1938 Music – Pop Standards and Artists

1938 Pop Standards and Artists

Al Donahue
Jeepers Creepers
The song made its first appearance in the 1938 film Going Places which starred Dick Powell Anita Louise and a future President of the United States Ronald Reagan. The song was actually sung to a horse by his trainer. The trainer was played by Louis Armstrong. The term Jeepers Creepers was actually a slang term for Jesus Christ and the term predated the movie and the song. In 2001 a film entitled Jeepers Creeper would appear in a horror movie. Jeepers Creepers would be heard right before the monster would appear.

Andrews Sisters
Shortnin Bread
The origins of this song are vague. Although considered a traditional plantation song the first published record of the lyrics was 1900 by a white poet named James Whitcomb Riley. The song would then be revised and republished again in 1915 by E. C. Perrow. This is more the song that we know of today

Here a recipe for Shortening Bread retrieved from the website Suite 101:
2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ cup buttermilk, A quarter cup plus two tables spoons butter 1 cup molasses and 1 egg slightly beaten. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a cast-iron skillet. In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set it aside. In another small dish dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk. Set that aside also. In a heavy saucepan, stir the butter and molasses and bring it to a boil. Stir it constantly. Add the molasses mixture to the flour, Stir in and then add the buttermilk and soda and then the beaten egg. Pour the whole mixture into the skillet and place it in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes

Bing Crosby
You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
With music by Harry Warren and Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby would be featured in Hard To Get and sung by Dick Powell. But it had been popular before the film’s release as it was recorded by Bing Crosby and became a mega-hit for the already famous crooner.

Bob Hope and Shirley Ross
Thanks For The Memories
Bob Hope wasn’t exactly known for his singing voice, though he could carry a tune. This song is a bittersweet comedy romp through a couple’s breaking up. However, the song would become Hope’s theme song which he closed almost all of his shows. Mr. Hope would become famous for his patriotism especially during war years as he would travel the world to perform for American troops bringing along many celebrities of the day, usually beautiful women like Raquel Welch and Ann Margaret. The song would be done as a spoof on an Episode of The Golden Girls which guest-starred Hope. Sophia, played by Estelle Getty, would change the words to “Thanks for the Medicare.”

Ella Fitzgerald
A Tisket A Tasket
The song is a reworked nursery rhyme that was originally published in the late 1800s. It was considered a rhyming game in the same way as Ring a Round the Rosie was done as children held hands and moved in a circular fashion. In 1938 Ella Fitzgerald updated the words of A Tisket A Tasket and turned in to one of the great Jazz Standards.

Fats Waller
Two Sleepy People
This song was originally published in 1938 with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Carmichael himself would record the song along with such artists as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Seth McFarlane would also record the song. The song is the story of two people who are so much in love they do not want to go to sleep. On a humorous note, the song would be recorded by Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton as their characters of Archie and Edith Bunker.

Fred Astaire
Nice Work If You Can Get It
The song was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the movie musical A Damsel in Distress. In the movie, the song was sung by Fred Astaire, who would turn it into a hit. The song became a part of the Gershwin musical Crazy For You and eventually would have a Broadway show of its own named after it.

Adriana Caselotti
Whistle While You Work
Whistle While You Work was written for Walt Disney’s first full-length cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Frank Churchill, music and Larry Morey, lyrics. The movie was a huge risk for Disney as a full length animated film had never been attempted before. The song is an upbeat encouragement sung by Snow White as she cleans up the Dwarfs Cottage with the help of the good forest animals. The movie would go on to win Disney a special Academy Award made with one large oscar statue and seven smaller ones. The award was presented to Mr. Disney by child actress Shirley Temple.

Walter Huston
September Song
This 1938 popular song was written by Kurt Weill, music and Maxwell Anderson, lyrics for the show Knickerbocker Holiday. The show would have a successful run but the song would outlive the show. September Song would be recorded by such artists as Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. Opera and Broadway star Enzio Pinza would also make a recording of this song shortly before his death. The song would go on to be used in the 1950 film September Affair.