Don Raye
Don Raye (born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr., March 16, 1909 – January 29, 1985) was an American songwriter, best known for his songs for The Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "The House of Blue Lights", "Just for a Thrill" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." The latter was co-written with Hughie Prince. While known for such wordy novelty numbers, he also wrote the lyrics to "You Don't Know What Love Is," a simple, poetic lament of unusual power. He also composed the song "(That Place) Down the Road a Piece," one of his boogie woogie songs, which has a medium bright boogie tempo. It was written for the Will Bradley Orchestra, who recorded it in 1940, but the song was destined to become a rock and roll standard, recorded by The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Foghat, Amos Milburn, Harry Gibson, and countless others. In 1940, he wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song "This Is My Country". In 1985, Don Raye was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1909 (Washington, D.C.), Died January 29, 1985
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 55 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-98364 | 10-in. | 12/9/1935 | (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes | Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-98497 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes | Little Ramblers ; Eddie Lloyd | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-035782 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | Why begin again (Pastel blue) | Three Reasons ; Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-036840 | 10-in. | 5/1/1939 | Why begin again? | Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-037137 | 10-in. | 5/22/1939 | Well all right! (Tonight's the night) | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-037636 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | The shoemaker's holiday | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-037637 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | Well all right (Tonight's the night) | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-037638 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | Danger! Men blasting | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-040692 | 10-in. | 8/29/1939 | The monkeys have no tails in Pago Pago | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-041148 | 10-in. | 7/31/1939 | Just for a thrill | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Kathleen Lane | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-041530 | 10-in. | 8/10/1939 | It's the tune that counts | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-041591 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Just for a thrill | Gray Gordon ; Cliff Grass ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-044312 | 10-in. | 12/4/1939 | Yodelin' jive | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-044636 | 10-in. | 1/18/1940 | I love you much too much | Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-047727 | 10-in. | 2/29/1940 | Let's have another one | Tony Pastor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-048677 | 10-in. | 4/9/1940 | I love you much too much | Blue Barron ; Russ Carlyle | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | PBS-049582 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Sadie Hawkins' Day | Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-050536 | 10-in. | 5/8/1940 | Rhumboogie | Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-051843 | 10-in. | 7/11/1940 | Rhumboogie | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Al Stuart | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | BS-056107 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | Beat me Daddy, eight to a bar | Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-056161 | 10-in. | 9/23/1940 | Ready, get set, jump | Tony Pastor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-058210 | 10-in. | 12/3/1940 | Scrub me mama, with a boogie beat | Charlie Barnet Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-058892 | 10-in. | 1/20/1941 | Boogie woogie bugle boy | Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Tommy Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-058894 | 10-in. | 1/20/1941 | You're a lucky fellow, Mr.Smith | Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Mary Ann Mercer ; Tommy Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-060437 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Do you call that a buddy | Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Butch Stone | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Raye, Don," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.
Raye, Don. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.
"Raye, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Raye, Don - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n89614294
Wikidata: Don Raye - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q220028
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/278124
MusicBrainz: Don Raye - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/96ae8237-7675-4d69-b357-c5d6969cef65
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