George Gershwin Gets Mixed Up with Irving Berlin

George Gershwin

Source: NNDB

Irving Berlin

Source: Wikipedia

Because Irving Berlin and George Gershwin were whales among lot of big fish in the composing of early popular music, it was inevitable that they should have a 'High Noon' showdown right here and now. It is Berlin's fault that the photographs above are out of order. Berlin's birth preceded Gershwin's by ten years, but he snuck in out of nowhere, thinking I wouldn't notice. This confusion is saved by the fact that Berlin lived half a century longer than Gershwin, thus followed as well. Since he's here to make trouble I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of potting him at top. He won't grow any bigger anyway. Speaking of which, Gershwin was a giant compared to Berlin, according to the photographs above, needing a big frame too large for my wallet.

Berlin was a Jew who had been born in Tolochin, Russia, on 11 May of 1888 and brought to the United States at age five. His first published composition was 'Marie from Sunny Italy' in 1907 for which he was paid 33 cents. Gershwin was only nine at the time, and only age thirteen when Berlin rose to the top of the heap in Tin Pan Alley with 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' in 1911:

'Alexander's Ragtime Band'   Collins and Harlan

Recorded 23 May 1911 in Camden, NJ    Victor 16908

Composition: Berlin

'Alexander's Ragtime Band'   Billy Murray

Recorded c July 1911 in NYC    Cylinder: Edison Amberol 8178

Composition: Berlin

Born on 26 September 1898 in Brooklyn, George Gershwin was of Jewish ancestry in Ukraine and brother to lyricist, Ira Gershwin, with whom he would collaborate from 1924 to 1937. George began his career in the music industry at age 15 as a song plugger, advertising sheet music on the streets of Tin Pan Alley. Tin Pan Alley was that quarter of New York City where popular music was hustled by publishers in every fashion. It acquired a reputation, especially among serious musicians - such as Gershwin, a classical pianist - as a place to avoid. Nevertheless, Tin Pan Alley would later help make Gershwin a wealthy man, more so, apparently, than among his greater rivals in Tin Pan Alley, Irving Berlin, Gershwin's senior by a decade.

Gershwin's first published composition, written at age 17, was 'When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em, When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want 'Em'. He began producing piano rolls for the pianola (player piano) the next year, of which he made more than 140 during his earlier career. Stanford University lists his first two rolls for the Standard Music Roll Company in January of '16 per 'Bring Along Your Dancing Shoes' and 'Kangaroo Hop' issued as Perfection 85865. He also began making rolls for the Aeolian Company that year. One got paid 5 some dollars for a piano roll at that time, equal to well above fifty dollars today. That doesn't sound like a lot, but several rolls a week could double the average American salary at that time of $15 a week.

'Kangaroo Hop'   George Gershwin

Recorded Jan 1916    Piano Roll: Perfection 86985

Composition: Gershwin

'Chinese Blues'   George Gershwin

Recorded May 1916    Piano Roll: Perfection 86717

Composition: Gershwin

'Walkin' the Dog'   George Gershwin

Recorded July 1916    Piano Roll: Perfection 86753

Composition: Gershwin

'Mandy'   Billy Murray

Cylinder: Edison Blue Amberol 3634   1918

Composition: Berlin

'Swanee One Step'   George Gershwin

Recorded Feb 1920

Piano Roll: Mel-O-Dee 3707   Duo-Art 1649   QRS Q 1007

Composition: Gershwin

Despite piano rolls sounding a lot better than early acoustic discs - though nothing too fancy for a mechanical instrument to play - Gershwin's first recording on shellac is believed to have been 'Swanee' with the Fred Van Eps Quartet in December 1919. As we roll into the twenties we find Berlin yet giving girls something to flap about as Gershwin began a more elaborate intercourse with jazz. Among his best known compositions and recordings was 'Rhapsody in Blue' with Paul Whiteman in 1924 a few months after the Casino Dance Orchestra put away Berlin's 'What'll I Do?':

'What'll I Do?'   Casino Dance Orchestra

Recorded 18 March 1924   Issued on Perfect 14246

Composition: Berlin

'Rhapsody in Blue'   George Gershwin at piano w the Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Recorded 10 June 1924 in NYC   Issued on Victor 55225

Composition: Gershwin

'Always'   Irving Kaufman

Recorded 30 Jan 1926   Issued on Harmony 110-H

Composition: Berlin

'Always'   George Olsen & His Music

Recorded 5 Feb 1926   Issued on Victor 19955

Vocals: Fran Frey / Bob Rice / Edward Joyce

Composition: Berlin

'That Certain Feeling'   George Gershwin

Recorded April 1926    Piano Roll: Mel-O-Dee 47178

Composition: Gershwin

'When Do We Dance?'   George Gershwin

Recorded 6 Jul 1926 in London    Columbia 4065

Composition: Gershwin

'Maybe'   George Gershwin

Recorded 12 Nov 1926 in NYC    Columbia 812-D

Composition: Gershwin

'Blue Skies'   Ben Selvin's Knickerbockers w Charles Kaley

Recorded 15 Jan 1927 in NYC    Columbia 860-D

Composition: Berlin

'Three Preludes'   George Gershwin   1928

premiere: Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan in 1926

Composition: Gershwin

'Puttin’ On The Ritz'   Leo Reisman w vocal by Lew Conrad

Recorded 20 Jan 1930 in NYC    Victor 22306

Composition: Berlin

'Say It Isn't So'   George Olsen w vocal by Paul Small

Recorded 2 Sep 1932 in NYC    Victor 24124

Composition: Berlin

In 1934 Gershwin had his own radio program, 'Music By Gershwin', for NBC. That aired from February to May, later from September to December:

'I Got Rhythm Variations'   George Gershwin sometime 1934

'Music By Gershwin' radio broadcast for NBC

premiere: Symphony Hall in Boston on 14 Jan 1934

Composition: Gershwin

Gershwin is also well-known for his opera, 'Porgy and Bess', first performed in 1935, to commercial failure:

'Bess, You Is My Woman Now'   Lawrence Tibbett w Helen Jepson

Recorded Oct 1935   Issued Dec 1935

From the opera 'Porgy and Bess'

Composition: Gershwin   Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

'I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm'   Dick Powell w Alice Faye

From the film 'On the Avenue' released 12 Feb 1937

Composition: Berlin

It had been 1935 when Gershwin last recorded, highlighting tunes from 'Porgy and Bess' for RCA Victor. He then moved to Hollywood, where he wrote the score for 'Shall We Dance' released on 7 May 1937 only two months before his death at only 38 years of age in Los Angeles of brain tumor on 11 July 1937. Gershwin was posthumously honored with a Pulitzer Special Award in 1998.

'Shall We Dance'   Fred Astaire   Film: 'Shall We Dance' released 7 May 1937

Composition: Gershwin   Lyrics: Ira Gershwin

Gershwin's career was but an episode to Berlin who lived another half century.

'God Bless America'   Kate Smith

Radio broadcast 10 Nov 1938

Composition: Berlin

'This Time'   Film: 'This is the Army' released on 14 Aug 1943

Composition: Berlin

Berlin's final musical was 'Mr. President' in 1962 after which he retired to live a quiet life in New York City. He wrote one final composition, however, called 'Old Fashioned Wedding', inserted into Act 2 of the 1966 Broadway revival of 'Annie Get Your Gun', a musical by Berlin which had seen its premiere twenty years before starring Ethel Merman as sharpshooter, Annie Oakley:

'Old Fashioned Wedding'   Ethel Merman w Bruce Yarnell

Recorded 5 June 1966 at Webster Hall in NYC   RCA Victor 1124-2-RC

From 'Annie Get Your Gun' of 1966  (not in the original version of 1946)

Composition: Berlin

Berlin was a centenarian when he died in Manhattan on 22 September 1989. The only time Gershwin interrupted his career is in the account above, which Berlin deserves for intruding on this account of Gershwin.