Blue Again
“Blue Again” (Fields-McHugh). Recorded in London in March 1931 by Sid Phillips and His Melodians, with vocal chorus by Betty Bolton. Edison Bell Radio 1486 mx. 90102-2.
“Blue Again.” Words by Dorothy Fields, music by Jimmy McHugh; written for the Broadway show The Vanderbilt Revue (1930). Recorded in London in March 1931 by Sid Phillips and His Melodians, with vocal chorus by Betty Bolton. Edison Bell Radio 1486 mx. 90102-2.
Personnel: Sid Phillips cl-as-bar dir. Harry Phillips-Murray Dempsey-t / Sid Kruger-tb / Harry Smith-as / Jean Paques-p / Ralph Phillips-bj / Mick Tisco-sb-bb / Joe Badis-d / Betty Bolton-v
Sid Philips and His Melodians (v. Betty Bolton) - “Blue Again” (1931)
From the collection of David Weavings (transfer by Jonathan David Holmes)
The 1930 Broadway show The Vanderbilt Revue was a low point in the careers of producers Lew Fields and Lyle D. Andrews. It lasted only thirteen performances at New York’s Vanderbilt Theatre. Perhaps one of the few memorable things about the show is the amusingly scathing Billboard review written by Rives Matthews, who describes the revue as “a badly mounted, poorly tuned collection of efforts ranking in most instances far below third-rate vaudeville.” Matthews tries to do justice to the superior efforts of a few artists who
[stood] out against a somber background composed of a badly trained, gaudy costumed chorus almost totally devoid of shape or beauty, cheap, visually offensive sets, botched light cues, music which rarely recommends itself, long-drawn-out, funereal wit and some stupid dances.
The reviewer does, however, interrupt his tirade for a moment to observe that
Miss [Evelyn] Hoey sings pleasantly, looks pleasant and pleases whenever she strikes a happy mean between torch and blues song. This she manages to do only once with a song called “Blue Again.”
“Blue Again” is, to my knowledge, the only element of The Vanderbilt Revue that has had an afterlife outside its original context, and it has done surprisingly well, having been recorded roughly twenty-five times in the year after its introduction on stage, with new, notable versions released virtually every decade thereafter. We should not be surprised that this now established standard was composed by the songwriting team Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, whose output has generally overperformed.
“Blue Again” is one of those songs whose melody and even tempo tend to be at odds with its title: every version I have heard of it is comparatively upbeat, not at all blue or melancholy. Indeed, the singer does not describe themself as being more than intermittently sad—the theme is rather a long series of lover’s spats, passionate love expressing itself as emotional conflict.
The Sid Phillips version of the song begins with a blaring instrumental segment that derives from the song’s lyrical intro and that evokes the idea of quarrelling. Eventually Betty Bolton begins the vocal chorus, emphasizing phrases like “even though I hate you” and “we’ll fight,” all the while leaving open the likelihood that she is ready to make up…again and again and again. Bolton is perfect for this song, insofar as she is able to deliver the lyrics dramatically while keeping the mood light. Ultimately, this rendition of “Blue Again” is eminently successful, with a great deal of energy and some enjoyable tension between the lovers’ short-lived hate and (one hopes) longer-lived love.
North American artists who recorded “Blue Again” in 1930 include Carl Webster’s Yale Collegians, Tom Smith’s Melody Masters (v. Irving Kaufman), The Yale Collegians (v. Stew Pletcher), The Ipana Troubadours (v. Paul Small), Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra (v. Sid Garry), Smith Ballew and His Orchestra as the Embassy Dance Orchestra (v. Smith Ballew), Marion Harris, Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (v. Dick Robertson), Jack Miller, and Fred Rich and His Orchestra (v. Scrappy Lambert). Other North American versions were recorded in 1931 by Fred Culley and His Royal York Hotel Orchestra (v. Byron Holiday), Joe Gumin and His Orchestra (v. Sonny Sievert), Sam Lanin’s Benrus Radio Orchestra (v. Paul Small), Lee Morse and Her Blue Grass Boys, The Revelers, and Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five (v. Louis Armstrong).
Other British recordings of “Blue Again” were made in 1931 by Ambrose and His Orchestra (v. Sam Browne), Hal Swain and His Band (v. Jack Plant), Eddie Grossbart’s Ambassador Club Band (v. Sam Browne), Nat Star and His Dance Orchestra (v. Tom Barratt), Jerry Hoey and His Band (vocalist unknown), Billy Milton, Stan Greening’s Midnight Minstrels (v. Dan Donovan), John Firman’s Orpheus Dance Band (vocal trio including Maurice Elwin), and Jay Wilbur’s Ambassadors Twelve (v. Les Allen).
