Alabamy Bound

"Alabamy Bound" is a Tin Pan Alley tune written in 1924, with music by Ray Henderson and words by Buddy DeSylva and Bud Green. It was popularized by Al Jolson and included in the musical Kid Boots, where it was sung by Eddie Cantor. Successful recordings of the song were released in 1925 by Paul Whiteman, Isham Jones and Fletcher Henderson (instrumentals), as well as Blossom Seeley, whose vocal version reached number 2 on the charts. The song has sold over a million copies of sheet music and has been included in several films over the years.

This article is about the 1924 vaudeville song. For the song also called Alabamy Bound, see I'm Alabama Bound.
"Alabamy Bound"
Song
Published1924
Released1925
GenrePopular music
Composer(s)Ray Henderson
Lyricist(s)Buddy DeSylva, Bud Green

Song history

"Alabamy Bound" was the first collaboration between lyricist Buddy DeSylva and composer Ray Henderson, a partnership that would last until 1930 (with lyricist Lew Brown instead of Bud Green). DeSylva gave the song to singer Al Jolson, who liked it and began performing it on every occasion, including special appearances, nightclubs and restaurants.[1] The song became associated with him and a hit before it was even recorded.[1][2][3] Sheet music sales exceeded one million.[4][5]

Given the popularity of the song, it was interpolated into the Broadway show Kid Boots, featuring Eddie Cantor, which reportedly prevented the show from closing for some time.[4][6] The earliest recording of the song was made on December 29, 1924, by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which was released as a phonograph record in 1925.[7] That year, Blossom Seeley had a #2 hit with her recording,[2] and Isham Jones & His Orchestra made a popular rendition as well.[4][8] The version recorded by Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra is noted for its clarinet trio arranged by Don Redman.[9]

In 1941, the song was revived when it was included in The Great American Broadcast, sung by The Ink Spots.[5] In 1954, the song re-entered the charts with a rendition by The Mulcays.[4]

Themes
"Alabamy Bound" was one of many 'olio' song and dance numbers of the 1920s. Here depicted is a performance from the early 1960s.

"Alabamy Bound" has been described as a "bright march-type ditty" with a "southern flavor".[4] The lyrics are written from the point of view of an Alabamian who is returning home, presumably from working in a larger city like New York or Chicago.[6] Ray Henderson's melody and its "driving-train-like rhythm" provides a setting for the scene of this train song.[6] Implicit in the song is the notion of trains as the fastest, safest and most comfortable means of transport at the time, which adds to the positive image of the character returning home.[6] Its reference to the Southern United States was a common thread in many of Jolson's songs, such as "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" and "Carolina in the Morning".[1]

List of recordings
Early recordings
Date Artist Label
1924Paul Whiteman and His OrchestraVictor 19557-A
1925Isham Jones & His OrchestraBrunswick 2789B
1925Blossom SeeleyColumbia 304D[10]
1925Bailey's Lucky SevenGennett 5648A
1925Sara MartinOKeh 8262A
1925Fletcher Henderson and His OrchestraRegal 9789-A (also for Domino, Banner, and Ajax)
Other notable recordings
Film appearances
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References
  1. Whorf, Michael (2014). American Popular Song Lyricists: Oral Histories, 1920s-1960s. McFarland. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7864-9061-5.
  2. Jasen, David A. (2004). Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-135-94901-3.
  3. Shaw, Arnold (1989). The Jazz Age: Popular Music in the 1920s. Oxford University Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-19-506082-9.
  4. Tyler, Don (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era. McFarland. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-7864-2946-2.
  5. Jasen, David A. (2013). A Century of American Popular Music. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-135-35271-4.
  6. Furia, Philip; Lasser, Michael (2006). America's Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-135-47192-7.
  7. Rust, Brian (1975). The American Dance Band Discography 1917-1942: Arthur Lange to Bob Zurke. Arlington House. p. 1926. ISBN 978-0-87000-248-9.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 468]. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  9. Martin, Henry; Waters, Keith (2013). Essential Jazz. Cengage Learning. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-285-41553-6.
  10. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  11. "45cat.com". 45cat.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 326. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  13. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  14. "Internet Movie Database". imdb,com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  15. "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  16. "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
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