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Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; Yiddish: ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.

Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights, and became known for international hits, such as 1911's "Alexander's Ragtime Band". He also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. For much of his career, Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp; he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp.

"Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance craze in places as far away as Berlin's native Russia, which also "flung itself into the ragtime beat with an abandon bordering on mania". Over the years he was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated aim being to "reach the heart of the average American," whom he saw as the "real soul of the country". In doing so, said Walter Cronkite, at Berlin's 100th birthday tribute, he "helped write the story of this country, capturing the best of who we are and the dreams that shape our lives".

He wrote hundreds of songs, many becoming major hits, which made him famous before he turned thirty. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 original Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Easter Parade", "Puttin' on the Ritz", "Cheek to Cheek", "White Christmas", "Happy Holiday", "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)", and "There's No Business Like Show Business". His Broadway musical and 1943 film This Is the Army, with Ronald Reagan, had Kate Smith singing Berlin's "God Bless America", first performed in 1938.

Berlin's songs have reached the top of the charts 25 times and have been extensively re-recorded by numerous singers, including The Andrews Sisters, Perry Como, Eddie Fisher, Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Tiny Tim, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Rosemary Clooney, Cher, Diana Ross, Bing Crosby, Sarah Vaughan, Ruth Etting, Fanny Brice, Marilyn Miller, Rudy Vallée, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Garcia, Taco, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera.

Berlin died in 1989 at the age of 101. Composer Douglas Moore sets Berlin apart from all other contemporary songwriters, and includes him instead with Stephen Foster, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg, as a "great American minstrel"—someone who has "caught and immortalized in his songs what we say, what we think about, and what we believe." Composer George Gershwin called him "the greatest songwriter that has ever lived",: 117  and composer Jerome Kern concluded that "Irving Berlin has no place in American music—he is American music."

Birth and Death Data: Born May 11, 1888 (Tyumen), Died September 22, 1989 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1909 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, songwriter, vocalist

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

Recordings (Results 576-600 of 1635 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-075443 10-in. 7/22/1942 I'm getting tired so I can sleep Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075465 10-in. 7/28/1942 How about a cheer for the Navy Harvey Harding ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075466 10-in. 7/28/1942 This is the Army, Mr. Jones Harvey Harding ; Hubert Hendrie ; Brad Reynolds ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal soloists and male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075467 10-in. 7/28/1942 Mandy Harvey Harding ; Brad Reynolds ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal soloists and male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075468 10-in. 7/28/1942 American eagles Brad Reynolds ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-075469 10-in. 7/30/1942 That's what the well-dressed man in Harlem will wear Victor First Nighter Orchestra ; Fats Waller Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-075470 10-in. 7/30/1942 That Russian winter Brad Reynolds ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-075471 10-in. 7/30/1942 I left my heart at the Stage Door Canteen Harvey Harding ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075472 10-in. 7/30/1942 I'm getting tired so I can sleep Brad Reynolds ; Victor First Nighter Orchestra Male vocal solo and male vocal chorus, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BS-075570 10-in. 7/22/1942 I'm getting tired so I can sleep Hal McIntyre Orchestra ; Jerry Stuart Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-075572 10-in. 7/22/1942 This is the Army, Mister Jones Hal McIntyre Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor E0VB-3721 10-in. 7/20/1950 Easter parade Dale Evans ; Roy Rogers Female-male vocal duet, with male vocal quartet and string band composer  
Victor E0VB-5502 10-in. 8/21/1950 White Christmas Eddy Arnold Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor D4VB-0312 10-in. 11/13/1944 Always Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; Arthur Wright Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D5VB-0027 10-in. 1/8/1945 All of my life Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; Billy Williams [1913-2001] Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D5AB-0301 10-in. 1/10/1945 Remember Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Erskine Hawkins Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D5VB-0593 10-in. 9/5/1945 Just a blue serge suit Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D5VB-1146 10-in. 11/9/1945 Everybody knew but me Russ Case Orchestra ; Dinah Shore Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor D6VB-1396 10-in. 4/2/1946 They say it's wonderful Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor D6VB-1698 10-in. 3/19/1946 Blue skies Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers Male vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D6VB-1854 10-in. 3/4/1946 All alone Nancy Evans ; Wayne King Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D6VB-1855 10-in. 3/4/1946 What'll I do Nancy Evans ; Wayne King Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D6VB-1856 10-in. 3/4/1946 Remember Nancy Evans ; Wayne King Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D6VB-1857 10-in. 3/6/1946 Blue skies Nancy Evans ; Wayne King Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D6VB-1858 10-in. 3/6/1946 Always Earl Randall ; Wayne King Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 576-600 of 1635 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Berlin, Irving," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971.

Berlin, Irving. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971.

"Berlin, Irving." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971

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