Alex Kramer
Alex J. Kramer (May 30, 1903 – February 10, 1998) was a Canadian songwriter. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Adolph and Freda Kramer. At age 17 he was hired as a pianist in a silent movie theater in Montreal. He traveled first to Palm Beach, Florida, joining the Meyer Davis orchestra, and then to Paris and Cannes, before returning to New York City, where he became a radio bandleader. He also worked as an accompanist in nightclubs and in vaudeville. One of his other musical activities was coaching vocalists in singing techniques, and one of his students was Joan Whitney, who eventually became both his wife and his songwriting partner. Their first hit as a songwriting team was "High on a Windy Hill," which became a No. 1 hit in 1941 for the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. In 1948, he and his wife started a song publishing firm. However, soon followed the end of the big band era, leading to the collapse of their publishing business. He eventually became associated with Bourne Co. Music Publishers. He also continued to lead an orchestra, conduct on the radio, and serve as an accompanist in night clubs and what remained of the vaudeville business. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 30, 1903 (Montreal), Died February 10, 1998
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 27 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | PBS-055145 | 10-in. | 10/30/1940 | So you're the one | Janet Blair ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | PBS-055217 | 10-in. | 12/11/1940 | It all comes back to me now | Bob Allen ; Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | PBS-055481 | 10-in. | 3/14/1941 | My sister and I | Anita Boyer ; Leo Reisman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-056447 | 10-in. | 10/7/1940 | So you're the one | Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-057390 | 10-in. | 11/12/1940 | High on a windy hill | Tommy Ryan ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-057683 | 10-in. | 11/28/1940 | High on a windy hill | Roy Bargy ; Lanny Ross | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-058236 | 10-in. | 12/6/1940 | It all comes back to me now | Barry Wood | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-058251 | 10-in. | 12/10/1940 | High on a windy hill | Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-058304 | 10-in. | 12/4/1940 | It all comes back to me now | Ruth Gaylor ; Teddy Powell Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-060958 | 10-in. | 3/4/1941 | My sister and I | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Bill Darnell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-062757 | 10-in. | 3/14/1941 | My sister and I | Bea Wain | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-062775 | 10-in. | 3/26/1941 | My sister and I | Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey ; Rhythm Reys | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-065047 | 10-in. | 4/24/1941 | It all comes back to me now | Marimba Pan-Americana | Marimba band | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-066821 | 10-in. | 7/14/1941 | Yo te amo, oh! Baby | Dorothy Allen ; New Music [Shep Fields] | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-066832 | 10-in. | 7/14/1941 | Yo te amo, oh!, Baby | Four King Sisters ; Rhythm Reys | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | D4AB-0027 | 10-in. | 2/1/1944 | It's love-love-love | Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with male vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | D4VB-1063 | 10-in. | 12/15/1944 | Candy | Albert Sack ; Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Victor | D4VB-1065 | 10-in. | 12/15/1944 | Candy | Buddy Cole ; Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with instrumental octet | songwriter | |
Victor | D5VB-0765 | 10-in. | 5/21/1945 | (Why don't you look me up) down in Chi-Chi Hotcha Watchee | Vaughn Monroe ; Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | D5VB-1040 | 10-in. | 3/23/1945 | Counting the days | Albert Sack ; Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Victor | D6VB-3074 | 10-in. | 10/17/1946 | That's the beginning of the end | Perry Como | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0473 | 10-in. | 2/20/1947 | Ain't nobody here but us chickens | Phil Harris ; Phil Harris Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | lyricist, composer | |
Victor | D8VB-3451 | 10-in. | 12/27/1948 | Comme-ci - comme-ça | Earle Hagen Orchestra ; Jud Conlon Singers ; Tony Martin | Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
Victor | D8VB-3991 | 10-in. | 12/14/1948 | Far away places | Perry Como ; Henri René | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | D8VB-4058 | 10-in. | 12/14/1948 | Why is it? | Henri René ; Fran Warren | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kramer, Alex," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111089.
Kramer, Alex. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111089.
"Kramer, Alex." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Kramer, Alex, 1903-1998 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98088352
Wikidata: Alex Kramer - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4717317
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/34723245
MusicBrainz: Alex Kramer - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/fef40a78-3075-46a8-9d5c-25fd53641931
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