“Listen to the music of the past and you will discover the secrets of history.”
This quote from renowned musician Duke Ellington captures the enduring charm of vintage sheet music from the 1930s. These decades-old pieces of paper hold more than just musical notes; they are remnants of a bygone era, each with its own unique story to tell.
From the jazzy rhythms of the Big Bands to the sentimental ballads of the Great Depression, these treasures offer a glimpse into the cultural zeitgeist of the time.
So please join me as we delve into the world of vintage sheet music covers from the 1930s, along with their corresponding songs.
Source: allposters.com
Note: This is the third post in my ‘Vintage Sheet Music Series’……
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Vintage Sheet Music from the 1930s
1931 “You Try Somebody Else ( We’ll Be Back Together Again)” by B.G. De Sylva, Lew Brown & Ray Henderson.
I love the illustration of the woman in early 1930s fashions.
Source: Etsy-RicksVintagePlus
“You Try Somebody Else” – Guy Lombardo. Guy’s brother Carmen takes the vocal on a popular De Sylva-Brown-Henderson tune of 1931/32 (Video link).
Further Reading: Guy Lombardo-Canada’s Famous Big Band Leader
1930s (possibly 1936), “Running a Temperature” featuring an image of Ozzie Nelson (as in Ozzie & Harriet) and a mention of his orchestra who had successfully performed it.
Source: eBay
I cannot find the Ozzie Nelson version so here is one from Jimmie Lunceford & Orchestra (video link).
1939-”Scatter-Brain” featuring ‘Frankie Masters’ on the cover. I love the illustration of the woman being “scatterbrained”.
Source: AbeBooks
“Scatter-Brain” was the most popular song in the country as America was saying “Farewell 1930s–Hello 1940s!” and this was the top-selling version (video link).
1935 sheet music for “Home On The Range”, featured by Jackie Heller on the BBC – For Piano, Guitar, Hawaiian Guitar & Ukelele. Published by Calumet Music Co.
Source: Etsy-CuriousCatVintage
Bing Crosby sings ‘Home on the Range’ A Geffen Records Release; ℗ 1939 UMG Recordings, Inc. (Video Link)
1939-“Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller. What a stunning illustration!
Fun Fact: I walked down the aisles to this song on my Wedding day.
Source: Pinterest
1939 “Moonlight Serenade”-The iconic Miller theme, recorded on April 4th during the band’s third Bluebird session (video link).
1935-‘”The Wedding of Jack and Jill’. A wonderful cover art featuring Nursery Rhyme characters attending the wedding of Jack and Jill, also with a photo insert of Ben Bernie.
Source: AbeBooks
Note: Ignore the image on the video, the song is for ‘The Wedding of Jack and Jill” (video link).
1930 Sheet Music “After All You’re All I’m After” by Charles Newman, Victor Young & Sid Lorraine featuring an illustration of a couple in a moonlight embrace.
Source: Etsy-CuriousCatVintage
“After All You’re All I’m After” 1930 (video link).
“Debutante Waltz” from 1934 – featuring the famous Arthur Murray on the cover as the “creator” of this dance.
Sadly I could not find the song for us to listen too, so we will just have to use our imaginations.
Further Reading: Time To Dance! Vintage Instructions To Get You Dancing In No Time
Source: AbeBooks
1932- “I Only Want a Buddy – Not a Sweetheart” sheet music – featuring Maurie Stein on the cover.
I picked this cover because the song title made me giggle.
Source:AbeBooks
1939-“I Only Want A Buddy Not a Sweetheart” the Eddy Howard version ft Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra (video link).
“Goody Goody” is a 1936 popular song composed by Matty Malneck, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. On the cover is Mary Danis of the Enoch Light’s Orchestra.
My readers may also remember the Frankie Lymon hit version in 1957.
For your listening pleasure, I have added the 1936 song and the Frankie version for you to compare and enjoy (after the cover image).
Source: Etsy-TDVintageTreasures
A popular recording in 1936 of ‘Goody-Goody’ were by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (with vocalist Helen Ward), heard below (video link).
Now here is the 1957 with Frankie Lymon featured on the Ed Sullivan show.
What was your favourite version? I personally like them both (video link).
I hope you enjoyed this fun post of design and music. I love doing posts like this because it helps me to discover songs I have never heard of before (and there were several!).
Question! What was your favourite cover or song (or both)? Share in the comments section below. l love hearing from my readers.
Thank you for dropping by!
Liz
