Billy Mayerl
William Joseph Mayerl (31 May 1902 – 25 March 1959) was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees, including his best-known composition, Marigold (1927). He also ran the successful School of Syncopation for whose members he published hundreds of his own arrangements of popular songs. He also composed works for piano and orchestra, often in suites with evocative names such as the 'Aquarium Suite' (1937), comprising "Willow Moss", "Moorish Idol", "Fantail", and "Whirligig". |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 31, 1902 (Fitzrovia), Died March 25, 1959 (Beaconsfield)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, conductor
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-31416 | 10-in. | 11/17/1924 | Southern rose | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | BVE-Test-153 | 10-in. | 6/4/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Rudy Vallée | Male vocal solo, with piano | songwriter | |
Columbia | W146543 | 10-in. | 6/17/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | songwriter | |
Columbia | 146614 | 10-in. | 7/2/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Frank Bessinger ; Lou Gold Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
OKeh | S-72952 | 10-in. | 11/3/1924 | Southern rose | Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Brunswick | E27693 | 10-in. | 6/12/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Arnold Johnson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio; without vocal (take G) | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E27847 | 10-in. | 7/12/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Arnold Johnson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio; without vocal (take G) | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E32599 | 10-in. | Apr. 1930 | It must be you | Tom Clines and his Music | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Brunswick | DB65 | 10-in. | 9/25/1928 | Marigold | W. Harris | Piano solo | composer | |
Brunswick | DB65 | 10-in. | 10/6/1928 | Marigold | W. Harris | Piano solo | composer | |
Brunswick | DB82 | 10-in. | 10/6/1928 | Puppets [suite] no. 3 : Punch | W. Harris | Piano solo | composer | |
Brunswick | DB84 | 10-in. | 10/6/1928 | Puppets [suite] no. 1 : Golliwog | W. Harris | Piano solo | composer | |
Edison | 9854 | 10-in. | 11/18/1924 | Southern rose | Golden Gate Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Edison | 18556 | 10-in. | 6/1/1928 | Georgie Porgie | Palais D'Or Orchestra ; B. A. Rolfe | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Plaza/ARC | 5691 | 10-in. | 10/28/1924 | Southern rose | California Ramblers | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Columbia (U.K.) | WAX4309 | 12-in. | between October and December 1928 | Sennen cove | Court Symphony Orchestra [U.K.] ; Billy Mayerl | Orchestra | composer, conductor | |
Columbia (U.K.) | WAX4310 | 12-in. | between October and December 1928 | Sennen cove | Court Symphony Orchestra [U.K.] ; Billy Mayerl | Orchestra | conductor, composer | |
Columbia (U.K.) | WL1268 | 10-in. | 10/15/1928 | Sweetie on the radio | Fernand Gravey ; Georges van Parys | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mayerl, Billy," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102998.
Mayerl, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102998.
"Mayerl, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Billy Mayerl
Discogs: Billy Mayerl
Grove: Billy Mayerl
IMSLP: Billy Mayerl
IMDb: Billy Mayerl
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Mayerl, Billy, 1902-1959 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81003161
Wikidata: Billy Mayerl - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q369382
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/5119966
MusicBrainz: Billy Mayerl - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/91b9ead1-d35c-4f78-9934-922d23aecd72
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