Noble Sissle & Harry the Wild

Noble Sissle

Source: Wikiwand

Born on 10 July 1889 in Indianapolis, Noble Sissle, bandleader and vocalist bridging ragtime to swing jazz. He had sung in a couple quartets during and after graduating from high school before attending De Pauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, on scholarship, then Butler University in Indianapolis. Sissle had formed his first band by 1915 to perform at the Severin Hotel in Indianapolis. He is perhaps most famous for his partnership with Eubie Blake early in his career. Blake and Sissle first worked together in 1915 in Baltimore in Joe Porter's Serenaders. Their first collaboration as songwriters was 'It's All Your Fault'. Sissle's first known recording may have included Blake on piano, that about April of 1917 under the direction of Domenico Savino: 'Mammy's Little Choc'late Cullud Chile' (Pathe cylinder 20210), composed by Sissle and orchestrated by Blake.

Sissle recorded several more tunes with Pathe in 1917 before joining James Europe's 369th Regimental Band in 1918 as a violinist, vocalist and forming member, they having joined the U.S. Army together during World War I. After the War, Europe and Sissle made more recordings as Sissle formed another songwriting partnership with Blake. They co-authored 'On Patrol in No Man's Land' for issue by Europe in 1919. Blake and Sissle also worked in vaudeville together as the Dixie Duo. Tom Lord's discography has them recording again circa December, 1919, on 'I'm Just Simply Full of Jazz' and 'Ain't Cha Coming Back, Mary Ann, to Maryland?'. Blake wrote the music and Sissle the lyrics to their musical, 'Shuffle Along', premiering in Washington DC in March of 1921.

'Crazy Blues'   Noble Sissle w Eubie Blake (piano)

Edison cylinder recorded in NYC 11 Jan 1921   Blue Amberol 4264 issued June 1921

Composition: Perry Bradford

The Blake and Sissle team composed multiple Top Ten titles, their first being 'Bandana Days' which Blake took to #4 in November 1921. Among others was the quintessential Roaring Twenties tune, 'I'm Just Wild About Harry', written for the Broadway musical of 1921, 'Shuffle Along'. Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra rode 'I'm Just Wild About Harry' to #11 in January of 1922 per Okeh 4647. Later the same year Ray Miller & His Orchestra issued the tune on Columbia 3640 to ring the bell at #4 in September. Vaughn De Leath's version released on Gennett 4905 reached #10 the same month. The next month in October 1922 Marion Harris' version on Brunswick 2309 reached #4, the same month that Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra took the tune to #4 per Victor 18938. Everybody loved Harry in 1922, and Harry Truman would use the song during his campaign for the presidency of 1948, but in 1923 Blake and Sissle moved on to star in a couple of Lee DeForest's Phonofilms titled 'Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake' and 'Sissle and Blake Sing Snappy Songs', the latter premiering in NYC on 15 April 1923.

'I'm Just Wild About Harry'   Ray Miller & His Orchestra   Columbia 3640   #4 Sep 1922

'I'm Just Wild About Harry'   Vaughn De Leath   Gennett 4905   #10 Sep 1922

'I'm Just Wild About Harry'   Marion Harris   Brunswick 2309   #4 Oct 1922

'I'm Just Wild About Harry'   Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra   Victor 18938   #4 Oct 1922

'Waitin' for the Evenin' Mail'   Noble Sissle w Eubie Blake (piano)

Recorded in NYC 25 May 1923   Matrix B-27975   Victor 19086-B

Composition: Billy Baskette

'Downhearted Blues'   Noble Sissle w Eubie Blake (piano)

Recorded in NYC 25 May 1923   Matrix B-27976   Victor 19086-A   Charts: #13 Sep 1923

Composition: Alberta Hunter / Lovie Austin

Sissle released recordings steadily throughout his career, many in England in 1925-26 and 1928-30.

'Camp Meeting Day'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra

Recorded in London 10 Sep 1929   HMV B 5709

Composition: Sissle

'Miranda'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra

Recorded in London 10 Sep 1929   HMV B 5709

Composition: Sissle

'I'm Crooning a Tune About June'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra

Recorded in London 10 Oct 1929   HMV B 5731 & Electrola EG 1713

Composition: Davis / Cook

'Kansas City Kitty'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra

Recorded in London 10 Oct 1929   HMV B 5731

Composition: Walter Donaldson / Edgar Leslie

'You Can't Get to Heaven That Way'   Noble Sissle & His Sizzling Syncopators

Recorded in London 11 Dec 1930   Columbia DF 463

Composition: Irving Caesar / Seymour Simons

'Little White Lies' w 'Happy Feet'   Noble Sissle & His Band from Ciro's Club

Film by British Pathe   1931

'Little White Lies' composed by Walter Donaldson

'Happy Feet'  composed by Jack Yellen / Milton Ager

'St. Louis Blues'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra

Film: 'That's The Spirit'   1933

Composition: W.C. Handy   1914

Sissle gave Lena Horne one of the big breaks of her early career by hiring her to tour with his orchestra circa 1936.

'I Take to You' w 'Rhythm of the Broadway Moon'   Noble Sissle & His Orchestra w Lena Horne

Recorded in NYC 11 March 1936   Decca 847 A & B

'I Take to You' composed by Billy Rose

'Rhythm of the Broadway Moon' composed by Fred Rose / Ed Nelson

'Viper Mad' below refers to cannabis. It was first performed on the vaudeville circuit as 'Pleasure Mad' in 1924 by Blossom Seeley. Ethel Waters recorded it as 'Pleasure Mad' in August 1924 toward release on Vocalion 14860 flip side of 'Back-Biten' Mama'. In the 1938 version below Sissle's Swingsters are led by Sidney Bechet with vocal by O'Neill Spencer. Sissle himself is not listed among personnel.

'Viper Mad' ('Pleasure Mad')   Noble Sissle Swingsters led by Sidney Bechet (sax)

Vocal by O'Neill Spencer   Recorded in NYC 10 Feb 1938

   Multiple issues including Brunswick 02652, Decca 3521 & Decca 7429

Composition: Sidney Bechet / Rousseau Simmons   Pub 1924

During World War II Sissle entertained troops in Europe. He played at Eisenhower's inauguration in 1953 before beginning to work as a disc jockey for WMGM Radio in New York City in 1954. Lord's discography has Blake and Sissle recording together again in 1958 and 1969, tracing Sissle to as late as Blake's 'Eighty Six Years of Eubie Blake' which last of three sessions was held on 12 March 1969 in New York City.

'It's All Your Fault'   Noble Sissle w Eubie Blake (piano)

Recorded in NYC 12 March 1969

See 'Eighty Six Years of Eubie Blake' on Columbia C2S847   1973

Composition: Blake / Sissle

'You Were Meant for Me'   Noble Sissle w Eubie Blake (piano)

Recorded in NYC 12 March 1969

See 'Eighty Six Years of Eubie Blake' on Columbia C2S847   1973

Composition: Blake / Sissle

Sissle died in Tampa, FL, on 17 December 1975, six months after the rock band, Heart, issued its first single, 'Magic Man'.