Dick Robertson
Dick Robertson (New York City, July 3, 1903 – 1979) was an American popular big band singer and songwriter of the 1930s and 1940s. He sang for many bandleaders such as Leo Reisman and Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra, and was on the artist roster at Banner Records. In fact, he was one of the most prolific New York based vocalists (along with Irving Kaufman, Chick Bullock, Scrappy Lambert, Elmer Feldkamp, Paul Small and Smith Ballew) on scores of records from late 1928 through the mid 1930s. A series of records issued on Melotone/Perfect/Banner/Oriole/Romeo, Crown, Bluebird from 1930-1934 were issued under his name or are listed in the 2010 edition of "American Dance Bands on Record and Film (1915-1942)" by Richard J. Johnson and Bernard H. Shirley as being under his nominal leadership. His last recording session as a singer was in 1949. He also used the pseudonym Bob Richardson for some recordings on Mayfair Records. As a songwriter his biggest hit was "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" in 1940. The Sinatra version of the song was re-released on The Song Is You (album) and again on Frank Sinatra & the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Vol. 1 |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 3, 1903 (New York City), Died 1979
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, leader, songwriter, vocalist, speaker, lyricist, arranger, composer
Notes: Sometimes billed as "The Radio Jester."
See Also: Donaldson Quartet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 376-400 of 897 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W351162 | 10-in. | 3/21/1932 | What a life (Trying to live without you) | Paul Specht Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Columbia | W351163 | 10-in. | 3/21/1932 | Sing a new song | Paul Specht Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Columbia | W351165 | 10-in. | 3/21/1932 | Keepin' out of mischief now | Paul Specht Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W400820 | 10-in. | 6/25/1928 | Too busy! | Lanin’s Famous Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W401050 | 10-in. | 8/2/1928 | Nagasaki | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W401051 | 10-in. | 8/2/1928 | Drizzle, drizzle, the party's a fizzle (Oh! What a night to love) | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404881 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | When I take my sugar to tea | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404882 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | Rockin' chair | Frank Auburn and his Orchestra [Fred Rich Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404883 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | The waltz you saved for me | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404884 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | Dream a little dream of me | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404885 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | Do I really deserve it from you? | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
OKeh | W404886 | 10-in. | 3/18/1931 | Say a little prayer for me | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27269 | 10-in. | 4/4/1928 | Collegiana | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with violin and piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27305 | 10-in. | 4/9/1928 | Hum and strum (Do, do, do, that's what I do) | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with violin and piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27352 | 10-in. | 4/16/1928 | Just a little way away from home | Joe Rines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27432 | 10-in. | 4/26/1928 | Blue bird why don’t you call on me? | Casa Lopez Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27440 | 10-in. | 4/27/1928 | You took advantage of me | Casa Lopez Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | XE27536 | 12-in. | 5/11/1928 | Alexander’s ragtime band | Casa Lopez Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E27620 | 10-in. | 5/31/1928 | Because my baby don’t mean “maybe” now | Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28261 | 10-in. | 9/18/1928 | Once in a lifetime | Casa Lopez Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28300 | 10-in. | 9/20/1928 | Oh! Is she mad at me? | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28301 | 10-in. | 9/20/1928 | She’s wonderful | Dick Robertson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28476 | 10-in. | 10/16/1928 | Dusky stevedore | Clevelanders ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28477 | 10-in. | 10/16/1928 | Guess who’s in town (Nobody but that gal of mine) | Clevelanders ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Brunswick | E28895 | 10-in. | 12/17/1928 | The sun is at my window (Throwing kisses at me) | Jack Denny Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | vocalist, tenor vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Robertson, Dick," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
Robertson, Dick. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
"Robertson, Dick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Robertson, Dick, 1903-1979 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94083523
Wikidata: Dick Robertson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16008787
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/1322149108402068780002
MusicBrainz: Dick Robertson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/279a134f-f0bb-479a-8c67-5dbbd95ba25b
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