Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra "Nashville Nightingale" <br /><br />Song by George Gershwin & Irving Caesar<br /><br />The song is from the Broadway revue titled "Nifties Of 1923"<br /><br />Recorded on Sept. 19, 1924.<br /><br />Lyrics by Irving Caesar <br /><br />Music composed by George Gershwin<br /><br />There's a sweet singin' lady down in Tennessee<br />I mean Nashville, Tennessee<br />Everyone down in Dixie loves her harmony<br />I mean craves her harmony<br /><br />All the darktown preachers and the Bible teachers<br />Say they're losin' all their trade<br />For the good church people all desert the steeple<br />When she starts to serenade<br /><br />Now you won't find a body that is feelin' blue<br />Down in Nashville, Tennesse<br />For when they all get that way<br />They run to her and say<br /><br />Nashville Nightingale<br />Sing a little song for me, all for me<br />Nashville Nightingale, gimme some of this<br />Doo-doo-dee-doo-dee-doo, doo-doo-dee-doo-dee-doo<br /><br />Nashville Nightingale<br />Up and down the scale for me, wail for me<br />Nightingale, don't fail, fill my heart with bliss<br /><br />When you sing <br />Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo<br />Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, birdy, how you thrill me<br />Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo<br />Dark town tetrazini, how you kill me<br /><br />Neath the Swanee moon<br />Sing a little tune for me, croon for me<br />Dee-doo-dee-doo-doo, Nashville Nightingale<br /><br />He was born Joseph Cyrus Smith in 1883 in Sag Harbor, New York.<br /><br />Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra was successful from 1917 to 1921, reaching its peak popularity around 1919-1920, with Victor issuing new Smith discs almost every month. <br /><br />Smith's was the first "name" dance band to earn fame through records. He paved the way for Paul Whiteman, whose own success and innovations contributed to Smith's decline by 1921.<br /><br />Before Smith's debut, dance records that sold well had been made by studio bands with generic names, such as the Victor Military Band, or by bands that already enjoyed fame as touring ensembles, such as Conway's Band. Jim Europe made dance records a few years before Smith, but Europe was invited to make records because he had already won fame as a band leader; moreover, Europe's records did not sell well.<br /><br />Labels on many Smith records have the phrase "for dancing" or "dance music." It recorded fox trots, one-steps, and waltzes, a few featuring a vocal refrain contributed by a Victor studio singer. Although musicians varied, generally eight instruments were used, a combination of violin (Smith was a violinist), viola, piano, cello, trombone, cornet, drums.<br /><br />Smith's Orchestra began recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company on September 25, 1916. From this session came "Songs of the Night" (the Victor Dance Orchestra is on the reverse side). It was issued in December 1916. Victor's monthly supplement calls the orchestra "a new organization...popular with New York dancers." "Money Blues" was also recorded at this session but was held for a few months, and that session's take of a Cole Porter song went unissued.<br /><br />
