Ben Oakland
Ben Oakland (September 24, 1907 – August 26, 1979) was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist, most active from the 1920s through the 1940s. He composed mainly for Broadway and vaudeville, though he also worked on several Hollywood scores including for the film My Little Chickadee. Oakland often composed music only, collaborating with lyricists including Oscar Hammerstein II, Bob Russell, Milton Drake, L. Wolfe Gilbert, and Artie Shaw. Notable compositions include "Java Jive", "I'll Take Romance", and "I'm A Hundred Percent For You". The two songs that Oakland wrote with Oscar Hammerstein II are "I'll Take Romance" and "A Mist Over the Moon." The latter, which was written for a 1938 picture called The Lady Objects won Hammerstein and Oakland an Oscar nomination. The former, which was written for a 1937 film starring Grace Moore, won no awards but is frequently performed. June Christy sang it, to an arrangement by Pete Rugolo, on the 1954 album Something Cool. Another popular version at that time was sung by Eydie Gorme on her LP Sincerely Yours, to an arrangement by Sid Feller. He collaborated with Artie Shaw and Milton Drake on the love song "If It's You" introduced by Tony Martin in the 1941 Marx Brothers' picture The Big Store. "If I Love Again," which has a lyric by Jack Murray, was performed by Anita O'Day on the 1960 album Incomparable! and by Barbra Streisand in the 1975 film Funny Lady. It was written for the 1933 musical, Hold Your Horses. The Songwriter's Hall of Fame lists Oakland on their notable (non-inducted) songwriters list, for contributions to the American popular song. |
Birth and Death Data: Born September 24, 1907 (Brooklyn), Died August 26, 1979 (Beverly Hills)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1931 - 1948
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 48 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | 65429 | 10-in. | 3/23/1932 | Eis Nova York | Almirantes ; Harry Kosarin ; Alda Verona | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BVE-69692 | 10-in. | 6/5/1931 | Do the New York | Victor Arden-Phil Ohman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BVE-69693 | 10-in. | 6/5/1931 | Here we are in love | Frank Luther ; Victor Arden-Phil Ohman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | 79660 | 10-in. | 8/21/1934 | Valsa da champagne | Francisco Alves | Male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-81062 | 10-in. | 1/16/1934 | If I love again | Bob Lawrence ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-81328 | 10-in. | 1/29/1934 | The party's over | Neil Buckley ; The Chanters ; Don Bestor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-81877 | 10-in. | 3/12/1934 | The champagne waltz | George Hall ; Hotel Taft Orchestra ; Barry Wells | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-84013 | 10-in. | 8/18/1934 | I'm counting on you | Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Ramona | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-84975 | 10-in. | 11/13/1934 | Let's be thankful | George Hall ; Hotel Taft Orchestra ; Loretta Lee | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-85011 | 10-in. | 11/12/1934 | Let's be thankful | Lee Bennett ; Jan Garber Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-87082 | 10-in. | 1/5/1935 | I'm a hundred percent for you | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (takes 1 and 2); Jazz/dance band (take 3) | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-02138 | 10-in. | 10/13/1936 | Where have you been all my life? | Richard Himber ; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-02139 | 10-in. | 10/13/1936 | Twinkle twinkle, little star | Stuart Allen ; Richard Himber ; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-02193 | 10-in. | 10/22/1936 | Where have you been all my life | Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-02196 | 10-in. | 10/22/1936 | Twinkle, twinkle little star | Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-010592 | 10-in. | 6/17/1937 | Roses in December | Harriet Hilliard ; Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-011119 | 10-in. | 6/25/1937 | Roses in December | Ruth Bradley ; Bunny Berigan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-017480 | 10-in. | 12/8/1937 | I'll take romance | Connecticut Yankees ; Gentlemen Songsters ; Rudy Vallée | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | composer | |
Victor | BS-024457 | 10-in. | 8/5/1938 | That week in Paris | Jeanne D'Arcy ; Johnny Messner ; Music Box Band | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | PBS-026253 | 10-in. | 11/14/1938 | Everybody's laughing | Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-030109 | 10-in. | 11/11/1938 | Everybody's laughing | Tommy Ryan ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-031896 | 10-in. | 2/8/1939 | I promise you | Three Reasons ; Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-033764 | 10-in. | 2/25/1939 | I promise you | Stuart Allen ; Richard Himber Rhythmic Pyramids Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-035033 | 10-in. | 3/15/1939 | Y' had it comin' to you | Bunny Berigan Orchestra ; Kathleen Lane | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-035310 | 10-in. | 3/18/1939 | Y' had it comin' to you | Butch Stone ; Van Alexander Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Oakland, Ben," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105679.
Oakland, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105679.
"Oakland, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Oakland, Ben, 1907-1979 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87847033
Wikidata: Ben Oakland - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q649938
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/18744799
MusicBrainz: Ben Oakland - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/9d0287e7-3e65-46d1-a0bf-781353a66ee1
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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