Pete Wendling
Pete Wendling (June 6, 1888 – April 7, 1974) was an American composer and pianist, born in New York City to German immigrants. He started his working life as a carpenter, but gained fame during the mid-1910s as a popular music composer, with his name appearing on the "Soup and Fish Rag" in 1913. He worked on such hits as "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula" (recorded by Al Jolson), "Take Me To The Land Of Jazz", "Take Your Girlie To The Movies", "Felix The Cat", and "Oh What A Pal Is Mary". Wendling was also one of the top pianists of his era, and set a long-standing record when he appeared at the London Hippodrome for eight consecutive weeks. He joined the Rhythmodik Music Roll Company in 1914, and started to record his performances on paper rolls for player pianos. In 1916 he recorded for American Piano Company (Ampico). In 1918, he joined the largest piano roll company, QRS, and rapidly became one of their most popular artists, his distinctive yet always fresh performances constantly topping their best-selling lists. They were still in production as of 2003. He recorded two sides for Okeh Records in 1923, and in 1926, cut another four for Cameo. In 1927, QRS, who were tightening their belt due to declining sales, released Wendling, and he concentrated on his composing career until his retirement in the 1950s. In 1955, he co-wrote "I Wonder", which became a UK chart hit for both Jane Froman and Dickie Valentine. Wendling's last notable work was "Rich in Love" in 1956. Married to Anna, he had no children. A resident of Manhattan, he died in New York City in April 1974, aged 85 after several strokes. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 6, 1888, Died April 7, 1974
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1949
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, arranger, piano, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 283 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | 77407 | 10-in. | 10/3/1917 | Over the top | Columbia Quartette | Male vocal quartet, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 77705 | 10-in. | 3/2/1918 | I miss that Mississippi miss that misses me | Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78056 | 10-in. | 9/19/1918 | Oh, how I wish I could sleep (until my Daddy comes home) | Henry Burr | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78396 | 10-in. | 4/17/1919 | The music of wedding chimes | Peerless Quartet | Male vocal quartet, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78439 | 10-in. | 5/19/1919 | Take your girlie to the movies (If you can't make love at home) | Irving Kaufman | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78505 | 10-in. | 6/18/1919 | Down by the meadow brook | Columbia Orchestra ; Charles Adams Prince | Orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78527 | 10-in. | 6/23/1919 | Take me to that land of jazz | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78565 | 10-in. | 7/17/1919 | Oh! What a pal was Mary | Henry Burr | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 78688 | 10-in. | 9/23/1919 | Oh! What a pal was Mary | Columbia Saxophone Sextette ; Grant Stephens [i.e., George Meader] | Saxophone sextet, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | 79152 | 10-in. | 4/30/1920 | In sweet September | Al Jolson | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Columbia | 80378 | 10-in. | 6/7/1922 | Sleepy little village (where the Dixie cotton grows) | Hart Sisters | Female vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 80516 | 10-in. | 8/10/1922 | Whenever you're lonesome (Just telephone me) | Nora Bayes | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
Columbia | 80616 | 10-in. | 10/17/1922 | He loves it | Frank Crumit | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 80633 | 10-in. | 11/9/1922 | Those star spangled nights in Dixieland | Frank Westphal Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Columbia | 80637 | 10-in. | 10/30/1922 | He loves it | Eddie Cantor | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Columbia | 80832 | 10-in. | 2/2/1923 | Maxie Jones (King of the saxophones) | Columbians | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia | 80877 | 10-in. | 2/28/1923 | Papa blues | James P. Johnson | Piano solo | composer | |
Columbia | 37123 | 12-in. | 2/23/1915 | Beverly hunt | Prince's Band | Band | composer | |
Columbia | 49270 | 12-in. | 11/13/1917 | Over the top | Prince's Band ; G. Hepburn Wilson | Band | composer | |
Columbia | 49654 | 12-in. | 7/25/1919 | And he'd say oo-la la! Wee-wee | Billy Murray ; Yerkes Jazarimba Band | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | 49693 | 12-in. | 11/11/1919 | Oh! What a pal was Mary | Fred Hughes ; Prince's Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | 141981 | 10-in. | 4/19/1926 | Blue bonnet, you make me feel blue | Irving Kaufman ; Manhattan Dance Makers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Columbia | W142134 | 10-in. | 5/3/1926 | Blue bonnet—you make me feel blue | Ipana Troubadours ; Sam Lanin | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Columbia | W142209 | 10-in. | 5/15/1926 | Scatter your smiles | Gangplank Orchestra ; Earl Gresh | Jazz/dance band, with vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Columbia | 143369 | 10-in. | 1/31/1927 | There's everything nice about you | The Westerners ; Jack Wilson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wendling, Pete," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106775.
Wendling, Pete. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106775.
"Wendling, Pete." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Wendling, Pete, 1888-1974 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93012042
Wikidata: Pete Wendling - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7172330
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/36121606
MusicBrainz: Pete Wendling - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/fd344f6b-9a12-4b75-9b8a-0f0840e49a34
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