Song of the fool	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BRC-71896	10-in.	2/24/1932	You can make my life a bed of roses (Marry me)	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BRC-71914	10-in.	3/4/1932	Love, you funny thing!	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BSHQ-71952	10-in.	3/15/1932	My woman	Leo Reisman Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BSHQ-71953	10-in.	3/15/1932	Too many tears	Leo Reisman Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BRC-71986	10-in.	3/23/1932	Say	George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BRC-72286	10-in.	4/14/1932	Tom Thumb's drum	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BRC-72288	10-in.	4/14/1932	Gosh darn!	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music ; Ethel Shutta	Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-73357	10-in.	9/2/1932	All-American girl	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-73573	10-in.	9/24/1932	It's gonna be you	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-73574	10-in.	9/24/1932	Pu-leeze! Mister Hemingway	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-73577	10-in.	9/24/1932	Pink elephants	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-73843	10-in.	10/20/1932	Ain'tcha kinda sorry now?	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-74793	10-in.	1/11/1933	Hallelujah, I'm a bum	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-74794	10-in.	1/11/1933	My fraternity pin	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	BS-74795	10-in.	1/11/1933	The girl in the little green hat	Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist, baritone vocal
Victor	D8VB-4103	10-in.	12/21/1948	She's a corn-fed Indiana gal	Drugstore Cowboys ; Jack Lathrop	Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal trio and instrumental ensemble	songwriter
Columbia	140258	10-in.	1/16/1925	Never gettin' no place blues	Al Bernard ; Dixie Stars ; J. Russel Robinson	Male vocal duet, with piano	composer
Columbia	142160	10-in.	5/6/1926	You need someone to love	Broadway Bellhops ; Jack Wilson	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
Columbia	W152228	10-in.	6/27/1932	(Ev'rything is gonna be) O.K. America	Art Kassel ; "Kassels-in-the-Air" Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble	songwriter

(Results 76-100 of 114 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Frey, Fran," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100917.

Frey, Fran. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/100917.

"Frey, Fran." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.