The three Giersdorf Sisters sing Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" on Columbia 878-D, issued in 1927.<br /><br />Their names were Elvira, Irene, and Rae.<br /><br />It's one of the geatest songs of that century.<br /><br />I view this Giersdorf performance as mediocre--uninspired or lackluster singing of a great song.<br /><br />Are they the same as the Giddens Sisters?<br /><br />The Giersdorf Sisters recorded at least four titles for Columbia:<br /><br />1) Blue Skies on 878-D (January 12, 1927) matrix: W143292<br /><br />2) In A Little Spanish Town on 878-D (January 29, 1927) matrix: W143367<br /><br />3) Rosy Cheeks on 1006D (April 7, 1927) matrix: W144002<br /><br />4) Swanee River Trail on 1006D (January 20, 1927) matrix: W143335<br /><br />Blue skies <br />Smiling at me <br />Nothing but blue skies <br />Do I see <br /><br />Bluebirds <br />Singing a song <br />Nothing but bluebirds <br />All day long <br /><br />Never saw the sun shining so bright <br />Never saw things going so right <br />Noticing the days hurrying by <br />When you're in love, my how they fly <br /><br />Blue days <br />All of them gone <br />Nothing but blue skies <br />From now on <br /><br />I was blue, just as blue as I could be <br />Every day was a cloudy day for me<br />Then good luck came a-knocking at my door <br />Skies were gray but they're not gray anymore<br /><br />Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" is among the greatest songs of the 20th century. I put it up there with Hoagy's "Stardust" and Paul McCartney's "Yesterday."<br /><br />It was first heard in a Broadway show called Betsy. The show was meant to showcase the songs of team Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.<br /><br />But Belle Baker, who was featured in the show, decided she needed a more dynamic song than what was provided. She turned to her friend Irving Berlin, who gave her "Blue Skies" in late 1926--in time for her to introduce it in Betsy.<br /><br />Betsy opened at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway three days after Christmas--on December 28, 1926. It ran a few dozen times, not a hit. But the song "Blue Skies" made an impression, and it was of course used to great effect by Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer.
