"Why Don't You Try or The Rolling Chair Song"<br /><br />Harry Tally<br /><br />Victor 4593<br /><br />1905<br /><br />Music by Egbert Van Alstyne<br /><br />Words by Harry H. Williams<br /><br />Did you ever see a maiden in a little rolling chair? Room <br />for two--Sue and you? Hear the salty breezes whistle <br />through her curly locks of hair. Ocean's blue--so are you.<br /><br />For another lucky fellow is attending by her side.<br />There to stay if he may. And she whispered in his ear,<br />"Don’t be quite so distant, dear, tho’ we first met yesterday."<br /><br />Do you think you’d like me better <br />if you thought that I liked you?<br />Do you think that I’d be angry<br />if you stole a kiss or two?<br /><br />Do you think that you could love me <br />in the sweet, sweet bye and bye?<br />If you think that you could learn to, <br />why don’t you try? Why don’t you try?<br /><br />Just another season later in another rolling chair.<br />There is Sue. So are you. But you don’t remember Susan <br />and her curly locks of hair. Nor does Sue think of you.<br /><br />So at last you get acquainted and you think you’ve made a hit.<br />But you’re wrong all along, for there’ll be another year, and <br />there’ll be another dear who will hear the same old song.<br /><br />Harry Tally was born on June 30, 1866. <br /><br />The tenor was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Fletcher E. and Marcella Tally (possibly "Talley"). <br /><br />He was a member of the Empire City Quartet. As a solo artist that he made many recordings, probably beginning with Columbia in late 1902. It seems he was exclusive to Columbia for several months.<br /><br />He was versatile, covering all types of popular song, from sentimental to comic. In announcing the release of "Honeymooning" on cylinder 33299, Columbia's January 1909 supplement states, "Mr. Tally has a flexible vibrant tenor voice which he handles in an exceptionally skillful manner."<br /><br />He was the first Columbia artist to cut "Mister Dooley" from A Chinese Honeymoon. It was issued on seven-inch 876. Dan Quinn cut the song for Victor on July 10, 1902. Tally's version is from late 1902.<br /><br />He recorded "Pinky Panky Poo" for Columbia (this song was cut by banjoist Vess L. Ossman for Victor in February 1903). The lowest numbered Columbia disc to feature a Tally performance is "Love Me, Phoebe, Love Me." Tally's version was released on ten-inch 203; Harry Macdonough had cut it earlier for seven-inch 203. Whether Tally cut the ten-inch version in 1902 or 1903 is unknown.<br /><br />He later worked for Victor and its subsidiary label Zon-o-phone, American, U-S Everlasting, Leeds & Catlin, and others.<br /><br />He made three Edison two-minute cylinders. Announcing for September release his Edison debut, "My Little Coney Isle" (Standard 8483), the August 1903 issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly identifies the singer as Harry L. Tally. A second title was issued in October 1903: "There's Music In The Air" (8518)--this time he is "Harry L. Talley." A year later, the October 1904 Edison trade journal listed a third item, "Seminole" (8808) as sung by "Harry Tally." He cut the popular "Seminole" for Victor and Columbia as well.<br /><br />
