HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Eddy Duchin

Birth of Swing Jazz: Eddy Duchin

Eddy Duchin

Photo: Paramount Productions

Born on 1 April 1909 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, pianist, Eddy Duchin (also Eddie), was a pharmacist before hiring on to Leo Reisman's orchestra playing at the Central Park Casino in New York City in 1929. Duchin's first issued recording was with Reisman on August 6, 'Can't We Be Friends?', after which he kept with Reisman into latter 1930. By 1932 he became that band's leader. DAHR has 'Can't We Be Friends?' issued on Victor 22070 sung by Lew Conrad on 6 August 1929. Though Smith Ballew had recorded the same title with Reisman a week earlier on 31 July, DAHR documents those takes as unreleased.

'Can't We Be Friends?' Eddy Duchin (piano) w the Leo Reisman Orchestra

Duchin's first-known recording

Recorded 31 July 1929 Matrix BVE-55638 Victor 22070

Suggested personnel:

Clarinet / sax: Quenze / Bill Tronstein

Violin: Lew Conrad (vocal) Banjo: Ned Cola

Tuba: Harry Atlas Drums: Harry Sigman

Music: Kay Swift Lyrics: Paul James / James Warburg

Duchin's was a "sweet" band that performed smooth dance music for the hotel audience. Though he often featured at piano his wasn't a jazz rhythm (Tom Lord includes only eight of Duchin's many sessions in his jazzography). 'Now You've Got Me Worryin' for You' was Duchin's first title to score big on the charts at #11 in 1932. 'Snuggled on Your Shoulder (Cuddled in Your Arms)' rose to #7 the same year. Duchin and his Orchestra placed countless titles in the Top Ten (my convention) to as late as 'You Walk By' at #6 in 1941. Ten of Duchin's releases topped the charts at #1 commencing with 'Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?' in 1933. His most popular issue was the pretty melody, 'Lovely to Look At', in 1935 with saxophonist, Lew Sherwood, at vocals:

    Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?   #1   1933
   Let's Fall in Love   #1   1934
   I Won't Dance   #1   1935
   Lovely to Look At   #1   1935
   You are My Lucky Star   #1   1935
   I'll Sing You a Thousand Love Songs   #1   1936
   Lights Out   #1   1936
   Moon Over Miami   #1   1936
   Take My Heart   #1   1936
   It's De-Lovely   #1   1936

'The Clouds Will Soon Roll By' Eddy Duchin leading the Central Park Casino Orchestra

Recorded 1 July 1932 in NYC Matrix W152233 Columbia 2680-D

Vocals: The Hamilton Sisters aka the Three X Sisters:

Violet Hamilton / Pearl Hamilton / Jessie Fordyce

Music: Harry Woods Lyrics: George Brown

'Now You've Got Me Worryin' for You'

Eddy Duchin leading the Central Park Casino Orchestra

Recorded 1 July 1932 in NYC Matrix W152234 Columbia 2680-D

Vocal: Frances Langford

Music: Joe Young Lyrics: Sammy Fain

Duchin also performed in films. He was featured in 'Mr. Broadway' starring Ed Sullivan in 1933. A couple months later Vitaphone released the short film, 'Eddy Duchin & His Orchestra with Sylvia Froos'. It was 'Coronado' in 1935 and 'The Hit Parade' in 1937. Though Duchin led a sweet band it wasn't perfectly polite. He issued a version of the jazz standard, 'Ol Man Mose', in 1938 with Patricia Norman that was banned in Great Britain due that lyrics altered from the original had "bucket" rhyming with "fuck it". Going uncensored in the United States as if "fuck it" were 'bucket", the song reached the No.2 spot on Billboard and sold a huge (at the time) 170,000 copies.

'Eddy Duchin & His Orchestra with Sylvia Froos' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Vitaphone film #1558 released 25 Nov 1933

Vocals on 'Tony's Wife' and 'Lullaby of the Leaves': Sylvia Froos

Featuring the skating act of Earl, Jack and Betty

'Tony's Wife' composed by Burton Lane w lyrics by Harold Adamson

'Lullaby of the Leaves' composed by Bernice Petkere w lyrics by Joe Young

'Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 1 Dec 1933 in NYC Matrix BVE-78826 Victor 24477

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Harry Revel Lyrics: Mack Gordon

'Let's Fall in Love' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 5 Jan 1934 in NYC Matrix BS-81037 Victor 24510

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Ted Koehler

'I Only Have Eyes for You' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 June 1934 in Chicago Matrix BS-80619 Victor 24665

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin

'Dust on the Moon' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 June 1934 in Chicago Matrix BS-80622 Victor 24664

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Ernesto Lecuona Lyrics: Stanley Adams

'Lovely to Look At' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 15 June 1934 in Camden NJ Matrix BS-83974 Victor 24871

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Jimmy McHugh / Dorothy Fields

'You Are My Lucky Star' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 5 July 1935 in NYC Matrix BS-83974 Victor 24871

Vocal: Lew Sherwood

Music: Nacio Herb Brown Lyrics: Arthur Freed

'It's De-Lovely' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 2 Oct 1936 in NYC Matrix BS-0772 Victor 25432

Vocal: Jerry Cooper

Composition: Cole Porter for the musical 'Red Hot and Blue' in 1936

'Love and Learn' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 13 Nov 1936 in NYC Matrix BS-03221 Victor 25472

Trumpet: Lew Sherwood / Charles Trotter Trombone: Frank Saracco

Sax: John Giller / Fred Morrow / Aaron Volosshin

Piano: Horace Diaz and/or Eddy Duchin Violin: Milt Shaw

Guitar: Gene Baumgarden Bass: Al Kunze

Traps (drums): Harry Campbell Vocal: Jerry Cooper

Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics: Edward Heyman

'Ol' Man Mose' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 21 March 1938 in Los Angeles Brunswick 8155

Vocal: Patricia Norman

Composition: Louis Armstrong / Zilner Randolph 1935

'Only Forever' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 19 July 1940 Matrix LA 2271A Columbia 35624

Vocal: June Robbins

Composition: Johnny Burke / James Monaco

'My Twilight Dream' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Recorded 11 Oct 1940 Columbia 36224

Vocal: Tony Leonard

From Chopin's 'Nocturne in E Flat' c 1831

Adaptation and lyrics by Duchin w Lew Sherwood

'Jenny' Eddy Duchin Orchestra

Columbia 36978 1941

Vocal: June Robbins

Composition: Kurt Weill / Ira (Israel) Gershwin

'Rosalie' Piano solo by Eddy Duchin

Columbia 36543 Issued 20 March 1942

Also issued on 'Duchin Plays Cole Porter' per Columbia C-87 in 1942

Composition: Cole Porter

Duchin served as an officer on a destroyer in the Pacific during World War II. He reentered the music industry after his tour but didn't have long to accomplish a lot, dying of leukemia on 9 February 1951 in New York City, only 41 years old. Five years later the motion picture tribute, 'The Eddy Duchin Story', premiered on 21 June 1956 with screenplay by Samuel Taylor, direction by George Sidney and Duchin played by Tyrone Power.

'Let's Go West Again' Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra

Columbia 2680-D 1950

Vocal: Tommy Mercer

Music: Irving Berlin 1946

Duchin had had three children. The musician, Peter Duchin [Wikipedia], was born in 1937 of Marjorie Oelrichs whom Eddy had married in 1935. Oelrichs died six days after childbirth. Two more children were born of Marguerite O'Malley in 1938 and Millie Yammarino in 1940. Eddy married a second time to Maria Teresa "Chiquita" Parke-Smith in 1947 but they had no children. Random House published Peter's 'Ghost of a Chance: A Memoir' in 1996.

Sources & References for Eddy Duchin:

Christopher Popa (Big Band Library)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Audio of Duchin: The 78 Prof Internet Archive YouTube

Duchin in Film: IMDb

Recordings by Duchin: Catalogs:

45 Worlds (Eddie Duchin)

45 Worlds (Eddy Duchin)

All Music

Discogs

Music Brainz