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 176-200 of 283 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W351140 | 10-in. | 12/7/1931 | By the sycamore tree | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
OKeh | 410 | 10-in. | ca. Oct. 1918 | Oh how I wish I could sleep (Until my daddy comes home) | Henry Burr | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | 807 | 10-in. | ca. May 1919 | Take me to the land of jazz | Bert Harvey | Male vocal solo, with xylophone orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | 821 | 10-in. | ca. May 1919 | Take your girlies to the movies (If you can't make love at home) | Irving Kaufman | Male vocal solo, with xylophone orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | 825 | 10-in. | ca. June 1919 | The music of wedding chimes | Kitty Watson | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | 847 | 10-in. | ca. July 1919 | The music of wedding chimes | Conway's Band | Band | composer | |
OKeh | S-7038 | 10-in. | ca. Oct. 1919 | All the Quakers are shoulder shakers down in Quaker Town | Bert Harvey | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | S-7041 | 10-in. | Oct. 1919 | Oh, what a pal was Mary | Joseph M. Knecht ; Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-7053 | 10-in. | ca. Oct. 1919 | Oh! What a pal was Mary | Samuel Ash | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | S-7568 | 10-in. | Sept. 1920 | What cha gonna do when there ain't no jazz | Rega Dance Orchestra ; Aileen Stanley | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | o-8234 | 10-in. | ca. Nov. 1921 | Monastery bells | Harmonists ; Julius Lenzberg | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | 9784 | 10-in. | 6/24/1926 | Blue bonnet | Lloyd Turner ; Villa Venice Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-70270 | 10-in. | Oct. 1921 | Monastery bells | Green Brothers' Novelty Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-70687 | 10-in. | June 1922 | Whenever you're lonesome | Markel's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
OKeh | S-70914 | 10-in. | Oct. 1922 | He loves it | Elsie Clark | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
OKeh | S-71326 | 10-in. | March 1923 | Maxie Jones | Tampa Blue Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
OKeh | S-71545 | 10-in. | May 1923 | Papa blues | Pete Wendling | Piano solo | instrumentalist, piano, composer | |
OKeh | S-71637 | 10-in. | 6/18/1923 | Page Paderewski | Pete Wendling | Piano solo | instrumentalist, piano, composer | |
OKeh | W80215 | 10-in. | 11/16/1926 | Scatter your smiles | Clarence Williams’ Blue Seven ; Eva Taylor | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
OKeh | W80273 | 10-in. | 12/30/1926 | (I meet her in the moonlight but) She keeps me in the dark | The Goofus Five | Jazz/dance ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer | |
OKeh | W80275 | 10-in. | 1/3/1927 | Usen't you used to be my sweetie? | Ted Wallace and his Orchestra [Ed Kirkeby Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
OKeh | W80414 | 10-in. | 2/11/1927 | There's something nice about everyone (But there's everything nice about you) | Frank Dailey ; Meadowbrook Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
OKeh | W80668 | 10-in. | 3/23/1927 | There's something nice about everyone (But there's everything nice about you) | Gerald Macy ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer | |
OKeh | W80699 | 10-in. | 4/6/1927 | Red lips, kiss my blues away! | Markel's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
OKeh | W80828 | 10-in. | 5/3/1927 | Red lips—kiss my blues away | Alma Rotter | Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wendling, Pete," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106775.
Wendling, Pete. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106775.
"Wendling, Pete." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 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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